Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended.
Beta'd by HollettLA.
I came back to replace the chap and write this note. I realize that I've lost many readers and most of you are unhappy with the Sonny/Maggie dynamic . . . I apologize that you all feel this way, but I hope you all realize...JUST like I've done so in the past, all you see through this or that one's POV is what they think. I'd urge you to hang on - at least until chapter 25/26 - and then flounce if you wish to do so. I don't plan to change anything based on what you all think of Sonny/Maggie. But these characters are like my babies :/ When one of you leaves a negative review . . . I don't know. I can take constructive criticism, but expressing hate or dismay for a character I've fallen in love with? It actually hurts me on a personal level. However, I do ask for your opinions and I RESPECT what you say, even if I don't like what you have to say, so...leave me your opinions - good, bad, or indifferent - I STILL appreciate you taking the time and leaving me reviews.
idk what I'm trying to say, lol, but I love Sonny/Maggie together. *shrug* And there's always a method to the madness . . . It's just . . . reading the negativity? It actually turns me off from writing. I've taken a break, and it's not me being too sensitive. I wish this stuff didn't bother me, but it does, and so . . . We'll be going back to weekly updates instead of me updating twice a week. I'd hate for people to have to wait for chapters, so going back to posting Wednesdays is a great direction.
THANK YOU all again! I appreciate every single review. Your kind words means the world to me.
Lexi
Riders on the Storm
Chapter Twenty-One: Truth
Bella POV
With my coffee in one hand and my purse in the other, I nearly stumbled out of the car. Vinny had a chuckle and helped me—righted me before I could go spiraling down.
"You a'ight?" he asked.
"I'm good." I fixed my purse strap, and then my eyes darted around for Sonny. He stood by the entrance, and when his gaze landed on me, he widened his arms. I was late. "Sonny's here . . . You can go. He'll give me a ride back."
Vinny nodded. "Skip's got me goin'ta NYU to scoop the other one—"
"Damion?" I asked.
Vinny knows he's not supposed to tell me certain things—like what he does when he's not just driving, shit like that, but I have my ways. He's young, like Damion's age, and he lives with his mother. I give him my Mom-eye and he stutters, stammers, and eventually tells me the truth.
"Yeah…" He went for the driver's side.
I tried to think. It was late in the morning and I knew Edward was working early today, but it was a Tuesday. "Where are you taking him?" My son has class or clinic hours six days a week, or so I'm told.
His widened eyes flashed to mine. "I—I'm late." He got into the car, and then drove away.
I hummed, thinking that rude.
"Ma!" Sonny shouted. "Let's go!"
"I'm coming!" I hurried to get to the entrance. We were at Babies "R" Us.
Since Katie moved out, I've even been happier. I have free rein; can decorate Sonny's guest room—the nursery—however I want because he doesn't care, as long as it gets done. We were here to try and get everything Sonny would need, including furniture.
Earlier this week, I called Lauren. She's throwing the baby shower—not at La Bella Italia—but at her restaurant, the one Aro gave her to keep her mouth shut. It wasn't about gifts or our children; I called to ask her to lunch, so we could go over the guest list . . . Look at me, taking the high road. She may still be a bitch, but I was gonna be the bigger person and extend the olive branch to her stuck-up ass.
She said—no offense—but we're keeping it strictly "family"; meanwhile, I had about fifty extra people we needed to invite. I'm used to planning events—knowing who has to come, so we don't offend or disrespect, those who would come and bring HUGE gifts, just to show respect to Edward and Sonny . . .
My people weren't allowed. But then I brought up Aro. Regardless of paying respect to Edward and Sonny, I'm sure many would like to do so for Aro—his first grandchild, too.
Anyway, Lauren was acting like a giant cunt.
Rather than bop her one, I called Aro. We had a nice long chat—and he totally backed the fuck down. I spelled things out for him, shouted, pleaded—hell, I even threatened him. My son is not the bad guy. He did his best, but—in the end—shit didn't work out, and Katie is a lunatic.
And the end result of the shower guest list . . .
Aro just wants Katie to be happy—to give her what she wants. He asked me to let it go and let it stay small, and I respected that.
Also, since the shower will be a small, intimate event, we obviously can't expect people to buy two of everything—put two of everything on the registry.
Sonny has the list; I could see the papers in his hands as I pulled him in and kiss his forehead. My baby boy has been very happy lately.
Truth be told, I initially thought his involvement with Maggie was fleeting, but it's not.
"Maggie didn't come with you?" I asked. They're inseparable these days.
"She's in school."
I winced, forgetting that small fact. High school.
"Then, before they relieve what'sherface at the salon, she's meeting up with Kylie to—" He stopped talking.
"You can tell me anything," I sang, hooking my arm with his as we walked into the store.
"Right, um…I know she's been staying with you and all, but I just thought it best we keep our relationship private. She's not a child…" He looked down to me.
"She's not," I agreed, warily staring up at him. "But she is young, so if something's going on, being that she's staying with us . . . Placate your Momma, Sonny." I grinned. "I worry . . . she's mature for her age, even I can't deny that, and I do trust your judgment. But if she needs a mother's help..." Basically, I wanted Sonny and Maggie to know they could come to me with anything.
When she speaks of Sonny, it's like . . . It makes me smile. Just hearing about it makes my stomach fill with butterflies. She talks as if their love spans centuries and not a month. Maggie loves him. She can't stop telling me about it and him, and . . . apparently my son is some pussy virtuoso—he's amazing in bed—and that made me proud. Although Maggie has nothing else to go off of . . .
"What's going on?" I poked his side.
"Maggie's never been to, to a woman's doc before."
"Oh." I nodded, smiling. "And Kylie made her an appointment, is taking her?" Now I was proud of Kylie for stepping up. I bet Mrs. Sullivan never spoke to Maggie about anything sexual.
Sonny nodded. "It was Kylie's idea, and I agreed. I just—I hope—forget it."
"What?" I asked, testing out a shopping cart, hating when I always snag one with a fucked wheel.
"I hope she decides to go on the pill."
"Right." My eyes widened. "Or the shot, the shot is better."
