I know your pain

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Ricky's pov

As I drove back to Rowan's place, I glanced over and noticed that she had fallen fast asleep. When I arrived at the driveway, I was taken aback to see my mom's car parked there, and I could feel my frustration building. After parking, I got out of the car, went over to Rowan's side, and carefully opened her door. I lifted her gently, making sure she didn't wake up, and carried her inside her house. As I entered, my gaze immediately fell on my mother. "How could you not tell me?" I asked, before taking Rowan upstairs to her room. The sight of her room, cluttered with boxes, made me sigh. I placed Rowan on the bed and then headed back downstairs.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" I exclaimed, feeling a surge of anger. "I know Chris hurt her, but you can't just keep her away from me and my children!" My voice rose as I confronted my mom with frustration. "Ricky, she wanted space! She's a grown woman and can make her own decisions. If she didn't want to share with anyone, that was her choice. She needed time to herself," my mom retorted, her tone firm. I rolled my eyes in exasperation, but as I did, I noticed Caleb and Rosie starting to cry. "Look what you did," my mom said with a hint of reproach as she hurried over to comfort them. I followed suit, feeling a tinge of guilt at the sight of my children's tears.

Rowan's pov

I awoke to the sound of yelling and my children crying. Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was 1 in the morning. As I struggled to get out of bed, I felt my body giving up on me, causing me to collapse onto the floor. I was exhausted from working at the bar and dealing with abusive customers.

I managed to pull myself up and make my way downstairs, where I was met by concerned faces. "Oh my God, Rowan, you look terrible. What happened at work?" Ricky's mom exclaimed, her eyes filled with worry. My gaze shifted to Ricky, and my heart sank. I couldn't find the words to explain. "She was attacked while bartending. She didn't even tell me where she worked. Vinny knew but didn't tell me either," Ricky said, his voice tinged with anger.

Tears began to stream down my face. I couldn't blame him for being upset with me. "Rowan?" his mom called out, but it felt like her words were distant echoes. I retreated to my room and locked the door, sitting against it as the tears flowed uncontrollably.

I heard a series of urgent knocks on my door, which I recognized as Ricky's. "Rowan, let me in, please," he said with a pleading tone. I hesitated and chose to ignore his words, hoping he would go away. "Rowan, if you don't let me in, I will break your new door down," he threatened, his voice tinged with frustration. Reluctantly, I got up and quickly unlocked the door. Ricky rushed inside the room and pulled me into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry, Row," he murmured, gently rubbing my back as my anxiety began to fade.

Ricky's pov

I cradled Rowan in my arms, feeling the warmth of her body as I carried her to the bed. Gently laying her down, I pulled her close to me, reassuring her that she didn't have to face anything alone. "We'll tackle everything together. I'll go to Chris' house, gather my belongings, and then come back here. Sound good?" I said, and she nodded slowly.

"The album release is just around the corner. Although I'm not sure what Chris has in mind, you and I can start planning our wedding," I told her, watching joy light up her eyes and a wide smile spread across her face. "Really?" She asked in disbelief, and I nodded. "And don't worry about Chris. He'll come around and apologize. You know him. He might act tough, but he'll want to be there for our big day," I assured her.

As she inched closer to me, her lips met mine, igniting a rush of emotions within me. It had been far too long since I last felt the passion of her kiss, and it was simply remarkable. Before long, we both drifted off to sleep, finding comfort in each other's embrace.

The next day:
Rowan's pov

Ricky gently woke me up around 11 am with a sweet smile on his face. "Babe, let's get going. Mom has kindly offered to watch the little ones for us," he said, his excitement palpable. Still groggy, I playfully protested, "Can I have 5 more minutes, please?" Ricky chuckled and replied, "Come on, Rowan, we have a lot to get done today." With a mischievous grin, he pulled me out of bed.

"You're no fun!" I teased as I quickly made my way to the shower. "Hey, not without me!" Ricky laughed as he joined me. It was delightful to see him so carefree and playful. "Okay, we need to be quick! Mom has other plans later," he mentioned as he started washing my back. I nodded as I began to lather his back in return. After a lively and swift shower, we got ready to head out.

After a 15-minute drive that felt like an eternity, we finally arrived at Chris' house. My nerves were on edge as we pulled up. "It shouldn't be too long," Ricky reassured me as we got out of the car. Walking into the house, I sensed all eyes on me. "How are you feeling?" Vinny asked with concern etched on his face. I let out a quiet sigh and replied, "I'm doing okay, but I'm not going back to that workplace. Now I have to figure out what to do." Vinny nodded, his expression reflecting understanding and sympathy.

Chris approached Ricky eagerly. "Hey, we're having an album release party here tomorrow. It would be great if you guys could make it," he said with a hopeful smile. Ricky glanced at me before responding, "We will try to be there," and then headed upstairs. Once inside his room, I took in the emptiness, realizing how different it felt without all of my belongings here alongside his.

After dedicating several hours to carefully organizing and packing up all of Ricky's belongings, we finally wrapped up and headed back to our house to start discussing and planning all the intricate details for the wedding.

I'm hoping it won't be as hard as people make it to be.