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💍Ring💍


The final story in the Locke and Key Trilogy

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The trial may be over, but the tribulations aren’t.

With newfound success comes attention, but not all of it is good. After the death of the killer, Jasper and Bella thought they could finally move on with their lives, but a vandalized car is just the start of a rollercoaster of events that will change them for the rest of their lives- in both remarkable and catastrophic ways.

The best revenge is finding happiness in the face of real evil. But not is all as it seems, and there is more than one kind of mask. Will they be able to see who is behind it before it’s too late?

Warnings: This story contains violence and graphic sexual content. 18+ only.




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1/31/2021

Ring: Chapter Twenty-eight: Somewhere in New York State

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Chapter Twenty-eight: Somewhere in New York State


I was fine.

All of my bumps and bruises were merely that, minor and superficial. My neck looked the worst.  I gave more than I got, but the ones he got in were bad enough. I knew I marked up easily, though. I would be alright in a day or two, and the rest would fade away in a couple of weeks. I had been in more pain after a good scene.

A few hours later, they let us leave the hospital. Despite being in the middle of the night, we were directly escorted to the FBI office by two agents and our bodyguards. The agency we hired from sent different ones, the others exhausted from their long day. Sam was waiting for us in the lobby, wringing his hands nervously. He was in a suit without his jacket, his white sleeves rolled up his arms. It was wrinkled and stained in a couple of places. He had been working hard all day.

He brought me into a hug right away. His tie smelled like coffee. “I’m so glad you’re alright.”

“Me too,” I smiled as I pressed my face into his shirt.

“What do we know?” Jasper questioned when I pulled back. His hands automatically went to my sides as he stood behind me. He was going to be more protective than he already was. I wasn’t certain how that would be possible. He put his job on hold to follow me around all the time.

“Not a lot. Let’s go to my office and talk,” he murmured, nodding his head in the right direction. We followed him as he continued to speak. “The ID in this guy’s wallet was old. And I’m not even sure it’s real or his. It’s been expired for close to a decade. It says his name is James Hunter, and he is twenty-nine if it’s correct. Right now, his face isn’t in good enough condition for a positive identification.”

“Is he not talking?”

He shook his head. “He’s currently in surgery. You broke his jaw in several places and crushed his cheekbone. They’re going to have to stitch it back together with screws and wires. You also knocked out half of his teeth. I hope the rapist piece of shit enjoys drinking his meals through a straw.” He pushed an angry breath through his nose. “Your restraint is stunning. I’d killed him. I still might if given a chance.”

Frowning, he nodded in understanding. Jasper would have if I didn’t get the handcuffs. He would have kept going until there wasn’t anything left to punch. But it was better that he didn’t. We could get more information out of him. Dead men tell no tales.

“Does he have a record?” He asked next.

“Longer than my fucking leg.” He unlocked his door, the keys rattling loudly against the metal. It was so ominous. The rest of the hallway was quiet because almost everyone else was at home. But there were a few people moving around a large cubicle space, and I knew they were working on this. “He’s from somewhere in New York State. Some tiny ass town upstate. I’ve never heard of it. Less than five hundred people. A hamlet called Piffard.”

“How far is that from Rochester?” I asked in curiosity.

Sam thought to himself. “Uh, it’s actually pretty close. Just a quick drive on I-390. Less than an hour, even if you stop for gas and snacks.”

I looked between the men. “Do you think he was Royce’s… I don’t know, accomplice? I thought he worked alone. You still haven’t found any evidence that there were others.”

He shook his head as he flicked on the light. “He always had a wall of people and money to keep him safe. Honestly, it’s stupid not to consider it.”

“Do we think this is a mentor situation?” Jasper pressed.

“It’s a possibility, but I don’t have enough information right now to say either way. Once I get him in an interrogation room, it’s one of the first things I’ll ask about. But I got some pictures for you to look at. Let’s start with that and see if you know who this guy is.”

The first ones I saw were of him just a few hours before, right after getting arrested. No one would be able to recognize a human under that much swelling. It was horrifying. “Do you think you’ve seen him before? Maybe… remember him from the trial?”

I scoffed. “No.”

Then he pulled out an enhanced photo from his long-expired ID. It was issued when he was a teenager and first got his license. He had long, shaggy dish blond hair, gray eyes, and a scowl. He wasn’t attractive, covered in horrible acne, and his teeth were crooked. Though young, he seemed furious with his world.

Staring at it, I tried to imagine him smiling, but it only came out as a smirk. I couldn’t make it seem bright or pleasant. It was unnerving and uncomfortable. I didn’t like the way his eyes scanned over my body in my mind as I did. That, I could see clear as day.

Then it clicked loudly, and I found the name I had been searching for in my head for months.

“Riley!” I shouted as I slammed it down. I couldn’t remember it the last time I saw him when we were in at the Barnes & Noble at the signing. His hair had been longer. He must have just cut it. Probably to make it a little harder to recognize him. It was a lame attempt. We would figure it out eventually.

“Who?” Jasper questioned in confusion. He looked at Sam, trying to remember the name. I could tell he did, but he didn’t know how he did. It was on the tip of his tongue as he searched his mind for a connection.

“The pretty but boring DA’s cop boyfriend. Um, fuck, what is her name?” I snapped several times as I tried to think of it. Flustered, it was right there. I could see her face clearly. “Ms. Rachelle! You know, the strawberry blond with the big tits that you thought was hot.”

Sam blinked for several seconds and then picked up the picture. He was struggling to remember his face. It had probably been a year since he saw him. We were at the bar in Albany, and he had been drinking. He tilted his head to the side. “Shit,” he drew out slowly. “She’s right.”

My husband snatched the photo from his grip to look. “Fuck. They were at the big reading in Manhattan. We need to talk to Ms. Rachelle right fucking now.”

“I’ll get someone to pick her up. Do you think she’s an accomplice or a victim?” His former partner asked seriously. He picked up his phone.

Softly, he sighed. “I don’t know.”

I quickly shook my head. “She couldn’t have known! I hope she’s okay,” I breathed. “I don’t think- I mean, she was so nice to us! And she worked incredibly hard on the case. Do you remember how upset she was that it ended the way it did? She was in tears!” I shook my head again. “Maybe he used her to get information.” My mind scrambled to make sense of the situation. “And she’s not the tiny terrorist. She can’t be. She’s taller than me.”

“Mm, she is tall,” Jasper replied, then grunted. “I don’t know. Either way, we need to talk to her. This needs to start as a wellness check, not an arrest. If she’s not involved, she should be happy to help. In fact, check on all the DAs. Alright. Anything else?”

Sam shook his head. “I’ve got to look into this new angle. A first name isn’t much to go on.”

I pulled my tablet out of my purse, so I could jot down my jumbled thoughts. I worked best visually. Sitting down in the chair, I started a new document. The first thing I typed was ‘Royce?’ Then I put ‘Riley-’ directly under it and then stopped. When they lined up, I noticed some similarities in them.

Royce?
Riley-

They both began with R and had E and Y. Plus, they had five letters. That didn’t seem like a coincidence. It just lined up so neatly. We knew the man wasn’t above using a fake name, even if it was terrible and self-absorbed. If he had an apprentice, he was the type to give him a matching moniker. But surely he had learned from the experience. It seemed like something you would call annoying twin toddlers.

I showed Jasper without saying anything. His eyes narrowed, and he just hummed. I wasn’t sure if he saw what I did, or if I was looking too hard.

The phone on the desk rang. Sam picked it right away. “Uley.” He paused, nodding his head along with whoever was talking. “Great. Thanks.” He hung up and looked at us. “He’s out of surgery. Fancy a field trip, doc?”

I stood up, and Jasper put his hand on my shoulder, so I plopped right down. “Is that a good idea?”

Smirking, he grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair. “I’m not going to let you in there with him. I just want you to get a better look at him. We need to confirm our suspicion about who he is.”

The thought rolled around in his mouth for a moment. Finally, he sighed. “Yeah, let’s go.” He offered me a hand up. He leaned down to speak in my ear. “You tell me the minute you need a break.”

“I’m fine,” I said quickly. Both of them stared at me. “Do either of you think you can stop me?”

“No,” they declared at the same time. Sam got his keys and waved towards the door. “Let’s go.”

We arrived at a different hospital from the one I went to. He had woken up according to the nurses and was not happy. He was violent even after being sedated. Two FBI agents were outside his door. We could see him through a window, his hands handcuffed to the bed. His legs had been strapped down too, probably as much for his own safety as it was for others. 

Sam put something in his ear and cockily smiled at Jasper, then he winked at me. He took out his phone and dialed his number so we could listen to the other side of the conversation. 

We didn’t need it to hear him grunt when he first entered. “Fuck you!” It was slurred and muted because his jaw was wired shut. Spittle flew from his mouth.

“Hey, hey, hey. I’m just here for a little chat. No need to start with that. I want to help you,” Sam spoke as if he was a wounded wild animal. He jerked at his restraints, ignoring him. He sat about two feet away from the bed and crossed his legs casually. “So, what’s your name, pal?” He growled and snarled like a monster, jerking his face away. “We only want to know so we can get you the help you require. You didn’t have any wallet or ID on you.”

“Can he lie to him like that?” I asked my husband softly. Silently, he nodded.

The man looked at him. Slowly blinking, he was confused. He must have known he had it on him before. But maybe he lost it along the way in the struggle. His eyes searched for what to do in his head. It was a chance to be honest, but I knew he wouldn’t take it. So did Sam. 

Finally, he swallowed. “Riley.”

Scoffing, I raised my eyebrows. “Riley... What?”

“Riley... What?” Sam repeated, hearing my question.

His hands curled into fists on the bed. “Kingston.”

Jasper drew in a sharp breath and looked at me in surprise. “I’d bet you a thousand dollars he says his middle name is Matthew,” I declared as I peered at him. I had never felt more confident about something in my life.

His former partner leaned in with a charming smile. We watched through the glass. “Good. This is a great start. And what about your middle name, huh?”

There was a long pause. His eye was so swollen, it could barely open. It was red and purple, sticking out an inch, at least. The way it moved rapidly seemed painful. “Matthew.”

“Oh, my god,” Jasper uttered to himself, leaning against the wall. He put his bandaged hand over his eyes like his head was aching. “You’re right. What a conceited asshole.”

I knew the man in the bed had to know who Sam was. He had to. And there was no doubt in my mind that he thought Agent Uley didn’t know the reverse. The fact he decided to talk without a lawyer was proof enough that he was an idiot. Nothing he had done or said yet was intelligent. The only thing our friend would help him with was getting into a jail cell as fast as possible.

Peeking into the room to watch again, I hoped he couldn’t see me from his position. He was too focused on Sam, though. “Man, I got to say you’ve done a very stupid thing. See, you endangered my godson and his very wonderful mother, which pissed off not only the father and me but every single friend we have at the FBI. There are a lot of us, too. So, do you want to tell me why you did it?”

He closed his eyes. “I just picked a random room.”

Sam laughed and then made a buzzer noise. “Ha, wrong answer. Try again.” They snapped open to glare at him before he struggled again. “You know, you’ll have to do a lot better than that, James.” He stopped at the sound of his name. That was actually it. “Now, do you want to tell me how you met Royce? We should start from the beginning. But if you really want me to help you, you need to stop lying to me right this second.”

“LAWYER! I WANT A LAWYER!” He finally screamed through his grotesquely clenched teeth.

Without a word, he got up and walked out. He didn’t even look back. Our friend smirked as he came out. “Damn, you nailed that one right on the head. It’s not subtle at all. But I’m guessing this tool bag is about as smart as a sack of bricks. And his tox-screen came back fucking nuts. He’s pumped up on a cocktail that would kill a horse. I’m surprised his brain isn’t mush.”

“What do we do now?” I asked as I looked between the men.

“Well, I got somebody checking on Ms. Rachelle and the other lawyers from the trial. Both sides. Next, we need-” His phone began to ring. He brought up a finger. “Give me a sec. This is probably about her. Yup?” He answered. His eyes got wider. “Shit. Okay. Alright. Call me back when you get something for me.”

“What?” Jasper questioned. “Please don’t tell me they found her body.”

He shook his head, his expression grim. “But she hasn’t shown up to work in a few days. There isn’t anyone at her apartment, and her car is gone. Her place looks tossed.”

I rubbed my aching forehead. “That poor woman. We just saw her the other day. She and Ms. Stanley came to support my book! She even invited us out to drinks! And I told them I was pregnant! He was right there. Fuck. I bet that’s what really set him off.” I closed my eyes, trying to focus. “And this still doesn’t tell us who destroyed the cars or set the house on fire either! Because that’s not a little girl in there.” I pointed at the door. “Wait…” I gazed at Jasper. “Do you think he’s the one that killed Bree’s mother?”

“He lives in the area. It’s a strong possibility,” Sam answered. “I’ll look into it. I think you might be right, though.” My husband nodded in agreement.

I looked into the window. “You need to ask him about Bree, too. I bet he knows what happened to her.” The savage peered up, and I knew he saw me standing there. I didn’t move or blink. He couldn’t hurt me anymore. I wasn’t frightened in the least. He was powerless. 

With a defiant smirk, I flipped him off. 


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1/30/2021

Ring: Chapter Twenty-seven: The Right Spot

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Chapter Twenty-Seven:
​The Right Spot


I gasped loudly in surprise. There was just a split second where his gray eyes stared into mine angrily. His face was twisted into a furious mask that frightened the hell out of me. Then he lunged for me. His rough hands instantly went to my throat, throwing me against the wall across from the closet, cracking the mirror on it. My back slammed against it painfully. The shards fell around our feet.

This was not our tiny terrorist.

Somehow, I was calm. Having a vise grip around my neck didn’t scare me as it would most. I was used to it. He was squeezing hard, but not enough to crush my airways. It was more to keep me in place. He wasn’t trying to kill me, just make me still and quiet.

I knew exactly what to do. My fingers went to his belt, working it off quicker than I had ever done so before. It was so fast he barely had time to look down and register what I was doing. It slid from the loops with a snap. When he looked up again to meet my eyes, I struck him with all my might in the face with the buckle.

He roared in pain. It made him back off of me, stumbling a couple of steps. Both of his palms went to his jowl, where it had stabbed into his skin. I tried to twist towards the door with the belt still in my hand, but he turned and grabbed my other arm to yank me back.

There was a frantic knocking at the entrance. “Mrs. Hale?” The security guard called through it. “Are you alright?”

“NO! HELP!” I shouted but remembered he didn’t have a key to come inside. Jasper did, though. Aid would be coming soon, but I was on my own until then. Spinning, I struck the man several times with the looped-up leather strap as viciously as I could. It was thick and mean, cutting across his skin. He tried to smack it away, but I got him more than I missed. 

He grabbed me by my hair and threw me onto the ground. My head bounced against the floor hard, knocking my vision out for a second. It was dark before everything went white. That didn’t stop me from kicking and flailing the entire time, though. If there was one thing I was good at, it was struggling with someone who wanted to cause me pain.

His hand went back to my throat. “Little bitch, if you want it that bad, I’ll give it to you,” he snarled in my face as he tried to force my skirt up. My shoes dug into his calves as I dragged my nails across his cheek, where I had already blooded him, and tore at his flesh. He shrieked in agony, kneeing me in the gut before he head-butted me.

I spit blood in his eyes before slapping him with the hand that was free. In revenge, he bit my arm as he struggled to keep it down. I had never screamed so loud in my life. It echoed in my ears until they were ringing.