"Ma, I want her to live with me so badly. I'm going to ask her again—for real—tonight. Fuck her parents." He studied the papers in his hands. "We should split up—just grab one of everything."
"No! We can shop together."
"I don't have a lot of time . . ."
"It's ten o'clock in the morning!" I bitched.
"I know . . . but we gotta unload cars, plus traffic if there is any. We have to get this done, but I hoped to take Maggie to an early dinner, or maybe a late lunch. She's leaving school early to go with Kylie. Then I have to head to Eclipse. There are two sit-downs I have to attend."
"Anything interesting?"
He shook his head. "Alex's father, Ronnie? He wants to confer with me about something, and then Luke's coming by."
"Is that why Vinny is picking up Damion?" I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. "Is Damion getting involved? But why would he get Damion now?"
"Dame switched his days around, I guess. He's always doing that." He wouldn't look at me. "You should talk to Dad about it. I really don't want to discuss this with you."
I nodded, respecting that, but he'd already lied to me. The way everything's been . . . Damion getting involved doesn't surprise me anymore, but it's still disappointing.
"Besides . . ." He nudged me. "Can't we pick out baby stuff and gush about my beautiful girlfriend?"
I squealed. "Let's!"
He chuckled, wrapping an arm around me and kissing my hair.
"She loves you," I whispered. "A lot—she cares about you."
Sonny nodded, biting his lip. "I think so, too." We walked down an aisle. "What's a boppy pillow?"
"Oh…" I waved a hand. "Yeah, you'll want one." I grabbed one to show him and just threw it into the cart, and then I tossed another one in. I was excited to get stuff for our house, too. All I know is, I have my large purse. I know Sonny intends on paying for everything, but Edward gave me a few grand and said to put the rest on the credit card, so it didn't look suspicious. The furniture was to be our gift, but I have extra money to pay for whatever—not wanting to spare any expense. "Have you told Maggie you love her?"
"I really don't wanna scare her...come on too strong. I'm sure—feel it in my gut—that she loves me, too, and you just confirmed it." He winked. "I tell her all the time when she's sleeping…"
"Awww . . . really?" I gazed at him, letting out a dreamy sigh. "You watch her sleep?"
He ducked his head, furrowing his brow and checking out a sippy cup. My son was totally trying to play it off, embarrassed, a pink hue to his cheeks. And the fact that Sonny was blushing . . .
"Somethin' wrong with that?" he asked, quirking a defensive eyebrow. Sonny resembled Edward a bit.
I shook my head no, thinking it was the sweetest thing I'd ever heard. "Not at all. And I'm your mother...No need to be ashamed."
"I'm not." He turned to grin at me.
"Good."
While Maggie's been staying with us, they see each other frequently. Sonny usually picks her up from school, and she spends most of the entire weekend at his place. It's only been a few weeks—us living by this arrangement—but it's working.
My husband and I don't mind having Maggie around at all. She's actually a good influence on Kylie, and those two are inseparable as well. Maggie keeps Kylie out of trouble, and our daughter's like the third wheel in that relationship. Sonny's spending a lot of time with his sister, too, and he doesn't seem to mind.
Edward has noticed quite a few changes in Kylie's behavior—and has let up a lot when it comes to being strict.
I still have Kylie working for everything, but . . . she's free to do what she wants, within reason.
There's always the issue of her safety.
"Well, Dad spoke to Mr. Sullivan last night." I waited to gauge Sonny's reaction. "They, uh, they went for a drink on Third…"
"Like that man needs to drink." Sonny was sarcastic. "And I bet he sat there and smiled at Dad—such a hypocrite."
"First of all—"
"Don't defend him. The shit he did to Shaky." He threw something into the cart. "Plus, do you have any idea what he called us? Yeah, he said we were Italian pieces of shit."
I put my hand up to stop him.
"He said it more like shite, but you get the picture."
"Robert, Mr. Sullivan," I raised my voice a bit, "fears your father. It's all over his face, and yet his daughter is staying with us . . . Italian pieces of shit." That slur should have bothered me a lot more than it did, but I can understand people saying things in anger. "Maggie's mother, Kathy, won't even speak to her . . ." I trailed off, getting into bottle systems now. Katie had hardly anything on the list. "Um—" I pointed. "There's like nothing here for bottle."
"Katie's going to breast-feed."
"But you can't!" I exclaimed.
"Oh…" Sonny burst into a fit of chuckles. "Right. Get whatever then—like, what Katie has, only more of it." He shrugged.
"Fuck." I shook my head. "She's gonna have to pump a lot, or you'll have to give the baby formula."
Sonny stared like he had no idea what I was talking about.
"It's best the baby only has one kind—breast or synthetic, not both . . . although it's not unheard of." I stuck out my tongue. "It's common, actually. Just pray she doesn't have stomach issues." I did the Sign of the Cross.
Sonny nodded. "We'll figure it out—whatever—and we can always bring stuff back, exchange it." He looked around. "Maybe we can focus on the bigger stuff—the crib, high chair, whatever, just get the room ready. It's painted…ready for us to move everything in," he laughed. "I have a pink bedroom in my apartment."
I laughed, agreeing with his plans. It sounded legit.
"But tell me more about Dad and Mr. Sullivan." He sneered saying the man's name.
"He made a mistake—was drunk, acted out. I mean, come on, Sonny." I nudged him. "If we weren't who we are—if Kylie came home with you, with your age and what you do for a living . . . it's a shock, especially since she was on her way to becoming a nun. Think about it. We're Catholic, but they're really Catholic. We have Ansel Adams shit on our walls—along with other art—and they have crucifixes all over, giant pictures of the Pope, Jesus, and Mary. I've been inside that house before—a while back."
"But—"
"And, come on, let's face it. A grown man? He knows you two are having sex—doing God knows what." I raised a brow, as I've heard Maggie and Kylie discussing some things—caught Kylie giving a banana a blowjob to show Maggie, and then Kylie showed her once more—later that day—with a Twizzler. Again, I was proud—Kylie's got skills.
"What we do is what we do. She's inquisitive, curious." He fucking giggled like a little girl.
