Chapter 32

After the party, Javi promised to continue investigating with the local police department. So far, no further incidents have taken place.

So, I went back to living my life as usual.

School. Work. Sophia. Repeat.

I lay on the couch, lost in the pages of my book, trying to make some progress on my assignment. The words on the page are beginning to blur together, and my eyelids start to grow heavy when the sound of the door opening breaks the silence. I look up to see Donnie entering the room, his arms filled with a bag of groceries.

"Hey," I greet him, offering a warm smile as I mark the page and set the book on my chest.

"Hey, babe," he replies, walking toward the kitchen. I hear him rummaging through the grocery bag, unloading the items. After a moment, he peeks in at me and says, "I thought we could make a BBQ chicken pizza from scratch."

"Mm," I say, "that sounds good."

Having my apartment broken into and the possibility of someone stalking me has left me feeling uneasy and being pregnant with twins makes me feel even more vulnerable. Donnie has been sleeping in my bed almost every night, and I am starting to worry about him. He seems more tired and anxious than usual, and I fear he might be on the brink of exhaustion. I have tried to speak to him about this, but he insists on staying here even though Tia is home since she no longer works the evening shift. That"s why I invited Jo and Elisa over tonight, hoping their presence will ease Donnie"s worry about leaving me alone.

I just hope it will be enough to convince him.

He goes back to bustling around in the kitchen. The sounds of the clanging of pots and pans and the sizzling of the oven fills the air. However, my attention is soon diverted when Donnie emerges from the kitchen. He has a playful glint in his eyes and a mischievous smile on his lips.

He turns his hat backward as he comes closer. Before I know it, he leans in and captures my lips in a tantalizing upside-down kiss, causing me to let out a surprised gasp mingled with laughter. The kiss feels exhilarating, and my heart races as he pulls away with a grin.

"Is Sophia at your mom's?" he asks as he settles beside me, taking my feet into his lap.

"Nope. She's taking a nap," I reply, setting my book aside. I close my eyes when Donnie starts to massage my aching feet. The soothing sensation slowly travels up my legs, easing the tension and calming my nerves.

"God, that feels so good," I murmur, causing a low chuckle to emanate from Donnie"s chest.

Donnie removes his hat, revealing his unruly hair. He then leans over me, placing his hand gently on my belly, his fingers tenderly caressing my skin. "Hey boys, it"s Daddy," Donnie murmurs, his deep voice vibrating through my body. "I hope you two are cozy, growing big and strong." His voice is soft and soothing as he speaks to our unborn twins.

I look up at him, a soft smile playing on my lips. I see the joy in his eyes as he speaks to our babies, causing my belly to ripple with their tiny kicks.

"Donnie, did you feel that? "I whisper, my eyes widening with excitement.

He nods, his gaze fixed on his hand resting on my belly. "Yes," he says with awe. "They"re kicking again."

Donnie"s grin grows wider as we feel another slight movement beneath his hand. "I can"t believe how real this is," he says, his voice filled with amazement. "It"s like they already know me."

"That"s because they know they have the best daddy waiting for them," I whisper, running my fingers through his soft hair.

Donnie chuckles softly, his hand still resting on my belly. "And you have the most incredible mommy, who takes such good care of you already. She"s a fighter. She will never give up on you and always love you no matter what."

I reach up to caress Donnie"s cheek, feeling the warmth of his love radiating through him.

"You two are so loved," Donnie continues, his voice growing even more tender. "We can"t wait to meet you and hold you."

I feel my eyes shimmering with unshed tears, overwhelmed by his love. Donnie leans in to press a gentle kiss to my belly. "We"re going to be the best parents for you," Donnie vows, his voice steady and determined.

The sound of keys jingling in the doorknob interrupts our moment. Tia enters the room and drops her keys on the table near the door. Ash follows her in. Donnie quickly helps me sit up while Tia walks over and sits beside me.

"Hey," Tia says, looking at us quizzically. "What"s going on here?"

"We"re just talking to our boys," I reply, rubbing my belly as I lean against Donnie. He wraps his arm around my shoulders, his fingers gently tracing the curve of my neck, and his thumb finds the rhythm of my pulse.

Ash takes a seat next to Donnie. "Smells good," he says, inhaling deeply. "Pizza in the oven?" he asks, looking over at me and Donnie.