Then he was being lifted off of me. In a flash of movement, my husband had him down on the ground on his back and began punching him repeatedly in the face. He sat on his chest and just pounded away. It was only four or five before he stopped putting up any struggle, but he didn’t stop. 

One of the security guards helped me to my feet. I tugged away from him and dashed to the closet. “Jasper!” I shrieked to get his attention. I held up his handcuffs, then threw them at him. He caught them in one hand. For just a split second, he stared at them in surprise, like he didn’t know what to do with them. Then he rolled the groaning bastard onto his stomach. He pulled his arm behind his back and slid it onto his wrist as tight as it would go.

“You have the right to remain silent,” he snarled in his ear as he grabbed a fistful of his short, bleached spiky hair to force his face up to make sure he had his attention. It was already starting to swell and warp with bumps and bruises, his eyes rolling in different directions. It was smeared with blood. It dripped from his lip and nose. “Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law.” He leaned in close. “You have the right to an attorney, and if you can’t afford one, one will be appointed to you. You can exercise any of these rights you are very lucky to have at any time. Do you understand?”

The man only grunted. He shoved his face down into the ground, into a puddle of his own blood. 

Jasper stood and looked at me. He was trembling, his bloody fists at his sides. The guy didn’t even get a chance to get a hit in. The other security guard returned with an actual Dallas police officer.

“Are you okay?” He asked me.

Nodding, I stumbled a few steps towards him, and then all of a sudden, I was lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling. He was looking at me worriedly as someone I didn’t know touched my wrist. I whined in annoyance as I tugged it away. When I tried to sit up, they pushed me back down. “No,” I whimpered. I didn’t want anyone but him to touch me ever again.

“Darlin, you need to lie down.”

“No,” I repeated, pushing myself up again. My belly ached, as did my head.

“Ma’am-” the skinny woman started in a calm voice. I wouldn’t have any of it.

“I need to pee!” I snapped in her face, and the shock of my bluntness gave me enough time to sit up. I was quicker than I looked.

Instead of arguing with me, he grabbed my arm to make sure I didn’t fall or pass out along the way. Carefully, Jasper made sure no one was in there. Thankfully, there was no blood when I used the toilet. I washed my hands. There was gore underneath my nails. When I glanced up at my face, I gasped in surprise. I had a huge knot on my forehead, blood dripping from my nose, and a split lip. Dark bruises were already forming around my neck.

“Where is he?” I asked when I came out. There was just carnage where he used to be. The paramedic ran back to me. Others were coming in with a stretcher. It should have been for him, not me. I could walk. But I couldn’t see him. 

“Mrs. Hale, please,” the woman said to get my attention. “Can you lay down for me?”

“Come on, darlin,” Jasper breathed, walking me to it. Gently lifting me by my hips, he helped me on. I hissed in pain as I brought my hand to my abdomen. “What did he do?”

“He was in the closet, waiting. He grabbed my throat, but I beat him with his belt,” I explained stupidly and too simply. He would need more detail than that, but I couldn’t get my brain to process the words. “He hit my stomach.”

“Okay, lay back,” he instructed gently, but there were tears dripping from his eyes.

“Don’t worry. It looks worse than it is. You got here quick. Just my head hurts a little,” I promised as I smiled at him. I brought my hand up to his cheek. “It’s okay. You got him.”

“He was going to rape you,” he began to cry in earnest. He couldn’t keep it in. “All this security and we’re all too stupid to sweep the room properly. I am so sorry.”

The paramedics were fluttering around us, putting things on my arm and finger to check my pulse and blood pressure. The other put gauze on my arm to stem the bleeding. I wanted to reach out to touch him, but I couldn’t. I needed his comfort.

“No. Please don’t. I need you. Please, sir. Please,” I begged in a little voice. It made him instantly stop and suck in a breath through his quivering lips. “I love you. It’s not your fault.”

“We need to get her to the hospital,” someone spoke behind my head, but I couldn’t see them. More cops showed up. It seemed to happen so fast, but time was blurring together for me.

They rushed me to the emergency room, where they started doing a full battery of tests. It wasn’t a small list. Cat Scans, MRIs, and blood was drawn. All I cared about was the baby, though. Anything he did to my outsides was superficial. 

As soon as we were in a room, they brought in an ultrasound machine. I was already in a gown. Without being asked, I pulled it up. The grim-faced tech kept the screen turned away from us, and it didn’t feel like a good sign. Shaking, I held Jasper’s hand as tightly as I could.

It took an agonizing amount of time until she found the right spot. Then the nurse pressed a button. The bomp, bomp, bomp filled the room.

I wailed in relief at the sound. He squeezed my fist, sitting as close to the bed as he could. When they were satisfied that they could show us, they pushed the screen in our direction. This time, I could see their face perfectly. It was a much more detailed machine than the one before. Their nose and chin were in profile. One of their arms was stretched out above their head, and the other was by their mouth. Its little legs kicked angrily, and I realized the fluttering I was feeling was them. If the wand hadn’t shown me where they were, I would have never thought much of it. I had been feeling it all day.

“We’re waiting for a few more tests, but he seems okay,” she told me after looking at the baby in several positions. “We’re going to monitor his heartbeat for a while to make sure, though.”

“It’s a boy?” I questioned in a small voice. I wasn’t positive if she was just using those pronouns or if it really was a male.

Nodding, she brought up a certain picture. It was at an odd angle, and I wasn’t entirely sure what I was looking at. Then she typed on it. “Leg. Boy. Leg.” In the middle, it was hard to miss the bits once I knew what I was seeing.

I laughed as I lifted my hand to my mouth. Leaning my head back, I closed my eyes. I rubbed some of my tears away. “I can feel him. He’s okay.”

After she strapped the fetal heart monitors into place, everyone left. For the first time since the morning, we were alone. There were FBI agents now stationed outside my door, and Sam had the blond man in custody. I laid on my side and gazed at my hero with a slight smile.

Jasper’s knuckles were bandaged. What he did to them when he punched King was nothing compared to this. I reached for him. He quickly gave me his hands. I kissed both of them lightly, over the gauze, then his fingertips. Then I pressed one of them to my heart.

“We’re going to have a son,” I grinned. I wasn’t going to let anyone take anything else away from me. He was right. Happiness was a choice, and I was going to be. It didn’t matter that I was dirty, tired, and sore. They wanted to take my joy away, and this was the best revenge I could think of. “And when he kicks, it feels like butterflies. He’ll be so beautiful. I hope he has your eyes. He has that sharp chin, just like you and your dad. And your nose.”

He was crying silently, tears running down his cheek. Pressing his face against my chest, he wept all of his fears out. Jasper was shaking with his emotions, his palm resting on my hip. “I’m so sorry.”

“No.” I shook my head. “There isn’t-”

“He could have raped and killed my wife and child while the stupid security guards I hired listened outside. I should have checked the room better. Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Gently, I played with his hair. “We’re fine. We’re tough. You know I can handle myself. I’m okay, and your boy is healthy. It’s not even that bad. Just a headache and a bite mark. Hey, look at me.” He refused to move. “Look at me, please,” I pleaded. Still nothing, so I lifted his chin. I could feel his tears on my skin. “Be happy with me for just a minute. The only person to blame is in handcuffs, which is the first step to finding out who else is going after us. That means this is almost over.” I smoothed away a drop from his cheek with my thumb. “I am so excited right now. What should we name him?” I asked eagerly.

He laughed only briefly as he wiped one of his eyes. “I have no earthly idea, darlin.”

“Maybe we can name him after your dad. Justin?”

He shook his head. “That’s too many J names running around. What about after yours?”

“Charles?” I drew out slowly as I laid back against the pillow. “Call him Charlie, maybe.” I shrugged. “I don’t know, perhaps. Charles Whitlock Hale.”

“No, ma’am,” he said instantly, making me laugh. “We’re not saddling this poor kid with that awful old man's name.”

I pushed his hand along the exposed part of my belly with a smile. “Well, we have time. We’ll think of something.”


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1/29/2021

Ring: Chapter Twenty-six: In Front of Me

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Chapter Twenty-six:
​In Front of Me


The next morning, we checked into The Canvas hotel. We spoke to the manager and explained our situation in detail. We needed privacy, and no one was allowed access to our room beside the two of us. Not even the maid, unless we personally requested it. We were going to have two bodyguards following us around all the time. Jasper still didn’t feel like it was enough, but he didn’t know what else to do. 

It was the release date of my novel, and he felt this would trigger them, especially since it was already doing so well. It should have been a day of joy for me, The Cop’s Story was number one, and The Rabbit in the Snow was second. It wasn’t something I could have even dreamed of happening. I wasn’t ever that greedy when I fantasized about my success. It was beyond my wildest aspirations.

Once we had our things in the room, I took my husband’s hand. “Can we go out today?”

He frowned, ducking his head as he gave it a little shake. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“We’re not safe anywhere, but we need new clothes, at least. I didn’t bring much with me to New York. And my pants are getting tight. All my maternity things were at the townhouse. I can’t shop online for this. I need to know it’s comfortable, and I don’t think I can wait. And the selection at Walmart and Target sucks for thick girls, let alone pregnant ones-”

“Okay,” he relented and forced a smile as he took my palm. He brought it to his mouth to kiss tenderly. “You’re right.”

My fingers curled around his cheek. “I don’t want to hide from them anymore. I’d rather confront them head-on. I’m not scared.”

He gazed into my eyes. “But I am. We won’t hide, though. We’re not cowards.”

I nodded firmly. “We’re not.”

He kissed my lips lightly as his fingertips trailed under my chin. “My formidable little Mama.” He pecked my nose. “Alright, come on. Let’s go give ‘em hell, I guess,” he uttered dryly in a thick country accent. It made me giggle. He smiled slightly and kissed my mouth again.

The mall that was the closest ended up being the one where we had our fateful ‘first’ date before we became official. It’s where I awkwardly first met his mother and sister in the big bookstore in the center. I hadn’t been to it since because of the dreadful memories. Thinking about that night didn’t give me anxiety anymore, though. We were different people from the ones that sat in that parking garage, and we had bigger problems to overcome.

“Let’s go have a little lunch first,” Jasper cooed affectionately in my ear when he noticed how quiet and thoughtful I was as we wove our way through the garage to find a space. The security guard was looking for the safest spot, whatever that was. My husband’s big palm smoothed over my stomach. “I bet someone’s hungry.”

Scoffing, I glanced at him as I put my hand on his. “Well, someone’s always ravenous now, so…” I trailed off. “They have French here, I think.”

He hummed in agreement. “That sounds great. They have a nice bakery, too. We should get something for breakfast in the morning. And maybe some cake for this evening.” The last sentence was so suggestive. I bit my lip, wondering if he meant what I hoped he did. He dragged his finger slowly over my lock and key before moving between my breasts for only a second as it traveled back to my stomach. “Can I draw you again tonight? I think I’d like to sketch you every week as they grow, so I can see the difference.”

I just kissed him, slow and deep. He rested his forehead against mine for a moment before pecking it.

A guard stayed with our car to make sure nothing happened to it while one walked behind us. When we ate, I bought him something to eat, but he sat a few tables away to give us some sense of privacy. Afterward, we went to the maternity store. It was probably our most important stop. I didn’t particularly like it, but I had to suck it up. I wasn’t huge, but the bump was starting to be unmissable. This kid was going to let their presence be known. Only my sleep pants were comfortable, and I couldn’t wear them everywhere. At least not until the last couple of months.

We had several bags from different stores before we got to the big bookstore in the middle. I had been distracted and wasn’t thinking about it, so it snuck up on me. I took a deep breath as I looked at it. It made something in the pit of my stomach flutter.

“Goddess, I’d like to buy your new book. May I have your autograph?” He whispered in my ear. Turning my face to the side to look at him, I smiled and nodded a little. Jasper winked and put his hand on the small of my back as he led me inside.

Both novels were right at the front on a huge table. There was an enormous sign in the middle that said ‘OUT NOW! NYT #1 BEST SELLER!’ in big letters. My hand slowly went to my heart. It was all I could hear. His fingers slid up my spine to my shoulder, his lips pressed to my ear. “I am so proud of you. Thank you for writing me such a wonderful story. It is, without a doubt, my second favorite gift that you’ve given me.” His palm moved over my stomach, and it fluttered again, but this time happily.

“Yeah, that was a really nice tie,” I joked, making him laugh.

“Excuse me,” a small elderly woman came up to me slowly. Tiny with only a bit of light hair on top of her head, she must have been eighty. She already had a copy of my work in her hands. My guard took a couple of steps forward, but I wasn’t worried. “Are you Isabella Swan?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She beamed. “May I have your autograph?” She held out her book. She then picked up Rabbit, too. “I’ll buy this one, too. It’s one of my favorite books of all time! Can you sign this one as well? Please?”

I laughed softly. “Um, sure.” I pulled a Sharpie from my purse. It was smart to be prepared for these sorts of things. I was surprised how many people wanted one but didn’t have something to write with. I looked over my shoulder. “Why don’t you go buy your copy, Dr. Hale?” He smirked and nodded. Then I smiled kindly at the woman. “Why don’t we go to the café so I can sit? I hurt my wrist a couple of months ago, and it’s hard to hold stuff and write.”

By the time my husband returned, I had signed five books and took two pictures with random fans. Once they noticed, it started a small chain reaction. The table had a short line forming beside it. When he finally got to the front of it, he slid it to me as he sat across from me.

“Hm, what should I write?” I opened the cover to the dedication page. It was, of course, dedicated to him. ‘To my personal bodyguard.’ I giggled evilly to myself. “Dearest Daddy,” I began in a childish voice.

Snorting, he nodded with a smirk. “Alright. Go ahead, Isabella. Test me early and see what happens tonight.”

“OoOo…” I drew out playfully. I pretended to write with big loopy letters. “Dear Daddy-”

My phone rang, probably saving me from myself. When I pulled it from my purse, I realized it was Eric. I wasn’t surprised to hear from him. “Hello, Mr. Yorkie,” I answered blithely. “How are you on this totally boring and normal day?”

“Much richer than I was yesterday,” he chuckled. “As are you! Congratulations. How does it feel to be a two-time best-seller?”

“Amazingly reassuring to know it’s not a fluke,” I admitted.

“Well, I always knew it wasn’t. Hey, remember, I had enough faith to sign you for three more books before the first was even published. Boy, am I glad I did, too. I don’t know if I’ll be able to afford your fees for the ones after this,” he said teasingly.

I giggled softly. “I hope you can!” I joked right back, making him laugh. “I think you’ll probably be able to swing it, though.”

“If you’re looking to make those big bucks, you just need to take up screenwriting full time. Turns out, you’re a natural at it. Felix loved yours so much. He said it was almost perfect and that he only has a few subtle changes,” he paused for a moment and lowered his voice. “Thank you for giving me that, by the way. It’s given me a great excuse to talk to him a lot over the past few days.”

“What?” I asked in surprise. I didn’t expect him to give it to the actual Hollywood person. He knew I was only practicing because I was self-conscious and worried I would suck at it. I didn’t want to embarrass myself. “He liked it?”

“No, he loved it,” he corrected me. “Just like I did. I could see everything in my head so clearly. It will be magic on the big screen! We actually went out to dinner to talk about it last night. He raved about it for thirty minutes. I love how passionate he is,” he sighed in longing. “If I had bigger balls, I’d ask him out.”

“I haven’t seen them, but I’m sure they’re plenty big enough. He would be lucky to have you,” I encouraged. “He is good-looking. You’d be a very cute couple. And a screenwriter and a publishing agent probably have a surprisingly lot in common. Similar interests.”