I shook my head. "No matter what, though, Mr. Sullivan can't give you guys his blessing. If she moves back in, she has to say goodbye to you. Dad talked him down—got him to agree to be civilized with Maggie if she continues to stay with us, or . . . move in with you. But then their religion plays a big part. You'd be living in sin with his daughter—"
"Not if we got married…" He turned away from me.
"Is that something you want?" I asked him. "Do you think Maggie's ready for all this—your life? What being your wife would entail?"
"It has nothing to do with work—"
"I'm not talking about that either," I said. "Your daughter will be staying with you three days a week." I was surprised when Sonny and Katie worked it out so fast.
When Katie's out of the hospital, their daughter will stay with her for two weeks while Katie tries to narrow down a routine. Sonny can visit however much he wants. He managed to get her a two-bedroom apartment on Third Avenue. It's not downstairs, but it's a few blocks away. Sonny could sprint there if he had to. He also got painters—is paying to have that place baby-ready as soon as possible.
He's a good kid—my son, responsible.
But two weeks after the baby is born, Sonny will have his daughter from Thursday evening until Sunday afternoon.
I think Katie did that on purpose, to fuck with Sonny's weekends, but I didn't say shit about it.
And I'm sure Grandma Bella won't mind baby-sitting.
I actually can't wait.
"Maggie can accept my child—she said so. It doesn't bother her—"
"Now. Right now it doesn't bother her, but it might when she's born and you're spending all this time with Katie . . . when the baby will always come first and she's second, when she'll wanna go out on the weekends, but you'll have your daughter—"
"Where does Maggie go?" he laughed. "Church? And I'll be taking care of her—the both of them. While my daughter will need me, Maggie doesn't need her parents. Even if I wasn't in the picture, she has a scholarship. Maggie said she can study her religion and other things. She doesn't have to become a nun."
"No, she's right . . ." I wondered how much Sonny really knew. "The University of Saint Mary is a Liberal Arts college . . . in Kansas."
He whipped around to face me. "What? I thought—why did I think it was in Queens?" He shook his head. "I gotta talk to her—" He went to just walk away from me.
"No. We have to get this done." I pulled on his sleeve. "Saint John's is in Queens, I think," I said as an afterthought. "Has she mentioned college at all?"
He shook his head. "Only that she wasn't 100% on the nun thing. She's leaning towards nursing. The only thing she's sure of?" He smiled. "Is me. She wants to be with me . . . everything else is everything else."
I sighed, not wanting to tell him the rest of what Mr. Sullivan actually said to Edward.
As we picked up a few smaller things on our way to the bigger things, we didn't talk. We just shopped for a bit.
Their religious beliefs are very important. While they can't accept who Sonny is, they really cannot accept them "living in sin" or even having sex. They're more disappointed in her for possibly having pre-marital sex, but if Sonny put a ring on her finger—made her honest—there's a chance the Sullivans could learn to accept them as a couple.
If they do the "right" thing . . .
Sonny wants Maggie all to himself, while Maggie's not ready to just forget about her parents—no matter how much she truly loves my son. If push came to shove, she'd choose Sonny, but why should she have to, when people should just come to terms with shit? Where there's a will there's a way, I always say.
It reminded me of those early days . . . those days where everything was up in the air, that achy stomach feeling, knowing you have to make a decision, but the choice had already been made.
Like me, Maggie would choose Sonny, just as I chose Edward…
I should be worried about her age, like my husband—who's unsure, who thinks Sonny is going to get hurt in the long run, but I can't. I'm a romantic, and love…that powerful, all-consuming love is just magical.
To this day, I don't regret the decisions I've made.
Maybe Maggie wouldn't either?
"This sucks." He groaned. "Not living with me is one thing, but moving to Kansas? Even if I visited her on weekends—"
"You can't visit her on weekends, Sonny—the baby?"
"Why couldn't I take her with me?" He shrugged. "By the time Maggie would be there, my kid would be almost a year old. It was a thought…whatever. Long-distance relationships don't work."
"I'm still surprised you'd be willing to visit, that you're this serious about her." I reached up to pinch his cheek. "That's a big step for you." He'd do anything for the woman he loved, that I knew, because that's how much I knew about his father. But while my son has . . . probably screwed dozens of women, he's new to love—one that doesn't include Katie.
Sonny's even more gone than he'd ever been where Katie was concerned, and Maggie . . . She has a good heart, one of the best.
"Maybe she'll want to go to school close by? She said she got early acceptance, which means she didn't apply anywhere else. She still has plenty of time before she graduates. We'll talk about it—get her to apply." He nodded. "Fuck. We Cullens have how many connections at NYU? She could go there."
"What if she wants to go to Kansas?"
He paused and rubbed his chest. "I'd have to say goodbye."
I palmed his cheek. "I don't think it will come to that."
"I'd pay her tuition—I don't care about money or circumstances. I just want her to be with me—just be." My baby had tears in his eyes, which was shocking and very fucking sad. "Let's just—just get this shopping over with." He looked to his watch, blinking rapidly. "I can still take her to dinner and do what I gotta do at Eclipse." He took his phone out. "I just have to cancel on Ron."
"Cancel?" That didn't sound like Sonny at all, and Edward wouldn't be pleased.
"Reschedule—it's bullshit." He placed his cell to his ear. "If it was important, I'd have Carlisle up my ass about it. Yo, wassup?" He turned from me.
I nodded as I strolled, giving him privacy for his phone call.
We didn't talk for a while. We picked out the furniture. Sonny went with white because it would go better with the pink—white wooden crib, changing table, and chest of drawers. We also picked out a nice plush rocking chair and ottoman set. It's all to be delivered tomorrow.
From there, we went to bedding. I liked this floral crib set and Sonny liked one with animals, so we got both—they both matched the color scheme. But we also grabbed all the things I knew he'd need—a lot more sheets, packages of onesies which were close by, socks…We filled the second cart up in that one aisle. It seemed like a lot of stuff, but it's not like Sonny would have his own baby shower.
I wasn't worried about clothes, really.
I had plans and Sonny agreed… It was something that will make Kylie very happy.