"Yeah, it should be done soon," Donnie responds, running his finger up and down my neck.

Ash reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small device. "Oh, I forgot. Look what I got for you," he says, holding it up for Donnie to see.

"What"s that?" Donnie asks, peering over at the gadget.

"It"s a baby heart monitor," Ash replies, a smile spreading across his face. "I thought we could all listen to the boys' heartbeats together."

Ash hands the monitor to Donnie. Donnie unwraps the mini Doppler and a gel tube, and as he kneels in front of me, he looks up at Ash and sternly says, "Turn around," eliciting a chuckle from Ash.

When Ash turns away, Donnie lifts my shirt and squeezes a tiny goop of gel on my belly. With the Doppler in hand, he reads the instructions carefully, places the wand on the gel, and moves it around my stomach. We all sit in silence, waiting with bated breath for the sound of the babies' heartbeats to fill the room. It doesn't take long before a steady, rhythmic thump-thump-thump fills the air.

Donnie smiles and looks up at me. "There they are," he says, "our babies' heartbeats."

Tia"s voice is barely above a whisper as her lips tremble. "Wow," she breathes out, her eyes glistening with tears. "That"s amazing."

"That"s fucking awesome," Ash says, nodding in agreement.

Donnie leans in and places a tender kiss on my lips. "I love you, Shorty. And I love my boys," he whispers, his voice thick with emotion.

"I love you too."

Ash leans over until he is just inches from my belly. "Hey, boys, I"m your uncle, Ash," he says gently. "I promise to look after you and protect you." Ash looks up at me, and I see the love and affection in his eyes as he speaks to my babies. I reach up and cup his cheek, returning his smile.

Donovan

After Shorty kicked us out, I complied and left her place to make her happy. Although she invited Jo to ease my worries, I still feel uneasy not being around her.

The home gym in the fraternity house is where we spend most of our free time or when I"m not with Shorty. Given the recent events, working out helps me release the pent-up emotions building up inside me. I am doing bench presses when Ash returns with two large bottles of water.

I rack the barbell, sit up, and take the water from Ash. "Thanks," I tell him, opening the cap and taking a gulp of water.

"How much longer are you going to be at it?" Ash asks, sitting on the bench across from me.

"What do you mean?" I ask, wiping the sweat off my brow.

"D, you"ve been down here for three hours."

"What?" I quickly shift my gaze toward the clock hanging behind me.

That can"t be right.

"What"s going on with you?" he asks.

I grab the towel and wipe my head before asking, "What do you mean?"

"Ever since Shorty"s place was broken into, you"ve been more on edge," he observes.

I sigh with frustration and reply, "Of course I"m on edge. Someone broke into her house and destroyed her room and portfolio that took her months to put together." I shake my head in disbelief. "It"s not just about the damage or the loss of things that can be replaced; it"s about someone violating her personal space and belongings. Someone was in her room, almost running her over at the baby shower, and we still don"t know who it could be. It"s fucking with my head."

"I get it, man," Ash replies with a small smile.

I stand up, make my way to the sink, and turn the faucet on. I fill my cupped hands and splash my face, trying to wash away the overwhelming emotions.

I turn off the faucet and grab the towel to dry my face. With a deep sigh, I lean forward and grip the edge of the sink, my eyes fixed on the mirror in front of me.

"I can"t believe it"s happening again," I say, my voice thick with worry. "After the warehouse nightmare, I thought she was free and safe."

I lift my head and meet Ash"s gaze in the mirror. "But danger seems to fucking follow her wherever she goes. I"m constantly on edge and worrying about her safety and the boys'," I say through gritted teeth, gripping the sink tightly in frustration, wanting to rip it from its place on the wall.

Ash"s eyes are fixed on some point beyond me. His jaw is tightly clenched, and he runs his hands through his hair agitatedly.

"What"s going on, Ash?" I inquire, trying to sound as calm as possible.

Finally, he turns his gaze toward me, rubs his face with both hands, and takes a deep breath. He looks like he is struggling to find the right words to say.

After a moment of silence, he speaks up. "I think Eva might be behind the threats against Shorty," he says, his voice low and tense.

Eva? I thought he would assume it was Payton.

I feel a surge of concern and alarm at his suspicions. "What makes you think that?" I ask, trying to remain composed.