“You are so right,” he mumbled. “Ugh, maybe. We’ll see. I just wanted to touch base with you today, but I need to get back to work. Everyone wants to get a little piece of you. I’m fielding so many calls for interviews. We’ll need to set up another round of press soon. Anyway, Ciao, Bella.”

After putting my phone away, I pulled the book to my lap as I picked up the marker again. I twirled it between my fingers as I considered what to write. My agent had made me lose my naughty chain of thought.

“He likes your screenplay?” Jasper questioned softly.

Wrinkling my nose, I shrugged. “Eric does. He said Felix did too, but I’m sure he’s just being polite.”

“No, he’s not,” he promised with a slight smile.

I blushed but said nothing. “Dear Daddy,” I wrote in his copy. “Even though I haven’t been born yet, I want you to know that Mama and I love you so much. You will be the best father. I hope I get your gentle, generous, and encouraging heart. With all of our love, Mommy.” I passed it to him silently. Instantly peeking inside, Jasper melted into his spot. His eyes went over the words repeatedly. His grin was enormous and sweet.

Getting up from his chair, he kneeled down in front of me. Then he took my face into his hands before kissing me fiercely. His thumbs rubbed over my temples into my hair. When he pulled back, he gazed lovingly into my eyes. “Okay, Daddy is growing on me.”

Giggling, I kissed him again. “Come on, Dad. I need to get some new bath stuff and makeup. Shoes, too.” I pushed myself out of the chair. “God, I hate this. It’s so tedious. Next time I’m bringing Alice, Rose, Tanya, and they can do most of it for me. They’ll fetch pretty things for me to approve of like a princess, and I’ll just give them my credit cards.” I popped my back and neck.

“Are you doing okay? Do we need to take a break?”

“Nah, I’m fine. I feel like I’m walking funny, and I don’t know if it’s in my head or what. It’s making my spine feel weird.”

He picked up our bags again. “It’s because your hips have spread. Our little one is sitting low. Mama said that meant it was a boy or a girl, but I don’t remember which. Not that it isn’t horseshit.”

I snorted. “We’ll hopefully find out tomorrow.”

After a few more hours, we made it back to our hotel. We had so much stuff. It just felt like a lot of packaging, though. The two bodyguards had to help us carry it all to our room. When we got there, I searched my purse for the card.

“Oh, shit,” I mumbled to myself.

“Hm?” Jasper asked, taking the bags from me, so I would have a free hand.

“I think I left my phone in the car,” I replied when I found my wallet. I finally got it and opened the door. They put everything in the entryway. We got a nice suite with a king-sized bed. 

My husband quickly peered around to make sure the small space was how we left it. The bathroom door was cracked, and we could easily see inside. Everything seemed to be normal. “I’ll get it,” he offered. “Need anything else? Want a drink or something?”

I shook my head. “We should talk about what we want to do for dinner when you get back, though. I need sushi.”

“You can’t eat that,” he countered.

Blinking for a moment, I stared at him. “I can’t have raw fish. You know some of it’s cooked. Why does everyone think they can tell me what I can eat all of a sudden?” I chided with a pout. “I want shrimp and crab. It’s fried.”

He put his hands up. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Of course, we can have it for dinner.”

“Thank you,” I said with a firm nod. I was a little feisty after walking around all day. He rolled his eyes and smirked. Following him to the door, I watched as he went down the hall with one of the security guards. The other was standing beside the doorway.

“I’ll be out here if you need me, ma’am,” he stated politely.

“Thanks. Do you need anything?” He shook his head. “Do you at least want a chair or something?” I offered. “We’ve been out all day.”

“No, thank you,” he smiled.

“Let me know if you change your mind,” I declared before shutting the door. It locked automatically behind me with a heavy click. I forgot to hand him my key, just in case they needed to come in, but Jasper would be returning soon and give them his.

I picked up my bags and moved them to the table. Pulling out my purchases, I organized them on the bed. The next day, we would need to go do laundry at his parent’s place. Also, I needed scissors to cut off the tags. I realized Jasper had a pair in his luggage with the naughty things he brought with us to New York City. He had packed a fun variety to play with because he knew he wanted to try for a scene but didn’t know what we would be in the mood for. It consisted of rope, toys, lube, and some of my other favorite items, including his handcuffs.

Some clothing that he chose for me while we were out was a wide assortment of sexy lingerie. It obviously made him happy and turned him on, so I let him pick out whatever he wanted. It was so nice to think I still aroused him, even while getting rounder. My mind floated off to some place later in the night when he would have me wear something revealing, and he would draw me while maybe in the cuffs. On my knees on the bed, gagged with my arms behind my back.

I pranced over to the closet to get his bag. When I pulled open the door, there was a man waiting for me on the other side.


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1/28/2021

Ring: Chapter Twenty-Five: In a Lawn Chair

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Chapter Twenty-five: In a Lawn Chair


After we got cleaned up, my in-laws made me eat. I didn’t want to. But when they brought up the baby, I gave in. The soup swished around in my stomach, making me a little nauseous. Thankfully, we didn’t have to sleep in his old bunk beds. They had a guest room with a lovely queen-sized bed. Once I collapsed into it, I instantly fell asleep. It was how my body dealt best with stress. Whenever I became overwhelmed, everything just shut down. I think it’s the human version of turning it off and back on again. 

Jasper didn’t sleep, or rather, couldn’t. Insomnia was a problem when it came to PTSD. And the nightmares messed with his mind long after they faded away.

He studied every inch of the security footage from the past few days, frame by frame. He had nothing else to go on. Neither my hit-and-run nor Mrs. Tanner’s brought any more new information other than there was more than one person coming after those who were considered King’s ‘enemies.’ Both cars were stolen and abandoned within moments. No images were caught of the drivers, either. 

Every time I rolled over, no matter when it was, he was working on his laptop. All I could do was lay my hand comfortingly on his thigh before I fell back into a deep slumber. 

It was after eight when he rubbed my shoulder, and birds were singing too cheerfully outside the window. “They’re going to let me go look now. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Right away, I pushed myself up. “I’m going with you.”

“That’s not safe.”

“Then it’s not for you, either,” I countered. Sighing, he ached to argue with me. “I want to make sure I get certain things. They said it was structurally sound. Please?”

Mulling it over for a minute, he looked away from me. “You’ll need to wear gloves, goggles, a mask, and a hard hat.” I shrugged. He knew I didn’t care. “Fine, but you need to listen to everything I say and touch nothing without checking with me first. I don’t know if they’ve hidden any other little surprises. This is a crime scene, and you will treat it as such.”

“Yes, sir,” I breathed.

He straightened up with a slight frown on his face. “Alright. I’ll get you something to eat while you get ready.”

I smiled to myself as he turned away to leave. “Thank you, Daddy,” I said in a baby voice. He was halfway to the door when he stopped. He didn’t turn to look at me. Tapping my fingers on my belly, I smirked. “Yeah, you better get used to it. I can call you that in public now, and it’s not weird.”

“No, it still is.” He looked over his shoulder. “I’ll call you Mommy.”

“One, everyone is calling me that already.” I pushed myself out of bed. “And two, you forget which one of us is shameless.”

Shaking his head, he chuckled as he went off to the kitchen.

There was a series of random vehicles at our townhouse: cop cars, a small fire truck, black FBI sedans, and Sam’s beat-up truck. There were also a bunch of people still walking around. Our friend was waiting for us in the driveway.

“Kiddo, you sure you want to be here for this?” He questioned as he gave me a hard hat. “You’re not used to stuff like this. It’s kind of traumatic the first time.”

“I need to see it for myself,” I firmly concluded. Just like with Royce, I had to get myself in the middle of it. I didn’t know how it would look, and I needed to find the words to describe it in my mind. That desire often got me in trouble, but I couldn’t stop myself either.

“I’m going to give him all the pictures,” he replied quickly. “I will keep you involved at every step. I’ve made sure to be the lead on this, don’t worry.”

I shook my head. “No, I need to go get some stuff, too. They should be okay, I hope. They’re important to me.” I looked at my husband and then at him. “Can we take things out now?”

“Go ahead. Start salvaging what you can. You can use my truck if you need to,” he offered right away. I smiled a little. “We’ll figure this out.”

“People keep saying that, but it hasn’t happened yet,” I complained as I followed them.

He sighed. “Yeah, I’m trying. It’s hard to keep up with crazy.” He paused at the door. “Alright, brace yourself.”

The smell of lighter fluid was overwhelming as he pushed it open. The first thing I noticed in the living room was they slashed every cushion, and every picture was broken. Nothing in there mattered, though. The kitchen and the dining room were all practically new. It wasn’t as if either of us had much when we moved in. Our wedding photos were saved in a thousand places, and I could print more copies. 

When I looked up the stairs, I could see nothing but black.

“I want to go up there,” I mumbled through the respirator mask, pointing towards our room.

The men looked at each other, then Sam nodded his head. He went first, and Jasper walked directly behind me. Our security guards, two of them, waited for us outside by the entrance to give us some privacy. We took each step carefully, though they seemed fine other than soggy.

Everything was sickeningly damp.

The first guest bedroom door had been closed, so the flames touched it, but only warped the knob. Sam opened it for me. There was a tint of gray to everything, the smoke coming into the room under the door, but it was intact and untouched. There was no butane smell, either. It was as if they didn’t even peek inside.

I went straight to the closet, but Jasper stopped me with a gentle hand. Going ahead of me, he opened it slowly. Everything had been checked, but he was still scared. He looked it over and snapped pictures with his cell phone for himself. Moving his fingers along the edges, he made sure there were no wires or anything else nefarious waiting. 

My wedding dress, cleaned and in a thick plastic garment bag, hung inside. I had forgotten I put it in there. When he said I could, I grabbed it and hugged it to my chest. If it hadn’t survived, I would have been okay. It was just clothing. But if I was carrying a daughter, I wanted to give her the choice of wearing it when she got married. Sam took it from me. 

When I tried to look inside my box of photos, once again, my husband stopped me. He lifted it to make sure nothing was inside and smiled. “They’re all fine. They might smell a little smokey, but I can’t tell right now.”

I quickly shook my head. “That’s okay. It doesn’t matter. I just need them so I can copy them.”

“I’ll help you,” he promised as he took it out.

“Thank you. Um, that’s it in here…” I thought for a minute. “I put my jewelry box in the big gun safe before we left. That has all my mother’s stuff in it. And it has my important papers. But that was fireproofed, right?”

He nodded in response. “It has my copy of Rabbit you wrote in for me, and the original Cop’s Story from Christmas, too. Some of my art books. They’re the only things I truly care about.”

His friend cleared his throat. “They tried like hell to get it open. Looks as if they took a crowbar to it, but it didn’t work. That area is the most damaged. And they left you a little message.”

“Hello, Bella?” I questioned in annoyance. They were assholes of few words.

“No,” he breathed, the sound eerie through the mask. “You’ll see.”

After laying my things on the balcony, so we could move onto the next room, both men flanked me again. Since there was no electricity in the house, it was quiet to an uncomfortable degree. Every step seemed so loud, making the wood groan in protest. Where there were rugs, water squished under our heavy boots. Jasper pushed open our bedroom door to let me go first.

Black everywhere. The flames had covered our entire ceiling. Though it mainly stayed off the floor, I could see where they swirled around the fluid, and it burned in a pattern. Our bed must have been lit on fire. They had piled something in the middle of it like a bonfire, and the fires raged through the roof. But it wasn’t wood. The sun shined a spotlight on the area where we used to rest and make love. Slowly, I moved towards it as I tried to figure out what the weird, brightly colored shapes were. Some were puddled and shiny. Others were wires and metal sticking out of a darkened shell. Then, on the edge, I recognized a big purple dildo I liked, warped and curled onto itself, but still vaguely penis-shaped. It looked like an art piece.

“Our sex toys?!” I asked in confusion. “But why?!” I would have thought our clothes would have made better fuel, and they were in the same closet.

“Darlin,” Jasper whispered. I turned to look at him. That’s when I saw what he was staring at with a grim expression. ‘Goodbye, Bella,’ was written across the whole opposite wall. It was at least seven feet tall and dripped like blood. The flames seemed to have focused on the bed, but in spots, the paint was charred and peeling away.

“Oh, go fuck yourself, you little bitch,” I shouted. If they were anywhere near the building, which, if they were smart, they weren’t, they would hear me. Ten houses over probably could. “If you weren’t a fucking coward, you’d just come at me, but I would END YOU!”

My husband rushed to me. I was doubtlessly as fearsome as a pregnant corgi. “Okay. No, no. Deep breath. Let’s not raise our blood pressure too much. You’re safe, and if they come, you won’t face them alone. I promise. I’m here.”

“I’m so sick of this bullshit!” I complained, balling up my latex-gloved fist. “At least tell me why the fuck you want to kill me!”

“Villains don’t tend to monologue like they do in novels,” Jasper countered in a gentle tone. “It’s never that easy. And if they have manifestos, we generally find those after they’re already dead.”

I grunted, then stomped from the room. The office was next. Of course, books burned. I had filled my walls with them. My eyes scanned the bookcases, seeing how it destroyed our knick-knacks that had been housed in between. They were charred and warped. I had spent two days arranging the shelves just so out of boredom while stuck at home. It now annoyed me that I had wasted the time.

Then I realized the cases that held Jasper’s childhood BB gun and his gifted six-shooter were shattered, each with big holes in the middle. This wasn’t damage from the fire. Both weapons were missing. “Jasper-” I turned to see his grandfather’s shotgun was gone, too.

“I see it,” he answered right away. “Fuck. Well, that’s the only thing I’ve seen that they’ve stolen for sure so far. That speaks volumes,” he growled to himself as he walked towards them. The glass crunched under his feet. He looked on the ground just to make certain we weren’t wrong.

“What did they do in the other room?” I questioned Sam. The future nursery.

“Campfire with your baby items in the center.”

“Any more messages?” He shook his head. I turned to my husband. “I’ve seen enough. Those were the primary things I wanted.”

He was eager to have me out of the building. “Okay. Let’s get you with the guards, and I’ll bring it all out for you. Then I’m going to take pictures of the rest of the house for myself and look around if that’s alright.” I nodded, already heading towards the stairs. I didn’t want to be there any longer than I had to.

Since there was nothing else to do, I waited in front of my townhouse in a lawn chair. I played on my tablet and phone, texting Alice, who was freaking out for me. But I was mostly numb with seconds of seething rage. Rosalie kept her and Tanya in the loop about what was going on since I didn’t have the energy to go over it repeatedly. 

“What are you going to do?” She questioned.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “We’re going to stay at Caroline and Justin’s another night and then probably move into a hotel. I love them, but they’re kind of suffocating. My man is pushy enough on his own.”

“Do you think they’d mind if I came over to check on you?”

Smiling, I was glad she was my friend. “Of course not! Please do. I need you,” I pouted to myself as I typed the words. “I miss you.”

“I’ll come over after school today. I have a staff meeting at four, but it should be over before five for sure,” she replied quickly. “I need to get back to work. I love you.”

“Love you too. I’ll see you then. I’ll buy you dinner,” I offered. It gave me something to look forward to.

My husband touched my shoulder to get my attention. The smell rolling off of him was so intense it made me gag. He took a step forward because he thought I was going to vomit, and he was going to help me in some way, but then I pushed him back and turned my face away.

“I’ve got that stuff in Sam’s truck. Should I ride with him?” He questioned with a grimace. I nodded my head vigorously. “Sorry.”

A security guard drove with me in the backseat, the other in another car behind us. We were a convoy. It was hard not to look at everyone like they were about to attack us. Every bad driver made me nervous for another reason. Were they about to ram into me, or were they swerving to miss a pothole?