My plan was to let her loose—let her shop for her baby niece's wardrobe. She was going to shit herself in happiness.
An hour later, it turned out that all of the shit we bought wouldn't fit in Sonny's car—not that I thought it would. We had to wait for Sonny's friend Mike to come by with his Jeep.
All the big stuff—the stuff that came in big boxes—was to be delivered tomorrow, too—a separate delivery.
Mike drove on ahead of us, while Sonny and I were in his car. He'd given his buddy his keys, and Mike was fine with unpacking as we walked toward the tanning salon.
Kylie and Maggie just got back from the doctor.
"So…" I slowed us down since we didn't have far to go at all. "Are you still not talking to Damion?" It was true, and I think Amelia is doing Dame's laundry. Those two are happy—wish they had more time for each other, but they're content—no drama on their front. Now they love each other, and they have no problems showing it or saying it.
"I've seen him around."
"You have?" I asked, since they don't exactly chill within the same circles, but . . . yeah. Damion was getting involved.
"Here and there." He was short.
"I think…that if Damion knew how you felt about Maggie, he'd—I don't know." I honestly had no clue what Dame's intentions were when he acted out and went for Sonny. Did he really like Maggie, too? Was he actually jealous? I had no idea. He's said it was because Sonny doesn't know how to treat women. He was looking out for her. Sonny would "hit it and run", and Maggie's not like that, but she's persuasive.
"I'm tired of a lot of things, but most of all, Mom…I'm tired of his garbage." He rolled his eyes. "All the lying, manipulating…I can't anymore. I try to be there. I try to be the best brother I can be . . . He's just…he's Damion. He's also not the person he pretends to be when you're around."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"That's an issue for another day. I have an hour to grab a quick bite before—"
"Right. I don't want to screw up your plans." I patted his back. "But we've spoken about her parents, Katie, and the baby . . . Are you keeping Dame away from you because of Maggie? Are you jealous?"
He shook his head. "Not in the slightest, but I'd hurt him—maybe I wouldn't kill him—but if he fucked with her? Did something? Mom, I'd go nuts; every logical thought I'd have would fly out the window. My keeping my distance is preventative until he either backs off, or…I don't know. Furthermore, I don't know why he's so concerned. He should focus on his own relationship."
I nodded, although Damion hasn't even tried to come home while Maggie's been staying with us. A large part of me wants Maggie to move in with Sonny, but only because my house—my family dynamic—would go back to normal. Of course I feel weird that Dame isn't around as much. It saddens me and I miss him like crazy, but it's not only Maggie and Sonny that keeps him away. There's something going on between Edward and Damion.
I needed to have a long chat with my husband—one I've been putting off for weeks.
"Hey!" Kylie was all smiles when we walked in. The lobby was actually empty, both my daughter and Maggie sitting behind the counter.
Sonny, of course he went right to Maggie—to stick his tongue down her throat. She blushed, giggled, and hugged him tightly—all of which made me giggle.
"They had my test results—I totally forgot about them and they said they called, but…" Kylie was going a hundred words a minute. "I'm clean—no STDs."
"Thank God for that." I kissed her hair, but Dr. Scott's office did call. Doris—the nurse—told me, although it wasn't ethical. I've known about my daughter being STD-free and not pregnant for weeks. And then I felt horrible that I forgot about it. But she forgot about that shit too, and it's her body. I wasn't sure which to feel more uneasy about.
"Oh." Kylie tapped on Sonny's shoulder. "You owe me forty dollars."
"I said I'd give it back to you when I got my check." Maggie's tone was hushed.
"Fuck that!" Kylie exclaimed. "If he's gonna tap it, he can pay for your pizznills."
"Her what?" I was lost, even though I was laughing.
"He put her on Ortho-Tri-Cyclen Lo. Just like me," Kylie told me.
"Ky-lie," Maggie whispered.
"Oh, shut up with your shy shit."
"Hey!" Sonny scolded.
Kylie shrugged. "If she wants to be in this family . . ."
I laughed, taking Maggie's old seat. "You guys have fun—"
"No. I'm hungry. Lemme get my purse." Kylie went to leave.
I stopped her. "Daddy's working late. We'll order something."
Kylie frowned. "I wanna go—hang out."
"I'm bringing her right back here in an hour," Sonny said. And he would let his sister tag along, no matter what he had to discuss with Maggie. "But it's fine." He shrugged. "You can come."
"No," I said. "I'm sure they wanna be alone." I poked Kylie's side.
"Right." She settled down. "I don't wanna see you drool and paw at her anyway . . . But give me my money." She held out her hand.
Sonny smiled as he slapped a fifty down. "You can keep the change."
"Excellent." Kylie stuffed it into her pocket. "Maggie also…" She stared at her friend. "She'd never tell you, but…she wants to go shopping, and she wants me to come with—"
"No, I don't," Maggie said.
Kylie scoffed. "But don't I get a finder's fee?" she asked. "If it weren't for me…Can't you take me shopping?"
Sonny cocked a brow and slapped her hand with his—giving her a high-five, and then the happy couple left the tanning salon. I wasn't sure, but that might have been his way of agreeing.
"Don't do that . . . are you that far gone?" I was sad. "You have to shop? Absolutely have to?"
"It was a joke." She put her head down on the counter. "A joke. He knows I'm not serious. I'm just jealous…no one's handcuffing me to my bed or buying me shit...no one's feeding me chocolate truffles."
"Okay." I nodded. "I get it."
"Let's do something." Her eyes widened. "Dinner and a movie?"
"We're open until nine." There wasn't a customer in the place and there were only two appointments later on, but still. Since I was hungry, too, I grabbed the take-out menus. "Talk to me about Peto. What's up with him?"
She pursed her lips. "He misses me…" She was smirking now. "It was so funny, last night." Now she was giggling. "You know we have Skype sex."
I giggled, too.
"Well, when he came, I was really close to the computer, and it like…it was almost like his jizz came flying at me." She moved her arms, becoming animated. "I jumped back like it'd get in my eye."
I threw my head back and laughed. "Oh my God."
"But he'll be here soon for Thanksgiving."
