My Heart Is Yours

Wednesday’s pov

One minute, I was standing there with my daughter in my arms looking down at the man that I had been in love with for a really long time now. And the next, I was being squeezed to death and that daughter of mine, who was also his daughter, was getting sandwiched between us in an uncomfortable way.

“Oh my god. Oh my god,” Max muttered into my ear as he hugged us both. It became a little mantra and I smiled as I stood there, wishing that I could hug him back and not believing that I was actually here and doing this right now. I’d just thrown my life in Tallahassee out the window to go be with Max.

But hey, I was supposed to have been here all along. So that was all that mattered…

“Can’t…breathe…” I muttered and laughed as he released me and stammered a million apologies. Lily was grinning madly and didn’t seem to care that she’d just been squished between her parents. In fact, she was twisting out of my grip and wriggling her way down to her feet. Or at least trying to. I smiled and set her down before straightening as she ran over to Max.

I watched from the sidelines, smiling to myself. A door closed somewhere behind me and I spun around to see that one of the guys had run back to close the door that separated this room from the rest of the bus. So Max and I were alone now. I smiled, nervousness striking up in me as I turned to face Max and Lily.

“God I love you…” he told me, reaching out to pull me into his side under his free arm. Lily was balanced skillfully on his hip and I wondered how the hell he’d gotten experience from that. Probably with Leila, honestly. It was good to know that he seemed to be like he’d be a good father. That was always a really, really good thing. I wrapped my arms around him and my daughter, keeping my silence as I fought back the tears. For once, they were actually tears of happiness, which was an incredibly good thing.

“I love you, too. I’m so sorry, Max…” I said, nuzzling into his shoulder and sighing. Lily had stopped chatting about nonsense to look at me worried. I felt a few tears slide down my cheeks and she frowned at me, worried.

“Mama, what’s wrong?” she asked before yawning an incredibly large yawn. I smiled at her, shaking my head and reaching over to brush her long hair back.

“Nothing, sweetie. I’m just happy. They’re good tears, not bad.”

“Oh. That’s good.” She yawned again and I tore myself away from Max. He was still pretty speechless.

“Come on, baby. Let’s get you to bed. It’s past your bed time,” I said, smiling as I reached to take Lily off of his hands. He shook his head and instead moved his free arm around her, holding her to his chest and resting his head on hers. I smiled at him and shrugged. Why not? He’d have to get used to putting her to bed anyway…

I walked back into the bunk hall, Max and Lily echoing my footsteps. I stopped at the first bunk out of there and pulled the curtain aside, grabbing mine and Lily’s duffel bags and yanking them out of it and setting them aside as Max knelt and lay her down gently. She yawned again and muttered goodnights to the both of us before her lids closed heavily over her pretty, stormy blue-green eyes.

“See you in the morning, Lils,” Max said. I wondered what he was thinking and everything like that as I watched him with my daughter. No. Correction. Our daughter. I’d have to get used to sharing the claim over her. After almost six years of not having to share her with another person as her parent, it was going to take some getting used to. But I’d get over my sole possession over her. Maybe.

We stood there for a few more moments before Max finally stood and took me up in his arms, squeezing tightly and nuzzling into my neck. God I had missed him…

He set me back on my feet before kissing my head tentatively. “I’ll be right back,” he muttered quietly. I nodded and watched as he skirted around me and headed for the main room, where the rest of the guys were chatting and laughing.

“Guys. Shut up. My kid is sleeping in there, okay? I’ll eat your souls if you wake her up. Please?” I had to bite back laughter at that.

“Can we at least say hi to Wendy?”

“No. Not tonight. Screw you guys.” I did have to laugh a bit at that as I walked off after him, poking my head out and waving.

“Hey guys,” I said with a grin. Max turned back toward me and sighed before smiling back at me. All three of the guys all stood and began walking over towards me before Max saw and rushed over to me, enveloping in his arms and shielding me away from them.

“No! Mine!” he said protectively and I grinned as I hugged him back and snuggled into his chest. I inhaled the familiar scent of smoke and Axe. With alcohol thrown in the mix as well.

“Dude! What the hell!?” Craig protested as the love of my life continued to glare back at them.

“I said you guys can hang with her tomorrow. But I want to spend time with her first. So mleh!” he told them, sticking his tongue out at the end. I grinned and chuckled to myself as the guys all groaned and muttered various things about how he was a greedy dick. I’d have to whip them into shape while I was here to keep them from cursing. Craig was good at it, at least. But the other three were going to take some serious training. I really didn’t now want to hear anything remotely foul come out of my five year old’s mouth. That would not be a pleasant thing. And I would have been really fucking pissed off.

Max picked me up again, holding me to his chest and off the floor slightly as he walked us back into the backroom. He kicked the door shut quietly behind us before setting me on my feet.

He pulled away from me and grinned, his hands sliding down and around to grab at mine. “Holy crap, dude. I can’t believe you’re here!” he exclaimed, bouncing excitedly before me. I grinned and nodded.

“Neither can I. Max, I never meant to hurt you. And you better know that I didn’t mean anything I said in Tallahassee,” I told him and he grinned and nodded, beginning to open his mouth before I cut him off. “Because I adore and love the living crap out of you.” My voice had gone soft as I said that last part. I stepped forward and threw myself around him, holding him tight and never wanting to let go. Ever.

“God. I adore and love the living crap out of you more,” he said in my ear, hugging me back. I grinned as I moved my head and went to attach my lips to his. That was, the single most amazing thing I have ever felt. It was ten times better than then kiss that we’d shared a few days ago. And it was ten million times better than any kiss that we had ever shared together. I almost started crying again because I was so happy.

God I loved him…