Baby, baby.

F O U R T Y F O U R

laylas eyes open to the sound of the familiar cry that she found herself missing in the hours it was absent. maria sits in david's lap, her cry ringing out loudly.

laylas eyes flick to the other side of the room where scotty cradles the newborn baby in his arms, a grin plastered on his face. "can i see her?" layla asks softly once she turns back to david, her voice horse from so many hours of not using it. the boys turn to her and they both break out into a smile. maria's cries stop as david places her next to layla. "hi, baby." she smiles at her and gets a toothy grin in response. "you had me so worried." layla releases a relieved sigh and pulls the small girl into her arms.

"mama." she says and giggles, the sound music to laylas ears. "mama." she repeats.

"do you want to see your sister?" layla questions and looks at scotty, who places the baby in her arms.

layla stares down at her child with all of the admiration you can possibly have. she now knew the definition of perfect. the feeling of holding her daughter in her arms was something she never thought she'd feel. "you still need to name her. we wanted to wait until you werent high as fuck." scotty laughs and reaches over layla to pick up maria, who wraps her tiny arms around his neck with a smile.

"astoria." layla says with a smile. "astoria dobrik." she turns to david to see him smiling and nodding.

"i never thought i'd have a daughter named after a background character in harry potter, but i'm not ashamed to say that i love it. i love it so much." layla chuckles and places a hand on david's cheek.

"i feel like i should thank you." she furrows her eyebrows. "i'm not sure what for, but thank you." he places a kiss on her forehead and chuckles, his arms tightly around layla and astoria.

"i should be thanking you. you've given me more than i could ever ask for. i love you, layla." she hand reaches out to the small child sitting in laylas arms. "and i love you, my astoria dobrik."

-

"astoria is a dumbass name. i never agreed to that." the familiar voice coming from behind layla is one that she hoped she'd never have to hear again. "i personally was thinking like penny or amber, but really it didn't matter to me. i wouldn't be the one to name her."

"what are you doing here?" layla questions and turns in her chair to face riley. she didn't expect to see him again this soon, but it didn't surprise her that he would have followed her and gotten her alone somehow.

this was the first time david's let her be alone in months. everything was hectic since she got home and she was thankful for the five minutes she got to herself and astoria in the mcdonald's after her mother dropped her off before david was going to get there.

"this is a mcdonald's, layla. i'm surprised that you're here alone with our daughter. david let you leave without protection?" he raises an eyebrow and takes the seat besides layla, pulling it closer to her as he takes a sip of her soda, his arm slinging around her shoulder and pulling her to his side.

"he'll be here any minute. you need to leave." with a shake of his head he slides his hands around the baby held tightly in her arms. he slowly pulls her away from layla, the look in his eyes reminding her that they're in a public place and she can't do anything about it. the two looked good together, like they belonged together. "please-please don't." layla finds her voice cracking as she stares at her newborn daughter, only a week and a half old.

"you two can come with me." he offers her a smile that tells her she doesn't have a choice. hoping to prolong the leaving and let david show up layla shakes her head slowly.

"no. we're not going with you. you need to leave." layla stands from her seat, looking at him with a stern look. she knew it wouldn't make a difference if she put on a tough look or not.

"you will come with me." he tilts his head slowly, his hand sliding slowly around the sleeping child's throat and tightening slowly.

after a moment of realization hitting her that he won't stop her hands fly out in front of her and she nods quickly, deciding that was the only option. riley won't hesitate to kill astoria and she knew it.

after gathering her things layla follows riley to his car, which has changed colors since the last time she saw it. "you're a fucking psychopath." she says in disgust as he shoves her into the back of the car, not minding at all that the crying baby could have fallen out of her arms. "don't ever touch my child again."

riley rolls his eyes and slams the door shut, hopping in the front seat and adjusting his mirrors so that he was staring directly at layla. "shut the fuck up, and make her shut up to. or i will."

after about a half hour of driving with the screaming baby and riley screaming about the screaming baby they end up at a hotel, but they enter through the back and take the stairs up to the top level.

riley leads her down the long hallway and finally opens the last door. the room is small with only a single bed and a tv, the lighting in the room dimmed dramatically.

"why are you doing this to me and my family?" layla asks quietly and takes a seat on the bed slowly.

"this is my family." he turns quickly and hisses. "you are mine and this baby is mine."

"no i'm not and no she is not. david's going to find me anytime an-" she's cut off by his hand gliding across her face swiftly, the anger in him growing quickly.

"don't be so sure."

-

hi this book is nearing the end finally