Restoring Eternity

Chapter 7

These chapters are so freakishly uneven, I know. Oh, well. On with the story.

   ~ ~ ~

Austin’s POV

            Drew did the thing that I’d least expected her to do. She pulled her shirt up.

            “I know you’ve seen them,” she whispered, looking away. “I’m not proud of them, but it’s so hard to quit. I’ll never stop trying, though. Ever.”

            I almost shuddered looking at them. Gashes on top of cuts on top of scars. It was like she’d just lost control and went insane on herself. It made me want to cry. She shivered when I pressed my fingertips to her stomach.

            “Drew…” I whispered, looking in her eyes. “You’ve gotta stop.”

            “I know,” she said, looking away from me again.

            “Drew, look at me,” I urged, and she did. “You have to. Try, please. For me.”

Before she could answer, the doorbell rang. Drew pulled her shirt down and scrambled to go answer the door.

            “Sure I can,” I heard her saying cheerfully, like nothing had happened. “Have a great anniversary! She’ll be safe with me.”

            “Who will?” I asked as Drew came back into the living room with a car seat and a baby bag. “My neighbor,” Drew replied. “Her and her husband are going on vacation for their anniversary and she wanted me to take care of Blakely.”

            I got up, cautiously approaching the baby. Drew took her out of her car seat.

            “She’s so fucking little!” I gasped. Drew laughed.

            “Well yeah, she’s five months old,” she said. “You wanna hold her?”

            “No,” I said, backing away. “I’m not good with kids.”

            “You’ll be fine, “ Drew said, handing her over to me. “Make sure to hold her head.”

Blakely was sleeping, but stirring around in my arms. Her tiny fingers attached themselves to my thumb and she opened her big, bright blue eyes.

            “She’s so cute,” I squealed, then when Drew laughed, I added in a deeper voice, “you know. For a baby and all.”

            And then the little sucker ruined it. Opened her big, toothless mouth and started crying. Hard. “Oh my god, that’s loud!” I said. “Drew, take her! Take her back!”

            “I have her bottle warming up,” Drew said frantically, running back from the kitchen. “Just hold her, okay? Rock her.” I swung my arms out from side to side.

            “No, fool,” Drew hissed. “Hold her to you. To your body.”

After hesitation, I pressed Blakely to my chest, patting her small back. She stopped crying and laid her head on my shoulder, making small noises. I breathed a sigh of relief. I could feel her fingers in my hair. It was a strange sensation, holding a baby.

            “Okay, I got her bottle,” Drew said, coming back with it. “Give her to me.”

I did, gratefully. I watched as Drew sat down on the couch and held Blakely in the crook of her arm. She put the bottle in Blakely’s mouth. She started drinking instantly.

            “See?” Drew said, smiling. “She was just hungry.”

I watched in fascination as the baby drank the whole entire bottle within one minute, barely stopping for air. Drew set the empty bottle to the side.

            “Okay, now she needs to be burped,” she said. “Would you do the honors?”

            “Uh, sure,” I said hesitantly, “as long as she doesn’t start crying again.”

Drew handed me a pink cloth, then went to go use the bathroom. Thinking for a minute, I tried to remember which one of my friends had ever had a baby. None of them. I’d never see a baby be burped before. It couldn’t be that hard, could it?

            I looked at Blakely, who was sucking her thumb and staring at me with her creepy big eyes. I got the pink cloth and laid it on the sofa, then put the baby on top of it. I took my index and my middle finger and pushed down on her stomach gently. Nothing. I did it again, harder. Nothing. Just sat there, sucking her little thumb. I did it again, hard.

            “Austin, what the fuck are you doing?” Drew screeched, then ran to Blakely and snatched her from my hands.

            “I was burping her!” I said in defense. Drew’s mouth dropped open.

            “That is not how you burp a baby!” She hissed. “Have you ever seen someone burp a baby before?”

            “No,” I said. “In my defense, all my friends aren’t married and don’t have kids.”

            “Okay, look,” Drew said, sitting down next to me. She put the pink cloth on her shoulder and nestled Blakely against her body. “See, all you do is pat her on the back and-“ Blakely burped. “Voila.”

            “You’re a natural,” I said in amazement.

            “I take care of her all the time,” Drew said. “Her parents are never around.” Blakely hiccupped, then started crying. Drew held her and rocked her, murmuring soothing things in her ear. She went into her room and came back without her.

            “Sleeping,” she said. “Already.”

Drew sat down by me, then grinned. “Hey, I was just thinking. Would you want to spend the night?” I grinned back.

            “Of course,” I said, but on the inside I was freaking out. I tried to calm myself down. I can’t believe I liked her this much. Already.

            “And by the way, Gielle called me last night,” Drew said. “She’s out to get me.”

            “Don’t worry,” I said, scooting closer to her and putting my arms around her. “I’ll protect you. I’ll never let anyone hurt someone as beautiful as you.” I took her hands and pressed my lips to them. She laughed, then suddenly turned serious with a sultry look on her face.

            “You must think I’m some poor, defenseless good girl,” she said, pouting. I watched as her fingers slowly inched their way up my thigh and rested on my crotch. I started getting hard. “No matter how much you think you know about me…” Drew said, then came so close to me our noses were touching. She squeezed my dick and whispered into my mouth, “…never, ever assume I’m innocent.”

            Before I could react, she hopped up and went into her room, leaving me with all these…feelings.