Afflicted Read online

  Four hours later I pulled onto the winding driveway feeling my heart rate go into overdrive when I spotted her car. How could I have not figured this out sooner? I gunned the gas and sped the rest of the way not giving two shits that I was hitting potholes. Without bothering to shut the car off I got out of the car and headed to the door of the cabin. I started banging and yelling for her to get up. Peeking in the window I saw her curled up in bed. Running back to the car I retrieved the keys from the console and used them to unlock it.

  “Piper.” I yelled, but she didn’t answer. It was fucking freezing in here.

  I heard a hissing sound and saw that the stove was lit. Seeing that the fireplace was unlit I assumed that’s what she was using for heat. I quickly moved to the bed and tried to wake her up, but she wasn’t moving. Putting my hand on her back I felt that she was breathing, but after checking her wrist, I noticed that her pulse was low.

  Wrapping her in the quilt I lifted her and moved her outside and into my car. I was mentally freaking out, but trying to keep my calm and assess the situation. I had no idea what was wrong with her other than she needed immediate medical attention. Turning the heat up full blast to try and warm her up I cracked the windows and drove like a bat out of hell for the fifteen minutes that it took to get to the hospital. Parking in the no parking zone I scooped her up and carried her into the ER yelling for help.

  A doctor came running over and led me to an exam room. They started assessing her and asking me questions that I didn’t have the answers to. After a couple minutes they determined that she had acute carbon monoxide poisoning and would need hyperbaric treatment to replenish her oxygen immediately. They whisked her away while I sat in the chair with my head in my hands. I knew I should call someone, probably Jake, but I wanted to know more before I sent them into a frenzy.

  After what felt like an eternity, a nurse came over to tell me that she was improving and that the baby still had a viable heartbeat. A wave of relief washed over me as she led me to the second floor to where they moved her for observation. I prepared myself for her to throw me out. As much as I would hate leaving I’d go sit outside until Aubrey could get here and make sure that she was taken care of.

  Pulling the curtain back she was in bed with her hand resting on her stomach and tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked at me expressionless. I took another step into the room waiting for her to start yelling at me, but it didn’t come. Taking a seat in the chair next to the bed I took her cold hand in mine before she pulled it away and looked in the other direction.

  “Please.” I pleaded, reaching for her hand again. She rested hers feebly in mine. “Piper, I am so sorry. I know now isn’t the time to talk about this, but I hope in time that you’ll find forgiveness in how I reacted. I wish I could turn back the clock, but I can’t, and I’ll have to live with that for the rest of my life.”

  She didn’t say anything for a couple minutes before she turned to look at me. “I had this crazy illusion in my head that I when I told you you’d be happy.”

  “I am happy, babe. I’m going to be a dad. We’re going to have a baby, Pipe. A fucking baby.”

  “You saved us.” She wept looking down at her little, baby bump.

  I used my free hand to wipe her cheek. “What were you thinking using the stove for heat?”

  “It was cold, and I ran out of firewood.” She shrugged.

  “I’ve never been so scared in my life. I thought you were dead.” I felt my eyes well up. The thought of something happening to her was too much to take. I was going to find a way to earn her forgiveness. It might be the hardest thing I would ever have to do, but nothing is impossible.

  “You would be fine. You already moved on. I don’t expect you to give up your life for me. I won’t keep the baby from you either. You can come see him or her whenever you want.”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked, confused.

  “I know you’re back together with Rowan. I knew it was only a matter of time. It’s fine Blake, I understand.”

  “Why would you think I was back with Rowan?” I asked, confused.

  “I saw you on TV and the way you were at the release party. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”

  “She was there to support me as a friend, nothing else. She was trying to help me get over you.”

  “How’d that work out?”

  “Not that you’re going to want details, but horribly. I had drunken sex with a girl the first night back in LA and ended up calling her Piper midway through. Knowing that I was setting myself up for disaster I called Rowan, and she gave me a way that would ensure me of not making a monumental mistake.” I said putting my hand behind my neck. “I, um, I got a ladder. No sex for six weeks.” I cringed, remembering the pain of getting it done.

  She let out a small giggle. “We’re quite the pair aren’t we?”

  “Definitely. Part of my reaction was that I thought you would be raising our baby with Cole, and that pissed me off. I don’t want anyone taking the daddy role away from me. It’s not going to be easy, but together we’ll figure it out. I want you back Piper. I’ve wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you. There will never be anyone else for me. You, you’re it. I know I have a lot of making up to do, and that it’s going to take time for you to forgive me, but I promise you that I’m yours, even if you aren’t mine.”

  As if to prove a point I pulled out my wallet and took out what I’ve been carrying around for three months. A diamond ring.

  “It’s not the right time, but to prove how serious I was, and still am about you, I got this the same time that I got your necklace. The timing wasn’t right and it was too soon, but I wanted to have it ready for when that perfect moment happened. There’s never been any hesitation about it. I probably would have asked you the weekend of the wedding if you wouldn’t have thought that I was absolutely insane. There’s just something about you that I can’t live without. It’s to the point that it’s getting kind of crazy what I’m willing to do to prove that I’m all in.”

