‹ Prequel: Undead
Hey Butterfly
Street Dreams
Chapter Four
“Willow, you’re balancing Blake on your hip, on the phone, and trying to make dinner. You can’t possibly fold the laundry too” Johnny says, from the other side of the counter. I shoot him a ‘you wanna bet’ look then continue with my phone conversation.
“No, Jorel. It’s fine. I get it, you want to hurry up and get this done as quickly as possible. Stay. I’m fine with Blakey” I tell him as the oven begins to beep. I hand Blake to Johnny as I pull out pizza from the oven. “No babe. If you show up I will kick your ass and lock you out.”
I feel hands on my hips as somebody moves past me towards the fridge, “You are we kicking out?” Tony asks grabbing the milk.
“Jorel, if he shows up here instead of staying with his band” I tell him as I carefully slice the pizza. I grab the phone as it starts to slide off my shoulder, “Jorel Michael Decker, stay or I will take off this ring and sell it on eBay.”
Finally I hear him sign, “Fine babe. I’ll stay but next time I am coming home. I don’t care if the world if burning down. I love you.”
“I love you too Jorel.”
I hear him start to cough, “Hey can I talk to Johnny for a second?”
I look up at Johnny, “I’ll trade you. Phone for my kid.”
He pouts at me, “I like your kid better than talking to Jorel.”
“Johnny, give me my kid and take the phone!”
“Yes master” he hands me Blake and takes the phone. I pull Blake close to me.
“Sorry Blakey but Daddy isn’t coming home this week but he’ll be back soon” I kiss the top of his very blonde head. “Don’t worry. He promised us.”
It had been just over a month since Jorel and the rest of the band left. And they took Charlotte with them. I had been stuck with Johnny, Tony, and Alec ever since. They slept in Charlotte’s and Mathew’s apartment but spent the majority of their time in mine with me and Blake. Johnny and Tony helped me out a lot but Alec still made me feel uncomfortable, and I could tell Jorel didn’t like him being there. But luckily he went up to Ayer to visit old friends for the week. So this week, Johnny and Tony had been sleeping in my apartment. Since everybody left I had been handling everything pretty well. Today was suppose to be the first day I get to see Jorel since he left but they had a lot of work to do so I told him to stay.
“Hey Willow, want me to feed Blake?” Tony asks, making faces at Blake over my shoulder to get him to giggle. Jorel had missed a lot since being gone, including Blake’s first laughing fit.
“No, eat first then you can if you want to” I order him. Sometimes I felt like Johnny and Tony were my older kids that I had to take care of.
I hear Johnny hang up the phone, “Jorel says he loves you and if you burn yourself on the oven one more time he is going to fly over here just to murder me with a rusty blade.”
“You told him I burned myself?!” I yell at him.
“He asked if you had hurt yourself…”
I shake my head as I lay Blake in the small crib we had set up in the living room. “Hold on a second babes. Tony will feed you when he is done eating.”
“Fuck! Alec comes back tomorrow” I hear Johnny say from the kitchen.
“Johnny LANGUAGE!” I yell.
“Sorry. But I don’t want him to come back.”
I walk into the kitchen, “What if we pretend that we left to go to LA with the guys?”
“How would we do that?” Tony asks, his mouth full of pizza.
“Lock the doors and leave for a few hours. You guys weren’t stupid enough to give him keys were you?”
Both shake their heads then Johnny shrugs, “Isn’t that a little mean?”
I look at him, “If you knew the things he did to me, this would be the sweetest thing in the world.”
“What did he do to you?” Tony asks as Blake starts to cry in the living room.
I walk to my baby but turn in the kitchen doorway, “He raped me in my own room. On my birthday. Got me pregnant and then pushed me down a flight of stairs when he found out. I was in the hospital for a week.” I continue my walk towards Blake’s crib and pick him up. I sink into the couch and hold Blake to my chest. The one boy that couldn’t hurt me.
After a few minutes Johnny came and sat next to me, “If he did that to you, why did you let him in your door?”
“Because I believe people can change. I doubt he even remembers it. He was on a constant high back then.”
“Willow, how old were you?”
“14.”
“You were raped at 14?”
“Yeah. And ended up pregnant.”
“Did your parents know?”
“They knew I was pregnant. They thought it was Cody’s baby.”
“Okay, who is this Cody character?”
“Ex-boyfriend.”
“And what happened to him?”
I look at him over Blake’s head, “Suicide.”
“When was that?”
“When I was 15.”
Johnny puts his head in his hands, “Did you deal with something every teen year?”
“Let’s see. 13 stopped talking to my father. 14 almost died and got raped, then diagnosed with depression. 15 lost my first love and best friend. 16 got in a car crash and then tried to kill myself twice. 17 almost completed suicide. 18 met Jordon Terrell, got abused by Jordon Terrell. 19 got saved by Jorel Decker, got pregnant, and had this handsome little boy right here” I say looking down at Blake.
I look up to see Johnny starting at me wide eyed, “No wonder why my brother loved you.”
“Why?”
“Because you are so strong but you don’t seem to know it. Just like you don’t know how beautiful you are.”
I nod, “He used to say that to me all the time. Right before Jorel kicked him out, he got a tattoo for me. It said ‘Paint me a pretty picture of lies and hate’ and then it had a little butterfly. Because I was his butterfly.”
“Because butterflies are beautiful and get caught in the wind, just like you” Johnny says as I begin to cry.
