by Lucia Grace
Taking a sharp bend, I make it around the corner when all of a sudden bright lights flash ahead. I squint, trying to see the road in front of me. When I notice the car barreling toward me isn’t slowing up, I lay on the horn, trying to alert them. But before I can swerve out of the way, we collide.
Tires squeal as I slam on my breaks. Glass shatters and rains down around me. Metal crunches and pain explodes throughout my entire body. My head hits the steering wheel as I’m lurched forward from the impact. My mind goes blank from the jarring force.
And then there she is. All long, brown hair. Deep brown eyes. Soft, fair skin. And lush curves.
My girl. My ace of hearts.
Mine.
Then I’m falling.
Still falling.
Machines beep and tick around me but I don’t hear any of it. I haven’t heard a single thing since Ember tearfully came into the spare room I was sleeping in to break the news.
To shatter my world.
Damon. In a car accident on his way back after a call and they aren’t sure how bad it is.
I wipe the tears racing down my face with the back of my hands. Not letting go of the grip I have on one of Damon’s.
Bringing his hand to my lips, I pray my millionth prayer that he’ll be okay. Because he has to be.
Warmth envelops my chest. Seeping into my skin. Warming the darkest places of my soul.
Ace.
A smile wants to break across my face, but the pain shooting through my skull stops any thoughts of smiling dead in its tracks.
I crack my eyes open and look down to see my beautiful girl draped lightly across my chest. Even in her sad slumber she’s taking care of me, making sure she isn’t hurting me.
Lifting my right hand, I bring it to the back of her head to bring her in tighter. Ignoring the throbbing in my left shoulder and the ache in my chest. Just wanting her as close as I can get her.
My movements must have woken her up because I hear a gasped sob break through her full lips before her head is lifting from my chest. Taking the warmth with her.
Her beautiful face is only inches from mine. “Damon…” She trails off as tears track down her face.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I rasp out. Smirking. Trying to lighten the moment, ease the worry in her heart. But my words and smirk do none of that. Ace drops her forehead to my chest as a sob breaks free.
Her cool tears dampen my chest through the fabric of the hospital-issued johnny. Her shoulders shake and her breathing is choppy.
“Ace, sweetheart, shh…it’s okay. I’m okay, baby.” I slowly run a hand up and down her back in soothing strokes. Hoping like hell to help calm her down. Because her tears are searing straight through my skin into my heart, breaking it.
“Oh my God, Damon. I’ve never been so scared in my entire life.” She hiccups through her tears.
I wrap my arms around her back as she keeps her head to my chest. Neither of us saying a word. I hold her through her tears, each one like a knife to my heart.
Her head slowly starts to rise so I loosen my hold. Bringing one hand to her wet cheek, using my thumb to dry the tears.
She looks at me for a good minute. Her eyes scanning my bruised left cheek and the laceration on my forehead. Moving down to my split chin and what has to be a nasty bruise from the seatbelt across my neck, shoulder, and chest—if the pain is any indication. Assessing the damage from the car wreck that drunk motherfucker caused.
A deep, stuttered breath passes between her lips before they move to speak. The look on her face changing from anguish to something else entirely. “I’m sorry,” she whispers. Confusion furrows my brow, because I can’t figure out what the fuck she could be sorry for. She must see it because she elaborates. “For earlier, at your house. I’m so sorry.”
The first thing that tears through my mind is that she referred to my house as just that. Mine. When just earlier today she was referring to everything as ours. We were building a life together, starting an us, and I fucked that up. That’s on me.
Her apology is also on me. Because she shouldn’t be fucking apologizing when I was the one who tore us apart.
I sit up further against the pillows at my back, ignoring the protesting pains that shoot through my body. Anger, regret, and shame mixes with the agony at the reminder of earlier. Of what I revealed, of how I acted, and of how I walked out on her. Almost for the very last time.
Ace gasps out loud when I frame my large hands against her delicate, round face. Leaning forward so she has nowhere else to look but at me, I stare straight into the deep brown of her eyes. Willing her to see my truths.
