Baby did a third bump, and then a fourth. Her nose now numb, along with the back of her throat and her tongue. Her heart beat against her chest wall, ready to jump right through the skin. She heard her pulse thumping in her ears. Sweat beads formed on her brow.
Baby opened her eyes in time to see the tiles on the ceiling start move. The room began to spin right before she hit the bathroom floor.
***
“Baby, dammit. Can you hear me?”
Baby Jade’s head fell backwards as if it weighed five hundred pounds. She tried to pick it up to make out where she was, but her eyes only rolled. Something wet touched her face, and she heard the voice again.
“Shit, Baby. Talk to me!”
Her body shook and it took her a minute to realize someone was shaking her shoulders. She tried to speak, but it only came out as a mumbled grunt.
“Fuck!”
Air swept her face as her body bounced in midair. She couldn’t make out what was happening. She heard loud voices, but couldn’t make out who was talking. There was yelling and screaming. Should she be scared? Or maybe angry? It didn’t matter. She couldn’t feel anything anyway.
Something heavy draped over her body. She was already sweating and it was made worse when she was met with hot, thick moisture. Outside.
It’s finally happening. I’m dying.
Her body shifted a few times before coming to rest. She heard a slam, and then a quick rush of speed made her head spin. Her stomach churned and she tried to swallow before throwing up. Something touched her face. No, it was a someone. Fingertips stroked her face, smoothing back the matted hair stuck to her forehead. Her breathing was shallow, but with each small inhale, she caught the smallest hint of a memorable scent.
Musk.
Lucky.
Shifting again, her body was back in the air. Voices. Loud banging, more voices. Movement.
Baby let out a long garbled scream. The freezing water stung her hypersensitive skin, causing her body to thrash around against the bathtub.
“She be movin’ ’round. Dat a good t’ing.”
The voice was different but familiar.
“Yeah, help hold her down. She was out cold for a while. The water should help shock her body into fighting.”
“You sound like you know what you be talkin’ ’bout. Why’s dat?”
No answer.
The room went quiet, with the exception of the running water and the deep groans coming from Baby Jade.
Finally, she quit fighting and collapsed into the tub. After hearing cabinets slam, she felt arms slip under her body and scoop her up. She drew in a deep breath, smelling the scent she had come to crave. She buried her head, trying to inhale more. The arms cradling her body tightened, pulling her into a warm embrace before placing her onto a bed.
Baby pried open her eyes but only for a moment. It was all she needed. Lucky’s chocolate eyes were the last thing she saw before drifting off to sleep.
Chapter Twenty
Lucky
Lucky sat on the edge of the bed listening to Baby Jade’s shallow breathing. His own pulse slowing down for the first time since finding her unconscious on the bathroom floor of the club. As he tried to get her to come to, her body convulsed and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. His first thought was to get her to the hospital, but he quickly changed his mind.
Slade made it clear that if the police got involved, he would make sure Baby wouldn’t be able to talk. Lucky normally wouldn’t put up with that kind of shit, but, of course, the son of a bitch decided to flex his muscle while Baby’s limp body lay unconscious in his arms.
That bastard would get his in the end.
Right now, she was his top priority. He pressed his hand to her chest one more time to check her breathing, and then covered her with a sheet. Walking through the apartment, he noticed the way she had let it go over the last few weeks. It was a pigsty. Beer bottles and paper cups littered the tables. Ashtrays full of cigarette butts confirmed that she hadn’t been alone since Baby didn’t smoke. The exercise equipment was now being used as a clothes rack. Dirty laundry collected in corners and the trash bin was overflowing. The kitchen sink remained empty, but that was only because Baby probably hadn’t eaten since everything went down.
Ma’Linn walked around with a trash bag making a sweep through the living room. She stopped when Lucky came into the room and propped her hand on her plump hip, shaking her head. “Dis bad. I had no idea jus’ how bad, but she in deep.”
“Yeah, me either.”
“I can’t be goin’ t’rough dis ’gain. Not wit’ her. My boy keep me crazy enough. I can’t watch my baby girl end up da same way.” Tears formed in the corner of her sunken eyes.
Lucky hated to see the old woman going through such a hard time. It was clear she loved Baby as if she were her own. Apparently, she was easy to love. He wouldn’t be getting himself mixed up in this kind of shit if he hadn’t already fallen in love with her.
The two of them spent the next couple of hours cleaning the apartment. Ma’Linn gathered all the dirty clothes and offered to take them and bring them back with some breakfast since it was almost daylight.
Lucky carried the clothes next door and walked Ma’Linn home, making sure she locked up behind her. He checked his phone and found four missed calls from his mother and nothing from the club. That pissed him off. No one bothered to check on Baby to see if she was still alive.
After putting on a pot of coffee, Lucky settled onto the bed next to her as she slept. The peaceful look on her face was beyond deceiving. This girl was tortured. He wanted to whisk her away. He needed to show her what it looked like to have someone love her. To put her first. To have someone want the best for her, without expecting something in return. She deserved better.
He checked on Baby every hour. She was in and out of consciousness; only awake long enough to throw up. Lucky cleaned up after her, and carried her back and forth to the bathroom.