"Two days," I said, dreading the thought of how much shopping I still have to do. I got most of it done yesterday, but there's always more. Vinny had somewhere to be. Edward always tells them that my time is more important. I cut the kid some slack, though. "You're making dinner with me—you're helping."
"Can't Maggie do it? I think that's more her styz."
"What?" I asked.
"Her style. I swear. She's like the daughter you always wanted, second to Amelia—"
"Hey!" I pushed her. "You're the daughter I've always wanted. I have you, and I love you."
"But you're so nice—"
I shook my head. "Kylie, you're my best friend." I grabbed her hand. "But I'm also your mother. Sometimes, I don't care if I don't look or act cool—"
"Being cool has nothing to do with parenting," she said.
"Exactly."
"I just feel like…" She slumped her shoulders.
"I'm always proud of you," I said. "I love you more than I could ever explain. But you'll be going all the way to Texas, and I won't be there." I hated that I started tearing. "I want to make sure that you'll be all right. You're maturing before my very eyes." I gestured to her.
She sighed. "I know you love me."
"Good. You're doing so much better with the spending, you're helping me around the house. I just wish your father didn't give you free rein whenever youse two enter a store." I snorted, wiping my eyes.
Kylie rested her head on my shoulder. "He does it to keep me quiet, and I ramble and fuck with him so he does," she giggled. "But you're right. Maggie said she can't cook—doesn't know how. Her parents always had her studying or praying, and her mom cooked. I don't know. She was like their prisoner or something." She sniffed me, my neck.
I petted her head. "We just have a lot of stuff to do. You help me with this dinner. We can cook a lot tomorrow, and I'll keep Dad out of your way the rest of the weekend. Deal?"
"Oh boy! Hell-fucking-yeah!" She kissed my cheek. "Can you get us a hotel room?"
"No," I said, although I felt a twinge of something. "I can't personally do it . . . it wouldn't be right. Um…maybe Amelia or Anthony? They're of age and might hook you up." All they'd have to do is pay for it and get the room key. "But you can't stay out all night again without calling. When you do call—close to your curfew—I'll be there to talk to Dad, give you a few more hours. You can't sleep at this hotel."
"I want strawberries, champagne, and cuffs … and I wanna strip him down when he comes in…" She was in a daze, biting a pen. "I wanna sit on his face. I've never done that before…"
I smiled as I continued to pet her head, push her messy, long bangs back.
I love how open and honest Kylie is with me. No matter what, I try not to judge, so she will be comfortable speaking to me about all things—everything.
"He's horny as fuck, too—he said so."
"I bet," I giggled. "Why don't I order us food and you go next door—get a mani/pedi?" She has been good, and a reward would spur her on. "It's empty today, but it might not be tomorrow, and we have other stuff to do."
Her eyes widened. "I need a wax, too. It's been a while . . ." She leaned into me. "Did you know that Maggie has a small bush?" she whispered. "I asked her if she ever did any grooming because…well, now that I know better, I always have to plan—because I don't get to see Gio every day. But I will when I get to Texas." Now she was pouting. "I'm gonna miss you like mad . . . my momma."
"I'll miss you, too." I welcomed her into my arms. She'd thrown herself at me. "But you're also going there to go to school."
"What if—" She backed away and she was crying.
"Hey." I touched her cheek.
She sniffled, staring up to the ceiling. "God . . . What's wrong with me? I should go—go away, get away from Dad and his bullshit, have my freedom and stuff . . . But I'm gonna miss you." Her lip quivered. "You, Sonny, even Dad, and definitely Damion. Now I'll miss Maggie. Oh—Katie and the baby, although I won't really miss Katie." She rambled on. "I won't be here for the baby, and Sonny says I'm the godmother."
Their choosing the godparents was news to me. "You'll visit and we'll visit you, too."
"Baby Izzy . . . I don't even know her yet, but I want to."
"Baby Izzy?" I asked.
"Sonny wants to name her after you. That's what I call her—Baby Izzy."
"Oh, that's adorable." I gushed.
"What if I talked Gio into going to school here? Uncle Aro would—he'd be over the moon. Parents want their kids in college. But it doesn't really matter which one." She nodded. "And Gio would be back in New York."
"Kylie." I grasped her chin, turning her to face me. "Go to Texas or stay here—all I want is for you to be happy."
"Maggie's applying for more scholarships—I helped her fill out the paperwork. She doesn't want to go away, and it'd be awesome if we all went to the same school. Maggie and I can do the freshman thing together."
"What's good for Maggie—staying here in New York—might not be good for you. You're also basing your decision on Peto and your friend." I felt like I should give Maggie the same advice I was about to give Kylie. Although Sonny might hate me for it.
"Do Mom a favor, okay? I want you to think—tonight, before you go to bed, I want you to think really hard. Don't worry about anyone else—no one else, or what they'd think, or who you'll miss. I want you to think about what Kylie wants. Can you do that?"
"Yeah," she whispered, wiping her eyes. "I'm really lucky—I realize that now after hanging out with Maggie. Dad threatens to hit me, but I know he never will. You'd kill him. And when Maggie's dad..." Her face crumbled again. "He hit her."
"Maggie's fine," I said, my mush-monster threatening to break my heart. My daughter walks around, talking like some tough guy, like she's "gangsta". But below the surface, she's incredibly emotional and has a huge heart. "She's fine, baby."
"Sonny will protect her, and I will too." She wiped her eyes. "I know you're trying to teach me, show me. But I know how good I've had it from seeing how crappy her parents are. Plus, when I wanted to marry Joe, you guys supported me. You guys are the best." She hugged me again, and I didn't have a comment. "You guys always love me and support me no matter what."
"No matter what," I agreed.
"Um…can I tell you a secret?" she asked.
I nodded, nestling into my Kylie. "Of course."
"I think Joe's dead."
"What?" I shook my head.
"I haven't seen him in forever—"
"How does this make you feel?" I palmed her cheek. "Look at me and talk to me." I knew I should have squashed those thoughts, lied to her, but I couldn't.
She's observant and picks up on a lot. She also knows we don't talk about certain things. I knew I didn't ever have to worry about her sharing her thoughts with others.
