Forever the One

by C C Monroe

  “Please, just leave me alone.”

  “No, Lana! You’re mine and I don’t walk away from the one I love!” I scream and just like that I regret the words I’ve just said. Cowering, she covers her face with her arms, stepping back.

  “Please stop! Just go, I’m sorry! Please!” Dropping to the floor, she covers her ears and starts trembling, her body moving back and forth. I realize what I’ve done, I made her afraid, pushed her back into the past she wishes she could have escaped.

  “Lana! Baby stop, it’s me,” I lower my voice. Dropping to my knees, I level myself with her. I become the submissive.

  “Kingston.” She looks up when she finally stops shaking.

  “Yeah, it’s me baby, it’s okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. Come here.” She shakes as I help her into my lap.

  “What happened, baby?”

  “You scared me, it was all too much.”

  “I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t have done that, baby. I will never hurt you Lana. Please believe that.”

  “I don’t believe anyone, anymore.”

  “Baby, don’t fall asleep in the tub.” I’m alerted by the sound of Lana’s voice. Looking over at the vanity, I see her dressed in her sexy nighty, making her bump more pronounced.

  “Sorry, I just...” I start to stutter, feeling both shitty for ever doing that to her and at the same time fucking blessed that I came out of that dream and straight back into my reality—where Lana is mine.

  “Just what? Jerked yourself too hard you fell asleep?” she teases over her shoulder. I love that smile, I love that sass and man, do I love that ass.

  “You’re funny. No, I just dozed. I had a lot to do today at work,” I lie, hiding the house surprise.

  “Maybe you need a spa day.”

  “No, I need a Lana day.” She smirks, her eyes growing soft as she turns to face me.

  “How about you finish up your bath and I will give you a good massage tonight, rub out your big muscles.” I don’t even reply. I hurry and stand from the bath, bubbles and water rushing off my body. She giggles and throws me my towel, leaving me to finish.

  “Dork,” she says over her shoulder.

  “You’re a dork,” I yell after her retreating body.

  Climbing out I dry myself off as fast as humanly possible. Walking into the room completely naked and unashamed, I see Lana waiting on my bed with a bottle of oil.

  “The royal treatment, my King,” she purrs, tempting me, making me grow hard.

  “Royal treatments end with happy endings, my Queen. You sure you want to do that, since we’re waiting to have sex and all,” I banter, lying flat on the bed beside her.

  “I’m trying to be a good girl, but you have a way of making me bad. So we will see Mr. Donovan.” I bite my lip and groan, wielding my cock to stay down.

  “Massage woman, or I will break our little non-sex standoff and fuck you sore and raw.”

  “I won’t mind, but let me rub your muscles first.”

  “Ahh hah! Is that you giving in?”

  “You know damn good and well Kingston that you and I can’t stop fucking for more than a week.”

  “It’s been too long and I will never go an entire week again. Well, except after the baby comes. Princeton.” I push up on my elbows and extend my neck to kiss her round belly. “You are the world’s best, most handsomest, I’m sure, cock block.”

  “Kingston.” She pushes me back down then straddles my ass.

  “Your butt is so comfy,” she says, bouncing a little and I reach my hand back to squeeze her ass.

  “So is yours, mama.”

  “No touching the masseuse! Hands to yourself.” She squeezes down hard and I laugh, removing my hand in surrender.

  “Alright. Get to lovin on me then.” The sound of the open window and rain beating down plays perfectly along with the kneading of her small delicate hands. We don’t say much at first, almost like we’re both thinking something.

  “Do you think it’s weird that Joel stopped sending things?” She speaks first, making me wish I had. I don’t want to talk about him, but she’s communicating, telling me about what she’s feeling and one thing I learned while loving Lana is that when she talks, you listen, because her feelings are something she rarely shares.

  “No, I think the detective made him realize that he will be locked up for longer if he does anything to violate his order.”

  “True, but doesn’t this all seem way too good to be true?”

  “What?” I flip over, wanting to face her. She catches on and lifts off me a bit then seats herself back down, this time on my hips, her hand automatically going to my tatted chest and rubbing.

