3-Donovan

"GET DOWN!"

Blood roared in my ears at Javi's words. I didn't think when I threw my body at Shorty, taking her to the ground.

The rapid gunshots blasted through the glass window as I hit my head hard, and everything went black.

"Shit!" I snap my eyes open and sweat coats my forehead.

"Are you ok?" I glance at Shorty where she's standing in the middle of the doorway as if she's afraid to come near me.

"Are you ok?" I breathe a sigh of relief as I stare at my beautiful and brave Latina vixen. Shorty's curls are wrapped in a bun on top of her head. She's wearing a zip-up Nike hoodie with leggings short enough to show her the charm bracelet around her ankle. Just as she looked at Jo's funeral, her eyes are swollen and look sad.

She lowers her head and sniffs.

"Baby, come here." I pat the spot on the bed beside me.

When Shorty lifts her head, she wipes the tears from her face.

"Shorty, please. Let me hold you," I plead.

She stares at me for a minute before giving in. She removes her shoes and slides in beside me. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her body closer to me. Shorty rests her hand on my chest and buries her head underneath my arm.

"Is the baby ok?"

"Yeah, the baby is ok." Her voice is so quiet I can barely hear her.

My heart soars in relief.

We lay silently together as I run my hands up and down her arms in a comforting manner. When her breathing slows, I wonder if she fell asleep until she stirs, adjusting her body to face me.

"I thought you were dead," she whispers. Her gaze is unwavering as she stares into mine. I want to tell her I will do anything for her and our baby. When I saw the look of horror on Javi's face, I knew something terrible was about to happen. My instincts kicked in, and the only thought that crossed my mind was ensuring my girl and baby were safe.

"I'm ok. I'm not going anywhere."

"Don't you ever risk yourself like that again. I can't take it. I—I wouldn't survive if anything happened to you too."

My throat tightens, and I can barely breathe because of her statement and the anger behind them.

"I would never forgive you," Shorty continues, her voice laced with sadness, tears dripping from her long dark lashes. "You promised that you would never leave me. Please don't break that promise." She says the last part in a broken whisper.

A single tear rolls down my cheek as I try to soothe the giant hole that has found a permanent home in my chest. Jo broke his promise, and it nearly killed Shorty. My heart pounds in my ears; I want to scream. I hate the thought of that idea running through her mind.

I softly caress my knuckles down her skin, wet from her tears. She closes her eyes, nestling into my touch. With my hand around the back of her neck, I lay my forehead against hers, breathing her in.

Strawberries and soft florals.

I feel her body tremble at my touch, so I torture myself with the lustful thoughts running around in my head like a hamster on a wheel. How much my body craves her. How much I want to kiss her luscious lips and feel her every curve.

"I promise," I croak, not moving away from her.

Shorty pulls away, and I feel the sudden loss. She cups my face with her little hands and wipes the tear away. She manages to smile through her pain when she looks at me. I shudder a breath at the way she looks at me with so much love and tenderness, like when we first met. I remember that day as if it was yesterday.

When we moved next door to Shorty, I was six years old and she was five. She walked over and sat on my porch step wearing jean overalls, a pink T-shirt, and pink jelly sandals. She had the cutest smile, even with one upper tooth missing.

She handed me a Tootsie Pop and said, "Hi. This is for you. You're going to be my new best friend." She said it with confidence, tilting her head to the side with a full-size grin.

Gently taking the Tootsie Pop from her, I gave her a curious look. "Oh, really? How do you know that?"

"Because I gave you—a boy"— pointing one finger at me— "my favorite candy. Now you owe me." An infectious laugh erupted from her, making my tummy flip.

"Oh yeah? And what do I owe you, Shorty?" I asked, giving her a crooked smirk.

"You have to be my best friend now." She sat closer, looking at me with an affectionate gaze.

"Who"s Shorty?" she asked with a bit of a pout.

"You are," I said, pointing the Tootsie Pop at her. "That"s the name I picked for you. Do you like it?"