Edward told me it couldn't be helped. Joe had taken a shot at Caius after Damion broke up the fight. I thought my husband was lying to me . . . that night, the look Dame had in his eyes, I recognized it. I thought Damion clipped Joe.
The bottom line is that I don't really know, although I hope it happened the way Edward said. My son is a good person. He also wants to be a healer…
There's been no downfall either—no funerals to attend, and I haven't even seen Marissa at church. No one's talking about Joe and Marissa's family at all.
"I dunno…" She shrugged. "Fuck him—I don't care."
I blew out a breath I wasn't aware I was holding. "You wouldn't? I heard he went to California." It was true; I did hear that.
"Then that would explain it…I never loved Joe. Fuck, Ma. I never even liked Joe. It was a crush—something stupid, like how Maggie liked Damion. She didn't really like him—she didn't even know him, like I didn't know Joe."
"When you're young…each feeling feels important—mistaking like for love, because Joe made you feel better about Peto . . ."
"Yeah," she agreed. "But then I saw who he really was—a douche bag. Thank God Gio came to the party." She got quiet, and I enjoyed the silence.
"Dad's not so bad," she whispered after a while. "I'd miss him a lot, too. If he'd just take a fucking chill pill sometimes . . . He's funny when he relaxes and HE'S not being a douche."
I chuckled. "You've got him pegged."
"I love Daddy, too. I just—I don't want you to think I don't."
"I know you do, baby." I kissed her cheek, right as a customer came in.
That was when Kylie decided it was time to get her nails done.
/=/=/=/=/
SONNY
/=/=/=/=/
Maggie actually wanted McDonald's, but I think she decided that when I was worrying about making it to Eclipse on time. Either way, what my girl wants she gets, and we had just enough time to stop by the apartment before she'd go back to the salon.
It took us fifteen minutes to get food and bring it back to my crib.
But then I forgot all about it.
I wasn't really hungry...for food.
"Look at all this stuff." Maggie's eyes darted around the living room. Although I asked Mike to put it all in the nursery, he put it all here—just threw the shit in. We made it back in time, when he was just finishing up. He tossed me my keys, and I pulled Maggie upstairs with me.
"I have to go through it and unpack—gotta set up the nursery," I said, skimming my nose along her neck. Seeing Maggie in her fucking school uniform drives me insane—the skirt, the shirt, the knee socks, and the headbands she wears. "Take this off." I grabbed for her peacoat to push it down.
"Don't you have to go?" She held my shoulders, stopping me.
I shook my head, trailing my hands down to her ass—hoisting her up onto the dining room table. "Do you want me to go?"
"No." She grinned. "I know you have stuff to do." Maggie placed her lips to mine, her hands rubbing up my chest—my fucking chest felt tight with excitement, having this unexpected time.
"You decided to go on the pill." I took her headband away from her hair.
"Um, yeah. I figured it'd be smart because condoms aren't 100%?"
I nodded, inching my hands up her thighs. "You wearing boxers?" Chuckling, I moved her skirt up to see a pair of my Armani briefs.
"I borrowed them—it's getting cold out." She kissed along my neck, her hands grasping my nine to discard it to her side.
That's one of the things I loved about her—she never judges me, and she's always down to fuck, or "make love" as she calls it. She adapts well, and once I—pretty much—showed her how my nine worked, she was no longer scared of it.
Same shit happened with my cock . . .
Once she learned the mechanics . . .
"How lucky am I to have a boyfriend I can't stop kissing?" She palmed my cheeks, going for my lips.
I smiled into her mouth as I pulled the boxers and her panties down. When I went for her shirt again, she stopped me.
"We don't have a lot of time." She unzipped me, a coy grin developing on her lips. "Can we do it here, not in bed?"
"Anywhere you want." I jolted when she grasped my cock. Nowadays, she has a good grip, knows how to work me. Of course, I had shown her, but it was awfully fun.
Before my slacks fell, I grabbed a condom. I've come to just keeping them shits in my pocket.
Because . . . what if I needed more than one? I'd love to hit it raw, and my father was right—that'd I'd be so desperate to keep her with me, I'd knock her up. It's a thought that came to mind—one that I fought hard to forget, and I hated myself for it. I'm glad she'll be on the pill now. It was also weird that . . . not that Dad knew I could love, but how much I could.
When she's not with me, having rubbers makes no difference, but when I know she'll be around . . . We sneak away, find opportunities whenever we can. It's not like we can get busy in my parents' guest room, although I'd love to fuck her on my bed there.
She leaned back, shrugging the rest of the way out of her coat, as I rolled one on. "Um…when the pills are working, can we try without a condom?" she asked.
I nodded, and she'd never know how much I wanted that shit too.
"I had STD tests done today. Before we do it without, I think you should get tested. It's kind of dumb. Even if we haven't had unprotected sex…we did other stuff. You know? Kylie told me...you've been with a lot of women."
I cocked a brow, nodding. "Yes. I can definitely do that. My last one was three months ago—I was clean."
I haven't been with that many women since then anyway. I always used condoms with Lori. That one time I fucked Misty and Paula I had protection, although I watched more than I did that day. I definitely used one with Brenda when I was at La Bella Italia back in September. But I didn't use anything while I was with Bianca at the rehearsal dinner, or those two times Katie gave it up.
"Cool. I didn't—I didn't know if you'd—"
"I'd want to because I'd never want to hurt you," I said, just staring at her, taking her in. God. She was beautiful. "Lie back." My hands rested on her calves as she planted her feet on the table. "Just—I wanna look at you." If I couldn't get the whole picture—her naked—I wanted to absorb what I could. She has school tomorrow, and I wouldn't see her until the afternoon. "Have you ever—touched yourself?" I asked, not sure if she had. I gave Maggie her first orgasm on the roof on Halloween.
"Yes," she giggled. "It's weird—I just could never make myself come." She kept her voice down.
I looked around us. "Who can hear you?" She really was a shy person. "Can I see you do it?" Taking her hand, I placed it on her thigh, my hand over hers. "It'd be sexy as fuck." I slid our combined touch up, and that's when I really saw her. She was bald—down there—and I really liked the way she was.
