12

The following morning, I woke up on the couch; I sat up realizing Lily wasn't with me, I looked around the room with droopy eyes. I hollered for Connor

"Connor!"

He walked in holding her

"Look mommies awake."

He put her down, she came to me and fell into my arms; I rubbed my eyes

"How long was I asleep?"

Connor smiled

"A long time but you deserve to sleep."

He sat down

"I wasn't sure what you have her eating so I just made some strawberry pancakes; I remembered those were your favorite."

I looked up from playing with Lily's hair

"That was so long ago."

He looked away

"I should call your uncle and my brother's."

I looked down at Lily

"Has she had a nap?"

Lily was laying on my chest starting to fall asleep; he looked at her then at me

"No."

I held her, stood up and walked to the room; I laid her in the pack n play as she fell asleep. I stood staring at her precious golden blonde hair and small freckles on her cheeks, her chubby cheeks and small nose. She was precious to me and I'd do anything to keep her safe even if it meant having her dad around. As I stood staring at her sleep, memories began to hit and tears filled my eyes; I felt arms wrap around my waist and a toned body against my back

"Kayla why are you crying?"

I quickly turned around and hugged him as tight as I could. I exploded and all my emotions were released, I pulled his face to mine; he pulled away

"Don't use me like this, if you really want to do this; I need to know it's not because your scared."

I wiped my cheek

"I've never used you and I'm not scared: I'm tired of fighting with you and Devon..."

I paused to calm myself down

"I want you not him, you were always true to me and always told me everything."

He stood quietly for a few seconds

"Not everything."

I felt anger build up as he said

"The first time we ran away, I was trying to make you fall in love with me so you'd marry me; I never meant for you to get pregnant but when you did I knew I had you to myself."

Tears fell from my eyes, I couldn't find what to say, he quickly grabbed my hand

"Kayla, I love you more than anything now and I was an idiot for doing it."

It felt as if my heart shattered to glass in my chest; it hurt, I felt sick and nauseous; I stood still feeling like I was going to pass out. He lied to me from the beginning and I didn't know how to feel anymore. After about 10 minutes, the anger hit me

"It makes sense now, you left not because of your dad. You just didn't feel anything for me."

He shook his head frantically

"No, I loved you then babe, but the first time you left with me..."

I shook my head

"Don't babe me, we aren't even together; I can't believe you lied to me. Here I am looking stupid thinking you were head over heels like I was. I almost fucking married you!!!!"

He looked at Lily and said

"Let's go in the other room."

I covered my mouth as I began crying

"Please just stay away from me."

I ran out of the room and out the front door to the nearby lake. Connor pulled out his phone and called Derek

"I need you to come, she left after I told her."

I sat out by the lake in tears, I wrote Connor's name in the mud with a stick then scratched it. I took off my shoes and socks then slowly walked into the lake. Suddenly I was grabbed and pulled underwater; I tried to fight but I inhaled too much water, my nose began burning and lungs filled with water fast. I tried to come up as much I could but I was thrown back under. I could hear a distant call for my name but I saw nothing. Next thing I knew I was being pulled out of the lake; I laid still with nothing but blackness. Before I knew it I was spitting up water and awake again. I looked around scared, saw Connor and Derek

"Hey you're okay."

I was breathing heavily

"Someone tried to drown me, did you get them?"

Derek pulled a leaf out of my hair

"You passed out Kayla, no one was near you."

I looked around

"Where's Lily?"

Connor said

"Tyler is with her."

I was muddy and soaked, everything hit me again.

I stood up

"Take me home... now."

Connor looked at Derek

"You can't go home, not yet."

I got angry

"Why not? How do you even know someone's after me? Maybe this is another one of your setups."

Derek looked at me

"Kayla... after you left... your house was ambushed..."

He paused and exhaled

"Devon and Patricia were killed; we managed to kill off all of them they sent but there's more."

I could feel my eyes fill with tears again

"No you are making this up."

Connor shook his head

"Not this time; our dad is coming here tonight to move us again."

I rang my hair out

"Is there any way to stop this or do more people have to die?"

Derek looked at Connor then me

"You have to marry..."

Connor cut him off

"No, if Devon were still here; she'd marry him to end it."

Derek got upset at Connor

"She could marry you too Connor; not just Devon."

He snapped at Derek

"It can't happen Derek."

I crossed my arms

"Will you two quit it, it's not about me anymore, it's about Lily."

Connor exhaled

"She's right, they want the last line when they find out, they'll be after Lily."

I looked down

"How can we protect her; it's not like she can get married."

Derek exhaled

"There's only one option here guys."

We waited for him to finish

"You're her parents and getting married would make you, Kayla part of the Shadows and Lily a full member too."

I remembered what Connor told me before and I was against it but for Lily's sake, I didn't have a choice. I cleared my throat

"Fine but for Lilianna."

Connor looked at me confused then asked Derek to talk to me alone. Derek walked back to the house, Connor stood quiet for a bit until he said

"Don't decide this now Kayla."

I shrugged my shoulder

"I want to... not just for Lily but for us."

He stood quietly, I smiled

"I can forget about it as long as you love me now and are in this all the way with me."

He looked up at me with a smile

"I thought I was."

I laughed

"You ruined it."

He hugged me

"I won't let you fall again, I promise to always be here for you girls. I love you Kayla."

I leaned back with a smile

"I love you Connor."

He studied my face for a little bit before kissing me and whispering

"You are the most beautiful girl I have ever met and I can't wait to spend my life with you and our daughter, your smile is breath taking and your eyes I can go for days getting lost in them..."

He paused and grabbed my hand and fell to one knee

"Will you marry me?"

My eyes filled with tears, my heart beat out of my chest and a tear fell from my eye to my cheek

"Yes."