We went directly to take a shower, our clothes going right into the washing machine with extra soap and scent-boosters to kill the aroma that burned my eyes. Then I took a nap until our friend was supposed to come. Jasper spooned me, sleeping finally.

It was a nice spring day outside, only slightly windy. I was always running hot, so it felt pleasant. We sat outside away from his family for a little privacy while we waited for our dinner to show up. I lounged in a heavy wooden chair with a can of sparkling cherry flavored water. Jasper had a huge martini in a mason jar, and I had never been more jealous in my life. I would have gulped down six of them, even if they were rubbing alcohol with vinegar.

Everyone was silent for a long minute after we got settled. She didn’t know what to say, and I didn’t know where to start.

“What will happen to the house?” She began in a quiet voice. It was barely above a whisper.

He took a gulp, then answered. “The insurance company has already come by to start the claim.”

“I don’t know if I have the energy to rebuild it,” I admitted.

“It might be better to start fresh, anyway. There is so much water damage on the second floor. And they soaked everything with that flammable shit. We’ll have to hire someone to clean it up carefully. But it may be better to move to a gated community or an apartment with a doorman. At least make it a little harder.”

“Not that the cops or security are really doing shit,” I added sarcastically. “They didn’t notice them setting the place on fire!”

He rolled his eyes. “Right. She ran right up to it before the power went out too. Zero fucks were given,” he mumbled. Alice looked at him in surprise. “She hopped a fence in the back and went in the backdoor,” he explained. “Broke a side window and opened it.”

“How did she get past the alarm?”

“Took the electricity out for the entire block at the source a couple of houses over. All she needed was a pocket knife. It looked like an outage. The guard had only been notified of it when we got there. It had been down less than twenty minutes by then. They worked quickly. Bella was the first to notice the fire. We probably just missed her again. I’m betting she was going to do the sunroom last as she was leaving.”

She sat back in her chair in surprise. “I guess all it takes is a little gasoline and a lighter, huh?”

“Barbecue starter fluid and matchbooks, actually. Matches are an arsonist’s best friend. They burn slower, so you have more time to get away,” he explained, taking another sip. “Light one near a puddle, walk away and let it burn down to the pack for a big boom.”

The words hung in the air. Anxiety tickled the back of my skull, and something twitched in my belly.

“Can we talk about something else for a little while?” I begged in a pitiful voice. Jasper rubbed my ankle gently, my feet in his lap as he rested in a chair across from me. She forced a smile and nodded. “Tell me what’s up with you. How’s school?”

She shrugged. “Boring. We’re getting new computers, so that’s nice.” Swirling her beer around in her cup, she watched it swish around the edge before taking a sip. “So, I went out with Dr. Bitey.”

“Mary Alice,” I remarked in surprise. “No! What? Why?”

Quickly, she threw her hands up. “Tanya said that I could!”

“That doesn’t mean you should do it,” Jasper laughed, shaking his head.

“So, what?” I questioned. “You seriously decided to milk him for a fancy dinner?” She took a long sip of her drink, her eyes focused somewhere in the yard. “What else?”

Alice waffled her head to the side then scrunched up her nose. “You had sex with him!” He accused her. She didn’t deny it. “What is it about that man that has women willing to drop their panties, huh? I don’t get it. He’s bizarre and extreme, he just keeps it behind a pretty face and tons of money. And what the fuck am I saying? I just answered my own question,” he sighed. “Stupid girl, why?”

Her funny smirk grew crooked. “Maybe I only wanted a good scolding after. I knew someone would give it to me.”

He clicked his tongue and finished his drink. “You deserve better than him.”

“Please tell me it was a one-time thing,” I begged. She said nothing again. I brought my chin in, looking at her in surprise. “No.”

Sulking, she pushed her mouth out in a pout. “But he’s so big,” she drew out the last word, whining it as her face lifted towards the sky. “And he went for hours. Plus, he’s a doctor.”

My husband and I looked at each other. He raised an eyebrow. “Look, I got nothing. It’s what attracted me to you,” I said dryly. He was unimpressed with my joke, pursing his lips a little as he rolled his eyes.

“Me too,” Alice uttered under her breath. Instantly, his cheeks went neon red. I slapped her thigh, and we both cackled.

“I’m going to check on that food,” he uttered as he shoved himself out of his chair. We both watched over our shoulders.

“You both have a nice ass too,” she added, making him clench as he walked even faster through the glass door. We both dissolved into giggles as he slammed it shut behind him.

It felt like the first time I had really laughed in months.

“My man’s is better, though,” I declared before I took a sip. Smirking, she fist-bumped me with a nod. 


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1/26/2021

Ring: Chapter Twenty-four: Out the Window

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Chapter Twenty-four:
​Out the Window


I came back to Dallas more relaxed. Our night together was rejuvenating. We both needed it. We had to discover the way to get back to being us again. Between the hit-and-run and the pregnancy, we were struggling to find those people. We couldn’t live in fear forever, nor should we allow the tiny terrorist the satisfaction of disrupting our daily lives. We were still newlyweds after all, and we needed to have as much sex as possible before the baby came to teach us what real servitude was. It was like we were creating our own mini Master or Mistress, who did not respect safe words. We would find out which at the end of the week.

A black car with a security guard picked us up from the airport. Silently, he put our things into the trunk before whisking us inside. There was another already at our home, waiting for us. It gave me some sense of safety. It wasn’t much, but we had to hold on to it.

“Maybe we should go out tomorrow,” I began thoughtfully as I rested my head against Jasper’s shoulder. We were both dressed comfortably for the flight in jeans and hoodies. He rarely wore them out, but he was getting more relaxed with his appearance since going on leave. Even his hair was longer, random curls flopping on his forehead. I pushed one away from his eyes. “We can make up that date we skipped last night.”

“What? That didn’t count?” Jasper teased in a low voice as his fingers wove with mine. He was feeling a little better too. A sweet smile tugged at his plush pink mouth.

“Oh, it did, but it’s my turn,” I replied, rubbing my foot against his ankle. I glanced at him from under my eyelashes, making them flutter against my cheek innocently.

Humming, he nodded his head as his tongue darted out to moisten his lips. He liked that idea but was still worried. “We’d need security to follow us around if we did that. Are you sure?”

“We would still have some privacy. At least to have a nice dinner and maybe a late-night walk. I don’t think it would dampen the mood too much. We have to get used to it. Besides, I haven’t driven my new car.”

He ducked his head and lowered his voice. “Perhaps I should drive, Mrs. Hale?” He countered quickly.

I didn’t want to think about why he was asking that, but he was right. He was the better driver, and we would be safer with him at the wheel. “I suppose,” I mumbled a bit sourly. “I’ll have to think about what I want to do. Maybe we should go out during the day and go to a museum. That would be safe, and we could spend the evening at home. A breakfast date?”

“I’d like that,” he said encouragingly. “We should go back to the art museum soon. They have a new exhibition I’d love to see. Also, the Perot is doing something interesting right now, but I don’t remember what,” he continued, getting excited about the idea. It made me happy to see him as eager to serve me. I hadn’t been in control since learning about being pregnant, and I would have to figure out how to use it to my advantage.

He could probably argue I was currently always in control because of it- rightfully so.

“You just want to go see the dinosaur fossils,” I teased lightly. My fingers slid across his thigh. “Nerd.”

“Shut up,” he chuckled. “Brat.”

I playfully gasped. We were almost home, turning on to our street. “Oh, you’re brave to piss off a pregnant woman who-” I stopped when I realized something. Leaning forward, I blinked as I tried to make sense of it. “There’s smoke.”

My sudden tone change confused Jasper. “What?” He looked out the window with me.

Part of me prayed it was the house behind or beside us, as cruel as it was. I didn’t wish a fire on anyone, but at least then it was an accident. A sad twist of fate. It was only a thin pillar. Maybe it was a large bonfire… in the middle of the day. Or they were burning leaves... on a particularly gusty April afternoon.

“Shit. No,” he whispered.

That hope was lost as soon as we pulled into the driveway and saw an orange glow in my bedroom window. The security guard was still in the car, unbothered. He was looking down at something in his lap. When I looked around for a cop, I realized they were on the opposite side of the street to be able to see it.

Jasper flew from the backseat, banging on the window to get the attention of the other guard. The one who had picked us up was already calling the emergency number, speaking quickly into his cell phone.

“What the fuck are we paying you for?” He shouted at him as he ran to the opposite side of the house. “Watch her!” He pointed at me as I scrambled out to follow. “I’m going to check the perimeter. The fire is small. They might still be here.”

“You don’t have a weapon!” I screamed, but he couldn’t hear me over the sound of the police car coming down the street with its siren on. Even if it was only six or so houses down, it came at full speed. The officers were out in a second and rushing towards us. “My husband went around the back!” I warned them.

“Mrs. Hale, stay in the vehicle,” one of the guards ordered. The one from the driveway went to turn on the hose we had attached at the front. I had been using it when I watered my flowers. He started spraying the outside of the building as well as the one beside it to keep the flames from spreading. The homes were so close together. He tried to hustle me backward, away from the chaos.

Before I could move, there was a deafening bang inside the house, and a powerful whoosh of air pushed my bedroom window out. It shattered everywhere, raining onto the grass below. I screamed in surprise, one hand flying to my mouth and the other to my stomach.

When Jasper ran beside the building, his feet crunched over it. “They disabled the electricity to mess with the security and went in the back. The door was still open! The sunroom appears to be trashed, but that’s all I could see. I think they jumped the fence.”

The sound of firetrucks barreling down the road could be heard as they turned down the street. There were at least two of them. It was like shrieking, the noise painful. My husband tugged me towards the car and close to him, so we were out of the way when they pulled up. 

A bright orange flame licked up the side, out the window. It sent black soot everywhere, charring the siding like a greasy burger on a grill. It didn’t smell like a barbecue, though. The odor was plastic and harsh.

I was numb. Stupidly, I had let my guard down. I let myself feel happy for a second. We both knew they were going to punish us for this brief reprieve. They needed to remind us we weren’t going to be safe until they were stopped. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. 

Burly men in full-body gear ran in to fight the fires. It wasn’t just one but in three different rooms. All upstairs. I didn’t even have to guess which they were. My bedroom, the office, and the room that would be for the baby. If they hadn’t noticed I was pregnant before, they certainly figured it out when they went rampaging through my safe haven.

Sam arrived within twenty minutes with several FBI agents in tow. The cops were crawling everywhere, and the firemen were still working to put flare-ups out. There was no doubt that it was intentional because they found a failed incendiary device in the sunroom. It only involved matches and a cup of lighter fluid. They were making a point with their placements. I didn’t need years of school like them to know that.

“Motherfuckin’ son of a bitch,” he muttered under his breath. He looked at one of the security guys that was standing near me with a displeased smirk. His hands were on his hips. He was fully suited up, his guns hiding under his blazer. Both the guards were dirty and disheveled from running around in the chaos. 

We were beside my new car that was parked in the street. It was unharmed, thankfully. The garage and kitchen door were locked, and it was on the opposite side from the worst of the fire. The guest bedroom was untouched, too. All it held was my old bed and my belongings I hadn’t known what to do with yet, like my picture collection with all the photos of my parents and the assortment of watercolors I had in my apartment. They were in plastic tubs shoved into a closet. It was a small miracle.

All I wanted to do was run in and save a couple of things. There were very few items that meant much to me. The rest of it was just stuff. I could replace it all. I had precious few memories left of my late parents, though. As soon as I got my hands on the photographs, I would preserve them digitally and back them up. It was stupid of me to not do it sooner. It made me angry at myself. Most of my life was backed up in half a dozen ways, mainly my work and current pictures. My baby needed to see the grandparents they would never meet. My mind then focused on them, never meeting their grandbaby, and how much joy that had given my in-laws.

Nervously, I played with my lock and key as I thought.

“When will we be able to get in there?” Sam questioned the fire captain as he walked by.

“I’d say tomorrow morning, late tonight at the earliest. It’s still reading hot, and this wind isn’t helping. But the structure seems stable, and the second floor is intact, but there is a lot of smoke damage. There are holes in several spots on the roof now.” He sniffed and lowered his voice as he spoke directly to him. “You guys will want to go in there carefully and take pictures of everything. Someone tossed the house like they were searching for something, and I’m going to guess they stole at least a few things. But that’s me.”

We observed the smoke slowly disappear over a couple of hours. Sometimes tiny puffs would float up from the roof, but the firemen were all watching and waiting to jump in. It floated and curled into the bright, baby blue sky. All of our neighbors watched from their yards. None of them came to speak to us, though. I was sure they must have hated us for all the issues we were causing. We had to be dropping the property value at the very least. Not that it was our fault. We were trying to stop it.

Neither Jasper nor I enjoyed being useless. I was silent unless spoken directly to. My husband, on the other hand, had plenty to convey to the manager of the security company and was itching to get inside the house. Crime scenes spoke to him. He wanted to see what it had to say. They wouldn’t allow him to be the first to go in, though. Sam would after they made sure everything was safe. Since he was on leave, he couldn’t work whenever he felt like it. So, instead, he seethed with angry pent-up energy and yelled on his phone.

Justin and Caroline showed up in the afternoon. His mother texted him to see if we had arrived home safely and to invite us over for dinner the following day. He told her what happened in only a brief message. Since becoming pregnant, she had become extra protective of me. Unsurprisingly, she called him screeching. It was so loud that every person around us could hear her without being put on the speaker. Sam looked over slowly with wide eyes. It was almost funny if anything could be again. 

Panicked, she ran directly to us as soon as the car came to a stop. The cops couldn’t have stopped her if they tried, but no one was worried about the tiny blond church lady. My father-in-law was still in his work polo as he rushed a few feet behind. He hugged his son wordlessly and held him. His hand rested on the back of his head, silently reassuring.

He pulled back just a little. “Are you alright?” He finally asked after a minute.

“No,” he answered simply. Neither of us was. It felt like all my joy had been sucked from my body. The one place that had been my sanctuary was now destroyed, but it hadn’t felt safe in a while. We kept adding security features as if they would stop someone who was truly determined, but they were only lies that we were telling ourselves.

“I know,” he sighed and touched his son’s cheek. His frown stretched his normally handsome face into an angry, pale mask. Jasper was just a shell of himself at that moment. Justin smoothed his thumb over his temple. “You’re sleeping at our house tonight,” he stated firmly, leaving no room for argument.

“There will be extra security with us,” he breathed, conceding instantly. The relief he felt at having his father there and taking over was palpable. He was scared and needed that comfort, even if we were all only pretending to be protected behind their high walls and gated community. It wasn’t as if anything we had done before mattered. But we had to hold on to something, or we would never be able to sleep again. “And I’m going to have someone stay at Mamaw and Rose’s, just in case.”


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1/21/2021

Ring: Chapter Twenty-three: In the Middle of Manhattan

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Chapter Twenty-three:
​In the Middle of Manhattan


There, in the middle of Manhattan, was the biggest Barnes & Noble I had ever seen. It was at least three stories, and it was filled with people waiting to hear me read and sign for two hours. It was the largest public event I ever had, and the most I had interacted with a crowd. I was in the backroom, awaiting my cue. I was shaking, rocking back and forth on my heels. This was so different. I never talked to the audience on the shows. They just clapped for me. The hosts asked me questions to make me look intelligent and interesting. I was on my own.

Also, I hadn’t read in public since college. 

“Ms. Swan?” Nervously, the general manager came up to me. She was treating me as if I was an actual celebrity. A couple of years before, I would have been a few bad months away from working for someone like her. I wasn’t special. “We’re ready for you if you’ll follow us this way.”