Ash sighs deeply and sits on the bench, reaching for a weight. He starts curling his biceps. "Don"t you remember how Eva used to be?" he says, his voice tinged with bitterness. "Always jealous and possessive."

Yeah, and so is Payton.

Standing in front of the sink, I furrow my eyebrows in utter confusion. "We were just kids, Ash," I scoff, my tone laced with incredulity. I push myself off the sink and turn to face him. With my back against the sink and arms crossed over my chest, I wait for Ash to explain.

He continues lifting the weight and shakes his head. "That"s when they become fucking psychopaths," he grunts. "At a very young age."

"Let"s say it is her," I say, questioning his assumptions. "What would she gain from hurting Sadie?"

Ash"s muscles bulge as he lifts the heavy weights, his face contorted with effort. Despite the strain, he grunts and mutters, "You."

"But why would she hurt the one person who means the world to me to get me? That makes no fucking sense. Now, Payton on the other hand makes perfect sense."

Ash drops the weight, grabs his water bottle, opens the cap, and takes a swig. "Oh, believe me. I think it's Payton too," he says after swallowing a gulp.

When Eva and I were just kids, she would follow me around, but it wasn"t any different from how I was with Shorty. I tried to fill the void that Shorty left behind by building a friendship with Eva. But I was stupid to think that anyone could ever replace Shorty. Trying to "replace" her with somebody else didn"t feel right. The bond that Shorty and I share is unbreakable, and no other relationship can ever come close to it.

Besides, we only exchange brief greetings when we pass each other in school.

I"m getting a freaking headache thinking about this shit.

"I"m going to shower," I tell Ash as I pass him and ascend the staircase to my bedroom. Inside the bathroom, I turn on the shower and let the water flow down my body, washing away the day"s stress and what Ash believes is going on. The warm water droplets caress my skin, taking me into a realm of relaxation. After soaking for a while, I emerge from the shower, envelop myself in a fluffy towel, and throw on some clothes.

Twenty-five minutes later, I walk into the kitchen and notice Ash sitting at the table. He catches my attention by holding a bottle of whiskey in his hand. "Want one?" he asks.

I nod, feeling the urge to get shit-faced because of all the shit that has been happening. Ash sets a glass in front of me and pours the whiskey into my glass.

The front door opens and closes with a thud. I turn my head to see Ty, Ramsey, and Alex walk in.

"What"s up?" Ty tips his chin in greeting. "You fuckers starting the party without us?" he says with a laugh.

"There"s no party," I say in a low voice. I lift the glass to my lips and take a sip, savoring the warmth that trickles down my throat. Swirling the liquid slowly, watching it dance in the light, I gaze into it as if it were a crystal ball, and try to predict the future to help me find the answers I"m looking for.

Ramsey stands casually against the kitchen counter, reaching for a bottle of his favorite bourbon and pouring himself a drink.

Ty sits at the table and grabs an apple from the fruit bowl.

Ash raises his eyebrows teasingly, playfully mocking Ty. "No drink for the great Titan?" he exclaims in mock disbelief.

"And no pussy," Ramsey chuckles against his glass.

Ty raises his eyebrows and responds with a mischievous smile. "Oh, I"ll definitely be getting me some tonight at the Alpha Theta Pi party."

I smirk at his response and shake my head in amusement.

Ty shifts his attention back to Alex and questions, "So, what"s it gonna be, Alex? Are you in?"

"Actually, Payton and I were going together," he says, sitting at the table.

Ash glances up, his expression sour. "You"re still with her?"

With a perplexed expression, Alex glances back and forth between Ash and me. "What"s the matter? It"s not like we"re in a committed relationship or anything."

"Dude, you do realize she"s causing all the problems with Shorty and Donnie," Ash says in disbelief.

"Ash, drop it," I warn, taking another swig of my drink, trying to avoid this conversation. But fucker is persistent.

Alex raises an eyebrow. "Did something happen to her?" he asks, looking at me with a worried expression.

"Yeah," I say with a nod. "Someone broke into her apartment and fucked up her room. A few nights ago, she was being followed, and someone tried to run her over last Saturday," I say, feeling a headache coming on. Shorty doesn't believe the almost getting run over incident was intentional. I call bullshit.

"Ash, you"re way off base with this. Payton might be a little wild, but she would never harm anyone. There isn"t one mean bone in her," he says defensively.

