Page 74
Story: Little Nightmare
And Ace De Lange just stared, the protective shield shattered in front of my eyes as he opened his mouth and closed it.
I’d seen men cry—my family was very open to expressing themselves.
But I’d never seen someone actually break. I never thought I would be the one to break them.
In one second, I wasn’t just a nickname, I was his nightmare.
A tear slid down Ace’s cheek before he could stop it. He didn’t say anything. He just left.
The door shut quietly behind him.
When I looked down, his phone was still on, but the podcast wasn’t True Crime—it was an audio book on how to be a good father.
23
RAVEN
The one where words mean nothing and actions are long gone…
8 Months Later
Iwas dying.
I always imagined it differently, that I would be taken too soon from this world by way of violence—not by way of life and beauty.
She hadn’t cried yet, why wasn’t she crying? “Ace?”
“One more push,” he whispered against my sweaty neck. I was in too much pain and yet not even a part of my own body as I weakly nodded my head. “She wants to meet you, desperately.”
I wronged him.
In so many ways.
Maybe this would be the one right thing I did, the last gift.
“She’s losing too much blood.” It was Sergio’s voice I think. After two days of labor they’d finally let him in, and he was pissed they’d let it go on this long.
“Options?” someone said.
“Emergency C-section,” someone else said.
Ace never left my side.
Everything happened too fast; I wasn’t in my body or was I? Suddenly a cry erupted through the room. It was loud, just like me.
“Good job, Raven. Good job.” Ace was either sweating as much as I was or he was crying, his face was wet against my cheek. “She’s perfect.”
“I’m sorry.” I choked out a cry. “I’m sorry for everything I know I keep saying.” My vision blurred. “You know I-l?—”
“Do something!” Ace yelled. Was that Ace?
Alarms went off or was it a clock beeping?
The pain was gone.
I was dying, wasn’t I?
The pain left.
I’d seen men cry—my family was very open to expressing themselves.
But I’d never seen someone actually break. I never thought I would be the one to break them.
In one second, I wasn’t just a nickname, I was his nightmare.
A tear slid down Ace’s cheek before he could stop it. He didn’t say anything. He just left.
The door shut quietly behind him.
When I looked down, his phone was still on, but the podcast wasn’t True Crime—it was an audio book on how to be a good father.
23
RAVEN
The one where words mean nothing and actions are long gone…
8 Months Later
Iwas dying.
I always imagined it differently, that I would be taken too soon from this world by way of violence—not by way of life and beauty.
She hadn’t cried yet, why wasn’t she crying? “Ace?”
“One more push,” he whispered against my sweaty neck. I was in too much pain and yet not even a part of my own body as I weakly nodded my head. “She wants to meet you, desperately.”
I wronged him.
In so many ways.
Maybe this would be the one right thing I did, the last gift.
“She’s losing too much blood.” It was Sergio’s voice I think. After two days of labor they’d finally let him in, and he was pissed they’d let it go on this long.
“Options?” someone said.
“Emergency C-section,” someone else said.
Ace never left my side.
Everything happened too fast; I wasn’t in my body or was I? Suddenly a cry erupted through the room. It was loud, just like me.
“Good job, Raven. Good job.” Ace was either sweating as much as I was or he was crying, his face was wet against my cheek. “She’s perfect.”
“I’m sorry.” I choked out a cry. “I’m sorry for everything I know I keep saying.” My vision blurred. “You know I-l?—”
“Do something!” Ace yelled. Was that Ace?
Alarms went off or was it a clock beeping?
The pain was gone.
I was dying, wasn’t I?
The pain left.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96