I feel him wrap his arms around me, just for a minute I felt like I was in George’s arms, “Tell my baby I love her and I wish I could hold her, it’s hard to say goodbye when you know that it’s over.”
Johnny pulls away and looks at me, “Willow, it’s never over.”
“It’ll never be over. I have to be here for Blake” I say as I kiss the top of Blake’s head,
“Do you know how much George loved you?” Johnny asks me, seriously.
“Honestly? No.”
Johnny smiles at the memories that seemed to come back, “I remember the first time he told me about you. I was like ‘Nice bro, you’re getting some more ass like always.’ And he just said, ‘No Johnny. This time it’s different. She’s different. I think she might be the one.’ He was so happy with you. He told me like awhile ago when you first got pregnant or maybe before that, you fell asleep in his arms. He told me it was the best feeling in the world, to have the girl you love fall asleep in your arms. He used to go on about you forever. ‘Johnny she’s so beautiful, so smart, so talent, so this, so that’ It went on for hours. And I remember each time that he remembered that you weren’t his, his heart broke. Every time. He didn’t know what to do with himself, he wanted so badly to make you happy. Then when he found out you were pregnant with his baby, oh my god I thought he was going to die of joy. I could practically hear him jumping up and down. He called me at like 3 in the fucking morning. I was at my ex girlfriend’s house trying to get some. And I answer the phone like ‘What the fuck do you want?’ all he says is ‘SHE’S PREGNANT WITH MY BABY!’” he shakes his head at the memory then looks at me. “My point being is that George never really loved anything or anybody. You were his baby girl. He would’ve done anything for you.”
He reaches over and wipes the tears from my face as Tony bursts out of the kitchen singing, “TOP DOWN SEAT BACK ROLLING IN MY CADILLAC!”
I shake my head and smiled, I had gotten used to Tony randomly breaking out into his old songs. “Tony want to feed my baby now?”
“I would love to” he dances his way over to me and picks up Blake, and dances away with him to the kitchen.
I look over at Johnny, “Why must you look so much like your brother?”
“It’s a trick to try and get you to kiss me” He says putting on his player smile and nodding his head.
“Yeah not happening” I tell him then think for a minute. “I think one of the things I miss the most about your brother is I felt so comfortable around him. I would just lay and watch movies with him without a care in the fucking world.”
“WILLOW LANGUAGE!” Tony yells from the kitchen.
I shake my head, “I miss your brother. And I love him, but not the way he wanted me to.”
I feel Johnny kiss my forehead, “But you love him at least. For him. Not for his money.”
I shake my head, “I never understood girls like that. How can you say you love somebody when you love their money not them?”
“I don’t know…”
“HE THREW UP ON ME!” Tony yells from the kitchen.
I get up and walk to them, “Aw little Blake threw up on Uncle Tony. What are we going to do with you mister?”
“Well you can kiss me” Tony answers as I grab a paper towel to wipe his shoulder.
“No. I’m engaged to a very sexy man that I love to death.”
“Wait, when did you and Johnny get engaged?!”
I shake my head and wiggle Blake from Tony’s arms as he pulls off his shirt. “Did you have to do that in the middle of my kitchen?”
“Yes I did. Where can I put this?” I point to the laundry basket. “Thank you.”
“No problem. I should actually go do the laundry…”
“Nah. You should watch this movie with us” Johnny says, turning on the TV.
“But…”
“No.”
“There’s a lot of fucking laundry!”
“You go do the laundry and I’ll watch Blake” Tony says, taking Blake from me. “I love babysitting this little man.”
“Are you sure?”
“Go before I hit you!” Tony yells as he walks away from me with Blake.
“Fine” I grab the basket and walk out the door. “Mommy will be back.”
I turn quickly and smack into somebody, “How did that feel for your face?”
“DANNY!” I drop the basket and hug him. “I thought you guys were too busy to come home.”
“That all are because they have interviews booked. Jorel said he wants to keep me a surprise until the first concert so he sent me home for the weekend” He explains with a smile. “And trust me this will be one busy weekend.”
“What are we going to do?” I ask, picking up the basket.
“Well right now we are going to steal all the washers downstairs then come back up and start to pack for the weekend.”
He grabs the basket from me and walks towards the stairs, I jog to keep up with him, “Where are we going?”
He remains silent as we walk down the stairs, finally he talks when we reach the laundry room. “Alec is gone right?”
“He comes back tomorrow” I tell him as I load the first washer.
“Then we are leaving tonight” He helps me load Blake’s clothes into the second washer.
“All of us or just me, you, and Blake?”
“All of us. As much as I love being with you and Blake. We need somebody to watch him while I drag you places” He explains as I start the washers.
“Where are we going?”
Danny smiles, “Places…”
“What kind of places?” I ask walking out the door.
“The kind you go to.”
“Well I need to know so I can pack the right stuff for Blake.”
“Don’t worry about it” He tells me, kissing my forehead. “Just be prepared for anything.”
I hit him with the silent treatment for the rest of the walk upstairs. But I still wanted to know what he had in mind. We reach our floor just as Blake starts to scream. I open the door and find Johnny trying to calm Blake down. Danny pushes past me and grabs Blake who continues crying for a second then stops and falls asleep on his shoulder.
“Careful, I don’t want to confuse him even more on who his daddy is” I tell Danny, as I walk towards Blake’s room. Danny follows me to put Blake into his crib. “So what should I pack?”
“Just be prepared for anything. And how much do you trust me?”
“A lot, why?”
“Do you fit into your clothes from before Blake?”