I repeated the word ‘goddess’ in my head as I trailed behind her. Jasper’s hand rested on the small of my back. His fingers curled comfortingly against my spine.

She went to the podium. There wasn’t even standing room. Adjusting the microphone, she smiled. “Thank you all for joining us today,” she said in a librarian’s voice. “Ms. Isabella Swan.”

That was it. What an introduction. 

There was a subtle round of applause. I cleared my throat as I came to where she was. I was going to read the first chapter in its entirety. Suddenly, I felt as if I should have practiced with my husband first. My eyes scanned the crowd to find him. He was in the third row. Then I realized a few rows directly behind him were one of the DAs from the trial, and she was there with her partner. I smiled to myself because I knew she was also there to support me.

“Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for coming today. So, I’m going to jump into it, and afterward, I’ll take some questions.” Jasper encouragingly grinned at me. I opened the book to the first page and licked my lips. I gazed only at him. This was his gift, after all. This was his novel. “When one joins the force, they always have a vision of selflessly improving the world. Or at least the average citizen imagines they do. Heroes with gold and silver badges in navy blue who put their lives on the line every day. To protect and serve is an honor and a privilege. There is a reason little boys want to grow up to be them. Paragons, one and all.”

“When I began at the paper, I was one of those naïve fools. A wide-eyed innocent middle-class white girl, more wholesome than Clark Kent fresh from Smallville on his first day at the Daily Planet. Reality wasted no time slapping me in the face. Injustice was everywhere, but no more so than amongst those meant to protect us. But I was no Lois Lane, just a junior writer in the crime department. Nobody cared about what I had to say until one cop was brave enough to tell me a wild story drunkenly one night in a dingy hotel. It was filled with corruption, sex, drugs, and murder, and it involved some of the biggest players in the city.”

“He had told it before, but no one took him seriously. Not even his partner. Honestly, I really didn’t believe him either until his body was pulled from the Devils River the next day, several hundred miles away.” When I looked up, I met my husband’s eyes. He seemed so proud, a slight smile on his handsome face. He was practically glowing. Squaring my shoulders, I took a deep breath. “His colleague needed no further convincing that something nefarious was afoot. What he wasn’t sure of was whose side I was on. It was something we had in common.”

When I spoke the last word of the chapter, I closed the book and lifted my eyes. The crowd erupted in unprompted applause. They jumped to their feet, filling the place with overwhelming noise. Automatically, I laughed in surprise, then did a little bow. The questions were thankfully mainly about my books or the movie. These people were readers. Only one person asked me about the trial, and they inquired if I would write a story about it. I couldn’t say either way. I never wanted to think about it again, but I felt like I was still in the middle of living it. Maybe in a decade, it would be different, but no one would care about it then. 

The manager came back to the stage. “Ms. Swan is going to take a twenty-minute break while we set up the signing table. If you could form a line this way.” She pointed to the right, and like a principal at school, they all listened to her. So many people were eager to have my autograph. It was crazy.

I hopped down from it and slid into Jasper’s waiting arms. He was beaming as he held me tightly. “Have I ever told you how much I love that first chapter?” I giggled and pushed my nose into his neck. As I looked up, I caught a glimpse of the lawyer. 

“Ms. Rachelle!” I called before she could get too far. I waved at her to get her attention. Turning, she smiled when she noticed me. I wasn’t going to miss her as I did at Christmas. She and her boyfriend came closer, having to push through the crowd. “It’s so good to see you again! Thank you so much for coming!”

“Of course!” She grinned. “I wanted to come out to encourage you. I loved the first book, too,” she continued to gush. “Plus, it’s just a nice excuse to come into the city. It’s so great that something positive has come from this case. It was a shit show from start to finish.” Then she remembered something. “Oh, Jessica is here, too, actually!”

It took me a moment to realize that she was talking about the curly-haired chief prosecutor. I only thought about her as Mrs. Stanley.  

She turned around, getting on her tiptoes. Even though she was a couple of inches taller than me without her heels, it was hard to see over the crowd. There were just so many people crammed into the already tightly packed building. Finally, she shoved her way through to come greet us, too.

“Ms. Swan!” She quickly drew me into a hug. She was dressed comfortably in blue jeans and a sweater, her curly brown hair pulled up into a ponytail. “Congratulations on the new book!”

“Thank you. Um… Actually, it’s Mrs. Hale now,” I corrected her politely and brought my hand up to show the two women. “Just Ms. Swan for work.”

They both seemed surprised. She clapped her hands together. “That’s incredible!” Mrs. Stanley declared. “When? I didn’t even realize you were engaged.”

“It all happened really quickly in December. Right after the trial,” my husband explained with a proud smile. “We couldn’t wait.”

She took my hand to look at my ring, bringing it up to her face. Lifting it so that Ms. Rachelle could see it, her eyes got wide. “Oh, Bryce, look at that. It’s stunning. Good work, Dr. Hale.”

“And it’s made from his grandmother’s old wedding rings, so it makes it even better,” I added, looking at it myself. I wiggled my fingers. “I love it so much.”

“Ms. Swan, we’re almost ready for you,” the manager came to me, lightly touching my shoulder to get my attention. I could barely hear her over the crowd.

“Right. I’m sorry. I’ll be right there,” I mumbled before I glanced back at the ladies. “Sorry. I have to get back to it.”

“Well, as much as I’d love an autograph, I am not waiting in that line,” Mrs. Stanley said with a brief laugh. It looped around like a snake, filling the aisles. We all looked at it for a second. I swallowed back some of my nervousness that returned.

“Same,” the younger lawyer added. She brought her hand up, her face apologetic. “No offense.”

“Um, none taken,” I softly laughed. “I wouldn’t wait for a signature, either. You know, if you’re really interested in one, I can just send a couple of signed copies to you. I’ll mail you my new one and everything.”

“Really?” Ms. Rachelle replied, looking at her boss.

Someone called to Jessica. It was a huge black man in slacks and a sweater. I remembered him from the pictures with her kids. They seemed like such a happy family in it. He smiled when he got her attention, lighting up his entire face. 

She looked back at him, then at me again. “That would be awesome. Thank you. Um, that’s my husband.” She hitched her thumb over her shoulder. “We need to run because we have a reservation.” She plucked a card from her purse. “Just send it to my office if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” I promised. “Thanks for coming.”

We watched her go to him. She looked so tiny beside her man. He kissed her cheek lovingly before they melted back into the crowd. Ms. Rachelle pulled out one, too. “We should let you work too, but if you don’t have any plans tonight, would you like to go out for a drink with us?” She squeezed the arm of her boyfriend. I couldn’t remember his name for the life of me. He had been silent the entire time, letting us gossip. His eyes moved over me slowly before flicking over to Jasper.

“Oh, we can’t.” My hand automatically went to my stomach. “Um, I can’t drink, but we actually have plans, anyway.” She seemed confused as she stared at my belly. It was like she was doing some calculations, her eyes narrowing in thought. That happened a lot when you rushed to get married, and people found out you were with child. “I’ll be four months pregnant next week. We’re not telling everyone yet, though,” I explained bashfully. “It’s my little honeymoon baby, I think. You never know these things for sure.”

She gazed at her boyfriend. He had a slight smirk on his face. Swallowing, she glanced back at us. “That’s awesome. Wow, it’s been a really great year for you.” The way she said it was as if she was overwhelmed for me. She had no idea.

“It’s been a dramatic one at the very least,” Jasper mumbled to himself. “But awe-inspiring all the same.” He leaned in to speak in my ear. “Ms. Swan, as your bodyguard, I need to let you know it’s time for you to go.” The other two gentlemen that were standing behind us would let me chat forever.

“Right, right,” I laughed. It had been so long since I had interacted with people, it made me eager to chat. Our friends and family had come to the townhouse, but this was different. “I’ll send those as soon as we get back. Thank you again for coming. You don’t know what it means to me.”

I didn’t know it was possible for my hand to hurt that much from writing. I did it constantly at home when I made notes. It made me hot and sweaty too, but that might just have been the anxiety and baby. Pregnancy glow was actually perspiration.

Jasper came up behind me in the middle of the hotel room and rubbed my shoulders. “Do you still want to go to dinner tonight?” He asked softly. I scrunched up my face and shook my head a little with a pout. I was too tired. “Stay in and order, or do you want to go down to the restaurant?”

“Let’s just order. I think I’m all done with being in a crowd now,” I explained. He nodded in understanding, pushing his nose in my hair. We were silent for a moment. “I want to do a scene,” I complained. “I don’t want to think anymore, sir.”

We hadn’t played since Valentine’s. It was a couple of weeks before we could even have sex comfortably again. The real pain from the accident came in the days after. Though our lovemaking was fun and passionate, it wasn’t the same. He chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to my cheek.

“Are you sure you’re up to that?” He inquired worriedly. I nodded. His lips rested against my temple as he thought. “We can do that. But before we get started, I have something I want to give you.” Jasper went to his luggage to retrieve a small white box and handed it to me. “It’s more practical than romantic, I’m afraid.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything.” I rolled my eyes. Inside was a new phone. I smiled to myself as I ran my finger over the shiny edge. “Thank you.”

“You’ve been trying to ignore your cracked screen, but I know it bothers you. It’s the latest model with the largest amount of storage you can have. Plus, it has fancy tracking software, so if it ever gets stolen or you lose it, you can pop onto the computer to find out where it is,” he continued to explain. “Also, it shouldn’t be easy to hack. You know, since you’re a celebrity now. We wouldn’t want any naughty photos of you to get leaked when I have you take them for me.”

I giggled. “That’s probably for the best. You always think of everything, sir,” I cooed as I kissed his cheek. “When would you like to get started?”

His hand slid down to my ass and gave it a squeeze. “Right now, Isabella. Go take a shower and get ready for me.”

With those words, I got a second wind. I rushed through my bath. When I came out, one of the chairs had my wand tied to it with red rope. I hadn’t even known he had brought toys with us. We were only coming for a couple of days, and I didn’t think we would have time. On the table were more in different colors, as well as his drawing pad.

He was already in blue jeans and a t-shirt, his feet bare. Slowly, he smiled as he took in my damp appearance. I was just in my towel. “I want to draw my favorite model all wrapped up in rope. If you’re a good girl, that will be your reward, but I can also use it as your punishment.” He held my chin so I would look into his eyes. “You will be silent, and you will listen to my every command. The decision on whether you enjoy that or not is up to you. Either way, you’re making a mess tonight.”

We both knew I would, either way. Grinning, I nodded my head in understanding. He brought my Tiffany’s collar from his pocket. It made my cheeks heat. He really thought of everything. Something about knowing he wanted this to happen so badly he prepared, just in case, filled me with joy. 

Jasper slipped a ball gag into my mouth. “We don’t want those poor bodyguards to hear you screaming like a little whore.” It was hard not to smile around it. He picked up the pink rope first, twisting it in his long fingers. “Get on the bed on your knees and sit back.”

By the end, I was wrapped in a combination of pink and baby blue. It was artfully tangled around my breasts, legs, and thighs. It enhanced the bump rather than hid it, but that was by his design. My ankles were tied to my wrists, pushing my tummy and tits out. Finally, he walked to the table and plucked a flower from the vase, snipped it with the safety scissors, then placed it behind my ear. Jasper smiled at his handiwork.

He picked up my new phone. “It’s supposed to take incredible pictures,” he teased as he snapped one. “I think I’ll film you when I allow you to cum. So I can watch it over and over again. It’ll be so pretty. Trying not to scream while you shake as it drips down your delicious thighs.” He was trying to make me blush, and it was working. His fingers went between my legs to check how much I was enjoying myself. “Fuck so wet just from getting tied up. Do you like being at my mercy?” I nodded eagerly. 

Sucking on his fingertips, he looked me over. He plucked one of my nipples. They were taut from being wrapped in the silky soft rope. “Your tits really are bigger. Fucking gorgeous.” He trailed his nail lightly over the top of one. Sliding it down to my stomach, his palm pressed against my curved belly. “I have to admit, I love this.” He placed his hand on the other side. “This is mine. There is a piece of me inside you right now. Something beautiful I made with you. Even when we’re not together, it’s there. Growing.” I whimpered quietly. “Shh…” he cooed as he ran his knuckle over my jaw. “We’ve both missed this. Haven’t we, Isabella?” I nodded again. He forced me to look into his eyes. “Are you comfortable?” I did it once more. There was no other way for me to communicate. “Good.” He went to pick up his tablet, a confident smirk on his face. “I hope so. We’re only just getting started.”


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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


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💍Ring💍
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1/19/2021

Ring: Chapter Twenty-two: Into the Right Mindset

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Chapter Twenty-two:
​Into the Right Mindset


It took a full month for me to leave the house for anything other than doctor visits. My new vehicle sat in the garage, barely used. Jasper was looking into a new one for himself, but he couldn’t decide and didn’t want to go for test drives. Especially without me. He wouldn’t admit it, but driving now scared him. He was probably the only reason we were alive, though.

The security guard followed behind the Uber we took to the airport in a plain unmarked black car. Another would be waiting for us when we arrived in New York City. They were hired by the publisher for the bit of press I was doing. Two would follow me around while I went on different shows to talk about my new book that would be released that week. 

The Rabbit in the Snow was currently at number two, knocked out a couple of weeks before by a new release. I wasn’t mad about it. I couldn’t hog the limelight forever. And they wouldn’t have it for long, anyway. The Cop’s Story pre-orders already put it at the number one spot, and there was no way anything was going to even get close to it. I wasn’t sure where that placed my other book, but I was about to have two novels on the New York Times bestseller top ten list at the same time. It wasn’t even something I dared to dream about. 

At fifteen weeks, my bump was starting to lead the way. Between me, my sister- and mother-in-law, and best friend, I already had plenty of maternity clothes to last me the entire time. The baby was low on my hips, and my stomach was oddly hard. We had an ultrasound a couple of weeks before to check on their growth. At just five inches long and around four ounces, they were happy, healthy, and their little numbs had grown into real arms and legs. This was when they were the most active, but they were too small to feel unless you knew what to look for. From the books I had read, they were fully formed with fingers and toes, tastebuds, and eyebrows. It was incredible. Once we came back from the trip, we would find out the sex.

Jasper tried to pretend he didn’t care what it was. Girl or boy, it didn’t matter. And we weren’t going to force them into a gender they weren’t comfortable with. These were the sorts of things we spoke about late at night. But when he talked about the possibility of a baby girl, he glowed. How he would protect her and let her be whatever she wanted, whether it was a princess or the president. Or both. When he was a child, he was so rough and tumble. But as an adult, he was ready to be gentle. He needed soft, sweet things in his life. He described her as beautiful beyond words, with her mother’s sweetheart face and maybe his eyes. 

I didn’t know what I wanted, other than for my husband to be happy. It felt like we were always on the edge of happiness before it was snatched away. It was all tainted with fear. He deserved every bit he could get in this harsh life.

Every night, he spent an hour or two looking at the security footage to search for the tiny terrorist. He wrote notes in a book about the cars he saw regularly. There was a creepy drawing in it of them in a jacket with the featureless mask. It was like peering into a colorless abyss. We would take walks around the neighborhood, and I knew he was noting which vehicles belonged where. He said it was so I could get some exercise, but I knew better. If he could keep me locked away, he would. Nothing else happened, but it didn’t ease our anxiety. It made it worse. It was like waiting for a jack-in-the-box to pop and not knowing if the next surprise would involve confetti or a bomb.

