Bad Publicity

17. Bruised

Ava

Bella went back to sleep a little while after she got more pain medicine and ate a burger and fries with a chocolate cake for dessert.

Jaxson and I agree on sharing the fold out couch. I decided on not going to see my father especially after Jaxsons interrogation, or whatever you want to call it.

How could he possibly know? That's the thing he can't know. Yeah he's seen a few of the bruises my father permanently left on me but I gave him believable excuses.

He's just guessing. That's all it is. I'll just continue to deny it. I have to.
———————-

"What are you doing?" I hear Jaxson say lifting himself up. His arm is slung across me.

"I'm taking of picture of my best friend betraying me and sleeping with my girl" I hear Micheal say.

I roll my eyes at how delusional he is. I love him though.

Groaning I say "get out" while keeping my head buried in the pillow and he chuckles.

"Please tell me there's nothing else you have to show us" Jaxson says crossing over me. That really got my attention.

I turn to face him. He shakes his head no. "I came to spend time with my best friend, my future wife, and my stepdaughter" he says.

"We're at the hospital. What can we possibly do?" "We don't have to do anything. I haven't seen you two in three years and now you're like a packaged deal." he says.

I raise an eyebrow. "We have a kid together, that doesn't make us a packaged deal" I tell him.

"It doesn't matter, I missed you two and now I have both of you together" he says. I smile at him.

I probably shouldn't have stopped talking to him but truth is I cut everyone off after I found out Mr. Ross died.

He was like a father to me and I didn't take it well. I was getting abused more and more each day and I was pregnant.

But when my babygirl was born everything in me wanted to do better for her. I have my little angle and I've never been happier.

"Yeah sorry about that" I tell him. "Sorry? You didn't talk to me for three years straight for no reason..." I don't know what to say.

"... I'm still going to marry you though" Micheal adds to lighten the mood. I chuckle "It's illegal to be married to more than one person" Jaxson adds and we all laugh.

The sounds of little coughs let's us know that my baby has woken up. She doesn't look sad or in pain anymore.

She practically leaps into Jaxsons arms with the biggest smile she can manage. That smile warms my heart every time.

"When can I go home?" She asks me. "When the doctor comes to see you" I tell her poking her tiny nose.

She smiles "let's call him" I nod and click the button. "After we leave can we go see the puppies?" I shake my head no.

"You need to get some rest today. But I promise I'll take you tomorrow"I tell her and she smiles.

It takes the doctor 7 minutes to answer the call. He says he's happy to see Bella smiling and that she will be able to leave as soon as we sign her release forms.

Bella rejoices once he leaves. She is ready to go home. I split half the paperwork with Jaxson.

He occasionally needs the answer to a question about Bella he doesn't know, by occasionally I mean every 10 seconds.