AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I am going to figure out how to get rid of these fuckers for good. You are going to confront Birdie and get your shit together.” Scoffing, I drag a single hand through my hair in disbelief. He smacks my arm away from my face and grabs my shoulders harshly. “I’m fucking serious, man. Do I need to fucking beat the shit out of you to get it through your thick skull? This guy,” he points to the photo of the dead guy on his device, “was one of the men that almost killed my wife. You think I’m going to advocate for you to have space from your woman? Absolutely not. No one is guaranteed the next minute, yet you’re sitting here like you’re both going to live forever with enough time to sort through your shit.”
“I just need a clear head. Can you fault me for that?” I snap, my mood shifting back to angry within seconds. “I just want to fucking think for a minute and figure out what the fuck I’m doing. I have known her since we were toddlers. She finally gave me a chance then decided that I’m not trustworthy enough. It’s bad enough that she couldn’t even tell me why she thought that of me. She just fucking did. I get she’s got trauma, but we all do. We’re all some sort of fucked up, and I can’t walk around with eggshells for the rest of my life. That will be miserable for both of us. I’m just trying to figure out how I’m going to prove to her that she’s the only person I want to do life with.” I deflate at the end of my rant. There’s no more room for me to bitch and moan at this point. My mental capacity has reached its limit, and I don’t know how many times I have to repeat that I don’t want to be away from her. She pushed me away, and I walked away because if I didn’t I know some other shit would have hit the fan.
He doesn’t refute my claims, instead scrolling through his phone angrily. I stare over his shoulder and watch as he barely takes a second glance at the shit on his feeds. Finally, after mindless staring for several minutes, an ad pops up on his screen and it’s like the world has opened up for me.
I know exactly what I’m going to do.
Chapter Ten
ONE WEEK LATER
I’m finally getting released from this fucking hell hole. The food is nasty, the showers are cold, and some of the staff are just plain rude. I know I can be cranky, but fucking hell, I didn’t realize I needed to ask for lunch. Either way, Scout is supposed to be here any minute. My stomach turns at the thought of seeing him again after seven long days. After our fight, he didn’t come back. He let me know that he just wanted space and asked that I respect that. I immediately agreed because that shows that I’m more willing to trust him. Trust that he will come back, too.
The first day without him was hell. I didn’t think it would hurt so much, but I cried for hours. I ended up running out of tears and dehydrating myself because of it. That night, he texted me. It was simple but effective.
Scout:
Thank you for the space.
I love you.
I didn’t need to see anything else from him to know that we were going to be okay. Deep inside my gut, I just knew. That, and the morning sickness continued to haunt me and let me know that Scout will be latched onto the two of us for at least eighteen years.
The second day was dreary still, but Rich had visited me again and played board games until he got in trouble. There was only so much I could do since I was confined in my room for direct monitoring, so leaving wasn’t an option. Just as I thought I was going to go bat-shit crazy, a delivery came for me. It didn’t have a name for who it was from, just an Amazon box with my name. Once I opened it, I immediately knew it was from Scout. Inside there was an adult coloring book with colored pencils, a new series that I wanted to read but never seemed to have the time to read, and also a small teddy bear with a note that said “squish me”. When I did, Scout’s voice was like a melody through the room.
“Baby bird, I know we’re both having a hard time, but I wanted you to hear this from me. I need you more than I need air to breathe. You’re my world, and I just wanted you to hear that from me. I will be there when they discharge you, don’t fret, baby bird.”
In case there was confusion, I sobbed like a baby again after hearing that. I’m blaming it on the hormones, but we all know that it was because he professed his love again. Any woman would swoon for that.
On the third day, I sat and stared at the wall until the nursing staff directed me around. They helped me bath, change, then get back into bed to eat all three meals when they actually came. I also kept the blinds closed because there wasn’t any point in seeing the sun rise and fall. It was painful to watch the days continue to shine brightly while I felt so glum. So, they stayed closed. After that, the days all seemed to blur together. Sofia and Viv visited me every day, bringing me things to do while I waited to be discharged. Massimo even stopped by one of those days with Sofia and gave me flowers. It was odd, because I can’t recall a time where I had ever been given flowers from anyone other than Scout. Thinking even harder about it, I think he only got me flowers a handful of times.