“Most of them, why?”
He walks out the door and starts to pull it shut, “Stay in here until I come get you, okay?”
“Okay…” I watch as he pulls the door shut. I sit on the floor next to Blake’s dresser and begin to grab clothes. It was Thursday and Danny said for the weekend so I grab three days world of clothes and extras, plus comfy clothes. I shove the clothes into a backpack with a blanket and the elephant that Mathew gave to Blake, he wouldn’t go to bed without it. I put the bag next to the door and grab a package of diapers.
I sit back down on the floor with my back to the door and look around Blake’s room. The guitar Jordon got for him was hanging on the wall above the crib. There was a wall with pictures of everybody, including one with me and George. Danny graffiti the wall next to the window, his room looked exactly how I wanted it to. I lay across the floor and close my eyes.
My eyes open when Danny opened the door and scared the hell out of me, “Willow it’s time to go.”
I stand up and try to get my heart beat back to normal, “Where are we going?”
“Grab Blake and let’s go.”
“But I still need to get the pump and the bottles from the fridge.”
“I got them.”
“The diaper bag?”
“Got it.
“His books?”
“I grab the usuals.”
“Cell phone charger?”
“Oh my god Willow. I remember it all! If I didn’t I’ll buy it for you. Grab Blake and let’s go.”
I reach down into the crib and pull my little baby up, “Shh” I whisper as he starts to fuss. I look up at Danny, “What about the laundry?”
“Folded and put on the bed” He tells me grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the door.
“But…”
“Willow Elizabeth Decker shut up” he pushes me out the door in front of him and shuts the door. “Come on it’ll be fun.”
The walk to the car was quiet, I refused to talk to Danny until he told me where we were going. Once we step out into the hot July sun I notice Johnny and Tony sitting on the hood of my mustang.
“About fucking time” Tony says jumping down to grab Blake’s bag from Danny. They put everything in the trunk and slam it shut. “Time for another adventure!”
Danny opens the passenger side door for me but I shake my head, “I’m going to sit in the back with Blake and…”
“Me” Johnny says. “I hate the front, makes me sick.”
“You just want to be close to her” Danny says, giving him the ‘don’t you even think about it’ look. He opens the back door and takes Blake from me. “Ready to go on this adventure, buddy?”
Blake giggles as Danny straps him in. Danny shuts the door then walks to the other side to open the door for me before getting in. I walk around and smile at him, “I am perfectly capable of opening a door.”
“Too bad” he users me inside. I slide in until I am right next to Blake’s car seat. I smile down at him as Johnny gets in next to me. “Where is Uncle Danny taking us?” I ask Blake as he giggles then closes his eyes.
“It’s going to be a long drive so be prepared” Danny tells me, looking in the rearview mirror at me.
“Like how long?” Johnny asks.
“Like a few hours…” Danny says pulling out of the parking lot.
“How many is a few?” Tony asks.
“Just enough to get us there.”
“Daniel Tyler Murillo, tell me where we are going or I swear I will scream” I threaten him.
He mumbles something too low for me to hear, “What?”
“Ohio” he repeats, turning onto the highway.
“Why are we going to Ohio?!”
“Why not?”
“Because we have a baby, no money, and there’s nothing to do in Ohio.”
“1. Blake will love it. 2. Yes we do. 3. Yes there is.”
“It’s 15 hours away” I complain.
“Not if you know where the gas pedal is and don’t stop every five seconds.”
“What time will we get there?” I asks looking at my already sleeping baby.
Danny looks down at the clock which read 2 pm, “Around 2 am since we do have a baby on board.”
“We’ll need to stop in an hour to feed Blake.”
“Okay.”
I look over at Johnny who was staring out the window. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing George’s face but knowing it isn’t George. Johnny catches me staring and smiles, “Don’t worry.”
“What would she possibly worry about on this lovely vacation?” Tony asks as he turns on the radio.
“Tony you wake up my baby with the radio and I will blow you up with my box.”
Danny looks back at me smiling, “I though Jorel took away your box.”
“He did” I wink at him.
“But you got it back” Danny focuses on the road again as So Far Away by Avenged Sevenfold starts to play.
“Hey Danny” I call, he looks at me in the mirror. “I love you. You’re the best big brother ever.”
“I love you too sunshine” He blows me a kiss as I fall asleep.
I wake up to Blake crying, my head had been on Johnny’s shoulder so I sat up to calm down Blake. Finally I get his binky in his mouth and he stops fussing and goes back to sleep. I take a deep breath and realize I’m still in the car. Danny was driving while Tony and Johnny slept against the windows.
“Morning sunshine” Danny says smiling at me.
“It’s night time” I point out as I lean forward. “Where are we?”
“Almost there.”
“What time is it?” I ask looking out the window.
“About 1:30” he turns down the radio. “Don’t worry sleepyhead. I fed and changed Blake whenever we stopped, while somebody slept on Johnny.”
“Thank you Danny.”
“No problem. I don’t want him to starve while you sleep.”
“Yeah, Jorel wouldn’t be too happy with me then.”
“No he wouldn’t. But don’t worry you’ll have fun this weekend.”
“What are we going to do?”
“What are you allowed to do now?”
“It’s been two months. I can do whatever I want now.”
He looks back at me, “Are you sure?”
“Danny, I’m positive” I poke him as he gets off the highway. “What are we doing?”
“Not telling but the fun starts tomorrow. Be ready at 11.”
I stuff my face into the leather seat, “Can’t you just tell me?!”