She leaned back until her back hit the wooden post and she stared at me as if reading my mind. Her dark chocolate brown eyes sparkled when the sun shined on the left side of her face, highlighting the tiny freckles on her nose.

"I like it a lot." She scooted closer, cupping my face with her small, sticky hands. "And I like you, Doni. We are going to be the best of friends. I am going to take care of you, ok? Because that's what friends do."

"What's wrong?" Shorty's warm and comforting voice brings me back from the memory.

"I was thinking about the first day we met and how you won my heart."

I will never forget how her eyes sparkled that day. My Shorty was determined to take care of me.

She blinks and smiles. "With a Tootsie Pop?" She chuckles and raises one eyebrow questioningly.

I throw my head back and say with a laugh, "Yeah, but that wasn't what I was referring to." I reach out and tuck a loose curl behind her ear. My fingers outline her ear, leaving trails of goosebumps on her skin. Slowly, my fingers travel down her cheek.

"That was the start of me wanting to be everything you didn't know you were looking for. I wanted to be your Superman and treat you better than anyone else ever had or could. I wanted to be the reason you light up the sky whenever you smile."

I lean in and softly kiss her lips, savoring her sweetness. "I wanted to be all that you needed and more," I whisper against her lips. "I still do."

"You are, and so much more," she says as I slightly pull back. Her voice is subtly sensual and smooth, like a velvety whisper.

On that day, Shorty made her way into my heart, and I had no desire to let her go. She is the first person I want to see when I open my eyes and the last person I want to see when I close them. Whenever she's with me, she makes the heaviness in my heart lighter and brighter. She says I am her light, but she's the spark to the flame that burns within me. I will burn the world for her. I will mend her broken heart. I will love her now in this life and in the next one.

I inch closer, staring at her lips, and when I look up, her eyes are glued to mine. I gently grab her face and caress her cheeks. She wraps her hands around my wrists, holding me in place. My heart feels like it's flying, and reality fades away.

My gaze shifts to her mouth, and I press my lips against hers. Her lips part, allowing me to slide my tongue in. We take our time exploring as our tongues tangle with one another. Our kiss deepens when Shorty wraps her arms around my neck, guiding me closer until she's nearly sitting on my lap. Her hands slide into my hair, gently tugging at the ends, earning a satisfied groan from me. My arms wrap around her waist, pinning her in place.

Fuck. I never want the feeling of this ecstasy shooting through my body to end. I'm falling more in love with her with every second we spend together.

When I slide my hands underneath her hoodie, someone clears their throat from behind Shorty.

We freeze.

Damnit!

"I see you're feeling much better," Mom says disapprovingly.

At the sound of Mom's voice, I slowly remove my hands from underneath Shorty's hoodie and rest them on her waist. Looking over her shoulder, I see Dad trying to hold in his laughter, Ash grinning from ear to ear, and Mom looking like she's about to blow.

My eyes move to Shorty's flushed face, and we share a smile. She tries to climb off me, but I tighten my hold. Our eyes meet with a flare of heat, causing her to blush and turn away from the embarrassment of my hard-on poking at her warm center.

"I better go and check on Mom," Shorty says quietly, clearing her throat and removing herself from my lap, but I grab her wrist.

"Come back to me. Ok?"

A warm-hearted smile spreads across her naturally luscious candy-apple red lips. "Yeah, I'll be back," she promises and leans in, brushing her lips against mine and placing a quick kiss.

I release her wrist, and she turns around to face my parents. Ash shifts his head in Shorty's direction, flashing her a grin. Mom's face softens when she looks at Shorty, and she pulls her in for a hug.

"I'm so glad you are ok, sweetheart," Mom says with a genuine smile.

"Thank you." Shorty's words are barely audible.

Dad and Ash walk over, bring Shorty in for a hug, and kiss her head. She takes one more glance over her shoulder at me with glassy eyes but still sends me a smile. I return the smile, wishing I could keep her and never let her go. Shorty waves goodbye and walks out of the room, closing the door behind her.