  “You saved me from myself. You were stuck dealing with a heart that you didn’t break. Cole would bring me up, just to knock me down. It was his way of ensuring that I didn’t leave him. You pulled me out of that and made me realize that I deserved better. I’m not ready for any relationship right now. I need time to decide what I want to do.”

  “I can respect that, as long as you agree to come back to Smithville, or let me stay nearby so I can make sure that you’re being adequately taken care of. I don’t want a repeat of this morning.”

  “I want to stay at the cabin. I’m not ready to face everything waiting back home just yet.”

  “Then I’ll sleep on the couch.”

  She looked like she wanted to argue, but nodded slightly before leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  All or Nothing

  Piper

  Two days later I was released from the hospital with a clean bill of health. I was instructed to take it easy for the next few days until I got the rest of my strength back. After being wheeled to the exit, Blake was there leaning against his car waiting for me. He barely left the entire time I was in there and was trying his best to prove that he was “all in.” I was still hesitant and decided that we would take it day by day. After helping me get in the car he took off nice and slow heading back to the cabin.

  “I had the place vented and installed some carbon monoxide detectors. I also had two cords of firewood delivered, so we should be set for however long you want to stay.”

  “Thanks, Blake. Thanks for everything. You really don’t have to stay. I’m sure you have a lot of things waiting for your attention.”

  “They can all wait, or go to hell. I’m where I want to be.”

  When he pulled in the driveway he came around and helped me inside putting me straight to bed. Pulling the covers up he tucked me in and went to the kitchen to heat up some soup. He told me that he called Aubrey and
that she is royally pissed at both of us right now, but relieved that everyone is fine and to call if we needed anything.

  I watched as he moved around the small kitchen looking like a giant in his plaid shirt and jeans. I hated to admit how much I still loved him. The fact that he still cared about me enough to come find me was validation enough that he still loved me.

  I was still in disbelief that I was pregnant, and if it weren’t for the ultrasound pictures there’s no way that I would have believed it myself. After lunch he ran me a bath and helped me inside. We both looked down at the slight swell of my abdomen where our baby was nestled safely inside. He looked at me with total adoration, before excusing himself.

  “Let me know when you’re ready to get out and I’ll come help you.”

  I relaxed in the warm water, closing my eyes and dreaming of a dark haired, little boy with dimples exactly like Blake. Was I crazy for wanting to get back together with him? I wanted to have that perfect family like the Cleaver’s, like Jake and Aubrey.

  Was that in the cards for Blake and I after all the pain we put each other through?

  After dinner I got ready for bed, looking across the room at Blake’s massive form cramped up on the small sofa. So far he’s been true to his word and didn’t press for anything more than what I was willing to give. Seeing him look fragile and ashamed left me feeling horrible. We were both at fault for how we reacted. I was resentful of Rowan just like he was with Cole. We both hurt each other, but for the baby’s sake we needed to find a way to move past it and keep going forward. I was feeling empty inside.

  “Blake.” I called out. He turned and looked at me with concern written all over his face. “I’m fine, but you’re not going to be if you sleep on the couch. You can sleep next to me if you stay on your side.”

  Standing up in his tight, white t-shirt and boxers he made his way over to the bed and climbed in next to me. “Thanks, Pipe. Sweet dreams.” He turned to face the opposite direction.

  I tried to fall asleep, but feeling his body heat radiating off of him left me feeling cold and lonely. The guy that I loved more than anything was lying less than two feet away from me. I decided to let myself have tonight, and figure out the rest down the road. I turned and tapped him on the shoulder. He lifted his head and looked over at me sleepily.

  “Can you hold me?” I asked. I wanted to say, I need it more than I’ve ever needed anything. I just wanted to feel secure and safe for once.

  Moving his body he cuddled into me pulling me close and interlacing our fingers. Resting his head next to mine, he whispered, “I’m scared of the gift you’re giving me. I’ve never been more afraid in my life. The rest of our lives are going to revolve around this one little creature, but I’m glad it’s with you. We’ll figure it out, Pipe. We always find our way, and for some reason fate keeps throwing us back together. It’s meant to be.”

  I turned to look at him, but he was already asleep again. I didn’t think about it like that. I guess fate does have a funny way of making things happen. Look at Aubrey and Jake, she could barely stand to let her own family touch her, but with Jake she’s a entirely new person. Maybe that was Blake for me.

  He saved me from feeling obligated to stay with Cole. I honestly think I would have since I had a serious pair of blinders on. The things that I let him get away with just because I wanted to avoid a confrontation were just ridiculous. I let the fact that Blake had a bad rep aid in my decision, thinking he was the unsafe option even when he proved otherwise. Listening to his steady breathing I drifted off.

  When I woke up I was starving and had to pee. Blake was still holding me tightly in his arms. I attempted to move out of his grip, but he just snuggled me closer, telling me he was too comfortable to let me go. When I told him I had bathroom needs to attend to he reluctantly let me go. I think we both knew that slow and steady was going to win the race this time. We ate breakfast and decided that we would take things one day at a time until both of us felt comfortable moving forward and what our relationship would be.