Ash"s expression turns cold, and his eyes narrow into slits. "Are you kidding me?" he spits out, his voice laced with venom. "You barely know the girl, yet you"re already jumping to her defense?" Disgust etched on his face, he shakes his head in disbelief.

"Wait, you think she"s got something to do with it?" Ty jumps into the conversation.

I shrug. "All I know is that someone is fucking with my girl again."

"Look, I"m sorry she"s going through that, Donnie, but it"s not Payton. She wouldn"t do this," Alex tries to reassure me, but his words only aggravate me further.

Why is he so bent on defending her? He doesn"t even know her that well.

Ash scoffs. "Come on, Alex. You can"t be that oblivious. That bitch has been infatuated with Donnie since the first day at the same time she's been jumping on your dick," he remarks, gesturing in my direction.

Alex shakes his head. "No. You"re wrong. It can't be Payton."

Ash leans forward, his voice low and intense. "She"s manipulating the situation to get closer to Donnie. You"re thinking with your dick, man."

"Screw you, Ash," Alex snaps, his voice rising.

Ash slams his palm on the table, the clang of his glass echoing in the room. "No, fuck you! You don't know what the hell she's been doing to Donnie. If I find out that bitch is the one putting Shorty in danger, I"ll be the one coming after you," he seethes, pointing at Alex's chest.

Ash stands up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "Keep that bitch out of my way," Ash says and leaves the room. I hear him take two steps at a time up the stairs, followed by a door slamming.

"What did Ash mean about not knowing what she did to you, D?" Ty asks.

I sigh. "I woke up to a very naked Payton dry humping me, and walking in on my while I was in the shower."

"Jesus," Ty hisses, his face twisted in disgust.

Ramsey looks stunned and at a loss for words.

Alex begins to speak, but I cut him off, not in the mood to listen to any more bullshit tonight. "I don"t want to hear another word about Payton," I say, downing the remainder of my drink before standing up and placing the glass in the sink. I turn to face him, my expression one of stern determination. "I suggest you cut ties with the bitch," I state, my voice calm but firm. I turn to Ty and Ramsey, who have been observing the entire scene. "If Payton shows up to the house, call the cops." For a moment, Alex appears to be on the verge of arguing. Still, he seems to reconsider and remains silent, offering only a slight nod of understanding. I nod back, then walk past him to retreat to my bedroom, eager to leave this shit night behind me.

I have been lying on the bed for hours, staring at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep. Just as I am about to drift off to sleep, my phone starts vibrating on the nightstand. I reach for it, half-expecting it to be a message from Shorty asking for a strawberry shake. But to my surprise, it is an unknown number with a picture attached. As I swipe the message open, my heart sinks. The image before me is so shocking that I lose my balance and almost fall off the bed. It is a picture I can't believe is real, and I pray to God that it isn't. The shock and disbelief are too much to handle, and I beg for someone to tell me that it is just a horrible nightmare.

The picture shows Shorty asleep in bed, but the part that makes me want to rage out is the knife pressed against her exposed belly.

There"s no message, but it is a clear as fuck warning.

I dial Javi"s number. With a sense of urgency, I wait for him to answer the call, and when he finally does, his voice sounds deep and groggy. Without wasting a moment, I blurt out, "Get to Shorty"s, now!" I feel the tension building up inside me as I jump off the bed and scramble to put on my clothes.

In what must be a moment of confusion, Javi hesitates and asks, "Donnie?" I sense the desperation in my voice as I reply, "Yes! You need to get over there." My words come out strained. "It was a picture of someone holding a knife to her belly."

"The fuck?" he snaps. I hear him shuffling around, probably trying to find something to wear.

"Jo was supposed to be there with her!" I yell, my own voice rising in panic. My heart pounds as I pull at my hair, trying to calm myself down.

I knew I never should"ve left. I had a bad feeling about this initially, but I ignored it. It is returning to haunt me, and I curse myself for my stupidity.

Ash bursts into my room just then, looking around as if he expects to find someone there. "What's going on?" he asks, his expression one of confusion and concern.

"We need to get to Shorty"s, now!" I snap, my voice quivering. I throw on a hoodie and bulldoze past Ash, racing down the stairs as fast as possible. I hang up on Javi, knowing every second counts.

I need to get to my girl, and nothing will stand in my way.