“No.”
I feel the car stop at a red light and Danny pokes my shoulder, “What?”
“Look at me” I lift my head at glare at him. “You know Jorel loves you to death, right?”
I smile, “Yes I do.”
“Then stop hurting him.”
I look at Danny in shock as the light turned green, “What do you mean?”
“Willow, you know exactly what I mean.”
“No I don’t.”
He turns into a hotel parking lot, “We’re here.”
“I’m not getting out of the car until you talk to me.”
He turns in his seat and looks at me seriously, “Willow you hurt that man every time you hug some other guy. Every time you flirt with another guy. Every time you check out another guy. He watched how easily you cheated on Jordon with George and he is terrified of that.”
I feel the tears coming down my face, “But I love Jorel.”
He turns to open his door then looks back at me, “You said that same with Jordon.” And with that he climbed out of the car and began to grab the bags from the trunk.
I nudge Johnny he opens his eyes, “What?”
“We’re here. Get out.”
He looks at me in the dark, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Get out.”
He opens the door and jumps out then reaches down to help me out. I accept his hand and let him pull me out of the car. I walk around, carefully avoiding Danny, to get my baby boy. I open Blake’s door and look down at my sleeping boy. He looked so much like his father it broke me inside. I tuck a blanket around him and slowly unhook his car seat. I stand up and pull out his car seat as I feel Johnny standing behind me.
“Let me take him” Johnny says, offering out his hand.
“No. I can handle carrying my own child” I look at Danny, waiting for him to head inside.
I don’t wait for Johnny or Tony to finish grabbing the bags, I just follow Danny inside. As the hotel door shuts behind me, Danny turns and looks at me. “I only booked one room with 2 twin beds and one queen. So you can figure out the sleeping arrangements.”
He walks over to the desk leaving me standing by the door. The woman smiles at him and hands him two room keys. Danny motions for me to walk towards him, once I am next to him he wraps his arm around me, “I am only saying that because I love you. You are my little sister.”
“Thank you Danny” I wait as he hits the elevator button. “Me, You, and Blake in the queen bed?”
“Always.”
I hug him towards me, “You are the best.”
“Psh I know this” He says jokingly as the elevator doors open. We walk on and see Johnny and Tony running up behind us so we hold the doors.
“THANK YOU FOR ABANDONING US IN THE PARKING LOT!!” Tony yells.
“Tony I swear to god if you wake up my kid I will bitch slap you into next week” I threaten him, while glaring at him.
“I won’t wake him up” He whispers smiling, the elevator doors close and Danny hugs me knowing I hate the feeling an elevator gives me.
Finally the elevator doors open back up relieving my anxiety. I ran off the elevator with Blake’s car seat in hand, “Danny which room?”
He walks past me shaking his head, “This one.” He tells me as he pushes the key into the door. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody run off the elevator that fast.”
“You weren’t there when Jorel and I raced up the elevators were you?” I smile, pushing past him into the room.
“No. I wasn’t” Danny says following me into the room.
“Neither were we” Tony complains.
“Speak for yourself” Johnny says, winking at me. “I got details from George.”
I sit down on the queen bed with Blake in his car seat. As I put him down his eyes start to open and he debates on whether or not to start crying. I quickly unbuckle him and pick him up to lay him on the bed. “Hi babyness.”
He looks at me like I have three heads as Danny takes the diaper bag and finds a bottle, “I bet he is hungry.”
“What time is it?”
“About 1:45” Johnny answers putting his stuff on the twin bed next to me.
“Yeah I’ll feed him then hopefully he will sleep through the night” I say taking the bottle from Danny.
I give Blake the bottle then lean back against the pillows as Danny takes the car seat off the bed and lays down next to me.
“Why does he get to sleep with you?” Tony asks in a whiny voice.
“Because Danny is the best big brother on this planet” I tell him as I smile down at Danny.
“Yes I am” he says, sitting up and taking Blake from me as he finishes his bottle.
I smile at my baby boy then look over at Johnny, “You’re brother would’ve loved him, right?”
Johnny walks over and hugs me, “He would’ve loved him more than you’ll ever know.”
I hug Johnny and catch Tony undressing over his shoulder, “Nice body Tony.”
Tony turns and smiles at me as Johnny lets go of me, “Thank you.”
Blake starts crying in Danny’s arms, I pick him up and hold him in front of my face, “What’s wrong, mister?”
He stops crying and looks at me, smiling. Danny laughs, “Nothing is wrong. He just wanted mumma’s attention.”
I lay him in my arms and smile down at him even as he closes his eyes and falls asleep. I yawn and look at Danny, “Ready to go to bed?”
“Yeah. I’m changing the original plans for tomorrow. Tomorrow we are taking Blake and them with us” He tells me getting up to take off his shoes and belt. I laugh as he pulls my shoes off almost pulling me and Blake off the bed.
“DANNY!”
“I think we will be hearing that name screamed a lot tonight” Tony says as he lays on his bed.
“No” I say as I lay Blake down and fix all the pillows. Then I lay Blake in between me and Danny. “Goodnight baby” I kiss his forehead and lay down next to him.
“Goodnight Willow” I hear Johnny say.
“Goodnight.”
Danny walks over and turns off the lights. I wait for him to climb in the bed, when he finally does I laugh as I watch Black turn towards him and snuggle into his chest. “Goodnight Willow.”
“Goodnight Danny” I close my eyes, trusting Danny to protect me and my baby.