He stood up, wiped the tear from my cheek and kissed my hand

"I love you and our beautiful daughter."

I was speechless, I stood and stared at him with a huge smile on my face; it replayed in my head and another tear fell. He smiled and hugged me again, I held onto him tightly and didn't want to let go. A couple months have passed, we moved to New York; I enrolled in college to get my nursing degree, I made some friends and life began coming together for us. Connor and I will be getting married in a few months, he still works for his dad, learning to be the next leader and Lily just turned two a month ago. My friend, Amelia and I were at the mall trying on dresses and hanging out

"Try this one."

I sighed

"Is it a size up?"

She looked at the tag

"Yup, you just have a veggie food baby girlfriend; we should've eaten after trying these on."

I laughed

"You're funny."

My other friend, Ashley walked up with five more dresses

"Work it off; I still don't get how you're vegan and complain about your weight."

She threw the dresses on my arm, I smirked

"It's still food."

I went into the dressing room, I pulled off my shirt and smiled; I put on the biggest size first. I looked into the mirror and whispered

"Connor will love this one."

I walked out and showed them, Ashley covered her mouth

"Yes!! It's you!"

Amelia zipped me up and looked me up and down

"You look beautiful Kayla; I think you should do this one."

Ashley looked at me like she wanted to say something

"Kayla? Something you want to tell us."

I looked at her

"Tell you what?"

She asked me what she had to ask, I smiled

"No it's a food baby."

She smirked

"That dress says otherwise."

I got serious

"No we don't want any more kids, Lily is enough for us."

Ashley looked at Amelia, Amelia said

"Connor is pretty clear on it; now head, want a tiara, veil or what?"

I pulled a tiara from the display and placed it on my head, Ashley laughed

"That's it! Fits how you're treated and spoiled you are by Connor."

I looked in the mirror and adjusted it

"I am not spoiled by him, he's just nice to me."

Amelia laughed

"You asked for a new car and he did it for you; you wanted that puppy and what did he do?"

I looked at him

"Hey leave Akira alone, I love my husky puppy."

Ashley laughed

"What about that kitten? and the hamster you have for Lily?"

I pulled off the tiara

"He loves his daughter now be quiet."

Amelia threw in

"Don't forget about the creepy ass lizard they have."

I looked at her

"Why you picking on Chewbacca? He just sits and stares at you."

Ashley laughed

"What's the cat's name?"

I exhaled

"Do you want a list of our pet's name to go with it? It's Zimba jerk."

She pointed at me and laughed

"See just random names made up."

I rolled my eyes

"Leave my pets alone!"

Amelia started naming them

"Zimba, Chewbacca, Akira, what's the hamsters name?"

I started walking back to the dressing room

"It's Zhu Zhu."

Amelia laughed

"See!"

I turned around

"They're not boring ass pet names now leave our animals alone before I buy two snakes named Amelia and Ashley."

I took off the dress and changed back into my clothes. We paid, left the store and went to a shoe store. I went home, Connor was on the couch with Lily on his lap reading a book. I flopped on the couch

"Those two will be the death of me."

My husky, Akira jumped up in my lap to greet me home; I pet her thick fluffy fur and kissed her head

"I see you Akira."

She jumped down and ran to get her ball, Connor laughed

"Ashley and Amelia are hilarious how they mess with you."

I rolled my eyes and nudged his shoulder as I got up

"I'm going to make dinner."

He looked up at me with his gorgeous smile

"Andria already made dinner for us honey."

I exhaled

"I hate depending on her to do everything Connor."

He sighed

"I know Kayla, but that's why we pay her."

I got angry

"It's my job to do it not hers, she's just Lily's babysitter. I'm her mother!"

Lily climbed down from Connor's lap and ran to her play room, Connor sat up

"What's really wrong?"

I tied my hair up out of my face

"Nothing fit me, I had to go up a size in my dress."

He hugged me

"Wedding dresses run small, don't get upset."

I rested my head on his shoulder

"I miss my dad."

He smiled and gently kiss me on my cheek

"He's with you Kayla."

I couldn't help but smile

"I love you."

He pulled me in for a hug

"I love you too my moody princess."

I pulled back

"Watch it lover boy."

He laughed

"Almost 3 years I've had to deal with you."

I threw a mad dogging face at him

"Really? Deal with me? I mean you were hateful most of that time."

He bit his lip with a smirk

"We had our ups and downs but look who you're marrying now?"

I nibbled on my lip

"You're not in the clear babe, good try though."

He smirked and licked his bottom lip

"See if this will clear me."

He pulled me into his arms and slowly laid me back onto the couch and nibbled on my neck. I pushed him away

"Babe stop."

He smiled

"Am I on your good side yet?"

I smiled

"No."

He leaned down but before he could bite me, I pushed him back

"Okay, yes."

He smirked

"I love you."

I smirked at him

"I have to think if I still do."

His jaw dropped

"Babe!"

I laughed

"I'm kidding."

He stared at me with his cute mad face, I grabbed his hand

"I love you and there's something I want to tell you."

He ran his fingers though his thick golden brown hair

"Fine you win princess."

I gave him a pouting face

"Call me princess again."

He laid down and kissed my cheek multiple time

"Awe does my love hate being called princess."

I laughed and bit his tribal tattoo on his shoulder

"I'm going to bite you harder if you continue."

He laid behind me and wrapped his arm around me

"What do you want to tell me."

I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out a picture, he took it from me and stared at it with a smile. He kissed my cheek and said

"Is that Lily?"

I nodded my head with a huge smile

"Yes"

He hugged me with a huge smile

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you girls."

I smiled

"Let's forget that."

We laid peacefully holding each other.