His feelings scared the hell out of him. It was all new for Lucky. There was a time when he thought he knew what love was, but it wasn’t until Baby came into his life that he figured out he was clueless. A part of him had loved Carrie, but he realized he had only been in the relationship to piss off his parents. Now, with Baby, everything was different. He would give up anything to be with her. The anger he had been harboring all these years seemed so insignificant when it came to being with Baby.
The hatred he had for Carrie and the pain of losing his child would never go away, but the love he had for Baby was more than enough to help him move forward. He wanted a life with her, a future he never saw coming. He didn’t know how, but Lucky was going to make it happen. He was going to save her from her demons.
Chapter Twenty-One
Baby Jade
The hot room left Baby sweltering. Her body molded to the sheets with sweat. She peeled open her heavy eyelids and peered around the room, relieved to find that she was in her own bed. It felt like someone beat her in the head with a hammer. Tossing back the sheet, she was shocked to find she was wearing nothing but a thong.
Planting her feet on the floor, Baby attempted to stand. Her legs trembled under her weight, but she managed to shuffle down the hall to the bathroom. The tightness in her chest worsened by the nausea. Working up the courage, Baby glanced in the mirror above the sink. Her matted hair resembled a rat’s nest. Makeup smeared her gaunt face, revealing her weight loss over the last couple of weeks. The dark skin around her puffy eyes was creased and wrinkled. Surveying her body, she counted the bruises, not to mention the huge bump on the back of her head that throbbed to the rhythm of her rapid pulse.
The room appeared to be different. It was clean. Well, cleaner than it was. Something black tucked away in the corner caught her attention. She reached down and picked up the piece of lacey fabric. It was one of her teddies, and it looked like a wild animal had gotten ahold of it, ripped into pieces.
Baby splashed cold water on her face, sparking
the memory of the bathtub and the freezing water. Her muscles ached, leaving her feeling as if she had been beaten with a baseball bat. Grabbing her silk robe off the hook behind the door, she wrapped it around herself, and then piled her hair on top of her head, clipping it in place.
Water. It was hard to swallow with the cottonmouth. Her cracked lips were dry and her throat was parched. She inched her way to the kitchen and noticed it had been cleaned as well. Peeking around the corner, Baby stopped dead when she found Lucky dozing on the couch. He sat upright with his boots kicked up on the coffee table. Both arms folded across his chest, and his head leaned back against the wall.
Confused, Baby stepped closer. She sucked in a huge puff of air and held her breath. What is he doing here? Lucky hated her. Damn, she wasn’t prepared to deal with shit. She tried to leave the room without waking him, but backed right into the side table and bumped the couch, sending Lucky’s head to the side.
He blinked a couple of times before spotting Baby. “You’re up.”
“Umm, yeah. What are you doing here?” She tried to move, but her bare feet were cemented in place.
“I’ve been here for two days. Do you remember anything?”
She shook her head slowly, staring at the floor, unable to take the look on his face.
His eyes were different, softer, and gentler. “Why don’t you sit down? Do you need something?”
Surprised by his concern, Baby moved to the couch and sat on the end opposite of Lucky.
“My mouth is dry. Maybe water?”
Before she finished the words, Lucky was up and moving around in the kitchen. He handed her a glass of warm tap water. “Sip slowly. You don’t want to get sick again.”
Baby glanced up. “Again?” That explained the sore throat.
Lucky nodded.
Tears welled in Baby’s green eyes. “I’m sorry.” The words came out in a whisper.
Lucky stooped to the floor, his hands on Baby’s knees. He peered up into her face. “Hey, you don’t have to be sorry. I should be apologizing to you. I bailed on you when you needed someone. I promised you I wouldn’t leave you, and I let you down.”
Tears streamed down Baby’s frail face. She took a small sip from the glass, allowing the water to soothe her throat. Her body craved the moisture, and the liquid tasted good, Baby took a second drink, and then a third, which proved to be too much. Her stomach pitched. She shot up from the couch and bolted toward the bathroom.
Not wanting Lucky to see her hunched over the toilet, she reached up to lock the door in time.
The doorknob twisted. “Baby, don’t do that. Let me in.”
Unable to speak, Baby’s body heaved relentlessly, leaving her breathless. Sweat broke out across her forehead and behind her neck.
“Open the door. You might pass out. I’m gonna kick the damn thing in.” Lucky’s panicked tone assured her he was serious.
Dragging her limp body up from the floor, Baby unlocked the door right before collapsing into Lucky.
“Shit!” One of his strong arms whipped around her waist while he slipped the other one under her legs. He carried her back to the bed and tucked her in under the sheet. Lucky disappeared and then returned with a wet washcloth and the small trashcan from the bathroom. “I’m gonna put this right beside the bed. You’re probably gonna need it.”
Baby’s heart raced like it was about to jump right out of her chest. Her head thumped against her skull. “Why are you doing this?”
“Do you seriously need me to answer that?”
“You probably want a good fuck, like everyone else. Go ahead, climb on in,” Baby sneered and threw back the sheet.