  “Us. I mean, I let you in so fast, opened up to you in ways I thought would take me forever. Then bam, we get pregnant and we’re together. It feels like everything has happened without a hitch, not one hiccup.”

  “Baby, this relationship has been a continuous strain of hiccups,” I remind her. She starts to get fidgety and gawks down at me.

  “Sorry it’s been miserable,” she huffs.

  “Stop that.” I grab her wrist to stop her hands on me. “That’s not what I meant, Lana, let me finish.” Watching her, I wait for her to nod. When she does I let go of her wrist and starts to play with my abs, drawing little patterns.

  “We’ve been in love with each other since we were kids. Before Joel, before Seattle and before the baby. But we’ve faced hell during those days. Loving you and not being able to save you was torture. Then being able to have you and you not let me was insanity. Then when you finally, after years, baby, let me in, we had to work fucking hard. Your dad nearly choked me out. Then the letters, the attempts to scare you again from Joel—all that and we’re finally here in a place where I so badly wanted to fucking be. The boot dropped a thousand times and we got through it.”

  “You’re right. You’re so right.” She brings my hand to her lips and kisses it gently. Giving each knuckle a sweet little love bite. I bring my free hand to her growing belly, running my hands over the smooth silk material of her black nighty.

  “Look at us now, we deserve this Lana. You here with me, our son growing healthy and us together, just being whole. We deserve it. Stop worrying about the unknown, because I will always save you.”

  “Kings..” Tears fall, landing on my chest, sinking into the skin. Like ink I catch those tears and let them mark me. Those are tears worth catching, because those are the tears of a survivor.

  “Don’t speak, just feel, just forgive, just let him go.” With this I hope in some way my words make enough impact that they can reach into her soul, stitch her back together and heal her back to who she was before him.

  “The only thing I wanna feel is you, forever my King.” Her words do what I wanted mine to, they heal me after all the years of regret for not saving her sooner. They sew my soul together with hers and we become one.

  “I’m forever in here. Never to part, never to leave.” I place my hand right above her heart and I swear we both feel that surge of electricity come through me and shoot into her, like lightening in a bottle striking the same place twice.

  Just like that, I make love all night to my pregnant Queen heavy with our child, full with my love and completely carefree.

  “What’s this surprise? You know I hate surprises.” Lana looks over at me from the passenger seat.

  “Too bad, eager woman. I would have blindfolded your ass but you’re too sassy and I didn’t feel like fighting today.” I squeeze her knee under my large hand. She chuckles, rolling her eyes at me, distracting herself once again by looking out the window.

  “Alright, we’re almost there.” Entering the neighborhood just two streets down from Trey and Shayla’s, she gives me a sideways glance.

  “Kingston, what are we doing here?”

  “Just wait.”

  “You are too much, sometimes I envision myself strangling you.” She gestures a strangling motion at me and I shake my head.

&nbs
p; “You keep saying that but never do anything. I think it gets your panties wet when I take charge and act like a Neanderthal.”

  Mocking me she replies with sarcasm, “Oh, you know when you say it with the extra touch of crudeness it for sure turns me on.”

  “Beautiful, you said it not me,” I play innocent.

  “Smug.”

  “Gorgeous.” Winking at her, her eyes stay focused on me with her understated but stunning grin. I roll up to the curb in front of the white picket fence of her blue house with white shutters. “We’re here.”

  Whipping her head she looks out the window as I hurry and climb out, running to help her out. Opening the door, I notice my dad pulling up behind my parked car. I throw him a quick wave then re-focus my attention on Lana.

  “Kings?” I grab her hand and help her slowly slide out of the car with her swollen belly.

  “Easy, baby. What do you think?” She shakes her head. Moving forward on the sidewalk she stares up at the house. I shut the door and claim my place behind her, my hands gripping her tiny biceps.

  “Why did you bring me here? They already sold it. Is this a cruel joke?” She turns and slaps my chest, appalled. Her face grows red and her eyes begin to water. My dad joins us and I pull her in my arms.

