I wake up to find my face nuzzled into Connor's neck. I pull back to see him fast asleep. I smile and slowly get out of bed before going into the bathroom. I notice that there's a clock on the counter. It reads six thirty. Ugh, too early. I close the door and use the bathroom. While I'm washing my hands, I hear some movement in his room. I dry my hands and open the door to see Connor sitting up, rubbing his eyes.
"Hey," I say, almost a whisper. He looks at me and smiles.
"I woke up, and you were gone, so I started to worry," he says, patting the bed.
"I just had to use the bathroom. It's too early to be awake," I say, walking over. I crawl in, and he immediately pulls me closer to him. He kisses my forehead, his lips lingering, and smile before closing my eyes, falling asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.
* * *
"You guys are really good! If I didn't know any better, I would think you were just really shirt professionals," I say to the class. They all smile while giggling, and then I notice the parents starting to arrive. "Alright, it looks like class is over. I'll see you all next week!"
Arielle runs up to me, and I pick her up. "How did I do, Mommy?"
"You were fantastic, Ari. I thought I was looking at a mirror when I watched you dance," I say, lightly bopping her nose. She giggles, but she immediately stops and looks behind me. I turn around to see Kyle standing in the doorway.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, stepping back.
"I wanted to see what you're up to nowadays. You still dance?" he asks, stepping forward. I step back once again, and Arielle's arms tighten around my neck.
"Yes. I teach a class; a class full of kids. You need to stay away. You're violating," I say as he steps forward again.
"Come on. I'm not going to hurt you," he says. I back up, and I hit the wall. He steps forward once again, getting right in front of me.
"Kyle, leave."
"I just want to see my daughter." Arielle's head rises from my shoulder, and she turns to him.
"Hi sweetie. It's me, Daddy," he says, caressing her cheek.
"You hurt Mommy. Don't touch me," she says.
"I didn't hurt your mommy. We had a good time," he says, looking at me.
"You raped me," I say, my voice shaking with anger. Arielle gasps.
"You raped her?" she asks. He looks at her in confusion.
"You know what that?" he asks.
"She knows all about it. She watches cop shows with me. She also know how a baby is made. She knows that rape is wrong," I explain.
"Stay away from us," Arielle says.
"Arielle, I just want to get to know my daughter. After all, I am your daddy," he says. I put her down and hold her hand tightly.
"Daddy!" she exclaims, and she runs past Kyle. I look over his shoulder to see Connor in the doorway. He picks her up.
"Hey, pumpkin. How was dance class?" he asks her. She looks back at us, and he does the same. "What's going on here?"
"He's not her dad," Kyle says.
"Yes, he is. You're her father. He's her dad."
"There's a difference," Arielle says. Kyle looks at her. "A father is the biological parent. A dad is the person that takes care of the child. He may be the father, he may not be. Connor is my daddy, and you are my father. I love my daddy. I don't love my father."
"She's how old again?" he asks.
"She's three, turning four," I state.
"I think you need to leave," Connor says, holding Arielle close.
"I'm not going anywhere without my daughter," he growls, stepping towards them. Without even thinking, I jump on his back.
"Don't touch my daughter!" I yell, covering his eyes.
"Arielle, go find a phone," Connor says, putting her down. She nods and runs away, and Kyle backs up into the mirror, making it smash against my back. I cry out in pain, which makes Connor's eyes widen. He runs over as I fall to the ground, and he punches Kyle.
"Don't hurt my girlfriend!" I freeze at the sound of that. Kyle flips them over and starts to beat the crap out of him. I hear sirens as I jump back onto his back. He falls back, making me slam against the floor. My vision darkens a little, and I can't breathe.
"Get off of the girl," somebody orders. He gets up, and I gasp for air. I crawl over to Connor, who's bleeding a lot.
"You're under arrest for violating your restraining order," the officer says, and he starts reading the Miranda rights.
"I'll send over an ambulance right away," another officer says.
"No, it's okay. I can clean him up," I assume him.
"Are you sure?" he asks. I nod. "Alright, then. Your daughter's being brought back to your place. She doesn't need to see this."
"Wait, is it her place or my place?" Connor asks.
"Um, I don't know. This is the address," he says, showing it to us.
"That's my place. They're staying with us until her Mom gets back " Connor says, pointing to me. The officer's radio goes off, and he runs out.
"Alright, let's get you cleaned up," I say, helping him stand.
When he's on bis feet, he immediately hugs me tight, almost like he's afraid of losing me. I hug him back just a tight, and he kisses the top of my head, making a big smooching sound.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't here earlier," he mumbles into my hair.
"It's okay. Now, let me take you to the bathroom so that I can clean your face," I say. He nods, and we walk down the hallway.
* * *
"Hey, about earlier, with what I said to Kyle," Connor starts, "um, I don't really know how to word this."
"It was just in the moment, ans you wanted to get your point across," I say, grabbing at his eyebrows that's cut.
"Well, that, and that was kind of an indirect way to ask you," he says, rubbing the back of his neck. I kiss him for a few seconds, and then I pull away, looking into his eyes.
"That was kind of an indirect way to my answer," I say. He smiles and kisses my forehead. I turn around and hear him gasp.
"What? What's wrong?" I ask, turning to him.
"You're bleeding," he says, touching my back gently. I wince in pain. I was so busy worrying about him, I didn't even notice.
"Alright, it's my turn to clean you up," he says, turning me around and starting to push down the straps of my unitard.
"Connor, stop," I say.
"Why?" he asks.
"I-I'm not wearing a bra," I stutter. I hear some shuffling, and then he hands me his shirt.
"Cover your front with it," he says with a smile. I nod and do so as he lowers the top of my unitard.
After a few minutes, he slips it back on for me, and I hand him his shirt. He puts it on and kisses me softly.
"Thank you," I whisper.
"Anything for my girlfriend," he says, and we leave, locking the studio after get our stuff.