  Three months later…

  Blake

  We just touched down in LA for the first stop of the tour. Piper and I went to the doctor the other day and found out that we were having a little girl. I was over the moon with excitement that I was going to have a daddy’s little girl. Things were going really well with the two of us, and we were pretty much back to the way that we were before the whole Cole incident. He tried contacting her a couple times before she took out a restraining order against him for his stalking tendencies.

  I moved her into the guesthouse with me about a month ago since I refused to let her stay alone with him lurking in the shadows. We were doing a shorter tour this time around since both Aubrey and Piper were pregnant and only had less than three months left each.

  Pulling into the driveway of my house I suddenly felt nervous since Piper hasn’t been here before, and LA didn’t exactly bring back pleasant memories. Leading her to the front door I fished my keys out of my front pocket and unlocked the door. The living room was all teal with black, leather furniture and a massive flat screen TV. The kitchen was behind the living room with black cabinets and all stainless steel appliances. I had a bedroom, a guestroom and a small office in the back of the house.

  Taking her hand I led her back to the bedroom and through the door. The walls were all white except for one painted sea green that my bed was pushed up against. My oversized, black furniture suddenly felt overly masculine. The entire house screamed bachelor pad. First, I made sure to show her where the bathroom was since she was in there every five minutes. She seemed to be taking it all in while I opened the sliding door to the small patio that had a path leading to the ocean.

  “I love it, Blake. It’s quaint.” She smiled thoughtfully.

  I shrugged and leaned in to kiss her. I loved the baby bump she was sporting. She rocked being pregnant like a supermodel. I was already hard and wanted to be in my favorite place, inside her. Peeling her dress off, I slid my hand up her thigh caressing her wetness. Pregnancy has made her insatiable.

  Letting out a low moan as I touched her swollen clit and slipped a finger inside her heat causing her to buck forward. Leaning down I continuing to work her into a frenzy before she detonated around me. Quickly unbuckling my jeans and kicking them across them across the room I pulled her on top of me and slid inside inch by inch. She let out loud moan once she hit where my piercings were. She loved the extra sensation they gave her. Taking her full breasts in my hand, I ran my thumbs across her peaked nipples causing her to pick up her pace. Every time with her was a gift, and I would never take one day with her for granted, ever again.

  I felt her muscles start to tighten around me, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to hold out much longer. Rubbing my thumb on her swollen nub she let go mewling causing me to let go, shooting deep inside her. I pulled her down on top of me, even though it was starting to become an awkward position and kissed the hell out of her.

  “I love you, Piper Jane Nicholson.”

  “I love you too, Blake Ryan Potter.” She said breathlessly. “Are you ready for tomorrow?”

  “As ready as I’m going to be. I think it’s going to be great though.”

  We showered and got dressed before I took her out to dinner. We met up with the rest of the band and discussed the upcoming show. Aubrey and Piper were cooing over each other and talking all things baby. I smiled at her from across the table and thought about how fucking lucky I was that she gave me another chance. When we headed home I held her hand and told her how much she meant to me, which I did every day.

  Heading to bed I thought about what would change tomorrow.

  I got up before sunrise and made some coffee. Around ten I made Piper French toast for breakfast and told her to take her time getting ready to go to the show. We were going to need to go a little earlier since the label was holding an acoustic show, followed by an interview and a meet and greet. After showering and getting dressed I went i
nto my office to get some things in order. I was on the phone with my mom when Piper walked in the room wearing a strapless, white dress. I told my mom that I’d call her back and hung up the phone.

  “You look stunning.” I said sincerely.

  “Thanks.” She said, blushing.

  Taking her hand I led her out to the car and headed off to the venue. When we arrived we were greeted by fifty anxious fans waiting in the back room. Kevin was already there and the rest of the gang showed up fifteen minutes later. After making sure that Piper was seated front and center I took the stage.

  By the third song in I was growing increasingly anxious since ‘Piper’s Song’ was next on the list. I stood in the middle of the stage with the spotlight fixed on me.

  “Piper, can you come up here for a minute?” I asked.

  Aubrey pushed her out of her seat, and Brett led her around the side of the stage. When she was standing in front of me I took her hand in mine and dropped to one knee.

  “Piper Jane Nicholson, when we met you were like the fire I was missing in my life. With you I finally found what I was chasing after. After everything we’ve been through over the past year I know for a fact that there is no one else that I would want by my side for the rest of eternity. I want every sunset with you. When you breathe I want to be the air for you. I want to be the one that gets to hold you at night and the one that makes you smile during the day. I want your heart, but mostly I just want you. Will you do the honor of becoming Mrs. Blake Potter?”

  A string of “awe’s” came from the audience.

  “Hmmm, let me think about it…” She pondered, making me wait. I was holding the ring between my thumb and forefinger with shaky hands. “Yes.” She squealed. “Yes, yes, yes!”