  “Shit, beautiful, don’t cry. I brought you here because I was the one they sold it to, I made the offer.” I cradle her face, my thumbs whisking away her tears as they fall.

  “What?”

  My dad chuckles next to us, turning around as Shayla and Trey pull up with my girl’s second surprise. Suddenly I’m nervous, I didn’t think about the whole hormones thing, maybe this is too much.

  “Yeah mama, I bought it for us. You said this is our home and I wanted to make it ours.” I dip my head, looking into her honey brown eyes.

  “Oh, Kingston! My hell, you big, smug, beautiful man!” Wrapping her arms around my neck, I chuckle at her excitement in the crook of her vanilla scented neck.

  “Told you, you love my smug ass,” I whisper, reaching down to squeeze her pert ass in my hand, kissing deep in her neck while I do it.

  “Alright, I still don’t like you, so don’t make it worse. Hands off my baby like that when I’m around.” Lana about leaps back and out of my arms at the sound of Jeffery’s voice. I glare at him.

  “Already knocked her up, Jeff. A little ass grabbing can’t get her even more pregnant,” I shit talk back.

  “Kingston!” Lana smacks my chest again before moving hastily toward her dad.

  “Daddy! Oh, mama!” Coming into view from behind Trey’s truck, Becky picks up the pace to meet Lana and Jeffery in a group hug. I watch my happy little Queen reunite with her parents, tears, smiles, laughter and all feels right in my world.

  “You did good son, and I don’t just mean the house. Look how happy she is. Shit, I don’t think I have seen her smile like that since she was about fifteen.” My dad nudges me, giving me praise.

  “She makes me want to do good, she makes me wanna be a better man. Babies, home, marriage, all of it seems so tangible, so easy, so fucking perfect, because of her.”

  “You finally grew up. Thank fuck, I never thought you would.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence, old man.”

  “Oh, you’re welcome.” He nudges me. I feel like cloud nine just swept me up and took me away.

  “Baby!” Bounding over to me, I put my hands up.

  “Lana, slow the hell down, beautiful,” I warn her, pulling her into me.

  “I’m fine, Princeton is fine, calm down, Tarzan.” I reach around and smack her ass again and she yelps followed with a sexy giggle.

  “Seriously, you make it so easy to dislike you, boy.” Jeffery shakes my dad’s hand as he insults me in the most Jeffery way possible. My dad laughs, fucking laughs.

  “What’s up with the chuckles, old man?” Jeffery and him laugh and Lana snuggles into me deeper.

  “It’s funny. He puts you in your place. I like to see someone knock you down some pegs.” I glare, actually a tad offended.

  “Well, I love him daddy and he just earned himself so much good lovin’ tonight.”

  “Lana Lynn James!” My dad hollers and I laugh back at him, while Becky doubles over holding her stomach. I almost stick my tongue out and give him the victory glare but I look down at Lana instead and kiss her head, while she peppers my chest in kisses.

  “What did they do now? You know, you two shouldn’t be allowed to even be in the same room, let alone be a couple. Perverts,” Trey chimes in. Carrying a heavy box, he places it on the ground while Shayla waddles over, ending a call.

  “Now, Trey, don’t be bitter. You know I love you baby and I would have married you if I didn’t know Lana,” I tease Trey, giving him a wink for added effect.

  “I knew you loved me, my King,” he jokes back and everyone laughs.

  “My heck you two, such bros, like too bro-ish, like borderline freaking weird,” Shay says from her spot next to our dad.

  “I concur girl,” Lana agrees, pulling away from me, unfortunately making me lose her heat.

  “What’s worse is now we’re practically neighbors so we’ll be forced to watch the epic continuation of the bromance between Treyston,” Shayla says on a giggle. Trey and I laugh, then like our minds are connected he runs to me and I catch him wedding style.

  “Carry me over the threshold my true love, let us bromance off into the sunset!” he shouts.

  “Yes, my love, anything for you!” I bound toward the house with Trey in my arms, too obnoxious fucks acting like idiots.

  “Baby! Get back here and carry me over the threshold or I will take back all that lovin’ I promised!” Lana shouts. Dropping Trey like a hotcake, I turn and run back to Lana.