“You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, Ace. Not one thing. I fucked up today. More than once.” I stop and shake my head. Keeping my hold on her gorgeous face before looking right back at her. Her tears wet my fingers, but I don’t give a fuck. “I should have handled things a lot differently than I did. I never should have said the things I said. I never should have treated you that way. And I sure as fuck shouldn’t have walked out on you.”
She goes to say something but I stop her by placing my lips gently to hers. Not kissing her. Just breathing her in. Feeling her shocked breath calm my frantically beating heart.
“Nothing about today is on you. So don’t apologize. I’m the one who should be apologizing. And I am. I’m so fucking sorry, sweetheart. So sorry.”
More tears well in her eyes but she fights them back. She gets up from the chair and moves from her slouched position over me, propping her sweet ass up on the bed beside my right leg. She turns to me and now she is the one putting her small hands on my face.
Her eyes look into mine. Soft fingers stroking the stubble on my jaw. Soothing me. “I wasn’t just apologizing for what happened earlier…”
My eyes slam shut. Trying to block out the memories that rear their ugly head whenever I start thinking about the past.
“I am so sorry, Damon. For what you endured, what you suffered, and for carrying that around all on your own for all these years. But you aren’t alone, you never were. You always had your parents and your friends. And now…now you have me. Let me help carry the weight and help heal the wounds you’ve been carrying around for too many years. Let me love you like you deserve.” Her last spoken words end on a whisper.
This girl. This perfect fucking girl that for whatever reason loves me, chooses me, wants me, even after everything I’ve put her through and dumped on her, absolutely owns me. If I wasn’t certain of it before, I am abso-fucking-lutely positive of it now.
Without speaking a word, I lift a hand to her neck and pull her lips to mine. Tasting. Devouring. Owning. Claiming. Finally allowing myself to take and feel absolutely everything she’s been offering.
I kiss her with every ounce of want and need and love inside of me. Trying to reciprocate what she’s giving me, what she’s always been giving me.
Pulling away, I lean my forehead to hers and look into her rich brown eyes. They shift from being filled with want and lust, to being filled with need and…love.
“I love you, Damon,” she whispers the words like a prayer, as if she’s hoping they won’t scare me away.
Taking a deep breath, I utter the words I never thought I’d tell another soul with absolute conviction. Because I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. “I love you, too.”
A gasp flies past her lips. Revealing that tiny gap between her teeth that I love so much. New tears build and fall from her eyes, wetting her cheeks. She drops her hands from my face and sits there in shock, mouth open, eyes wide.
“I never thought I’d hear you say those words.” Fresh tears spill down her cheeks.
“Ace, sweetheart, please don’t cry. It fucking kills me when you do.” I lift my hands to her face again, wiping the wetness with my thumbs.
When I cup her cheek, a smile breaks out across her lips and lights up the whole fucking room. “These are the happiest tears I’ve ever cried.” She sniffles a few times, trying to g
et her emotions under control. “Yo—you love me?”
“With absolutely everything that I am, Ace.” My words as solid and sure as my love for her.
Smile still in place, she leans forward and kisses me. Wet and deep, but not long enough, because after a couple of swipes of her tongue she’s pulling back to place kisses all across my face. Careful of my cuts and bruises. Hands lightly clasping the sides of my neck.
When she leans back she’s still smiling, and I can’t help but crack one of my own.
“Gosh, Damon, I love you, too. So much. And I have since I was seven years old.”
I shake my head lightly, the movement painful, but it’s nothing like the pain that strikes my chest at the reminder of all the time we’ve lost together. “I have a lot of time to make up for, Ace. But if you’ll let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life doing it and making you as happy as I can. I’ll fuck up, that’s bound to happen. But I’ll love you every second of every day and make sure you always know it. I’m done running from everything. I’m ready to face life head-on with you by my side. Living, laughing, and loving only you. Because that’s all it’s ever been. It’s only ever been you, baby.”
