Next to Me

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Baby Ramos

“He’s perfect,” Charlotte whispered as she held her newborn son, she couldn’t believe that he was finally in her arms; in the months since she had married her husband, the blonde had been shut out of his family entirely.

Paqui and José María had done everything in their power to make sure that Charlotte knew that she wasn’t welcome in their family; they hoped to drive her to divorce their son, who was furious about how they were treating his wife.

“Not as perfect as you are,” Sergio said as he sat down next to his wife, the last seven months had been difficult for the couple and he was thrilled that his baby boy had finally been born; Mateo Ramos Perez was his firstborn and Sergio was determined to protect him and his mother.

Charlotte smiled at her husband tiredly, she was a little surprised that his mother hadn’t shown up yet to convince Sergio to leave her and take Mateo with him.

“How are you feeling?” the Sevillian asked knowing that the labour had been long and gruelling, he had been by her side for every moment and was exhausted; he could only imagine how Charlotte felt.

The blonde smiled at him knowing that he was on edge, everything had flown by since they had married and she was so proud of him; of course he still worked for his father but he also had started to set up his own life away from the criminal world that he had been born into.

The last thing that Sergio wanted now that he was a father himself, was for his son to follow his footsteps into that world; it scared him to think that he could also now leave his son fatherless if something went wrong.

***

Sergio glared at his mother as she walked into the private hospital room, he glanced at his wife knowing that she wasn’t going to want his family around their newborn son; they had made it clear that she wasn’t welcome.

“What are you doing here?” Sergio demanded as he pushed himself to his feet, he didn’t want her getting close to his sleeping wife or their son; he had told Paqui that if she couldn’t accept that he had married Charlotte then he wasn’t going to speak with her.

Paqui frowned at her youngest son’s tone of voice, she and José María had done everything in their power to try and drive the blonde away but seven months later it was clear that Charlotte wasn’t going anywhere.

“I heard that you’d had the baby and came to meet my grandson,” Paqui said as if it was obvious, she looked at her son wondering why he was being so stupid; Charlotte wasn’t meant for their world and she was turning him into something that he wasn’t.

Sergio glared at his mother, he had told her to stay away especially with everything that had happened; the twenty-eight year old wasn’t going to allow her to meddle in his marriage and use his son as a weapon.

“And I told you not to bother… if you can’t make an effort with Charlotte then I don’t want you around our son,” Sergio said as he dragged his mother from the hospital room, he didn’t care if people were looking at them; he had made it clear what he wanted and still his parents and sister ignored him.

Paqui pursed her lips as she looked at Sergio, she was surprised that he was sticking to his guns on this since he’d always been her little boy; however since the blonde had come into the picture everything had changed.

“Are you really turning your back on your family for her? That is a dangerous thing to do,” Paqui hissed as she glared at her son, she couldn’t believe that he wasn’t listening to them and she knew that she needed to make sure that Charlotte disappeared; the blonde was nothing but trouble.

Sergio glared at his mother as he noticed the threat in her words, he wasn’t going to allow anything to happen to his wife or their son; if his parents did anything to hurt them then he was going to start a war.

“Don’t you dare threaten my family,” Sergio snarled furiously, he couldn’t believe that she thought that she could do that to him; he had told them how he felt about Charlotte and he wasn’t going to stand for them trying to dictate his life to him.

Paqui swallowed at the dark look on her son’s face, she had known that there was a chance that he would snap at her but she was his mother and she knew what was best for him.

“She’s taken you from us… I want my son back,” Paqui said desperately, she knew that there had to be something that she could do to get him back; she didn’t want to think about what would happen if she lost him.

José María was furious that his own son had turned his back on him, the Sergio that they knew came to dinner at least once every two weeks but now they could go weeks without seeing him.

“Charlotte has done nothing of the sort… you drove me away, you made me choose between the woman I love and you; it will always be her and our son,” Sergio said as he shook his head, he didn’t know why his parents were being so stupid about this.

Paqui stared at him, she didn’t want to believe his cruel words and she hoped that he would see sense; Charlotte was going to be the death of him.

***

Charlotte watched her husband as she feed Mateo, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something had happened when she had been sleeping; security around her and been heightened and Sergio seemed to be on edge.

“Sese is everything okay?” the blonde asked as she watched him, he was looking out of the hospital window as he thought about his talk with his mother; he had called his father to let him know that if anything happened to Charlotte or Mateo and he would hold them personally responsible.

José María knew that while he may not like it, Charlotte was his daughter-in-law and if anything was to happen to her then it would be seen as a weakness in their family; the blonde was a part of that whether he liked it or not.

“Fine amor… just thinking,” the Sevillian said as he looked over his shoulder at her, he knew that he would fight tooth and nail to protect her and that no matter what happened, she was going to be safe.

The blonde looked at him unbelieving before she sighed and looked down at Mateo, she smiled at the newborn as Sergio moved to sit beside her; she glanced at him knowing that something had upset him.

“I love you,” Sergio said as he pressed a kiss to Charlotte’s head, he closed his eyes as he rested his head there for a moment before he pulled back and sat on the bed; they had been through so much and he knew there was something lurking about in their past that was going to catch up with them.

“I love you too,” the blonde said as she looked at him concerned, she didn’t know what it was but she had a feeling that their peaceful life was going to be threatened; she just hoped that they were both prepared for what was going to happen next.

Mateo was their future and he was going to need both of his mother and father, to lose or both of them would be a disaster for the newborn.