There would be a guard in front of our home the entire time we were gone to make sure they did nothing to it. I knew in my heart that they would. They would punish me for this joyous moment, I just didn’t know how they would do it. I loved my house and didn’t want anything to happen to it. The spare room that had only been filled with a few boxes was now overflowing with all the things we would need for our child. Online shopping kept me entertained when I couldn’t sleep.

Eric met us at the airport, bright and early. We left before dawn, and it wasn’t afternoon yet. Dallas had been sticky and a little too warm, but New York was a far more pleasant temperature. I took off my hoodie to feel it on my bare arms. Stretching, I popped my back with a sigh of pleasure.

I hadn’t told him about my current state. His eyes got massive as he looked at my stomach. He glanced between my husband and me. “Um, I want to ask you a question, but I don’t wanna seem like a prick if I’m wrong,” he began carefully. Whenever I met his mother, I would have to thank her for teaching him to be such a gentleman. At least he was going to be as tactful about it as possible. 

“Yes, it’s a baby and not a burrito,” I smirked at him as I patted my sides. Jasper snorted. “Actually, it might be both. I shouldn’t lie.”

“You’ve lost a pound since the last time you weighed in, so it’s not,” he retorted with a roll of his eyes.

My publisher excitedly put his hand on my shoulder as his mouth dropped open. “Congratulations! How far along?”

My husband answered for us. I felt as if I was repeating myself a lot since people were noticing, but because I was chubby, they didn’t want to assume. “Almost four months.”

“Can you feel anything yet?” He questioned, looking down at the little bump. “Kicking?”

I quickly shook my head. “It’s too early for that. Soon, though. Within the next month.”

His grin was enormous as he wagged his head from side to side. “Oh, this will be an amazing thing to talk about in interviews. Perfect. Let’s distract from King with something happy.”

Pausing, I glared at him. “They will not bring it up. I will wear loose-fitting clothing, and no one will notice,” I said so firmly that it surprised even him. It was my Dom voice coming out in a context it never had before. “I will not entice this psycho to take another swipe at me because they find out,” I explained. Protectively, I held my belly. “No announcements.”

It was the first time I added a question to my ‘did not’ ask list. I would have attached Royce to that, but there was just no way to ignore him. He would always haunt me from the grave.

He sighed and nodded in agreement. “Fine. Yeah, you’re right. That makes sense. I’m sorry.” He turned to the two black-suited men behind him. They were both like brick walls of muscles. “This is Ben and Seth. They’re going to be your security guards for the next few days. They work for the agency and follow our bigger authors when they need it for press events. Usually, they’re just for show.”

We shook their hands before they led us to a car. One would follow behind us. Ben opened the door for me with a smile.

“So, what’s going to happen with the movie?” Eric questioned when we were on our way to our hotel to get dressed. Lauren was waiting for us with a team of people. It felt like too much for just me.

“I don’t think there should be any problems with what we’ve already got planned,” I replied anxiously. “We don’t mind getting out of town for a little while,” I admitted with a quiet scoff. That was an understatement. The urge to run away was almost as strong as it was to hide. “I’m so nervous about that. I’ve been working on my own draft. You know, just to practice. I wanted to see what I could condense and take out. Jasper says it’s good, but he likes everything I do.”

He laughed and took my hand to give it a squeeze. “Because it’s great.”

“Can I read it?”

I brought up the documents on my phone and sent it to my agent’s email right away. “Keep in mind it’s a rough draft, and there may be mistakes. This version also has my notes,” I explained as I typed.

“Yes! I can’t wait to see what you’ve got for me. Thank you,” he grinned, checking to make sure he got it. He slipped it back into his coat pocket. “So, hair and makeup, then we’re off to Laurent’s first. We like him. Then the Late Show, and-” He continued, listing several more interviews with journalists at different studios. Most of them were basically riding an elevator to the next one. I would be hustled around until well after dark.

I could tell Jasper zoned out, but I liked that he was there the entire time to hold my hand.

Eric was still talking when we got into the room. There were several people waiting for me with Lauren in the middle. She already had a black apron on with her name sewn into the pocket. Makeup tools could be seen sticking out of the top.

“There’s my favorite author!” She came to me, giving me a tight hug. Halfway through it, she looked at my tummy. She put her hand on it, confused.

“Yes, she’s pregnant, and it does not leave this room,” my agent said loudly to everyone like an announcement from a teacher. “Mrs. Hale needs complete privacy. Her security is our main concern. We keep this golden goose and her little egg safe.”

Lauren looked behind me and raised her eyebrows. “You are not one of the regular security guys. You’re much better looking. Hello.” She offered her hand to Jasper.

“That’s my husband,” I whispered to her loudly. She flushed, her eyes going wide in surprise. “Not only is he my personal bodyguard, but he’s an FBI agent and a doctor of psychology too.”

His face was beet red, staring at her in surprise with his back stiff. I could see him try to swallow it down awkwardly. 

She laughed. “Oh, my god! Girl! Good for you!” She playfully swatted my shoulder, making me giggle too. “So, we need to hide the pregnancy then?” She pointed at my belly.

“Yup.”

“Gotcha,” she mumbled as she went to her rack of clothes. She tapped her chin in thought. “Pencil skirt, untucked oversized pointy oxford, and a blazer. I hope it fits.”

“I haven’t changed sizes yet, just shape,” I explained. “It’s moving all around. My boobs are a little bigger, but that’s it.”

“The shaper will smooth you out some, too,” she declared thoughtfully as she brought the shirt up to me to see what she thought of it. “Oh, I like that. This will work. Bold makeup to distract, too. Alright, come with me,” she stated as she held out her hand and wiggled her thin fingers. “If you want to hang out here, you can. The remote is on the table.” She showed Jasper as her eyes scanned over him slowly. Yes, he was exquisite and all mine. Then she looked at my agent. “Eric, go get us coffee,” she ordered with a snap of her finger.

“You know I’m not an assistant, right?” He questioned her sarcastically with a raised palm. “And should she be drinking it in her condition?”

I snorted. “She should be drinking a green tea latte, please. A large with two sugars,” I declared over him, already starting to get annoyed with people telling me what I could or shouldn’t eat while pregnant. It was rude. I had already cut down on coffee on my own because it was destroying my stomach. “Thank you.”

He smiled. “Of course, sweetie.” He patted my arm, changing his attitude completely. “Let me get that for you.”

It took a full hour in hair and makeup with three individuals doing it. By the time I got done, I seemed like a different woman. Both Eric and Jasper stood when I walked out of the room, trailed by people.

“Oh, Mrs. Hale, you look incredible,” my husband whispered to me. I could tell he wanted to kiss me but couldn’t. 

I peered down at myself, flushing as I did. “Do I look pregnant?” He shook his head. “Are you sure?” I glanced at my agent for reassurance. 

“Not at all,” he promised. “Come on, we gotta get moving.”

I was so nervous I couldn’t speak the entire ride there. We were taken into a back entrance where no one could see us. We had to drive past the crowd in a long line around the building, making my heart thump wildly. 

Ben opened the door and helped me to stand. Seth walked behind while Jasper was on one side. I had a literal entourage. Lauren came along for makeup touch-ups with a backup outfit if I needed it too. A production assistant led us to the green room.

Wrapping my arms around my stomach, I took deep, calming breaths. My husband stood close, rubbing my forearms. I couldn’t stop my trembling. He leaned in and whispered in my ear. “You are a Goddess. You are strong, smart, and beautiful. Everyone should be grateful to be in the same place as you. You are charming, witty, and funny. Your art is incredibly detailed, well-written, and all future classics. You are powerful beyond words.”

My heart jumped for another reason. “Can you always be my hype-man?”

“Until the end of time,” he promised. 

I waited in the wings for my cue. Laurent stood from his desk when someone behind a camera pointed at him. He was in a slick black suit that matched his dark eyes. “Tonight’s guest’s debut novel has been on the New York Times bestseller list for twenty-eight weeks. Her next book, The Cop’s Story, comes out next week and is already set to premiere at number one! Let’s welcome back, Ms. Isabella Swan!”

Coming in with a big smile, I strolled to the desk while keeping my head high and my shoulders back. I gave a brief bow to the audience who was proffering a standing ovation. The clapping was so loud. “Thank you!” I giggled.

“So, wow! A lot has happened to you since the last time we spoke,” he said seriously. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“Well, we should begin with The Rabbit in the Snow,” I smiled as I led the conversation towards the most positive thing I had to talk about. “Because I can’t really chat about the new book too much without giving away spoilers. So, I feel as if my job right now is to hold the novel and look pretty,” I told him as I picked up my copy and grinned stupidly. The crowd chuckled gently, like a ripple.

“Yes! I’ve heard it’s going to be a movie!” He cheered, and they did too. “I’m serious about Ryan Reynolds being the villain. I’m going to start a campaign.”

I laughed. “I’d sign that petition. Do you have his number?” He pouted and shook his head. “Darn. Ryan, call me, please?” I asked playfully, making them laugh again. “He should play Deadpool playing Ryan Reynolds playing the bad doctor.”

Laurent threw his chin back in laughter. “It sounds like an SNL sketch.”

“It does!”

It felt so easy once I got into the right mindset. Jasper looked almost shocked when I came back with my chin held high. They had been watching on a big-screen television. He was stock still with wide eyes as everyone else got ready to move.

“You’re incredible,” he breathed to me as we hurried to the elevator. I leaned into him as his hands rested on my belly. “My gorgeous Goddess.” 


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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


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1/14/2021

Ring: Chapter twenty-one: Three Neighborhoods over

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Chapter Twenty-one:
​Three Neighborhoods Over


It was two days before I could get myself out of bed. Between my grief and my pain, I slept for hours the next day and barely moved. Jasper didn’t rest at all from what I could tell. He sat beside me silently the entire time, either reading, working on his laptop, or drawing. He was doing his best not to bother me.

But I knew I couldn’t lay there forever, even if I wanted to. I wasn’t depressed, just overwhelmed. There were plenty of things I was happy about, but the bad was tainting everything with its anxiety and fear.

Rosalie informed Alice and Tanya what had happened in general, and they were all freaking out for me. She hadn’t told them I was pregnant yet, though. We weren’t going to make any public announcements about it, just in case they were watching our social media. It killed Caroline not to brag, but she also knew it was for the best to keep everyone safe.

The three of them showed up at my doorstep in the afternoon a few days later, when I was finally ready to be around others. They were on a list of people allowed to come onto our property. There was still a cop parked on the street, as well as a security guard that stayed in a car in front of our house. There would be someone there twenty-fours a day until we figured out what was going on.

“Oh, my god!” Alice shouted when she saw my scrapped up appearance, her hand flying to her mouth. Everything had time to turn fully black, and my cuts scabbed over grossly. “What the fuck?! You’re like the nicest person I know. Why would they do this to you? You didn’t do anything!” She pulled me into a hug. 

“It’s not just Bella. I think maybe they’re going after certain people connected to King,” Jasper explained to them as he stood behind me. She pouted when she saw him. Hurriedly, she embraced him too. He patted her back as she whimpered. “It’s alright, baby. I’m okay.” He held his sister next. It still surprised her when he was affectionate towards her, but she didn’t dislike it either.

Tanya put her hand on my cheek when she finally got to me. “Ow.”

“Yeah,” I remarked as I put my palm on top of hers.  “How are you?”

She sighed, then clicked her tongue. Her eyelashes fluttered dramatically as she rolled her eyes. Then she shrugged. “I don’t know. Sad, frustrated, unsurprised, relieved. It’s complicated.”

“We have so much to catch up on.”

“We do,” she agreed and forced a smile.

Jasper cleared his throat. “With that, I’ll leave you ladies alone to talk for awhile. I’m going to be working in the office, darlin,” he said before he kissed my temple lightly.

I pulled him into a deeper one on the lips. His grin tugged at his cheeks. There was a long thin scratch across one of them that was already starting to fade. We were both lucky that we weren’t hurt worse. Fortunately, we rolled into a grass embankment and not into more traffic where people could have been injured. 

“I’ll come to get you when we order food.”

He bowed his head in acknowledgment. “Let me know if you need anything.”

We all watched him go up the stairs silently. “Drinks?” I offered the girls. “So, where do we begin?” I questioned as we went towards our kitchen to get something. I pulled a ginger ale from the fridge. “Not it. Someone else goes first, please. Or we won’t have time for anything else.”

Tanya got a beer and sat at my island at the same spot her ex had just days before. “I’ll go!” She popped the lid and dropped the cap on the marble with a metal clink. “My boyfriend of over three years broke up with me on Valentine’s Day because he’s hung up on the fact that someone he ignored rightfully doesn’t want him. Like I didn’t always encourage him to get to know you. But as soon as you turn him down, it’s all he wants. What the fuck is that?” She took a big slurp. “Suddenly, he notices you’re stunning and interesting, which-” She waved her hand over me as if it was obvious. “It’s not like you’ve ever hidden how awesome you are. And I’ve repeatedly stated you could be a model. Those pictures you took for the book prove it!” She shook her head until her pretty strawberry blond hair bounced around her shoulders. “I don’t get it. I’d let him do whatever he wanted.”

I looked away. “He said it was because it made him realize he was shallow, and he felt hollow. I think he saw what Jasper and I have and how we’re partners in everything, and he wanted that. In his head, he convinced himself I could fix that hole. I don’t think I could have been that for him, though. Not really.”

“You’d be willing to try things I wouldn’t,” she countered. “In the bedroom.”

“But I don’t want him! I want my sweet, shy, serious artist. I would have hated being around his Dad or at their house. And I don’t want to go to galas or wear ball gowns. I don’t fit there. Justin and Caroline are filthy rich too, but they’re inviting, and their place is cozy. I’ve never felt bad about myself around them.” I put my palms over my eyes, pushing them into my skull. “Ugh, I can’t believe he showed up here. Edward’s lucky Jasper didn’t end him. It was like a chain reaction of awful.” I pursed my lip, then blew a raspberry. “What a fucking idiot.”

“Amen,” Tanya and Rosalie said at the same time. They smirked at each other.

She shook her head. “He’s not terrible. I’m not even mad. Just what a waste of energy. I put so much effort into that man.” She pointed at her chest. “Like I’m a model, and I let him fuck whoever he wished. Does he not think I have choices? Frankly, I don’t know what else he could have wanted from me.”

I loved my friend, but I could see what else he did. I smiled at her and reached for her hand. “Fuck him. He didn’t deserve you and should have asked you to marry him years ago, anyway. He needs to grow up.”

Alice took a sip of her canned wine. Her eyes were carefully aimed at the countertop. My friends were going to have to drink all my liquor for me before it went bad. “He texted me yesterday and apologized for being rude to me in the past, which is whatever, but he asked if we could go out for drinks and just talk.”

Everyone was silent for a beat. My mouth dropped open. He was an ignoramus.

“What did you say?” Rose questioned as she leaned in to hear. This wasn’t something any of us expected, especially this quickly. 

“I haven’t responded.”

“Are you going to go out with him?” Tanya asked next curiously.

Alice’s face automatically scrunched up in disgust. “What? No! He’s your ex!”

Loudly, she scoffed. “I didn’t care when we were together, why would I now? At least he won’t be biting me anymore.” She sipped her beer.

I snorted into my soda. Quickly, I wiped my chin to get the spittle. “T! Because we’re being supportive. We don’t want to hurt our friends. That’s why I never could.”

“And I thank you for that. It’s very sweet, and I know that you ladies are on my side. Hoes before bros, always.” She patted our friend’s hand. “Use him for all he’s worth, baby. Even if it’s just getting a few free drinks out of him while he makes an ass of himself. Rebound, much?”

