Page 9 of How is This My Life? (Shorts)

Adrian’s POV

Elise had been gone for roughly ten minutes with Tennley to change into her nighttime clothes when she said she shouldn’t be more than five.

Something felt wrong. She’d been doing most of the changing and nighttime routine the last two weeks, except one night when she got held up at work by a crazy patient.

I wanted to help, but I didn’t want to overstep or intrude on her routines.

I checked my watch again as I headed inside; it had been twelve minutes.

The sinking feeling in my gut, the one I got before every ambush overseas, was screaming that something was terribly wrong.

It was more intense than the feeling I had right before getting blown up.

I started checking the rooms of this monstrous-sized cabin where they had the reception.

The living room, kitchen, dining area, reception area, and the first two bedrooms on the first floor, all empty.

I spun around, knowing there were two more hallways to check.

I strode down the hallway in that direction.

I could feel my heart rate picking up, and I couldn’t help the worry that started gnawing at the back of my mind. Where were my girls?

Yes.

My girls.

I had started to think that over the last two or so days.

I woke up every morning, happy to start breakfast for both of them, and I loved listening to Tennley’s giggles.

They were the highlight of my day, every day.

And when she cried, the tears that welled in her eyes, she broke my ice-cold heart, and I would happily go to war to destroy whatever made her cry. I heard a scream, sharp and shrill!

“No!” I stopped walked and listened, “Don’t you fucking touch us!

Stay away from us!” I was trying to concentrate on where her voice came from.

As soon as she was done yelling, I heard my little princess crying.

The ringing in my ears started, and it was the absolute wrong time for that.

But I zeroed in on her cries, and I strode toward her.

I felt like I was back in the service. All I was missing was my weapon.

“Trevor! Stop it! Let go! Help!” Keep yelling , was all I could think when I heard both of them more clearly, and moved, sprinting in the direction of the hallway.

“Who the fuck is he?!” The man roared at the end of the hallway where I saw them with his hand on my girl, and my baby was red in the face, screaming her little lungs out.

She noticed me first as I ran up on this asshole from behind.

I rounded his right side, grabbing his arm tightly, twisting it behind his back until he squeaked.

“Let go.” I said icily, deadly quiet, rage oozing out of me at the sight of my girls looking so frightened, “Now. Or I break it off.” He looked in my eyes and I could see he was fucking hammered.

Hopefully, he listened to that survival instinct, because mine kicked in, and I quickly moved my body between my girls and this guy.

“You two, okay?” I could hear Elise shushing Tennley and sniffling.

I wanted to fucking kill him. The urge to snap his pathetic neck kicked in, and I had to physically restrain myself by stepping back until I was pressed against them.

My arms wrapped behind me, holding them as close to me as I could since I was too unwilling to take my eyes off this snake.

I’d heard stories about him from Aaron when I asked what happened with the dad when I’d casually brought it up with Elise, and she shut down.

He’d told me how he asked for an open relationship, blamed her for leaving, and then jumped at the chance to sign away his rights to his daughter when he was presented with the option.

“Fuck off man. We were talking. That’s my girl and baby.” He slurred, unable to make eye contact, like he was staring through me. He was hiccupping as he tried to speak, swaying on his feet, barely standing upright.

“No. You’re done here.” He looked like he wanted to object, “Who did you come with?” I demanded, putting my arms out in a way that I tried to corral him back to the party.

Elise turned and hurried into the room behind us, locking the door.

Once she was safely inside, I lowered my arms to my sides, standing there, waiting for whatever this asshole had in store for me.

“Fuck you! That’s who! That’s my girl! I’m trying to fix shit.

” He screamed, getting in my space trying to intimidate me, spit flying from the gaping shit hole in the middle of his face.

I took a deep breath because I hadn’t told anyone that I was falling for her.

For them . That I claimed them, silently, but knowing that they’re mine.

“You need to walk the fuck away. Those are my girls ,” I growled at him, low and deadly, “You scared the shit out of them, but especially my little girl, and if you don’t leave, right the fuck now, I’ll have to make you.

And I don’t want to do that, seeing how fucked up you are.

Couldn’t call that a fair fight now, could we? ”

His face turned red and angry. Deciding it was a good idea to swing, he stumbled and missed, falling on his face, as I heard laughter from the other end of the hall.

I didn’t even have to raise a fist for him to look like an ass.

I looked up, seeing the catering crew peeking from around the corner, probably seeing what the drama was.

One man, who looked like the chef, was marching this way.

“Sorry about him, sir. Unfortunately, he’s my cousin.

Is she okay?” I just looked at him. Not saying a thing.

I looked down at the fucker splayed across the floor.

He was wearing the same outfit as this man, claiming to be his cousin.

Was he part of the catering crew? Did he get drunk on the clock and just assault a guest?

! “I’m assuming he caught up to Elise?” I nodded, and his face paled considerably.

“Sorry. He moved in with me about eight months ago. From what he’s told me, I knew they had broken up like a year or so ago, but that was all he said.

He hasn’t been himself since, and the rest of the family was really worried.

I’ve been trying to help him get his shit together.

He was doing well lately, and he was supposed to be bartending for my company tonight.

I didn’t know, I swear. I’ll be in contact with Denise tomorrow to figure out how to solve this.

I am so sorry. I didn’t recognize the names. I wasn’t close with all of them.”

