Your Last Everything

Chapter Eighteen - Dimitri

I watched her take Aiden out of my hands and kiss those chubby cheeks he had before sliding back into bed.

"I'm going to try and put him to sleep. Come lay down next to me." She spoke. I laid down next to her and saw her swaddle Aiden then place him in the bassinet.

She rocked him gently, humming softly to him, and surprisingly it didn't take too long for his soft baby snores to fill the room.

She stayed there still for a few more minutes rocking him and caressing his face with her fingers.

I watched her drop her hand from the bassinet and fall back into the bed. We were face to face and I placed my arm on her waist and pulled her to my chest.

"I didn't like hearing you cry." I admitted, "Broke my fucking heart hearing you upset."

"I'm sorry,"

"Do you want to tell me why you were upset?"

"He paid for my coffee in the drive-through and told the barista to write his phone number on it. I thought it was cute, sweet."

"I mean, it sounded all romantic and I can't help it. I'm a stupid and hopeless romantic." She started.

"Noah was loving. He loved to spoil me, to take care of me, and he was always gentle whenever we were together."

"He used to tell me that he'd never love somebody as much as he loved me. That he'd never need anyone else in his life as long as he had me. I loved him the way he loved me...once."

I had to keep my face hard and emotionless, but the thought of someone else loving her, touching her, being there for her made me see red.

"Then he got fired." She let out a puff of air, "For drinking while on the job. I stayed with him, even after all that. I mean who breaks up with someone who just lost their job, right?"

I gave her a curt nod, not because I agreed, but to let her know I was listening.

"So, I stayed and supported him financially, and stayed with him emotionally. He drank so much. It took him a six-pack of beer for him to start...to start talking, just mean things."

"He wasn't the same man I started dating. He was horrible, Dimitri, god, just fucking horrible to me."

"My confidence drained from this man. He made me hate myself, hate my body, hate everything that made me...me."

I started rubbing her back, reassuring her that it was all right, that I was here for her.

"When it got too much for me to be around him, I just left. I didn't know I was pregnant."

"He got even more brazen, he began threatening me, sending me messages. It freaked me out."

"I moved out of my apartment, filed a restraining order against him, and moved in with my parents. I found out I was pregnant the next week."

"So, I just told everyone that he dumped me because I was pregnant." Her hand came up and I saw her fingers absentmindedly trace the tattoos on my arm.

"And today he just shows up. Can you believe that? After almost two years, he just shows up and starts telling me to forgive him. That he went to rehab and he's trying to heal from the mistakes he made."

"He told me.... he told me that he still loves me, that he'll always love me. That he's sorry for what he did to me. Like what the hell am I supposed to do with this information?"

I felt my arms clenching into fists. The rational part of me wanted to tell her that this was a good thing.

That she should forgive him that way he can build a healthy relationship with her son. That maybe sitting down and having a conversation with him would be a good way to heal her inner wounds.