The Birds And The Bees (The Baby Project #1) (REWRITING)

C.2~ Keep Moving

Xavier showed up ten minutes till midnight. I had been sitting on the edge of the beige loveseat, rubbing the screeching dolls back as I tried to get it to quiet down. Just as the doll seemed to calm down, the knock at my front door sent it into another round of screaming. I walked toward the door, massaging my temples before opening it.

Xavier stood outside, dressed in a red and black plaid shirt and a pair of worn black jeans. He looked more like he'd been out doing something than sitting in his house getting ready for bed.

I had given him my phone number earlier today, as well as my address just in case he needed to get the doll for some reason, but he seemed entirely out of it when I opened the door, his head snapping up, staring at me like a deer in headlights.

"What the hell is making so much noise?" He groaned, resting his forehead against the door frame. I shoved the baby doll into his arms, shaking my head.

"This thing. The doll. Our baby." I retorted, glad to have it out of my arms for long enough for me to collect my thoughts.

"Why won't it shut up?" He asked. He slipped into the house after a second, leaving me to shut the front door and join him on the love seat.

"I don't know. I've tried everything. It won't stop." I replied. My eyes had grown heavy, my head pounding not helping my exhaustion. He frowned at my words then turned the doll around, laughing to himself.

"It has a switch, sweetheart." He said, his finger hovering over something on its back. I gasped, shaking my head as I leaned forward to see what he was doing.

"Don't shut it off, you idiot! If you do that, they'll be able to tell we didn't take care of it!" He only shook his head and held out the silent doll, kicking his feet up onto my coffee table.

"You can just turn it off at night. You know, so you can actually sleep. It's bad enough I have to do this stupid project and spend every day with you, I don't need to have you sleep deprived and bitchy too." Gritting my teeth, I clenched my hand into a fist as I fought the urge to flip him off.

Who the hell does he think he is? He's sitting on my couch, in my house, and still has the audacity to sit here and talk crap to me?

"No, you can take the baby back to your place and-"

"That thing is not coming back to my house. Absolutely not." He sat upright suddenly, his dark eyes cold.

"God, you're going to be a horrible father one day, you know that? What are you going to do when your wife has a child? Are you going to make her sleep outside with it if it so makes even a peep?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. He pointed his finger at me angrily, like he was scolding a child, as he stood up.

"Shut up."

"Or what? Can you not handle the truth about-" He threw his hand over my mouth, making sure that I couldn't finish.

"You have no idea what you are talking about." He grabbed my wrist, "There is a difference between a real child and a doll, Beatrice. You don't even know me, so stop making stupid assumptions." I shook my head, a sudden boost of confidence washing over me.

"There really isn't. You should treat that doll like you would treat your own child." I pointed toward the doll that he had propped up against a pillow, but felt my own cheeks starting to flush when I realized just how hypocritical I sounded. I had treated the baby the same way when I had been with Brett.

He looked about ready to snap again but was cut off by the doorbell sounding through the house. I whirled around, my lips parting in a mix of shock and fear.

Who the hell was ringing my door bell at midnight?

"Don't just stand there," Xavier muttered, "Answer it." Any other guy would have offered to get the door just in case it was some creep or something ready to drive an axe through my head on the otherside, but I had to be stuck with the one guy on this planet that didn't care if I dropped dead when I opened the door.