“He needs to sleep it off, somewhere else,” I stared into his eyes, so he could deliver the message crystal clearly, “He touches, looks at, or fucking breathes the same air as my girls , I’ll have a lovely chat with him where he ends up eating through a fucking straw. Do you understand?”

He swallowed hard, eyes wide, nodding, looking down at his cousin like maybe he didn’t want in on whatever shit he was in.

“Thank you.” I heard the tiniest, most angelic, yet terrified voice coming behind me.

I turned slowly and saw both my girls with red eyes.

My heart physically ached in my chest. I held my arm out for her to tuck under, and she buried deep, our little one in her jammies.

I wrapped both arms around them, and she practically melted into my arms, our girl tucked between us.

I kissed Tenn’s little forehead as gently as I could, telling her she was a brave girl with mommy, that it was all okay now. The man was gone now.

Pulling Elise a little closer, I walked both of them out of the reception.

Aaron saw us leaving, but I just held a hand up and pointed to a sleeping Tennley on her mother’s shoulder, and he gave me a nod and a wave.

I made sure that the three of us made it safely back to the cabin.

I had made up my mind on the walk over. I wasn’t leaving them tonight.

Not that I had been planning on it, but definitely not now.

Watching as Elise laid Tennley down in the pack-n-play we brought, I smiled.

I know what happened tonight wasn’t ideal.

It wasn’t how I wanted her to hear me claim her, and Tennley, but I knew I wanted this.

I want these two. This was what I had been missing.

The nightmares were gone when they were close.

I felt a peace I had never known in my life.

Then there were the few times I had fallen asleep next to Tennley, trying to get her down for her nap, and again in the middle of the night so Elise could sleep a little longer.

I didn’t replay that day over and over anymore when they were around.

The anger was quieter when they were around.

“I’m going to change…umm…would you…” She looked from my eyes to the floor. Breathing in, she looked at me.

“Oh! Yeah,” I turned around, giving her privacy. I heard a small giggle and then the rustling of clothes. “After I’ve changed, will you…Would you stay, in here, with us? Please?”

What? Did my brain short-circuit? Did I hear her correctly?

“I don’t want to be alone.” She looked hopeful, “I mean I know Tennley’s in here, but it’s not the same, ya know?

And I feel safe with you, and that’s what I want.

I want to feel safe. I have to call my lawyer tomorrow about this, too, and I just want to feel safe again.

And what he did back there, grabbing me, holding my arm as tightly as he did.

I hated it. I felt so uncomfortable, so unsafe.

And I didn’t feel like I could do anything to protect us.

Tennley and me, I mean.” I was completely shocked that she was saying these things to me.

I still couldn’t wrap my head around it.

She wanted me to sleep in here? Because I made her feel safe? She wanted me with them?

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I just—” I smiled, cutting her off as I made my way to the door, not peeking, giving her the privacy she deserved, even though I hated it.

“Yeah. I’ll go change while you do. Do you mind if I bring my pillow?” I was smiling as I asked, the grin permanently etched on my face. She made me feel like I was the exact person she needed. Me specifically.

“Okay,” her voice came out barely above a whisper.

If I weren’t holding my breath, I would have missed it.

I hurried to my room, stripping out of my suit and hanging it up faster than I think I’ve ever hung up even one of my dress uniforms to perfection.

I tossed on my grey sweats, which I knew she liked on me, grabbed my pillow, and headed back to her room.

She left the door open, and I saw her struggling to unzip her dress.

I took three steps forward, back into her room.

I reached my hand out, gently gripping her zipper as I slowly pulled it down, helping her unzip it.

She slipped her arms out and put a t-shirt over her head before stepping out of her dress.

I bent down and picked it up as she delicately stepped out of it.

I hung it for her while she finished getting ready for bed.

I lifted the covers and scooted onto the bed.

She crawled into bed next to me, curling into my side, letting me wrap my arms around her.

She smiled at me, and I just started talking.

Anything that came to mind, anything I had been wanting to tell her but was too chicken shit to say.

I was hoping to give her comfort, but also, it felt right.

I told her about my family, or lack thereof, a little bit about my time in the military, and I even told her about getting blown up.

I showed her the scar on my leg where I was missing a chunk of my thigh.

She opened up about her ex, Trevor, when previously she didn’t want to, and whom I had the pleasure of meeting earlier tonight.

She told me everything, her parents, about how she met Denise and Aaron, how Trevor asked for an open relationship, then signed away his rights to Tennley.

She let me see everything, openly and fully vulnerable.

We talked so long that I didn’t know what time it was when we finally fell asleep, but I knew I wasn’t out long when I heard Tennley cry.

I tried to wake Elise so she could feed Tennley, but she was out.

I picked my little lady up out of the pack-n-play and went downstairs to get breastmilk out of the freezer to thaw, getting a bottle ready for the now-angry little princess.

I waited for the breastmilk to thaw and warm before putting it in the bottle, bouncing with my girl, trying to soothe her.

Once we got back to the room, she was just a little fussy.

I leaned against the headboard, feeding the world's most beautiful little girl, looking at her beautiful mother who was sleeping next to me, I wanted all of this. Could I be a luckier bastard? I lucked into this woman’s world.

I lucked into this smiley little baby. Kissing the sleeping pair, I curled around Elise and Tennley.

If you’d asked me two years ago what I wanted, it was to party on in the military. Now? These two. That was what I wanted. A life with them.

How is this my life?