My Protector: The Bad Boy | Protector 1.3

Chapter 48

Chapter 48

       "Come on, Ryder," Grayson said as he knelt by the couch. Ryder was all the way across the apartment, near the front door in fact. He crawled around way too much and it was such a hassle at times, especially when we needed to go somewhere and he kept crawling around while we were trying to get him ready.

       In fact, Grayson was changing Ryder's diaper once and Ryder actually started crawling around. Butt-naked. While he laughed.

       Ryder stopped crawling and sat where he was, looking at Grayson with an arrogant smile. I swear, that kid had Grayson's arrogant genes.

       Grayson sighed. "Ryder, come on, I have to change your diaper. Come here."

       Ryder laughed before crawling into the kitchen, then out of the kitchen and sat where he was before.

       Grayson picked up Ryder's stuffed otter from on the ground and held it out towards Ryder. "You want your otter?" Grayson asked.

       Ryder stared at the otter before looking away and sitting where he was as he started babbling.

       Grayson's cell phone rang, so he sighed before answering it. I got up from the couch and walked to Ryder. When he saw me coming, he laughed and began crawling away, but I picked him up just in time. "You think you're a funny boy, don't you?" I asked. He laughed, again, which made me roll my eyes as I walked towards the coffee table. Grayson and I kept everything for diaper changing underneath that.

       While Grayson talked on the phone, I pulled out the changing mat and placed Ryder on it, which was quite the struggle since he wouldn't stop moving.

       "Wait, seriously?" I heard Grayson ask on the phone. "Oh my god, Laughlin, congratulations! Boy or girl?" I looked at Grayson and he gave me a smile as he nodded, knowing exactly what I was going to ask him. Aww, Elliot and Laughlin had their baby! "And you named her Elizabeth? That's really sweet, Laughlin....Yeah, of course we'll come. After we change Ryder's diaper, that is. If we can....No, it's not hard at all. Ryder is just an active baby and won't stop moving." Grayson looked at me and shook the otter in his hand. I nodded before he tossed it at me. I caught it and gave it to Ryder, who, like always, bit it. At least that would distract him while I changed his diaper.

       By the time Grayson was done on the phone with Laughlin, Ryder had a fresh diaper on. I threw out the old one as Grayson got him ready to go visit Elliot and Laughlin in the hospital. When we were ready to go, we left the apartment and Grayson locked the door behind us.

       When we got to the hospital, Grayson found where Elliot and Laughlin were staying, then we headed there. Munro and Nick were there as well, with Munro sitting on a far away chair on his phone and Nick sitting on one of the chairs beside the hospital bed.

       Elliot saw Grayson and I came in and she smiled. "Hi," she said.

       "Hey," Grayson said, walking over to her and giving her a hug, though he was careful since she was holding her daughter. "Wow, she's so cute. You're going to have fun being a parent."

       "I know they can be a hassle, but seeing her is worth it," Elliot said. "Besides, if we ever struggle with how to raise her, I just have to ask my favorite cousin."

       "Damn right I'm your favorite," Grayson said. "But, seriously, the only hard part is waking up in the middle of the night. Well, unless she ends up being very active like Ryder."

       "He's already crawling?" Elliot asked. "But he's only eight months."

       Grayson snorted. "Yeah, Ryder has been crawling since he was six months old. And whenever he's on the floor, all he does is crawl. Show her, Flower."

       I sighed and placed Ryder on the floor. As soon as he was on his hands and knees, he began crawling to the opposite side of the hospital room. Right in front of Munro, in fact. Munro looked up from his phone and at Ryder before looking back at his phone. I couldn't help but notice how different he seemed. Whenever I saw Munro, he was always teasing either Laughlin or Grayson, and even Nick at times. He had never been this quiet before.

       "Munro," Elliot spoke up. "Can you take Nick to the vending machine?"

       Munro sighed before getting up and walking straight out of the hospital room, not even waiting for Nick to get coins from Laughlin.

       As soon as Nick was out of the room as well, Elliot sighed. "Munro has been very different lately," Elliot said. She probably noticed me looking at him with a concerned look. "He rarely talks to us and he gets into a lot of trouble at school."

       "Isn't he almost fifteen?" Grayson asked. "I mean, isn't it normal?"

       "Well, not when it happened all of a sudden," Laughlin said. "When I started acting up, I was twelve and it happened slowly. When it came to Munro, it happened suddenly one day. He got detention and completely shut us out."

       "People start acting out at different ages," Grayson pointed out. "He's in the midst of teenage years. I remember I was acting like that at fifteen. I mean, that's when I got my first tattoo, so...."

       "I guess you're right," Laughlin said. "It's just weird seeing Munro so quiet and not being a brat."

       Laughlin and Elliot couldn't say anything else since Munro and Nick came back in the room, Nick holding a chocolate bar. Munro sat back where he was sitting and went back on his phone. Ryder, who was sitting beside the chair, looked at Munro and laughed before crawling over to me. "Mama!" he said. I picked him back up and he snuggled into me.

       "Aww, Ryder is so cute," Elliot said with a smile. "Now we both have babies and they can bond."

       "I bet they're going to be troublemakers," Grayson said.

       "Please, Elizabeth is going to be an angel," Elliot objected with an eye roll.

       "Sure she will," Grayson said. "She's related to you, so she must be a devil."

       Elliot gave Grayson a sarcastic laugh. "You're so funny, Grayson."

       "Thanks, I try," Grayson said, ignoring the sarcasm and giving her a smug smile. Grayson and Elliot's relationship seemed like brother and sister at times, and I honestly loved it. Grayson was probably closer to Elliot than he was with any of his siblings, besides Gale. And Elliot didn't have any siblings, so Grayson was probably the closest person she had to a brother.

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Two chapters left, one of which will be posted today. The both might be posted today before I go to bed....I don't know yet, we'll see. I still have homework to do and it's five o'clock here. cx

Elizabeth will be in Ryder the Love Expert and I casted her as well. The person I chose, in my opinion, is perfect for Elizabeth. cx