Alice stared at her for a long tick. “You’re one cold bitch, and I respect you so much for it.” They fist-bumped.

Laughing quietly, I rubbed my forehead. A headache was thinking about kicking up in the back of my skull. My friends were all strange.

“You sure you don’t want to switch to something with a little alcohol? I think you need it more than either of us. Your week has been fucking nuts,” Tanya offered, lifting her bottle. “Honey, it’s okay to start day drinking. No one here will judge you.”

Rose smiled because she was the only one that knew. I couldn’t look directly at her, my cheeks flushing. “No, I can’t, sadly.”

“Why? Oh! I forgot about pain meds.” She wagged her fingers as if she figured it out. “You’re not supposed to drink with those.” She said the word ‘supposed’ too dramatically. She did finger quotes after.

“First, don’t do that. And I’ve just been taking aspirin, actually,” I explained with a slight smirk. I tapped my nails on the counter. “So, it’s my turn!” I began cheerfully. “Guess what I forgot?”

My best friend looked between the three of us slowly. She didn’t understand why I was acting the way I was. My tone was odd, especially with everything that was going on in my life. Rosalie said nothing, looking down at her soda. “What?”

“My birth control because I’m the dumbest fucker on the planet!” I spoke in the same bright voice.

My sister-in-law laughed. Her expression was funny. “A literal fucker?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, obviously. Or I wouldn’t be nine weeks pregnant right now.”

Cackling, she threw her head back and clapped her hands together. “I love how you’re handling this.” 

Tanya’s jaw dropped in shock. She just glanced between the two of us. Alice squealed loudly, jumping down from her stool to run to me. She began hopping up and down while her arms were still around me.

“Ahhh! You’re going to have a baby!” She yelled in my ear, unable to control herself.

Jasper popped his head into the kitchen and looked around for a moment. “Okay, just checking. Random screams make me nervous.”

She dashed over and threw herself at him next. She flung her entire body through the air. Alice’s feet dangled a foot off the ground. “You’re going to be a DADDY!”

He blushed at her reaction and her words because I knew it instantly went somewhere dirty in his head, and he didn’t want it to be there. Chuckling softly, he put her down. “Yes, ma’am, I am. And I’m pleased as punch about it.”

“A human will exist because I hooked you up! YES!” She high-fived him, then turned to me. “I am going to buy so many things for them! Baby clothes and toys!” She was vibrating in place with excitement. “We are, for sure, doing a shower, and it will be amazing.”

“You have time to plan. It’ll be a while off,” he assured her, coming to me to give me a kiss before he got a bottle of water. Wrapping his arms around my middle, he rested his chin on my shoulder. “Has she figured out she’s godmother yet?” He asked me in a teasing voice.

Her high-pitched squeal of delight could call dogs three neighborhoods over. “Really?” We both nodded. “Who’s going to be the godfather?”

“Sam, his former partner,” I replied for us as I put my hand on his. It was something we had discussed over the past few days. We also got our wills in order. “But if anything happens to us, we’re hoping Rose and Em will take care of the baby,” I added as I looked at her.

She wasn’t expecting this. Gasping, she pursed her lips to keep in her emotions. “Of course. We’d love to. You should know that.”

“I’ve already started putting money aside for them, so they’ll always be well taken care of and have the education they want. I will give this kid every advantage I didn’t have, including a mother and a father together.” I turned my face to the side so I could kiss his cheek. “And they’re going to have the very best family.”

“Yes, we will,” he cooed as he pecked my lips, curling his fingers under my chin.

“I’m getting hungry,” I playfully pouted as I looked at my friends. “Do you want to order? It’ll take a little while for it to get here. Oh, and feel free to drink all my liquor since I won’t be able to for like the next year.”

“Um, whatever Mommy wants,” Alice said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. Smiling, she took my hand. “Of course! What does the baby want?” She asked in a cute tone, patting my tummy.

“Fried chicken.” I pointed to my face and spoke in the deadest voice possible. “It’s me. I’m the baby, and I want chicken.”

“She’s acting like everyone catering to her every whim isn’t exactly her fetish,” my husband responded with a shake of his head and a tiny, amused smirk. He smiled at me innocently when I glanced back at him. “And what may I get you, Goddess?”

“Popeye’s,” I impishly grinned. 


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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


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1/12/2021

Ring: Chapter Twenty: In the Family Way

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Chapter Twenty: In the Family Way


Emmett and Rosalie ran to get everyone some breakfast after the ultrasound. I was starving, and no one else had eaten either. Everyone was too anxious to even consider it. They came back with four white boxes of doughnuts stacked high in his thick arms. His wife had a bag hanging off of each arm, trailing behind him.

“There are six of us!” Jasper complained as he watched him walk in, his eyes wide with surprise. His family didn’t know how to not go overboard.

“I know! That’s why two of these are for the nurses,” he said back cheerfully, not bothered as he marched towards the small table in the corner of the private room. He put two of them to the side and brought the others to me. He placed them at the foot of the bed and opened with them a little dramatic flair. One with half chocolate half glazed and the other was a mix of the fancier ones. They were both crammed full.

“Oo!” I said excitedly. “Um, I need a plate.”

He handed me a pile of napkins before I grabbed myself an éclair and a glazed one. Rosalie came over with an offering of chocolate and regular milk, or orange juice. I took the chocolate with a grin. It was much better than anything we could have gotten in the cafeteria. My stomach growled in delight.

“Darlin, that’s a lot of sugar,” Jasper began in a worried tone, and I swear five heads swung in his direction at once to glare at him. His face turned white with embarrassment before he flushed. “It’s too bad you don’t have something savory like bacon to go with it,” he added in a rush as his eyes shifted to the floor. He cleared his throat.

“That was the worst save in the history of mankind,” Emmett laughed as he thumped down into the uncomfortable pink plastic recliner. The air pushed out of it like a sad dollar store whoopie cushion. It made me giggle.

“I’ll take these to the nurse’s station,” Justin offered with a shake of his head, then stretched. He had eaten a chocolate one hastily and claimed an orange juice. “Maybe I can encourage them to speed up your departure. Before the boy gets popped for telling a pregnant woman what to eat.”

“I didn’t tell her she shouldn’t or couldn’t,” he immediately defended himself. “I’ll get her another one if she wants. Shush.” He pouted at being teased by his playful family.

“When you get out, we’ll take you to lunch,” my mother-in-law promised, rubbing my knee over the blanket. They were still sore from hitting the tiles the day before when I threw up. “Mamaw wants to see y’all and make sure you’re okay.”

Quietly, Jasper laughed. “We’re literally eating right now.”

“One, this isn’t food. This is a breakfast dessert, and it doesn’t count. Second, you know she isn’t getting out soon,” she retorted with a roll of her eyes. I saw her children in her when she did that. I wondered if our kid would have their sass or mine. “You think of whatever you want to eat, and we’ll take you there, sweetie,” she encouraged in a baby voice. I would be pampered and spoiled. Getting knocked up had put me on an even higher pedestal, but I wasn’t sure how that was possible.

As I tried to figure out what I wanted, I considered my appearance… which was rough. I wasn’t certain what condition I was in. I hadn’t looked in a mirror yet. “What happened to my clothes from last night?” I questioned, looking around for a plastic sack with my belongings. It was the first time I had thought about it. “And my purse?”

My husband frowned. “They didn’t make it. They had to cut them off once you were out to check you out. Your bag is okay. I got it.” He handed it to me from its spot under the bed. One of the straps was broken, and there was blood on it. “I mean, it’s not good, but it survived, and I didn’t let anyone steal your things. I also have your necklace and ring in my pocket.” He patted his jeans.

“Thanks,” I grimaced as I held up the severed band with two fingers. “I’m going to need clothes to leave in. Ugh, and a shower before we see Mamaw. We both smell terrible.”

He nodded in agreement. “You could just drop us off at the house and go pick her up and bring her back. We should order lunch and have it delivered. I don’t think I’m really up to being in a restaurant right now. Or a car for longer than necessary.” I agreed with him, taking things out of my purse to check their condition. My phone had an annoyingly small crack in it. Other than that, everything seemed fine. It was about to die and needed to charge.

Rose, who was even quieter than normal, forced a smile. She had been eating doughnuts at the table while sipping on regular milk. “I can run to the store real quick and pick up some clothes for you. Text me your sizes. There’s a Target down the road.”

She was being so good to me. Just looking at her made me feel more guilty than I ever had before in my life. My birth control hadn’t lapsed that much by the time I got in the family way. I couldn’t imagine struggling for ten years with no results, and then her brand new sister gets it on the first attempt without trying. Though I had offered to carry for her, I wasn’t ready to be a mother myself. It was a different kind of commitment. I wanted to be selfish and play around for a lot longer with my newfound money and fame. Fantasies of glamorous parties and nightclubs in LA and NYC died. 

At least I wouldn’t have to do all the press and the book reading for The Cop’s Story the following month while heavily pregnant. I didn’t seem to have any symptoms, though. But as I thought about it, I realized my stomach had been slightly disagreeable on occasion, and my appetite swung around with my mood, switching between starving and not willing to eat a bite. It depended on nothing more than a whim.

“Can I have another doughnut?” I questioned. Emmett returned them to me instantly with a smile. “Thank you.” He offered them next to my husband. “Eat. You’re cranky when you’re hungry.”

He took one with a smirk. Jasper knew I was right, though. 

It took another four hours for them to release me. My sister-in-law brought me some sleep pants and a hoodie along with a pair of house shoes. She also bought me a maternity shirt. It was from Valentine’s Day. It was long-sleeved and red with pink, blue, yellow, and purple hearts on the belly. They said ‘love,’ ‘kiss,’ ‘xoxo,’ and ‘baby’ was in the middle yellow heart. It was right where the wand had pressed into my gut.

Showing it to my husband, I tried not to tear up as I looked at it. I wasn’t sure if they were good or bad tears. Rose was being so wonderful to me. I changed into it quickly in the bathroom. It made Caroline giddy when she saw it.

“I already hate how comfortable it is,” I complained as I took his fingers with my uninjured ones. He chuckled, kissing my forehead with his hand resting on my stomach.

My in-laws dropped us off at the house. When we turned onto the street, one cop car drove past us, and another was parked directly across from our residence. His family waited until Jasper did a check of the perimeter before they left to go get my medicine, and Rosalie and Emmett went to go get Mamaw. Everyone was so eager to be helpful.

We trudged up the stairs, taking every step heavily. I laughed when I saw the chair. It was hysterical. “You better put that in the closet if your parents are coming by. The entire thing. I’m going to use that eventually, goddammit.” I pointed at it.

He sighed, putting it away. “You won’t be up to anything for a while, and we’ll have to change the way we play while you’re pregnant.”

“How?” I asked as I plopped onto the bed. I kicked off my shoes with my toes. They were thick and fur-lined with heavy bottom soles. They matched my new purple hoodie and sleep pants.

“I can’t hit you now,” he stated earnestly, closing the closet door.

I snorted. He acted as if he regularly beat me. “You only leave marks when you really try. You’ve never struck me hard or anywhere near my stomach. I don’t think it’ll be changing any of that anytime soon,” I retorted. I was no different from how I was two days before.

“No, I mean, I won’t.” He came to the bed and kneeled down in front of me. “I could have lost you and our child last night. Someone is trying to hurt you. I cannot and will not do anything to put you in danger. Even if you think it’s silly or unnecessary. We’ll play, and I’ll serve you however you wish, but when you’re mine, I will treat you as carefully as possible. And that’s my choice as your Dom.”

Pouting, I closed my eyes. “But spankings don’t hurt.”

He pushed my shirt up over my stomach to expose my bare skin. It was purple and blue in certain places because of the seatbelt. Lightly, he kissed where the little heartbeat was. It had been fast, like a hummingbird. He put both hands on either side. “We can play in other ways, Isabella. Don’t worry. I’ll still have you. We’ll just have to be more creative.”

We were silent for a long minute while he pressed his face into my belly. I could feel his eyelashes fluttering against it. “Why are you not mad at me for forgetting?” I blurted out. “You should be.”

“You know, if you were poking holes in the condoms I wasn’t using either, I’d be a little pissed. But seeing as the last six months of our lives have been the biggest whirlwind, I think I’ll forgive you. You’re not the only one responsible for our birth control.” I smiled at his words as he kissed my stomach again. I played with his hair, scratching my nails against his scalp. “I will say one thing. If the last twenty-four hours has taught me anything, it’s that even if you’re having the very worst day of your life, it’s possible to be happy and grateful. And pleasantly surprised. So, I’m choosing to be happy right now.”

“So, what do you want?” I asked as I touched my sides, looking down at the bump that wasn’t there. I was already chubby, and I wondered how long it would take for me to look pregnant.

He looked at me with an innocent grin. “A shower.”

“Ugh, me too. They won’t be gone that long. We should hurry, actually.” I meant boy or girl, but that sounded better.

Mamaw gave Jasper the longest hug when she showed up with his twin. She pushed her bottom lip out as she ran her soft, wrinkled thumb over a small scratch on his jaw. “I’m going to kill ‘em,” she remarked in a gravelly voice. 

“I believe you would sincerely try,” he smirked at her as he rubbed her forearms.

His brother-in-law cleared his throat to get his attention. “So, dude, no one’s informed her, yet,” Emmett called as he sat in one of my chairs. He was right on the edge, perched like he was excited to see what happened next.

She didn’t sound pleased. “Told me what now? Oh, god. What else?”

Jasper bent his knees a little so he could look at her face. “Are you ready to be a Great-grandma?” He asked her in a calm and gentle voice.

Her reaction was instant. April screamed in happiness, surprising everyone in the room. If I had put money on it, I would have said Caroline would be the screamer. She threw her thin arms around his neck. Her toes barely touched the floor as he held her up. “Oh! I never thought I’d live to see them. That’s amazing!”

Poor Rosalie looked so crushed as she sat beside her husband. Her expression was the only one I could focus on. She wasn’t talking at all, and her eyes were glassy and red. In her fist was a tissue that she had been fidgeting with.

“Excuse me for a minute,” I blurted out, pushing myself off the couch to hurry to our room. It was suddenly suffocating. Without my permission, I ran into the bathroom. I couldn’t even bother to turn on the light. I leaned against the sink with both hands gripping the edge. My body was trembling, though I wasn’t sure why.

Footsteps thumped up the stairs. But it wasn’t my husband’s. My sister-in-law poked her head in the room. “Hey,” she whispered. “Morning sickness?”

I shook my head. “No,” I breathed as I looked up at her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just worried about you and Jasper. And my niece or nephew,” she declared hurriedly.

For a long moment, I stared at her before I began to cry. Every emotion was right on the surface. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. We weren’t trying. I forgot my shot. I’m so stupid. And I am so-” She stopped me by hugging me tightly. She rocked me back and forth in her tight embrace.

“No. I’m happy. Don’t be sorry.”

“I’m so scared.”

Her lips rested against the top of my head. “I can imagine. And so is Jasper. Now he has to protect both of you. He doesn’t know how to do it, and I don’t know what to tell him. Maybe buy a castle, build a mote, and fill it with gators.” I snorted quietly. “I’ll do anything to help, though.”

I pulled back so I could look in her eyes. “I know this hurts you.”

She shrugged. “The pain isn’t your fault. And it’s just a little sting. I feel it every time someone I know gets pregnant. But this is better. I get to play with this baby, which is great. I will babysit literally whenever, by the way.” She took my hand. “Want to come down to talk about food? I need something better than an éclair.”