“Willow, you’re balancing Blake on your hip, on the phone, and trying to make dinner. You can’t possibly fold the laundry too” Johnny says, from the other side of the counter. I shoot him a ‘you wanna bet’ look then continue with my phone conversation.
“No, Jorel. It’s fine. I get it, you want to hurry up and get this done as quickly as possible. Stay. I’m fine with Blakey” I tell him as the oven begins to beep. I hand Blake to Johnny as I pull out pizza from the oven. “No babe. If you show up I will kick your ass and lock you out.”
I feel hands on my hips as somebody moves past me towards the fridge, “You are we kicking out?” Tony asks grabbing the milk.
“Jorel, if he shows up here instead of staying with his band” I tell him as I carefully slice the pizza. I grab the phone as it starts to slide off my shoulder, “Jorel Michael Decker, stay or I will take off this ring and sell it on eBay.”
Finally I hear him sign, “Fine babe. I’ll stay but next time I am coming home. I don’t care if the world if burning down. I love you.”
“I love you too Jorel.”
I hear him start to cough, “Hey can I talk to Johnny for a second?”
I look up at Johnny, “I’ll trade you. Phone for my kid.”
He pouts at me, “I like your kid better than talking to Jorel.”
“Johnny, give me my kid and take the phone!”
“Yes master” he hands me Blake and takes the phone. I pull Blake close to me.
“Sorry Blakey but Daddy isn’t coming home this week but he’ll be back soon” I kiss the top of his very blonde head. “Don’t worry. He promised us.”
It had been just over a month since Jorel and the rest of the band left. And they took Charlotte with them. I had been stuck with Johnny, Tony, and Alec ever since. They slept in Charlotte’s and Mathew’s apartment but spent the majority of their time in mine with me and Blake. Johnny and Tony helped me out a lot but Alec still made me feel uncomfortable, and I could tell Jorel didn’t like him being there. But luckily he went up to Ayer to visit old friends for the week. So this week, Johnny and Tony had been sleeping in my apartment. Since everybody left I had been handling everything pretty well. Today was suppose to be the first day I get to see Jorel since he left but they had a lot of work to do so I told him to stay.
“Hey Willow, want me to feed Blake?” Tony asks, making faces at Blake over my shoulder to get him to giggle. Jorel had missed a lot since being gone, including Blake’s first laughing fit.
“No, eat first then you can if you want to” I order him. Sometimes I felt like Johnny and Tony were my older kids that I had to take care of.
I hear Johnny hang up the phone, “Jorel says he loves you and if you burn yourself on the oven one more time he is going to fly over here just to murder me with a rusty blade.”
“You told him I burned myself?!” I yell at him.
“He asked if you had hurt yourself…”
I shake my head as I lay Blake in the small crib we had set up in the living room. “Hold on a second babes. Tony will feed you when he is done eating.”
“Fuck! Alec comes back tomorrow” I hear Johnny say from the kitchen.
“Johnny LANGUAGE!” I yell.
“Sorry. But I don’t want him to come back.”
I walk into the kitchen, “What if we pretend that we left to go to LA with the guys?”
“How would we do that?” Tony asks, his mouth full of pizza.
“Lock the doors and leave for a few hours. You guys weren’t stupid enough to give him keys were you?”
Both shake their heads then Johnny shrugs, “Isn’t that a little mean?”
I look at him, “If you knew the things he did to me, this would be the sweetest thing in the world.”
“What did he do to you?” Tony asks as Blake starts to cry in the living room.
I walk to my baby but turn in the kitchen doorway, “He raped me in my own room. On my birthday. Got me pregnant and then pushed me down a flight of stairs when he found out. I was in the hospital for a week.” I continue my walk towards Blake’s crib and pick him up. I sink into the couch and hold Blake to my chest. The one boy that couldn’t hurt me.
After a few minutes Johnny came and sat next to me, “If he did that to you, why did you let him in your door?”
“Because I believe people can change. I doubt he even remembers it. He was on a constant high back then.”
“Willow, how old were you?”
“14.”
“You were raped at 14?”
“Yeah. And ended up pregnant.”
“Did your parents know?”
“They knew I was pregnant. They thought it was Cody’s baby.”
“Okay, who is this Cody character?”
“Ex-boyfriend.”
“And what happened to him?”
I look at him over Blake’s head, “Suicide.”
“When was that?”
“When I was 15.”
Johnny puts his head in his hands, “Did you deal with something every teen year?”
“Let’s see. 13 stopped talking to my father. 14 almost died and got raped, then diagnosed with depression. 15 lost my first love and best friend. 16 got in a car crash and then tried to kill myself twice. 17 almost completed suicide. 18 met Jordon Terrell, got abused by Jordon Terrell. 19 got saved by Jorel Decker, got pregnant, and had this handsome little boy right here” I say looking down at Blake.
I look up to see Johnny starting at me wide eyed, “No wonder why my brother loved you.”
“Why?”
“Because you are so strong but you don’t seem to know it. Just like you don’t know how beautiful you are.”
I nod, “He used to say that to me all the time. Right before Jorel kicked him out, he got a tattoo for me. It said ‘Paint me a pretty picture of lies and hate’ and then it had a little butterfly. Because I was his butterfly.”
“Because butterflies are beautiful and get caught in the wind, just like you” Johnny says as I begin to cry.
I feel him wrap his arms around me, just for a minute I felt like I was in George’s arms, “Tell my baby I love her and I wish I could hold her, it’s hard to say goodbye when you know that it’s over.”