"You shaved?" I placed her hand on her pussy.
"Yeah." She rubbed her index finger down her lips.
"Why?" My eyes stayed between her legs.
"I wanted to," she sighed.
"Okay." I nodded, licking my lips and wanting to go down on her. From where I was standing and with the light up above, her fucking pussy glistened. She was soaked already, and I hadn't done much.
"I'd rather have you touching me," she said, squirming, her fingers rubbing up and down, her legs coming up to touch my sides. "Santino, just fuck me." She moaned, and hearing her say that . . . "I want you—we don't have that much time."
"Don't—don't worry about time." I pulled her closer to me by her legs, leaving her ass at the edge of the table. "Christ…I just—" I couldn't get over how beautiful she was, how lucky I was having this gorgeous girl below me.
I hovered over her, grasping my cock and aligning us. "You sure?" I like to tease.
She fisted my shirt, pulling herself up to kiss me, and then she bit my chin, my neck, weaving her fingers into my hair.
"Get back down there." I gave her a gentle push, which made her giggle.
She lay flat on her back. "I hate when you tease me—it's mean." Now she was pouting.
I ran my dick up her slit, leaning into her clit, and then brought it back down.
"Oh God…" Her legs fell wider.
I brought it up and then back down. And I was about to go back to her clit, but I entered her swiftly instead—pausing to groan and calm myself a bit. She was snug, wet, and warm—the perfect fit.
"I love your cock," she blurted through a sigh, and then covered her mouth.
I laughed, going down to her—taking her hand away to hold them both above her head in one of mine. "I love you." I searched her eyes, touching my nose to hers. "You know that, right?"
But then tears filled her gaze, her lip quivering. "I love you, too."
"Good." I felt so much better, letting out a breath. "Amazing…I love you." My hips started to move, picking up a steady rhythm, my lips softly touching hers.
"I'm happy—almost too happy." Her hands moved in mine. "Can I touch you?"
I let go; she ran her hands up my chest, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.
Holding the outside of her thigh, I brought her leg up to hitch it around my waist—get in there better, deeper, hit it harder. "Fuck—"
"You and your filthy mouth." She grabbed my chin, kissing me wildly, biting my lip—it was sloppy and our teeth bumped together.
But her words . . .
Her actions . . .The way she kisses me—how her kisses make me feel . . .
A growl vibrated through my chest, and I tossed her down—grabbing her ankle to turn her over. She was surprised by my rapid movements, but adjusted herself fast—sticking her ass out.
"Do it—do it—oh my God…"
My cock had never really left her, and all I needed to do was slightly push, but I pushed hard—placing my hand on her shoulder to ram it to her good. "Shit…" I was the deepest I could go, and she gasped.
Maggie kept moaning and mewling, slouching down, and I brought her skirt up, needing a full view of her ass—watching my cock come out and then disappear.
She'd also meet my thrusts, rapidly, and like she couldn't get enough either.
Inside, I was too wild—too excited—and this is what scares me. I know I can be rough, what most might call a passionate lover, but she's delicate . . . I also wanted to lift her up and hug her to me tight—we're never close enough.
"I—fucking—I—love—you—so—much." I pulled out to lift her, turn her onto her back, needing to look at her face.
As I gathered her into my arms, I let myself fall back into a chair.
"I love you, too." She grabbed my dick, and then awkwardly moved to sit on it. Between me and the chair, I'm obviously a foot taller than her, she couldn't place her feet on the floor.
I used my arms to trap her legs, resting my hands on her shoulders as she moved her hips to fuck me. It was hot—too, so—very fucking hot.
Watching caused me to gasp, that tightness back in my chest, my one hand fumbling to move the skirt—twirl my thumb around her clit. "You have to live with me." My words were rushed, just like everything else. "You have to—please."
Rapidly, I moved us again—needing more, needing control, needing to calm the fuck down. She lay back on the table, thrashing below me, and she hadn't answered me yet. How I felt in the moment was too important, though.
With no abandon, I fucked her fast and hard—still needing that control.
"Oh my God—Santino!" She clawed at my back, whining. "I need—I need—" She needed to come.
"I know—I know what you need, baby." I slowed, massaging her clit with my thumb. "How's that?"
"Oh…" She tossed her head back, leaving her mouth open, her eyes closed. "Yes...just like that." She moaned, her hips moving in time with mine. "I'm—I'm—I'm—" She came, letting out a squeak, her pussy hugging me even tighter, and her body was shaking—my favorite part.
Then I fucked her slowly, palming her breasts. "You good?" I rubbed down her biceps.
She opened her eyes to smile. "Fantastic." Her chest heaved and she giggled. "And yeah…I will."
My hips rolled, bringing her leg to rest on my shoulder. "You will, what?" I kissed her ankle, skimming my nose on her smooth knee sock.
"I'll move in . . . if, if it's okay with everyone—obviously not my parents." She frowned before she shook her head. "I don't care—don't wanna think about them."
I grunted, picking up speed and hovering over her. "Fuck everyone."
"'K." She cupped her hands around my neck. "Just…you let go," she whispered, staring into my eyes, and I had no idea—no fucking clue—as to how she knew what I needed. "I'm not made of glass."
"Thank God for that," I laughed, too fucking happy. "I'm a bull in a china shop."
She giggled and stuck her tongue out to lick my lips. "I like it…when you just fuck me," she whispered the word fuck. "When you bang into my pussy—like you can't get enough and you go wild." She likes to write, and this is the best part of that. She doesn't just say things—she fucking elaborates, almost tells the story.
Fast, with no regard, I did exactly as she said. Maggie stayed on her back, her nails clawing into the table as she watched me fuck her. Suddenly, chasing my orgasm was like a race—I had to have it, had to win, make it to the finish line.
"Fuck." I came, a sweaty, fucking panting mess, nearly collapsing on top of her. "You—You—" I couldn't even talk.
She giggled. "I'm fine—more than fine."
"Good." I claimed that mouth.
But she pushed me back. "You really have to go."