Her eyes soften and the small smile she offers me shines so fucking bright with love I nearly lose my breath. “This. You and our love. That’s all I need. That’s all I’ve ever needed. You have nothing to make up for, I’m just happy to have you now. I’ll gladly spend the rest of my life right by your side, falling in love with you even more each day, and supporting you through absolutely everything. Because you deserve it,” she whispers. Her words full of truth and conviction. And her eyes are filled with so much love I don’t think I’ll ever be truly worthy of, but I know I’ll spend my every waking breath trying to be.
I scan her face. Taking her all in. “God, I fucking love you.” Then I pull her in and kiss the smile on her lips. Tasting the happiness and love and pure fucking goodness that I’m never letting go of ever again.
Three years later
I look down at the most precious face I’ve ever seen bundled in pink, cradled in my arms. She’s so tiny I’m afraid I’m going to break her.
I run my index finger down the center of her nose before leaning in and placing a kiss to it.
Her sleepy eyes flutter open. Hazel, just like mine.
A tiny fist lifts from the confines of her swaddle and grips my finger. My heart swells, my chest tightens, I’ve never felt so whole in all my life.
“Hey, angel. I’m your daddy.” My voice breaks at the end. Fuck, she’s everything I never imagined for myself.
I hear a sniffle at my back and slowly turn to see my beautiful girl smiling through the silent tears that are tracking down her face. Her engagement ring glistens in the sunlight as she lifts her hand to wipe the wetness from her cheeks.
“Ace, she’s so perfect.” I swallow over the lump of emotions lodged in my throat. “Just like you.”
Hadley Marie Miles was born on the second day in February, weighing in at seven pounds, six ounces, and twenty inches long. So tiny. So perfect. Looking like a mini version of her gorgeous mother, with my eyes and a caramel complexion.
I stand there in the birthing suite, swaying from side to side with my baby girl in my arms while staring at my fiancée, thinking that this moment is more than I could have ever imagined for myself.
After recovering from my accident, Ace and I didn’t look back. We only focused on the future. Together, we worked through the horrors of my past. She helped me fully heal and find the nerve to finally tell my parents about what happened all those years ago. She never left my side as I watched my mom break and my dad hold back his tears and anger. They questioned why I never told them, why I never came forward. My mom felt overwhelming guilt since it was her father; she felt that she should have known being my mother. I explained to them that at that age I thought I could move past it, but all it did was build into a greater burden. I also explained how I wanted nothing to change between us, that I was still the same man they raised, that it was just time they know. But it was also time to move on.
Ace smiled so fucking big at that.
Once we were over that hurdle—putting the past behind me for good—after more than six months of living together, I bought a simple two-carat princess cut diamond ring and proposed to Ace. I had the ring for a little over a week before I finally asked her one night after dinner. She couldn’t fucking believe it. She was shocked and excited and over the fucking moon. And she said yes, of course.
And now we’re here, two years later. Our wedding now put on hold since we got pregnant with this little one and Ace didn’t want to be huge walking down the aisle. I told her it didn’t matter, that she’d be beautiful no matter what size she was, because she’d be walking down the aisle to become mine. Officially anyway.
A small gasp has me looking down to see my little girl yawning before she tries to latch onto her tiny fist.
I walk over to Ace and sit near her hip. “Seems like our little angel is hungry,” I whisper down at the beautiful baby Ace and I created together.
Looking up, I see her open her shirt, baring her chest. Carefully, I place Hadley down and lay her in Ace’s arms, against her chest. I didn’t think anything could be more beautiful than watching my fiancée breastfeed our daughter.
A serene smile lifts Ace’s plump lips as she gazes down at Hadley. “She really is so perfect.”
Shifting so I’m lying beside my girls, I wrap an arm around Ace’s shoulders and run my hand lightly over the dark curls on Hadley’s head. As I lie here, with my world in my arms, I silently vow to protect them at all costs and never let the filth of this world come near my daughter. I’ll make sure to shield her from as much as I can so she never knows depravity like I suffered. She’ll only ever know the good that this world has to offer.
