The Broken One ✔

Chapter 37

I woke up to find Andi laying beside me soundly, with her head sunk into my grey pillow. She was beautiful, with her bare face and my navy blue hoodie over her curvy little body.

I could get used to this.

I gently kissed her soft, caramel-toned cheek, making her heavy eyes slowly open. Andi smiled at me "Good morning"

"You're a sight for sore eyes," I told her, leaning in for a kiss.

"You're pretty great yourself you know" Andi wrapped her arms around me "I don't deserve you'

I kissed her once more "did I tell you I'm hanging out with Sam and Eva today?"

I had received a call from Eva a week or so earlier, telling me that she and Sam had decided to move to Washington. Then the night before, they called again, this time informing me that they were arriving into town the next day for two reasons.

Reason one: to house hunt.

Reason two: to settle Eva at a hotel until they found a place.

I, of course, refused to allow Eva to stay at a hotel. So, I offered her Blake's old room till they settled on a place. They both joyfully agreed.

"House hunting right?" She traced her fingers down my jaw.

"In the suburbs" I nodded slightly "then Eva is going to stay here till they get settled on a place....all the flying isn't good for the baby, you know?"

Andi nodded. "Well, I finish work early tonight" she announced, "why don't you invite them here for dinner and I can prepare something"

My eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh yeah, you cook?"

"A few things here and there" she admitted.

I smiled "well it sounds good to me" I kissed her again, this time causing us to roll off the bed.

Andi let out a small scream which almost immediately turned to uncontrollable laughter.

She was the perfect girl for me.

***

A few hours later I arrived at the third place that Sam and Eva were looking at.

"Hey" I tightly wrapped my arms around Eva.

Eva was a month or so away from her due date. She was uncomfortable, sleep deprived, and overall exhausted. She also said that it was completely worth it.

I then caught her up on everything that had happened since I had seen her last.

"So now he's back in San Francisco" I explained "living with his real family"

"No Ned" Eva shook her head violently as we walked slowly through the kitchen, "blood isn't what makes you family...we both know that"

I looked down. "Well it's obvious Blake doesn't feel the same way," I told her as Sam approached us from across the kitchen.

"What do you think?" Sam slid his hands into his pockets "rent is affordable"

Eva smiled as taking a step towards her husband. "It's perfect" she wrapped her arms around him.

Sam and Eva's love story was quite remarkable actually. They were best friends turned lovers when they were fourteen years old. Sam proposed to her and they planned to run away together - at only sixteen years old.

Eva was then sent to juvy for thirty months and Sam moved to San Francisco - which is when our story began. After Sam was sent away for drug possession Eva arrived to live with a family which is how she met my friend Chris.

Them two started dating around the time Sam came back, created a messy love triangle - square if you include Blake. Eventually, Eva was able to let go of her screwed up past and finally tell the love of her life how she felt when they were eighteen years old. They were married not long later.

She moved states for him, leaving her family and friends behind to live in a place that she fought so hard to escape years later. If that doesn't love then I don't know what is.

I folded my arms at the pair, "you know that's all I want...the kinda love that you two share" I admitted.

Eva turned her head in my direction. "Is that what you have with Andi?" She asked.

I shrugged "maybe...I don't know yet"

"It's not easy Ned" Sam reminded me, "its something we've got to work at every single day"

I was always fearful of making the same mistakes as my parents. Perhaps the reason why I never dated had something to do with the fear of picking the wrong person to spend the rest of my life with. I mean how can anyone know for sure?

"I'm prepared for the works" I nodded. "...Eva how did you know Sam was the one"

Eva smiled as looking into Sam's eyes. "Well, I just...knew that he was always going to be the person that I ended up marrying," she said simply "...he is so loving and gentle, sometimes we act so much alike that scares me..." She laughed "Sam is the perfect man for me, we love each other's flaws and little quirks, we accept each other's past, we want to help each other grow as people...honestly there's no one else that I rather spend the rest of my life with"

Sam smiled as kissing her lips. I folded my arms and grinned. And that's exactly what I want.

Sam then moved his lips tobEva's belly, "and we're going to love you so much"

I glanced at Eva's belly "thought of a name yet?"

Sam and Eva exchanged looks. "Yep, but its a surprise so you can't know till he's born," Eva told me.

"B-but" I cried.

I always did hate surprises.

"No buts" Sam smirked.

I rolled my eyes "fine, but expect to see me in the waiting room counting down the minutes"

Eva laughed "okay Ned"

Suddenly I remembered what Andi said to me earlier that day. "Oh before I forget, my girlfriend wants to cook dinner for your guys tonight at my place"

Eva nodded "yeah, sounds good to me," she said.

"We're in" Sam smiled.

I grinned "great, I can't wait for you guys to meet her, she's terrific"

"Hey anyone who is important to you is important to us" Eva smiled. "I'm sure we'll love her"

I knew they would and I was right - but I'm getting to that.

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Hi all,

So this is just a really light-hearted chapter that I hope you guy's enjoy.

Also, The Silent One just hit one million views! I just want to say a big thank you to all you guys for making this happen. I truly appreciate each and every one of you so much.

Thank you

Happy reading!