  “Sorry dude! She wins!” I yell over my shoulder, taking my place next to Lana.

  “Man card and bro card have been revoked!” Trey says, making his way over to Shayla.

  “You two are annoying. You’re lucky I like you so darn much,” Shayla says.

  “You love me babe,” Trey replies, kissing her on the lips.

  “She loves me more, though. Brother rights and all that shit.”

  “Nope, she loves me better because I’m the shit and I’m Lana. So y’all lose.” Lana moves to Shay and slings her arm over her shoulder.

  “True, Lana wins. Sorry boys.”

  “Is that so? Well guess we’ll see about that tonight, baby.” Trey winks and my sister blushes.

  “Retweet,” I chime in and blow Lana a kiss. All four of us laugh for a good few seconds before my dad cuts us off.

  “My hell, nothing has changed.”

  “You got that right, still the four loudest, rowdiest best friends. I miss this,” Jeffery adds, pulling Becky into his side, while we pull our woman to us. I don’t miss the way Trey and Shay share a sad yet sweet smile, no doubt knowing that the only thing missing is Kathy and our beloved pops. For the first time in a long time we’re all where we belong, we’re finally home.

  “Was that a compliment, Jeffery? Did you just say you miss me?” I focus my attention on Jeff and he rolls his eyes.

  “No, don’t get ahead of yourself big boy.” Lana shakes her head and I smile, taking it for what it was. That was the first time he has complimented me since I got his daughter pregnant.

  “I have a feeling you two will be like this for the rest of our lives, huh?” Lana signals to me and Jeff. We both nod and reply in unison.

  “Yup.” No more truth is behind that, but at the end of the day, I know I have his daughter, the love of his life is now the love of mine.

  “Now, let’s see this place!” Becky shouts.

  “Agreed! Let’s!” Lana leads us in and I show them the home we will raise our growing family in. The start to our beautiful beginning.

  Today was pandemonium, a day of epic change and a start to a beautiful beginning. Kingston surprised me with my dream home, one I was sure was long gone after the sneaky turd told me it had been
sold. All along he was the one who bought it for me. I am still lost in the clouds after this crazy day of unpacking and surprises. The men did all the heavy lifting, putting the beds and couches together, displaying the TVs and tables, and putting all the big appliances in their designated areas.

  Shayla, my mama and I did smaller things like unpacking dishware and clothes and spent time decorating. When Kathy showed up with dinner we enjoyed more time together. With all of us working tirelessly and efficiently, all but a few boxes of odds and ends have been unpacked and put away.

  I’ll admit I miss the apartment already. Kings said we still have some things there that we need to pack and bring, so we will be able to go back again before handing over the keys. That place was where it all began for us. A new life filled with better promised tomorrows and beginnings to great adventures. Shayla and I healed slowly in that apartment, we also both fell in love in that apartment. We shared secrets and wishes of what we could have if we just gave in. Kingston and I also grew in that apartment. We spent more time fighting there, true, but those tiring, mentally and emotionally draining fights, were worth the struggle because it made our love unbreakable.

  Missing all that is inevitable, but starting this journey here in this home with Kingston and our precious blessing, is exactly where I want to be.

  I run my hands over my belly feeling monkey kicking, he is wild tonight. I bet he feels my heart fluttering, making him grow excited too.

  “Daddy is gonna be so good to you and me. We love him,” I whisper with my head down, my eyes closed—I feel him, I sense him there with me, his cologne and natural scent wafting into the bedroom.

  I don’t turn as he speaks, the wooden floors making a gentle noise as he moves toward us. “Daddy loves you both.” My heart flips, the way only Kingston can cause it to flip.

  Those strong, tan, tatted arms encase me, making me feel tiny and dainty. I lean my head back on his chest and rock with him. He has his hands on my belly warming my colder frame like fire.

  “I know you do. I mean you bought us my dream home, then you invited my parents. I missed them.” He nestles my neck, his smell invading my senses further. He smells more potent as I get more pregnant. His natural scent becoming something I crave daily. Call it a pregnancy craving if you will.