Johnny pulls away and looks at me, “Willow, it’s never over.”
“It’ll never be over. I have to be here for Blake” I say as I kiss the top of Blake’s head,
“Do you know how much George loved you?” Johnny asks me, seriously.
“Honestly? No.”
Johnny smiles at the memories that seemed to come back, “I remember the first time he told me about you. I was like ‘Nice bro, you’re getting some more ass like always.’ And he just said, ‘No Johnny. This time it’s different. She’s different. I think she might be the one.’ He was so happy with you. He told me like awhile ago when you first got pregnant or maybe before that, you fell asleep in his arms. He told me it was the best feeling in the world, to have the girl you love fall asleep in your arms. He used to go on about you forever. ‘Johnny she’s so beautiful, so smart, so talent, so this, so that’ It went on for hours. And I remember each time that he remembered that you weren’t his, his heart broke. Every time. He didn’t know what to do with himself, he wanted so badly to make you happy. Then when he found out you were pregnant with his baby, oh my god I thought he was going to die of joy. I could practically hear him jumping up and down. He called me at like 3 in the fucking morning. I was at my ex girlfriend’s house trying to get some. And I answer the phone like ‘What the fuck do you want?’ all he says is ‘SHE’S PREGNANT WITH MY BABY!’” he shakes his head at the memory then looks at me. “My point being is that George never really loved anything or anybody. You were his baby girl. He would’ve done anything for you.”
He reaches over and wipes the tears from my face as Tony bursts out of the kitchen singing, “TOP DOWN SEAT BACK ROLLING IN MY CADILLAC!”
I shake my head and smiled, I had gotten used to Tony randomly breaking out into his old songs. “Tony want to feed my baby now?”
“I would love to” he dances his way over to me and picks up Blake, and dances away with him to the kitchen.
I look over at Johnny, “Why must you look so much like your brother?”
“It’s a trick to try and get you to kiss me” He says putting on his player smile and nodding his head.
“Yeah not happening” I tell him then think for a minute. “I think one of the things I miss the most about your brother is I felt so comfortable around him. I would just lay and watch movies with him without a care in the fucking world.”
“WILLOW LANGUAGE!” Tony yells from the kitchen.
I shake my head, “I miss your brother. And I love him, but not the way he wanted me to.”
I feel Johnny kiss my forehead, “But you love him at least. For him. Not for his money.”
I shake my head, “I never understood girls like that. How can you say you love somebody when you love their money not them?”
“I don’t know…”
“HE THREW UP ON ME!” Tony yells from the kitchen.
I get up and walk to them, “Aw little Blake threw up on Uncle Tony. What are we going to do with you mister?”
“Well you can kiss me” Tony answers as I grab a paper towel to wipe his shoulder.
“No. I’m engaged to a very sexy man that I love to death.”
“Wait, when did you and Johnny get engaged?!”
I shake my head and wiggle Blake from Tony’s arms as he pulls off his shirt. “Did you have to do that in the middle of my kitchen?”
“Yes I did. Where can I put this?” I point to the laundry basket. “Thank you.”
“No problem. I should actually go do the laundry…”
“Nah. You should watch this movie with us” Johnny says, turning on the TV.
“But…”
“No.”
“There’s a lot of fucking laundry!”
“You go do the laundry and I’ll watch Blake” Tony says, taking Blake from me. “I love babysitting this little man.”
“Are you sure?”
“Go before I hit you!” Tony yells as he walks away from me with Blake.
“Fine” I grab the basket and walk out the door. “Mommy will be back.”
I turn quickly and smack into somebody, “How did that feel for your face?”
“DANNY!” I drop the basket and hug him. “I thought you guys were too busy to come home.”
“That all are because they have interviews booked. Jorel said he wants to keep me a surprise until the first concert so he sent me home for the weekend” He explains with a smile. “And trust me this will be one busy weekend.”
“What are we going to do?” I ask, picking up the basket.
“Well right now we are going to steal all the washers downstairs then come back up and start to pack for the weekend.”
He grabs the basket from me and walks towards the stairs, I jog to keep up with him, “Where are we going?”
He remains silent as we walk down the stairs, finally he talks when we reach the laundry room. “Alec is gone right?”
“He comes back tomorrow” I tell him as I load the first washer.
“Then we are leaving tonight” He helps me load Blake’s clothes into the second washer.
“All of us or just me, you, and Blake?”
“All of us. As much as I love being with you and Blake. We need somebody to watch him while I drag you places” He explains as I start the washers.
“Where are we going?”
Danny smiles, “Places…”
“What kind of places?” I ask walking out the door.
“The kind you go to.”
“Well I need to know so I can pack the right stuff for Blake.”
“Don’t worry about it” He tells me, kissing my forehead. “Just be prepared for anything.”
I hit him with the silent treatment for the rest of the walk upstairs. But I still wanted to know what he had in mind. We reach our floor just as Blake starts to scream. I open the door and find Johnny trying to calm Blake down. Danny pushes past me and grabs Blake who continues crying for a second then stops and falls asleep on his shoulder.
“Careful, I don’t want to confuse him even more on who his daddy is” I tell Danny, as I walk towards Blake’s room. Danny follows me to put Blake into his crib. “So what should I pack?”
“Just be prepared for anything. And how much do you trust me?”
“A lot, why?”
“Do you fit into your clothes from before Blake?”
“Most of them, why?”
He walks out the door and starts to pull it shut, “Stay in here until I come get you, okay?”
