Chapter 9Shea sang "Jingle Bells" merrily, as she hung Lilly's first Christmas ornament beside Keely's. Somehow, she felt at peace with the entire situation as she listened to Lilly's babbling. It was like nothing she'd felt since Keely's death, the joy of being a mother wrapped around the joy of her favorite holiday. As she turned to tend to Lilly, the face she'd all but hoped to forget forever stared back at her.
"Merry Christmas, O'Shea." he snarled, his hand coming down to grasp her's. "I've seen you around lately, playing Mommy again, dating Dr. Perfect, living a nice life, huh? Well guess what? You're still mine! You've always been mine! This baby, this baby is just like the last one. She's nothing, a nothing that's going to distract you from being mine and mine alone."
His voice sent shivers down her spine as she did her best to shield Lilly with her body.
"Don't you try to protect her, she's going to be gone just like that other kid." he growled, snatching the carseat.
"Rick Harley, you put that baby down. She's not yours, I'm not yours. Get out." that was the best she could muster, yet her insides shook with a fury as she watched him take the baby from the seat and drop the seat.
"Oh you are right, about her. She's not mine, that's why she's expendible." With a look at her, he dropped the baby to the ground.
The crying, Rick's walking toward her, it all came back to her with a vengence, and soon enough she was on the ground reaching for Lilly. A swift foot to the head, had her grasping for something to keep her steady as she kept on advancing toward the sound of Lilly's cries. She was touching the soft skin of Lilly's cheek when he stomped on her hand, leaving her reeling in the pain of crunching bones. "Stop, please?" she whined, hoping he would feel something, anything and leave them.
It wasn't until her vision came back to her that she saw him lifting the baby up once again. She did her best to stagger to her feet, but once again it was no use, Lilly was flying. A cry errupted from her as she did her best to force her entire weight at Rick, but it did little to stop him. Now he was advancing toward her, his eyes flickering with anger and his hands reaching for her waist. It was going to be just like last time, this was the part that she'd blacked out in hopes to forget every man who'd done something such as this to her before.
Lilly had long sense stopped crying, and once again Shea could do nothing but close her eyes and hope to God it was over soon. Pain rippled through her body as she did her best to bite her lip, knowing that if she cried out it would only be worse.
Just as she was ready to scream, the door flew open. There stood Kent looking like a man of war, anger flickering in his eyes as he lunged for Rick. "Get away from her!" he shouted.
The two battled in the middle of the living room floor, Shea did her best to get herself together and go off to get Lilly. It wasn't long until she was looking down at the tiny limp baby, her brain overloaded with the magnitude of what had just transpired she let the tears fall.
"Call 9-1-1 Shea!" shouted Kent, his voice bringing her back to where she sat cradling little Lilly praying over and over for God to take care of the tiny angel he'd brought her.
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Kent did his best to hold back from killing the man he now held in a choke hold waiting for the police to do their job. He wanted to kill Rick Harley above all else, when he'd heard the ruckus at Shea's house he'd gone over to check things out. Standing at the front window, he'd seen Rick hurting Shea in the worst way, and that was when he'd gotten ready to kill Rick. It wasn't long until the police finally relieved him of Rick, and he jumped in his car his destination the hospital. What would he say to Shea? Would she even see him? He knew precisely where he'd find her.
Walking in the door to the NICU, Kent sighed at the silhouette of O'Shea McMalley. She was hunched over in the rocking chair, her arm in a cast, her head bandaged. He knew she was hurt, but he hadn't expected the damage to be so extensive. "How is she?" he whispered, careful to keep his hands to himself. He knew how Shea was around men, now he wondered if she'd ever let him touch her again.
"Oh Kent!" she exclaimed, standing and hurling herself into his arms. She shook uncontrollably, and sobs wracked her body.
"It's okay, Shea, it's all going to be okay." he whispered into her ear, rubbing her back gently.
"It's not going to be okay, Lilly is dying, Kent. Do you know what he did to me? How can you even look at me?" she pushed against his chest with both hands, and his heart broke for the broken woman who stood in his arms still.
"I know what he did, Shea, I do. But that doesn't make me love you any less." he caught her eye, cupping her chin and turning her face toward his. "I'm only worried for you, not upset or revolted. Please don't push me away."
She swallowed hard, her eyes finally meeting his, and he could see there in the green depths the war that weighed within her heart. "I cannot push you away, Kentavious, you're all I want. I'm so sorry." she whispered, her voice hoarse as she lay her head on his chest.
"Don't be sorry, you're all I want too. I'm willing to wait for as long as you need, Shea. I want to make sure Lilly is okay, we're going to do everything possible to make her well. I promise there is nothing you can do that will make me love you any less, I'd never lay a hand on you like Rick did. You know that right?"
He watched as her eyes closed and opened again, she nodded, "I know that. You are the one I want, Kent, I don't want another man who'll hurt me. I want you."
With that, she collapsed against his chest, and he held her there as he monitored Lilly. Somehow, an odd peace found its way into his heart and he realized with stunning clarity that this was what he wanted for the rest of his life.