Now, the last day is here, and that’s where all my subdued excitement has come into play. He may not have outright promised that he would be here, but Scout is a man of his word. I have faith that he will come through for me, even if we’re arguing or fighting.
A knock lands heavily on the door as a brunette girl cracks the door open. “Hi, I’m Lacy from billing, can I come in?” She asks. I nod, motioning for her to enter. “So, I was just going through your paperwork and noticed that you don’t have any insurance. It’s not a big deal, but we wanted to be able to double check that with you or figure out your potential payment plans.”
“Uhm,” I stutter, unsure what she’s talking about. “Payment plans for what? I know health care isn’t free, but I thought you all would just bill me?” I ask incredulously. I can’t remember a time where I stayed in the hospital and had to worry about it. Scout was usually always by my side.
“I got it,” the deep, baritone voice that I fell in love with says. We both look toward him, and I swear this bitch has hearts in her eyes. “Birdie will be billed under my insurance.” He enters the room fully with a trail of people. Massimo, Sofia, Vivianna and a few of Scout’s other friends enter the room.
“Scout, I can’t just be added to your insurance,” I laugh nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
What has gotten into this man? First he leaves me for a week and now he is talking about adding me to his insurance?
“You can be added if you are my wife.” The words tumble from his mouth so nonchalantly that I almost don’t catch them. “We can either get married here and now, at the courthouse down the road, or we can wait until after the baby is born. If I had my choice, I would say we do it at the courthouse, but it’s totally up to you. Regardless, you are going to be my wife and that is not up for discussion. Choose now, baby bird, so the preparations can begin with whichever path you choose.”
My ears start ringing, my eyes well up with tears, and I swear I pass out because when I blink, Scout is down on one knee by the bed. His hand cradles mine as he brings a ring to my finger. My nose burns as tears cloud my vision.
“Birdie, I didn’t know how else to prove to you that you are my everything. This was the only way I could think of that was a grand enough gesture that would get it through your thick skull.” A watery giggle escapes me as he brings my knuckles up to his lips for a gentle kiss. “Baby Bird, you are the moon in the sky, forever with me in the light of the day and in the darkest of nights. I have always wanted to be the one impulse that you never denied yourself. I want to be the raft you hold on to in the roughest of waters, the lighthouse that guides you home. I want to be the one that roars louder than your demons and feeds your primal desires. I will assimilate your trauma and return it to you as love, passion, and understanding. I have waited a lifetime for this chance to love you without hesitation and I would choose you in every lifetime, in every world, and every version of reality. I would always find you, my moon, for you always pull me towards you. Birdie Yarrow, will you please accept my love and commitment by marrying me?”
I nod like a crazy person, tears pouring from my face and onto our joined hands. Of all rings I’ve seen, this has to be the most unique, which brings fresh tears to the surface. The moon wraps around a stone that looks like the starry sky on a cloudless night. There are stars that climb each side of the band and I see all the physical representations of our love in this ring. When it’s settled onto my finger in its rightful place, he kisses me like there is no tomorrow.
As the room fades away, there is no one but him. Thinking back, I can't help but feel that there was a time where I may not have been there for him at all. For a while there, I thought it was all going to end, and I didn’t see a way back for us. I thought that my life was over when Scout walked out that door and didn't come back. Without him in my life, there was no purpose. I had no reason to look forward to the day, no reason to pull myself out of the hole I was in. I never truly realized till he was gone, just how much Scout was integrated into every aspect of my life. Hearing him say those words, professing his love to me, and bringing our friends as witnesses, solidified for me that he is my sun as I am his moon. My heart feels full to the highest extent knowing that he feels exactly the same as I do.
“So, are we going to the courthouse or does Massimo have to marry us?” His face is so serious, and I can’t help the laugh I let out from this insanity.
“Courthouse.”
“Viv and I took the liberty of grabbing a few for you to try. We didn’t have a lot of choices to begin with, so we’re sorry about that.” These damn pregnancy hormones have taken over because more tears well in my eyes. I would have never anticipated someone doing these things for me, but here we are.
