“You gonna come lay with me?” He grumbles expectantly.

“No. I’m gonna do some work. You just lay in bed and rest.”

“That wasn’t the deal.”

“The deal was to stay with you, not that I was going to lay in bed with you. Now get some rest.” I say moving back towards the desk and sitting in the chair. I can feel his eyes peering through me, trying to coerce me to look at him, but I do my damnedest to resist. Shivers rack my body and I desperately try to turn them off.

“Angel.” His words come out a caress over my skin. “Why don’t you put a movie on and come lay with me.”

“I really need to get this done.”

“Angel.” The sweetness from his voice evaporates and is replaced with his demanding one. I turn and eye him. His lower body is covered with a thin white sheet, arm splayed on the bed while the other is wrapped up in his brace. His heated eyes are solely focused on mine causing my body to quiver. I need to not give in, but my body does not listen.

I rise from the chair grabbing the remotes off of the table and handing them to him. “What do you want to watch?” I ask tentatively, my hands beginning to sweat.

“Action.” I smirk; he’s always loved action movies. Even as a kid, he loved to watch them.

I head over to the bookshelf filled with all of his favorites and settle for a Vin Diesel flick, no reason why I can’t have some eye candy. I place the movie in and walk over to the chair by the desk, pulling it to the side of the bed.

“So that’s how you’re gonna play this, huh?” G.T. says from the bed.

“I’m not playing anything. I’m going to sit here and watch a movie with you. That’s what you wanted.” He smirks and turns his head to the movie.

Vin Diesel is hot and all, but after about an hour, my eyes begin to get heavy. It’s been a hell of a few weeks, and my body is giving out on me. I rest my head on the back of the chair and my eyes droop heavily, lulling me into sleep.

“Angel?” My name being called wakes me from sleep, but the grogginess is pulling me back under. “Come here, babe.” My arm is being tugged. I open my eyes slightly to see G.T. pulling me towards his body. I have no will to fight, sleep is all I need. I climb into bed and rest my head on his arm. He places a cover over my body and pulls me tight to him. I instantly fall back to sleep.

I’m hot, really really hot. My body is on fire and I need reprieve now. My eyes open to see the source of the heat melting my body into the bed. G.T.’s arm is pulling me too tight to his side and his body heat radiates off of him. Looking up at his face, his face has lost all the tension in it making him look younger and relaxed, more like the boy that I fell in love with all those years ago.

I wish things were different between us. I wish this could work. It kills me that I’m not enough for him and it kills me more that I lost the only part of him that I had left. Tears spring to my eyes. My hand reaches for my stomach and rubs gently remembering the day I found out about her and I smile. I’d never been so happy in my life as the day I got that positive pregnancy result and that day is tarnished because of G.T.’s actions. I shake my head and pull G.T.’s tight grip off of my waist.

He mumbles and grunts but his eyes don’t open. I slide out of bed and look at the clock. 10:17pm, damn I slept a long time. My stomach growls and I realize I haven’t eaten since early morning. Looking back over at a peaceful G.T., I head out of the room in search of food.

The music blares through the clubhouse and I’m surprised I didn’t hear it back in G.T.’s room. Entering the main room, brothers, ol’ ladies and women are scattered around, most with drinks in their hands and dancing to the beat. On top of a couple of tables are women with barely there clothes dancing their asses off. Since the club is on lockdown, I know it’s a club party and not a brother one.

A club party is all the members of the club, their ol’ ladies and the entertainment of strippers. A brother party is a no holds barred party that ol’ ladies and significant others are banned from.

Cruz sits on a stool at the bar nursing a beer as I walk up to him. “Hey.” He turns on the stool.

“Hey Case. How’s the patient?” He smirks like he knows something I don’t.

I eye him. “Stubborn and sleeping.”

He chuckles which makes me smirk seeing a big guy like him chuckle. “You did good, girl.”

“I haven’t done much Cruz. Pretty much just slept the day away.” I shrug my shoulder.

“Woman. That man wouldn’t sit still for five minutes. You come along and he’s sleeping like a baby.”

“Cruz. He just likes a warm body to keep him company, and I’m just the closest thing he’s got right now. I’m sure the next one will come along in a day or so and I’ll be long forgotten.”

“You need to talk to Princess about this shit. And for the record, you’re full of shit.” He grabs his beer and leaves me at the bar.

Looking around, Becs nods his head to me and I nod back. I search for Harlow, but see her nowhere. She must be with Cooper. The thought is a double edged sword. I want to see him, but I know it will hurt to see the little guy running around, when my little one didn’t have a chance.

Shaking my head, I move to the kitchen where Ma is standing preparing food with Legs and Bubbles. “Hi.” I give a slight wave as all eyes turn to me. Ma rushes to me wrapping her arms tight around my body as I do the same.

“Man, I missed you baby girl. I’m so glad you’re home.” My insides turn warm, wanted, loved. I feel the red blush creeping up my cheeks. Ma pulls away, “Look at you! You are skin and bones, you need food, now.” She shakes her head disapprovingly.

“I eat Ma. I’ve just been under a bit of stress with school, but it’ll get better.” I reassure her not knowing if it will ever get better.

“You’ll eat now while you’re here. If I have to watch every bite you put in your mouth, I will young lady.” I grin. “And you need strength to take care of my boy.” My lips fall and my eyes close.

“Ma, it’s only for a few more hours and then he’ll be on his own, but thanks.”

“Sweetheart, my boy is a stubborn man like his daddy. You don’t give up on him, you hear me.”

I nod and the tightness in my chest returns. I give a slight cough to clear my throat. “I need to get some food for G.T. he hasn’t eaten in a while.”

“I’ll get it sweetheart.” She releases her hold on me, moving quickly throughout the kitchen.

Legs approaches, “You are so beautiful Casey and smart to boot. Your daddy is so proud of you right now.”

One small mention of Bam and I’m fighting back tears that I thought had dried up. “Thank you.” I choke out trying to hold back.

“We were all so worried when you left. We still are. I know that Bam wanted you to go to school, but can’t you do that online or something so you’re home?” I stand there shocked at her words. Never once has anyone really said anything about my leaving. Never once have any of them said they wanted me to stay here. “I mean, we all know you are smart and can do it, we just miss you here.” She smiles pulling away.

“I never thought about online school.” In fact, when I found out I was pregnant I couldn’t get out of here quick enough.

“Just something to think about.” She winks moving back to the counter of food.

Bubbles giggles as she walks over and wraps her arms around me tight. “I agree with everything they said. But I want to add, G.T. needs you. He just hasn’t been himself since you left.”

I pull away from her, hurt by her words. “He doesn’t want me, Bubbles. He made it perfectly clear and I’ll be going right back to school when Diamond’s funeral is over.” Something inside of me strengthened. I just don’t care that he isn’t the same. It’s his own damn fault. Not mine. He did this, not me.

“I’m sad to hear that.” She shakes her head back and forth. “We sure do miss you.”