“Okay…” I watch as he pulls the door shut. I sit on the floor next to Blake’s dresser and begin to grab clothes. It was Thursday and Danny said for the weekend so I grab three days world of clothes and extras, plus comfy clothes. I shove the clothes into a backpack with a blanket and the elephant that Mathew gave to Blake, he wouldn’t go to bed without it. I put the bag next to the door and grab a package of diapers.
I sit back down on the floor with my back to the door and look around Blake’s room. The guitar Jordon got for him was hanging on the wall above the crib. There was a wall with pictures of everybody, including one with me and George. Danny graffiti the wall next to the window, his room looked exactly how I wanted it to. I lay across the floor and close my eyes.
My eyes open when Danny opened the door and scared the hell out of me, “Willow it’s time to go.”
I stand up and try to get my heart beat back to normal, “Where are we going?”
“Grab Blake and let’s go.”
“But I still need to get the pump and the bottles from the fridge.”
“I got them.”
“The diaper bag?”
“Got it.
“His books?”
“I grab the usuals.”
“Cell phone charger?”
“Oh my god Willow. I remember it all! If I didn’t I’ll buy it for you. Grab Blake and let’s go.”
I reach down into the crib and pull my little baby up, “Shh” I whisper as he starts to fuss. I look up at Danny, “What about the laundry?”
“Folded and put on the bed” He tells me grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the door.
“But…”
“Willow Elizabeth Decker shut up” he pushes me out the door in front of him and shuts the door. “Come on it’ll be fun.”
The walk to the car was quiet, I refused to talk to Danny until he told me where we were going. Once we step out into the hot July sun I notice Johnny and Tony sitting on the hood of my mustang.
“About fucking time” Tony says jumping down to grab Blake’s bag from Danny. They put everything in the trunk and slam it shut. “Time for another adventure!”
Danny opens the passenger side door for me but I shake my head, “I’m going to sit in the back with Blake and…”
“Me” Johnny says. “I hate the front, makes me sick.”
“You just want to be close to her” Danny says, giving him the ‘don’t you even think about it’ look. He opens the back door and takes Blake from me. “Ready to go on this adventure, buddy?”
Blake giggles as Danny straps him in. Danny shuts the door then walks to the other side to open the door for me before getting in. I walk around and smile at him, “I am perfectly capable of opening a door.”
“Too bad” he users me inside. I slide in until I am right next to Blake’s car seat. I smile down at him as Johnny gets in next to me. “Where is Uncle Danny taking us?” I ask Blake as he giggles then closes his eyes.
“It’s going to be a long drive so be prepared” Danny tells me, looking in the rearview mirror at me.
“Like how long?” Johnny asks.
“Like a few hours…” Danny says pulling out of the parking lot.
“How many is a few?” Tony asks.
“Just enough to get us there.”
“Daniel Tyler Murillo, tell me where we are going or I swear I will scream” I threaten him.
He mumbles something too low for me to hear, “What?”
“Ohio” he repeats, turning onto the highway.
“Why are we going to Ohio?!”
“Why not?”
“Because we have a baby, no money, and there’s nothing to do in Ohio.”
“1. Blake will love it. 2. Yes we do. 3. Yes there is.”
“It’s 15 hours away” I complain.
“Not if you know where the gas pedal is and don’t stop every five seconds.”
“What time will we get there?” I asks looking at my already sleeping baby.
Danny looks down at the clock which read 2 pm, “Around 2 am since we do have a baby on board.”
“We’ll need to stop in an hour to feed Blake.”
“Okay.”
I look over at Johnny who was staring out the window. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing George’s face but knowing it isn’t George. Johnny catches me staring and smiles, “Don’t worry.”
“What would she possibly worry about on this lovely vacation?” Tony asks as he turns on the radio.
“Tony you wake up my baby with the radio and I will blow you up with my box.”
Danny looks back at me smiling, “I though Jorel took away your box.”
“He did” I wink at him.
“But you got it back” Danny focuses on the road again as So Far Away by Avenged Sevenfold starts to play.
“Hey Danny” I call, he looks at me in the mirror. “I love you. You’re the best big brother ever.”
“I love you too sunshine” He blows me a kiss as I fall asleep.
I wake up to Blake crying, my head had been on Johnny’s shoulder so I sat up to calm down Blake. Finally I get his binky in his mouth and he stops fussing and goes back to sleep. I take a deep breath and realize I’m still in the car. Danny was driving while Tony and Johnny slept against the windows.
“Morning sunshine” Danny says smiling at me.
“It’s night time” I point out as I lean forward. “Where are we?”
“Almost there.”
“What time is it?” I ask looking out the window.
“About 1:30” he turns down the radio. “Don’t worry sleepyhead. I fed and changed Blake whenever we stopped, while somebody slept on Johnny.”
“Thank you Danny.”
“No problem. I don’t want him to starve while you sleep.”
“Yeah, Jorel wouldn’t be too happy with me then.”
“No he wouldn’t. But don’t worry you’ll have fun this weekend.”
“What are we going to do?”
“What are you allowed to do now?”
“It’s been two months. I can do whatever I want now.”
He looks back at me, “Are you sure?”
“Danny, I’m positive” I poke him as he gets off the highway. “What are we doing?”
“Not telling but the fun starts tomorrow. Be ready at 11.”
I stuff my face into the leather seat, “Can’t you just tell me?!”
“No.”
I feel the car stop at a red light and Danny pokes my shoulder, “What?”