Lucky stood and stepped back from the bed. “I’m gonna ignore that because I know it’s the drugs talking and not you.” The wounded look in his eyes pissed her off.
“I don’t need your fucking pity. Get OUT!” She picked up the lamp from the end table and hurled it in Lucky’s direction, sending it crashing into the wall. “Can’t you take a damn hint? Get the fuck OUT!”
His eyes narrowed, drawing hard lines across his forehead. His mouth twisted, Lucky backed out of the room. He pulled the door behind him, leaving it cracked. She saw his boot cross the doorway as he slid down the wall, apparently refusing to leave her alone.
She wanted to be angry with him, but something stirred in her gut knowing he was right outside the door. Why the hell is here? The question must have run through her head a hundred times before passing out.
***
Baby drifted in and out of sleep with no concept of time. She didn’t know if an hour had passed or a day. Every part of her body screamed out in pain. She had evidently made good use of the trashcan. Towels scattered the floor. A glass sat on the end table where the lamp had once been. She tried to pick it up, but her trembling hands couldn’t grasp the glass, sending it to the floor.
Lucky jumped up and barreled into the room. “Are you ok?”
Her insides pitched back and forth, but there was nothing left to throw up. “I’m fine. Why are you still here?”
“I’m not leaving. You can be a bitch all you want, I’m staying.” Lucky defiantly shoved his hands into his jean pockets.
Baby rolled her eyes, pretending he didn’t have an effect on her. “Whatever.” She moved to the dresser and stripped away the silk robe, slipping an old Talking Heads t-shirt over her head. She dug through the top drawer. She opened the second one and did the same thing. Finally, she pulled out the drawers and dumped the contents onto the floor.
“What are you looking for?”
Baby Jade ignored the question and dumped out the drawer from the end table next to the bed. She rushed to the bathroom and rummaged through the cabinets.
Lucky filled the doorway, placing his hands above his head, grasping onto the frame. “You’re not gonna find anything.”
Baby glared at him, her eyes dark. She tried to scratch away the craving¸ making her skin raw on her arms. “What did you do with it?”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s gone.” His stone face gave no expression to give her a clue.
“I’ll call Slade,” she spewed settling her hands on both hips.
“He won’t answer. He couldn’t care less about you. He didn’t give a shit. He would have left you to die in that nasty ass bathroom. He’s gonna do everything he can to distance himself from you. For a while, at least.”
“Shit.” Baby examined the room trying to think about all her hiding places. She was at a loss. Something in her snapped and she went back to the only thing she knew.
Baby stepped closer to Lucky and dropped to her knees. “Come on, I’ll help you feel good and then you can help me feel good.” She fumbled with the top of his jeans.
Lucky gripped her wrists and slumped to the floor. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He pulled her in and wrapped his arms around her.
She fought him, trying to pull away. She pounded her fists against his chest. The drugs helped take away the pain. Her loss. The shame and grief.
He held her close, whispering calming words. “Baby, it’s ok. It’s ok. I’ve got you and I’m not going anywhere.”
She pleaded with him. “I wanna feel good. Don’t you wanna feel good?” She buried her face and planted kisses on his neck, moving her way to his chest.
“Not like this, I don’t. Stop. This isn’t you.”
Baby sobbed and clutched his shirt, begging. “Please, it hurts. Please make it stop. I don’t want to hurt anymore.” She collapsed onto his lap.
Lucky cradled her in his lap and gently rocked back and forth. “You have no idea how much I want to take your hurt away, sugar. I would do anything to take away your pain and keep you from hurting ever again.”
“You can.”
Lucky kissed the top of her head, “You know I can’t do that. I won’t let you kill yourself. We both know that’s what you’re trying to do.”
She released her tense muscles. “I don’t want to feel anymore.” She sobbed un
til she blacked out.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lucky
Lucky let her cry, embracing her while they sat entwined on the bathroom floor, holding her until her body went limp. Out of tears, Baby whimpered until she fell into a deep sleep. He decided not to move.
He craved the Baby Jade he knew before. He craved her touch and her kiss. He had only been given a small amount of time with her before he drove her into Slade’s arms. If only he had been there for her instead of bailing. Leaving her to deal with all this shit on her own. And now, he was left feeling empty, like the best part of him was dead.
Holding her in his arms brought a small part of him back to life.
“I love you,” he whispered into Baby’s hair.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Baby Jade
Baby stirred. It took her a second to piece together why she was in the bathroom lying on Lucky’s lap. Turning her head up toward his face, she was startled to find him staring back at her.
“Hey,” he said with the slightest hint of a grin.
Baby gave a content sigh and pressed her head into his chest. “Hey.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes before she spoke again. “How long have you been here?”
He stroked her hair. “Four days.”
She sat up and tilted her head to the side. “You can’t be serious? I’ve lost four days? And you’ve been here the whole time?”
“There’s nowhere else I’d be right now. How do you feel?”
She climbed out of his lap and stood. Her legs were still weak, but not shaking. “I think I’m a little better. Sore as hell, but not feeling like I’m going to explode. And seriously starving.”
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