“Yeah,” I nodded after drying my tears. I forced a smile, and she matched it.

“Woo, that puking will do a number on it,” Mamaw said as I came back down the stairs slowly. I held onto the railing to make sure I didn’t fall. “Ginger and crackers. Honey, get her some ginger candy, tea, and ginger ale next time you go to the store. And mints,” she added, directing it towards Jasper. “You know they only call it morning sickness because men are too stupid to listen to women when they say it happens all the time.”

I laughed at her blunt attitude. “I’m fine. Just a false alarm. But it does explain why I threw up yesterday,” I sighed and sat beside my husband on the couch. Emmett had given his seat to her. “I’m actually hungry, though. Does anyone have any suggestions? I’m open to ideas.”

After his parents returned, we ordered a large Chinese food feast. It was delicious. Even if Jasper mumbled about needing to be careful with salt in the future as he read the soy sauce bottle. He worked out at home every day still, but I had never seen him study a label before. He was more of the ‘consume veggies and fruit daily and exercise’ type. It worked well for him because he could eat like a horse.

We were all sitting around the dinner table, just talking, when his phone rang. “Sam,” he mumbled to me before he picked it up. “Hey, man. What’s up?” I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but Jasper’s face went gray. “No. No… You can’t be serious? When? Shit. Shit. Okay.” He inhaled as he closed his eyes. “Yeah, I will. Thanks. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“What?” I questioned instantly. Everyone had gone silent, waiting for him to answer.

He had to take a deep breath before he could speak. “Last night, in Rochester, New York, Bree Tanner’s mother was involved in a hit-and-run accident. The vehicle went over a bridge, and she sustained massive blunt force trauma to the head. She died this morning of her injuries,” he announced as calmly as possible as he placed his phone face down on the table. A shaky hand went to his mouth as he closed his eyes again.

“No!” I yelled as I collapsed into his arms. He pressed me to his firm body. “No,” I cried into his shirt as my fingers curled into his shoulders.

He was shivering just a little as if he were cold despite the heat being on. I could feel it in his grip as it twisted as tightly as he could around my middle. Jasper rested his head on top of mine. “There’s more than one.”


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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


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1/7/2021

Ring: Chapter Nineteen: Floating in the Blackness

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Chapter Nineteen:
​Floating in the Blackness


It was hard to open my eyes. It was as if library paste was keeping them in place. Every time I tried, it felt half-dried and crumbly on my eyelashes. My head hurt, and I didn’t know why. I couldn’t remember anything, my mind floating somewhere off in space and time. My entire body seemed oddly heavy. A machine beeped, but I didn’t know what kind it was. It was soft, somewhere in the distance. It did it again. I turned my face towards the noise. Finally, one eye peeled open and then the other. Looking didn’t help answer my question. I blinked for several moments. My vision was blurry.

“Bella, darlin?” Jasper asked worriedly. He wasn’t in front of me. It took an effort to make my head turn to the other side to find him. He was sitting beside me in a chair, close to my bedside. “Hey. Focus on me,” he cooed. I tried to, my eyes still fluttering. Lightly, his fingertips combed my hair out of them. Finally, it became clear.

My poor husband was covered in scrapes and bruises. There was a small square bandage on his neck and some stitches on his forehead. Even so, he was smiling. I realized he was holding my hand and that it was in a brace. I wiggled my fingers in his grip to see what it felt like, but there was nothing.

“What happened?” I questioned softly.

“Someone purposefully ran into us. It made the car flip. We don’t know who yet. They drove off. The vehicle was reported stolen this morning, and it’s already been found abandoned in a parking lot,” he explained in a calm voice. Jasper was trying to keep me from getting too upset. “You hit your head pretty good, and you sprained your wrist, but other than that and a lot of bruises, you’re okay.”

That was something. “How long was I unconscious?”

Grimacing, he bit his lip for a moment. “They had to sedate you at the scene because you were panicking and struggling with the EMTs. But you were in shock and scared. You didn’t do anything wrong. You’ve been asleep for a few hours now.” He combed his fingers through my hair again. “You needed the rest.”

I opened my mouth a little, then shook my head. “I don’t remember,” I whispered.

“That’s normal,” he assured me as he scooted closer in his seat. He was right on the edge and leaning forward. Gently, he ran his hand over my stomach. “How are you feeling?”

“Confused. Numb. Sore.” I brought my other hand up to my skull, where it ached. It had an IV in it and pulled a bit, tugging at the tape. There was a huge goose egg at the top. “Ow.”

“Yeah, you’re going to be uncomfortable for a few days at least. I’m sorry,” he sighed.

“It’s not your fault, Dr. Hale,” I said in a soft, airy voice with a slight smile. Then I looked down at my line. “Oh, they’re giving me pain killers. That’s why. I don’t feel anything. It’s going to suck tomorrow.”

Jasper chuckled. “Probably.”

“They don’t know who? Did they find camera footage of them?” I questioned.

He shook his head. “No. Not yet. Hopefully, soon. You don’t need to worry about that right now. You just need to get better.” He rubbed his thumb over my knuckles of my injured fist. They barely peeked out of the brace. Clearing his throat, he gazed at my hand. “I don’t suppose there is anything you’ve needed to tell me?”

I stared at him in confusion. I literally spewed my every thought to him whenever I had them. It was a problem he found charming. “What?”

“Yeah, that’s what I figured,” he mumbled to himself before forcing a smile. Jasper finally glanced at me. His tongue darted out to moisten his lips. Scoffing, he peered at the ceiling for just a second. “So, guess what?”

“What?” I repeated. I wasn’t in the condition to figure out anything.

His hand rubbed over my belly again. “I’m going to be a father.”

“Who the fuck did you knock up?” I asked automatically, making him laugh loudly. The sound confused me. I shook my head. “No. I’m on birth control.”

“It’s not one hundred percent effective. When was the last time you got your shot?”

Blinking, I thought about it for several seconds. It was hard to find the information in my cluttered brain. I started from the beginning. The first time I got it in was November, then again in April when we were in Albany. And I was supposed to go six months later…

Supposed to.

“Oh no,” I gasped as I sat up quickly. It hurt, though. “Oh, fuck.” I put my hand on my gut. “No, no, no, no… Shit, I am so stupid. I am so sorry.”

Instantly, he moved to the edge of the bed. “Why are you apologizing?” Jasper questioned, taking my face in his hands. I was already beginning to cry. “I am so happy.” He rubbed his thumb over my cheek. “It’s okay,” he breathed before kissing me. “This is a good surprise- a fantastic one.”

“I’m not ready,” I whimpered as my bottom lip quivered. “We just got married and my career-” I leaned into him, gripping his shirt tightly. My nose was pushed into it. It smelled mildly of gasoline and burned rubber. I didn’t care.

“This won’t slow down your work. I promise. I will help every step of the way.” He brought his hand back to my stomach. He pressed it to the center. “We will make sure you have all the time and energy you need to continue being the kick-ass author that you are.”

“How far along am I?” I asked in a tiny voice.

“Eight weeks.”

I gasped. I was almost to the second trimester already. “But I’ve been drinking so much!”

He shook his head to keep me from freaking out and feeling guilty. “It’s okay. It’s still early. Just stop now, and it’ll be fine.” He curled his fingers over my tummy. “We’ll start eating healthier, and I’ll stop indulging, too.” Lightly, Jasper kissed my forehead. “My pretty little Mama.”

Loudly, I sobbed. Everything was too much. He rocked me until I ran out of steam and laid back. He held me in his arms until I fell into a drugged sleep. It’s what I needed. I had so many nightmares, but I couldn’t describe them beyond just terrifying and filled with screams. My own and an infant’s.

A nurse woke me up early in the morning to take out my IV and give me vitamins for the baby. When my breakfast tray came, it looked disgusting, so I pushed it away with a wrinkled nose. Jasper opened the milk and passed it to me with a straw. “At least drink this, so the pills don’t upset your stomach, and I’ll get you something from the cafeteria. Iron can be rough on your system.”

“Yes, sir,” I said a little sarcastically as I took it from him. It wasn’t cold enough for my tastes, but I finished it quickly. I made sure to slurp the end to make a point. He rolled his eyes but was still smiling.

There was a quick, sharp knock on the door before it opened. Caroline popped her head in. I looked at the clock, realizing visiting hours just started. She must have been waiting outside to come in. “Oh, baby!” She whimpered as she rushed into the room. She hurried to the bed, but Jasper stopped her from pouncing on me.

“Careful. She took the impact on her side,” he reminded her as he hugged her gently. He was sore too.

“Right, I’m sorry.” She gave him a pained grin and came to the other side. My mother-in-law grabbed my hand and gently squeezed it. “How are you feeling?”

Grimacing, I tried to sit up. I had slouched down on the mattress. “I’m in a lot of pain, but I’ll live. I’ve never been in an accident before.”

“That wasn’t accidental, though. It was a deliberate hit-and-run,” my husband reminded me. “They were coming for you.”

Caroline leaned in and brushed the hair out of my eyes. “Don’t you worry, honey. We’ll take care of you until you’re on your feet again. You can stay at our house. We have that gigantic wall, and we can get a bunch of big dogs with sharp teeth to bite ‘em if they try anything stupid,” she continued to rant in a thick southern accent.

It was hard not to grin at her. “I just need to rest.”

Nodding, she tried to smile for me. “I am so angry right now. When I find the person doing this, I’m going to give them exactly what they deserve.”

“Me too,” her son swore with every bit of anger in his heart. It was a frightening promise.

There was another knock on the door. I half expected it to be Rose and Emmett, but it was a nurse with a big machine. “Hi, everyone! Do we have the whole family?”

“Almost. His sister is on her way,” his mother informed us. She looked at her son. “She has just been beside herself, worried about y’all. It’s not a good idea for Mamaw to be at the hospital around all these sick people, or she’d be up here, too.”

“No, it’s okay,” Jasper said with an anxious laugh. “We understand. Everybody doesn’t need to run up here. We’re alright. Just bounced around.” 

The woman continued to set up as we spoke. She rolled it over to me, plugging it into the wall. “So, Mom,” she began talking to me. She had a big smile on her face. “We want to do another ultrasound to check on the baby. Do we need to kick everyone out, or can they stay for the show?” She pointed at the machine. “I’m fine either way.”

“You’re pregnant?” Caroline asked in a loud, high-pitched voice. Her hands flew up to her mouth in surprise.

“Oops,” the poor nurse breathed, her cheeks turning red. I lost any hope of keeping the information to ourselves for a day. I hadn’t even got around to thinking about telling everyone yet. I was still processing it myself.

“She’s two months,” Jasper answered for us in a soft voice. “We found out last night.”

She didn’t scream as I expected her to. Her mouth was opened wide as her eyes went glossy. A sound like a cough came from her throat. Then she fainted, going face-first into the bed railing with a thump. She slid down the side slowly until her knees were on the floor.

Her son, her husband, and the nurse all ran to her. She was only out for a second. Jasper kneeled in front of her, making sure she wasn’t bleeding. There was a mark on her forehead.

“My baby is going to have a baby. He’s going to be a daddy. Oh,” she wept right as she came to, leaning into him. Her fingers curled into his shirt as she held on as tightly as she could. He embraced her closely, rocking her as she let her overwhelming excitement out.

“I am so sorry,” the nurse began to apologize. “I didn’t realize everybody didn’t know.”

I brought my hand up to stop her, shaking my head. “It’s okay. We can’t keep things quiet in this family anyway,” I laughed as I sniffled.

Justin wordlessly leaned over the bed to hug me. He was silently crying. It wasn’t hard like his wife, but the tears were still there. His warm, wet kiss pressed against my cheek. “You’re going to be amazing parents,” he whispered to me.

“Thank you,” I tried not to cry myself. I wasn’t sure I believed him. Fear overwhelmed me. I felt simultaneously too young and too old to be a mother. All my energy at that moment was gone.

He patted his hand on my belly. “Oh, there’s a tiny Hale in there. If he’s a hellion like his father and aunt, good luck.”

“I hope it’s a girl,” Caroline added as she sat back in her chair finally. “I want to spoil her.”

“How about we hope they’re just happy and healthy?” Jasper offered lightly. “It’s a little early to worry about their gender.”

She nodded in agreement eagerly. She wouldn’t care what she got, as long as she received the grandchild she always wanted.

There was another knock on the door. This time it was my brother- and sister-in-law. She looked as if she hadn’t gotten any sleep the night before. They seemed confused by the scene they walked in on. I wasn’t sure what they were expecting, but probably not that.

“What’s going on?” Rosalie drawled, looking around at every teary-eyed face. “Is everything okay? What’s with the big ass machine?”

Jasper stood from his mother’s side. “Bella’s about to have an ultrasound.”

“On her wrist?” She questioned, pointing at my injury. “I didn’t think it was that bad. Do they think you broke it now?”

“No. She’s going to have a baby!” His mother said through her happy tears. “I’m finally going to be a grandmother.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Really?” She asked in barely a breath. She was hurt and jarred. 

Nodding, I instantly felt guilt fill me. They had been trying for so long, and we got that way by accident.

Emmett laughed with pure joy. His smile was huge. “That is CRAZY! Yes! Congratulations!” He brought Jasper into an enormous bear hug and slapped his back. “Good job, man.”

I giggled because I couldn’t help myself. He was pleased for us, no jealousy in his reaction at all. My emotions were getting the better of me again. “We weren’t trying to get this way! I forgot to schedule my shot. So much has been going on.”

The nurse stood beside the machine. “I hate to interrupt, but I still need to do that ultrasound. Everyone in or out?” She asked me because my opinion was the only one that mattered.

“In,” I said because there was no way that I would deprive any of them of this experience.

They turned off the lights, and Jasper sat on the opposite side of me so he could watch the screen. His mother and father were standing by the head of the bed. Rose and Emmett were at my feet. Everyone was silent as they waited to see the newest member of the family for the first time.

I had to adjust the blanket, so I didn’t show off my boring white underwear as I lifted the gown to my breasts. There was no bump or any telltale sign. The gel she squirted on me was surprisingly warm. The wand helped spread it all around before she flicked on the screen. She had to press harder than I expected. It dug into my bladder uncomfortably.

“There we go. Right there,” she stated as she adjusted something. She pressed several buttons, then turned the scan so we could see it better. There was a tiny blob floating in the blackness. “There’s your baby.”

“If you say so,” Emmett chuckled as he leaned in and squinted. “What’s what?”

She clicked on things, taking a still picture. Then she marked places on the screen. Leg, arm, butt, head. They were just little nubs, but I could see what she was talking about once she pointed it out. It wasn’t human, for sure, but it was turning into something like that.

The images moved again. She slid the wand lower. Finally, she clicked a button several times in a row. It made a noise like static fill the room. Then a pattern emerged. Bomp, bomp, bomp... 

“There is their heartbeat. Nice and strong. Looks like everything is normal.”

“What’s her due date?” Caroline questioned. It was a good one. I didn’t know that either, and I wasn’t sure if Jasper did.

She hummed, waffling her head from side to side. “I’m going to put it around September thirteenth. Give or take. These things are never exact.”

“That’s my birthday,” I squeaked with a little laugh. Jasper squeezed my hand. When I looked at him, he grinned. He had tears in his eyes, too. Great things kept happening to me on that day.

Rose touched my foot to get my attention. She smiled at me, happy and sweet. “What a wonderful gift.”

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Thanks to Gina for proofreading!


Click to download the epub of this chapter!!
Click to download the pdf of this chapter!!

✨The next chapter of✨
💍Ring💍
will post on
January 12th!
💛See y'all then!💛

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