My Partner Against Crime

Chapter 45

|Spencer's POV|

I lock the bathroom door, not taking my chances of having someone walk in. I can hear my family downstairs. Marshall ranting on about something to Marina as she tries to quiet the baby.

I hear their voices clearer and clearer as they near me.

"Spencer, please come out. I really need your help." She begs me.

I sit on the cold floor listening. Their sound grows and grows, and as Marina calls for me, I don't do anything. I sit, and listen. She bangs on the door, and not long after there's silence.
Suddenly I feel desperate to hear her voice, to hear their voices, but I don't.

I get up and open the door, but they aren't there. I call out for her, but hear nothing.

I rush down the stairs to see the baby, lying on a white blanket on the living room floor. Why would she leave the baby like that?

I walk to the helpless child, with every step closer our distance stretches. I pick up my speed until I'm running, and listening to the desperate cries of the little one.

"Spencer." I open my eyes to see Marina bent down in front of me.

I hate that dream, and yet it comes to me at least once a week. I sit up from my awkward lying position on the couch. I look over at Marshall sitting up next to me.

"Hey, we're going to go get paint for Marshall's room. Sorry, I would've let you sleep but I couldn't tell if you were having a good or bad dream." She stands up and walks away. I really just want to pull her into me.

"That's okay." I get up and follow her. I reach out to her, and gently spin her to face me. She smiles from my touch, something I've been so desperate to see. I remember so clearly the bruises I left on her, just the thought makes me want to pull my hair out.

I let go of her, she stares up at me, like she's waiting.

"I think I'll do blue." Marshall rips through our moment. Marina looks over at him, I want to pull her face to look at me.

"That's a good color, you might want to go light, you don't want your room to be too dark." She crosses her arms.

"Hey, you weren't in the office earlier, were you?" Her tone changes, and I can't get enough of it.

"I needed paper..." Marina doesn't want to be a mom, I know that, but it amazes me how she's changed. She's adapted effortlessly. She has already set rules with Marshall, and he respects her enough to follow them, at least I think.

"I told you I don't want you going in there, if you need something I'll get it for you, okay?" She waits for his okay before going over to him and messing up his hair.

"Go get some socks on then we'll go." Marshall goes upstairs.

"Do you want to go with us?" She pulls my belt loops, pulling me against her.

"Yeah, I'll go." I take this short opportunity of the alone time we have to kiss her.

I've missed this. We haven't been together in so long, and seeing her in the arms of another man just about destroyed me. This feels right, to hold her, to have her want me.

"Gross." I look over at the staircase, Marshall halfway down stands staring at us with his face scrunched up.

Marina laughs and pulls me back to her lips, I'm sure just to bug him. She gently pushes against my stomach, breaking away from me. Of course she makes the face she usually does when she touches my stomach, surprised I've put on some muscle.