I nodded, knowing she had to get back to the salon, too. "You call me later, text me—whatever. But I'll pick you up from school tomorrow . . . we'll get your stuff and bring it here."
She nodded, reaching for her panties, yet she was frowning.
"What's wrong?"
"Just a random thought." She smiled sadly.
"Talk to me." I backed up to discard the condom and fix my pants.
"No…I don't—I don't want you to be mad at me."
"Don't worry about that." I helped her with her panties, and then grabbed the boxers. "Do you want sweats? You're only going across the street." It's near the end of November, and it's already bitterly cold.
"Thank you—yes. I have to use the bathroom anyway." She left the table, and I stared after—watching her go.
I followed after her but went to the bedroom. Last week, I bought her sneakers and they were still here. With sweats, a sweater, and the sneakers, I chilled outside the bathroom. "You can tell me anything . . . I don't want you worried about me getting mad."
The toilet flushed, and she opened the door before she washed her hands. As she did that I unbuttoned the skirt and helped to dress her bottom.
"I can dress myself," she giggled.
I backed off, knowing I can be too much sometimes. "Can you please tell me what's on your mind? Mine'll be fucked all night if you don't." I massaged her shoulders.
She pulled the sweats up, pulling the string to tighten them. "I, um, on Saturday—"
"Something's been bothering you since Saturday?" I shook my head. "Maggie—"
"I don't know—yeah." She put the sweater on over her shirt. "Now I look like a gray blob." My clothes were obviously too big for her.
But I disagreed with her. "You're still gorgeous. Adorable." I yanked her in for a hug.
"Who's Layla?" she asked.
I furrowed my brow, wondering how she even knew the name. "She's a manager at the club—at Eclipse."
"Oh . . . I just—Katie, I get, but . . ."
"What about her?" I asked, making her look up to me.
"When you were sleeping, your phone rang. I didn't want to answer it, but then I saw her name—a girl's name. I answered it."
I chuckled. "Okay."
"I told her you were sleeping, and that's it. But then later on, I heard you talking and laughing while on the phone . . . then I heard her voice through the phone. Um." She looked down.
I tried to remember what was said. "One of the bartenders called out. She had to find coverage, but wanted me to know."
"Oh…" Her hands fidgeted. "But it's just you and me, right? Because I can't—I shouldn't move in with you if you're a liar and a cheater." She swallowed, and I could tell that she was trying not to cry.
"You and me," I said. "Just you and me. I love you, and when I'm with you—you, Maggie—I'm the happiest I've ever been in my entire life."
Her frown pulled into a grin.
"I mean that." I touched her lip. "But you have to trust me…if you don't, we won't work out, and I need us to work out—I need you." I thought about my next words, I thought about the mistakes I'd made in the past. "There are going to be times where you'll need to place a lot of faith in me, times when I might not be able to tell you certain things. You need to trust me—know that I'd never hurt you, that I love and respect you, that I honor you and what we have. And you need to respect a few things, too—boundary-wise with my work."
"Wow." Her lip quivered.
"Don't you dare cry." I tickled her sides.
"We're being honest." She nodded, smiling very wide. "You make me feel—actually feel more than I've ever in my whole life. It was like I was this robot before . . . I do trust you…just my brain was messing with me. You say things, and then she calls, and I don't care when you talk to Katie. I understand that whole situation—you've explained it well. Her…Layla…she just—I didn't know who she was."
"You should have asked me that day, woken me up," I laughed. "Layla knows all about you . . . She was actually in my office that day—Halloween—when my mom called?" I was still chuckling. "She told me to be your Prince Charming."
"You still are." She grabbed my hand.
I nodded. "I'll be yours until—until you push me away."
"Your mom told me some stuff...about your job?"
"What about it?" I asked.
"Just that—like you said. I have to trust you, and I shouldn't push for information...ask questions to things I won't want the answers to." She looked confused. "Blind faith, only it's not blind because I see—I have you right here. I'm sure there will be things I'm curious about. Like...is it like the movies?" She scrunched her nose.
I shook my head. "Not for me. I do my best to work around a few things...It's not as violent as the movies," I lied. "Well..."
"Shhh." She placed her hand on my mouth.
I hugged her the tightest I could, swearing she was my soul mate or some shit—not knowing if there was something that meant more than love. She fucking understood, or she didn't want to know; meanwhile, that made me want to tell her for some reason—trust her and spill my guts.
"I love you." She rasped. And she probably couldn't breathe.
"I love you, too." We needed to stop, or I was going to be very late. My phone—speaking of it—was already vibrating in my pocket.
"When can I go to the club?" she asked, pulling her hair out of the sweater.
"Um…" That stumped me. "It's not like Midnight Sun."
"Oh…" She sat on the toilet to change her shoes.
"It caters to, to gentlemen…"
"It's exclusive?" She scrunched her nose. "Kylie says she wants to go."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Well—"
"You're going to be late."
"It was worth it." I palmed her cheek, sneaking down to snag one last sloppy kiss.
Thank you for reading.
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A/N: Stand Up 4 Katalina "Quiet Storm" Outtake.
I'll be contributing an outtake, which will showcase Edward and Bella's early days – stuff I glazed over while writing the actual story will be brought to light. I hope to make it just as gritty and real as Quiet Storm, while also sexy to capture the crazy passion they had when they'd first gotten together - eh, they still have it. But they were nuts back then. LOL.
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I'm so glad they're reposting these! Adult stories FOR adults. Amazing, really great. Check them out.
FIC RECS: Two of my favorites are BACK!
Scars and Souvenirs by Ashma0407
RE-POST...A pending divorce, kids and reconnecting with a lost love. *Working summary* (Lexi's summary: Bella is unhappily married, and then she gets a surprise phone call from an old flame, Edward. Life and circumstances tore them apart, but can they reconnect - repair what was once shattered, their hearts?)
www dot fanfiction dot net/s/8023233/1/Scars-and-Souvenirs
At Last by Itlnbrt
Edward and Bella find each other while married to others. Go on their journey while they try and find a way to be together and make it work. They have a lot to learn along the way to finally be together, at last.
www dot fanfiction dot net/s/8533785/1/At-Last