“Look at me” I lift my head at glare at him. “You know Jorel loves you to death, right?”
I smile, “Yes I do.”
“Then stop hurting him.”
I look at Danny in shock as the light turned green, “What do you mean?”
“Willow, you know exactly what I mean.”
“No I don’t.”
He turns into a hotel parking lot, “We’re here.”
“I’m not getting out of the car until you talk to me.”
He turns in his seat and looks at me seriously, “Willow you hurt that man every time you hug some other guy. Every time you flirt with another guy. Every time you check out another guy. He watched how easily you cheated on Jordon with George and he is terrified of that.”
I feel the tears coming down my face, “But I love Jorel.”
He turns to open his door then looks back at me, “You said that same with Jordon.” And with that he climbed out of the car and began to grab the bags from the trunk.
I nudge Johnny he opens his eyes, “What?”
“We’re here. Get out.”
He looks at me in the dark, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Get out.”
He opens the door and jumps out then reaches down to help me out. I accept his hand and let him pull me out of the car. I walk around, carefully avoiding Danny, to get my baby boy. I open Blake’s door and look down at my sleeping boy. He looked so much like his father it broke me inside. I tuck a blanket around him and slowly unhook his car seat. I stand up and pull out his car seat as I feel Johnny standing behind me.
“Let me take him” Johnny says, offering out his hand.
“No. I can handle carrying my own child” I look at Danny, waiting for him to head inside.
I don’t wait for Johnny or Tony to finish grabbing the bags, I just follow Danny inside. As the hotel door shuts behind me, Danny turns and looks at me. “I only booked one room with 2 twin beds and one queen. So you can figure out the sleeping arrangements.”
He walks over to the desk leaving me standing by the door. The woman smiles at him and hands him two room keys. Danny motions for me to walk towards him, once I am next to him he wraps his arm around me, “I am only saying that because I love you. You are my little sister.”
“Thank you Danny” I wait as he hits the elevator button. “Me, You, and Blake in the queen bed?”
“Always.”
I hug him towards me, “You are the best.”
“Psh I know this” He says jokingly as the elevator doors open. We walk on and see Johnny and Tony running up behind us so we hold the doors.
“THANK YOU FOR ABANDONING US IN THE PARKING LOT!!” Tony yells.
“Tony I swear to god if you wake up my kid I will bitch slap you into next week” I threaten him, while glaring at him.
“I won’t wake him up” He whispers smiling, the elevator doors close and Danny hugs me knowing I hate the feeling an elevator gives me.
Finally the elevator doors open back up relieving my anxiety. I ran off the elevator with Blake’s car seat in hand, “Danny which room?”
He walks past me shaking his head, “This one.” He tells me as he pushes the key into the door. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody run off the elevator that fast.”
“You weren’t there when Jorel and I raced up the elevators were you?” I smile, pushing past him into the room.
“No. I wasn’t” Danny says following me into the room.
“Neither were we” Tony complains.
“Speak for yourself” Johnny says, winking at me. “I got details from George.”
I sit down on the queen bed with Blake in his car seat. As I put him down his eyes start to open and he debates on whether or not to start crying. I quickly unbuckle him and pick him up to lay him on the bed. “Hi babyness.”
He looks at me like I have three heads as Danny takes the diaper bag and finds a bottle, “I bet he is hungry.”
“What time is it?”
“About 1:45” Johnny answers putting his stuff on the twin bed next to me.
“Yeah I’ll feed him then hopefully he will sleep through the night” I say taking the bottle from Danny.
I give Blake the bottle then lean back against the pillows as Danny takes the car seat off the bed and lays down next to me.
“Why does he get to sleep with you?” Tony asks in a whiny voice.
“Because Danny is the best big brother on this planet” I tell him as I smile down at Danny.
“Yes I am” he says, sitting up and taking Blake from me as he finishes his bottle.
I smile at my baby boy then look over at Johnny, “You’re brother would’ve loved him, right?”
Johnny walks over and hugs me, “He would’ve loved him more than you’ll ever know.”
I hug Johnny and catch Tony undressing over his shoulder, “Nice body Tony.”
Tony turns and smiles at me as Johnny lets go of me, “Thank you.”
Blake starts crying in Danny’s arms, I pick him up and hold him in front of my face, “What’s wrong, mister?”
He stops crying and looks at me, smiling. Danny laughs, “Nothing is wrong. He just wanted mumma’s attention.”
I lay him in my arms and smile down at him even as he closes his eyes and falls asleep. I yawn and look at Danny, “Ready to go to bed?”
“Yeah. I’m changing the original plans for tomorrow. Tomorrow we are taking Blake and them with us” He tells me getting up to take off his shoes and belt. I laugh as he pulls my shoes off almost pulling me and Blake off the bed.
“DANNY!”
“I think we will be hearing that name screamed a lot tonight” Tony says as he lays on his bed.
“No” I say as I lay Blake down and fix all the pillows. Then I lay Blake in between me and Danny. “Goodnight baby” I kiss his forehead and lay down next to him.
“Goodnight Willow” I hear Johnny say.
“Goodnight.”
Danny walks over and turns off the lights. I wait for him to climb in the bed, when he finally does I laugh as I watch Black turn towards him and snuggle into his chest. “Goodnight Willow.”
“Goodnight Danny” I close my eyes, trusting Danny to protect me and my baby.
♠ ♠ ♠
LoveBUG!!! xAllybabe6661x this is for you/