I’ll kill any motherfucker who even threatens it.
“I love you.” I hear whispered beside me, bringing me from my thoughts. I look down to see Ace’s rich brown eyes gazing up at me. Ace is the best thing to ever happen to me. Letting her love me and allowing myself to love her in return, is the best decision I ever made because it brought me to right here, right now.
Leaning down, I place a gentle kiss to our daughter’s head before lifting my lips to place them against hers, breathing her in before replying, “I love you, too.” And I do, so fucking much.
THE END
Forgetting is the Hardest Part – Kane Brown
Wicked Games – The Weeknd
Beast – Southpaw Soundtrack
Single Girl – Thomas Rhett
Playing with Fire – Thomas Rhett ft. Jordin Sparks
Closer – Kane Brown
Gorilla – Bruno Mars
Think a Little Less – Michael Ray
Thinking of You (and Me) – Love and Theft
Come Over (Acoustic Version) – Sam Hunt
Jealous – Labrinth
All I Ask – Adele
Nobody – Selena Gomez
Everything in Between – Michael Ray
I Miss You – Adele
Latch (Acoustic) – Sam Smith
On a Night Like This – Dave Barnes
Kiss by Kiss – Brett Young
Whatever it Takes – Lifehouse
Sorry – Justin Bieber
No Pressure – Justin Bieber
Let Her Cry – Mike Bowers
That’s How Strong My Love Is – Mike Bower
Let it Ride – Brantley Gilbert
Stone Cold Sober – Brantley Gilbert
Til it Happens to You - Lady Gaga
Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
BONUS SCENE
“She’s so beautiful, Tracey.” Ember never takes her eyes off the pink bundle of sleeping baby in her arms. Her soft voice in awe of the little life Tracey and Damon created together.
She’s beautiful all right. Although the baby is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen, I’m talking about my wife. I can’
t take my eyes off of her. The flush of happiness staining her cheeks as she smiles so damn big at the baby girl. Her eyes glistening with happy tears. Her plump lips whispering sweet nothings that only her and the baby can hear. She looks damn good with a baby in her arms. Would look even better if it were ours.
“She is, isn’t she?” Tracey whispers into the room. Eyes still on her daughter.
“Of course she is. She looks just like you, sweetheart,” my best friend rumbles out into the room. Damon’s eyes alternating between Tracey and his daughter, keeping watch over both of his girls.
“She really does, Tracey. So much like you.” Ember lifts her eyes to Tracey now, and so do I. Catching her blush at the compliment.
“Well, thank you, but she’s so beautiful because she’s a part of both of us,” she says softly, placing a hand to Damon’s face. He leans down and lays a deep kiss on her lips, not caring we’re in the room. It doesn’t last long, but it’s long enough to have me chuckling and Ember blushing with embarrassment at their display.
As soon as they pull apart, Ember clears her throat. Ignoring Tracey’s flushed face. “So, did you decide on a name?”
We both look to the happy couple. “We did,” Tracey replies. Huge smile back in place as she looks at Dame. Giving him the go-ahead to answer.
“Hadley Marie Miles,” he declares. A huge smile of his own splitting his face. If you ever told me that cop and all-around badass Damon Miles would be engaged and welcoming a baby into the world, I would have laughed in your face. The reformed manwhore was just that, a manwhore. He slept his way through Pleasant Beach more than once, but Tracey laid him on his ass the night of our wedding. And ever since he hasn’t been able to let go.
I know the feeling.
“It’s perfect,” Em softly replies, cutting into my thoughts. “Hi, Hadley. I’m your Auntie Ember and this here is your Uncle Kayson.” Her eyes cut to me, calling me over to her. I couldn’t say no even if I tried. Her brown eyes always bringing me to my damn knees. “Want to hold her?” she whispers.
A flash of fear engulfs my body and it must show on my face. “It’s all right, man.” Damon chuckles out. “Scared the shit out of me the first time I held her, too. And she’s mine!”