“This baby will never have to be worried about anything.” He said. “I'll make sure of it.”
“Owen?”
“Yeah, Unicorn?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” He yawned.
I laid there wide awake for a while, listening to the sound of his breathing. His arm began to feel heavier and heavier on my side, and soon he was fast asleep. I wish that it was that easy for me. Instead, I dreamt about Derek. About him trying to steal my baby, and threatening to kill Owen if the flash drive saw the light of day.
It's funny. When I first laid my head down after my conversation with Owen, I was feeling a little better about things. But these dreams? They shook me to my core. Were they some kind of premonition of what was to come? Or was I just letting my imagination get the best of me? I closed my eyes again, willing myself to dream about anything but him. If only I could fall asleep as quickly as Owen.
TWENTY-TWO
THE SMELL OF BACON wafting through the apartment woke me the following morning. My mouth was practically watering as I made my way out to the kitchen. I didn't bother brushing my teeth or getting dressed. I just tossed my robe on and followed my nose. When I rounded the corner Morgan was sitting at the table scrolling through her phone while sipping her coffee.
Owen was standing at the stove flipping eggs and frying bacon, when he caught my eye.
“Morning.” He smiled. “Take a seat, breakfast is almost ready.”
“You're spoiling me.” I said, before doing as he asked.
“You, and me both.” Morgan said. “I don't know what I'm going to do when the two of you move in together.”
“Move in together?” I laughed. “I think we've got a little time before that happens.”
“Why?” Owen asked, as he began to plate our meals. “We're already having a baby. It only makes sense that we find a place together.”
I couldn't fault his logic, but I was also worried about what my parents would say. Not to mention how they'd react to finding out that I was pregnant. My dad of course would be understanding, but my mom... the minute she heard that Derek was the baby's father... there would be no other option.
With any luck I'd be able to avoid telling her anything until Derek was behind bars. At least then the rose colored glasses she wore around him wouldn't seem so bright. Even she would have to admit that leaving him was for the best.
“Ronnie?” Morgan asked, as she tapped her fork on my plate to get my attention.
“What? Sorry.” I said, bringing myself back to the here and now.
“Don't leave the poor guy hanging.”
“It's fine.” Owen chimed in. “Things haven't exactly been 'normal' with our relationship.”
“That's an understatement.” Morgan laughed around a bite of her eggs. “First you meet and form some kind of epic connection. Then, you put your walls down and fall in insta love. But wait, there's more! It turns out the love of your life is the ex of your secret half brother. A half brother who happens to be the spawn of Satan, aannnnd the father of your step child. Wow. I'm surprised I even got all of that right on the first go round.”
I don't know what came over me, but everything that Morgan said just hit me in the chest like a ton of bricks. I started to cry, and my hormones had completely taken over. My tears were falling down into my eggs, and Owen came to kneel down on the floor beside me.
“You forgot to mention that my baby's father is a murderer!” I sobbed.
“And a pill swapper.” Morgan added.
My tears turned to laughter then, and I couldn't help myself anymore. If I didn't laugh at the cards that I was dealt, what else was I going to do with them? Soon Owen and Morgan were joining me, and after letting all of my emotions out I suddenly felt a whole lot better. There was no use wallowing in the mess that had become my life. I deserved better than that, and so did my baby.
When the three of us had finally gotten ourselves together, we were able to finish our breakfast. Morgan was off to Sew New shortly after, and I was on my way to the shower. The thought of going to Carlotta's today was nerve wracking. Neither Owen, nor I had watched the footage that she had given us, and I'm not sure If we were ready.
It was one thing to hear that someone you know has done something despicable, but to actually see it? I couldn't imagine watching someone I loved being hurt, let alone murdered. How would Owen cope? He may have agreed not to do anything rash, but after seeing something so brutal, you couldn't just un-see it.
Owen was waiting for me in the living room when I finished getting ready. I tried to talk him into taking his bike, but he turned me down almost immediately. Riding a motorcycle while pregnant wasn't exactly illegal, but it was a more dangerous form of transportation. So, as much as I longed to feel the wind in my hair again. I knew that Owen was right.
Once we were on the road, the atmosphere changed almost instantly. We were hoping for a miracle. Hoping that Derek's true colors would be captured on film, and that we'd be able to live our lives without looking back. My baby would never have to know the kind of man their father was, because they would have Owen.
Carlotta had been a live in nanny when Owen was younger, but found an apartment of her own after.