Tonis POV
Cheryl has been staying at my place for 2 weeks now. She seems happier
Her and Ronnie used to be best friends so I'm sure that helps.
"Mama,"
"Yes baby," I say picking Nova up
"Are you dating Cheryl,"
"No. Why would you think that?"
"Because you look at her like auntie Veronica looks at Uncle Archie,"
"You're a smart little girl,"
"Is daddy coming back?" She asks
"Novie, we talked about this remember? Daddy can't hurt us anymore baby, okay?"
"But Mrs. Diaz keeps coming over,"
"She's helping Cheryl with her boyfriend," I say rubbing her back
"He was like daddy,"
"Yes,"
"Oh," she says simply "daddy scared me,"
"I know baby," I say standing up and picking her up to hug her better "he scared me too,"
Cheryl walks in and says a silent apology
"It's alright Cher, Novie- go play with Reilly and Auntie Ronnie,"
Reilly is Ronnies kid, same age as Nova.
"Okay mommy,"
She leaves and I sit back at the table
"What's up?" I ask wiping my tears
"Oh, I was just wondering about rent.. I'm looking for a new place but for now I will pay to live here,"
"Oh Cheryl, don't worry about that," I laugh "we don't have a mortgage, so we're all good,"
She sits beside me
"Wanna talk about what's going on?" She asks
"She's just super scared of my ex, and so am I," I sigh "he never went to jail, so there's just a restraining order keeping him from us,"
"That's why you live with Ronnie?"
I nod and she sighs
"I'm so sorry,"
"I'm alright, she will be eventually,"
She's actually perfect.
"How's it going with Sean?"
"Okay, he's going to jail for a few years," she sighs "I'll be okay,"
"Your eye healed well,"
She laughs and nods
"It's nice looking in the mirror without a black eye,"
We talk for a while and I smirk at her
"What?"
"You have a very pretty laugh,"
She looks at her fingers and smiles
"Thank you,"
"Cheryl!" Nova says running in with reilly
"Hey girls, what's up?"
"Can we play with Weston?" Reilly asks
"Sure, but I have to be there too okay?" Cheryl says
"Yay!"
Her dog was abused by Sean too, so it doesn't like to leave her room and she seems nervous that it might nip at the girls since he's still a puppy.
She leaves and goes to grab Weston and I take the girls back outside.
"Remember that Cheryls dog is sometimes very scared so we can't be loud around him,"
"Yes Aunt Toni," Reilly laughs
Cheryl comes outside with the dog in her arms and it looks scared.
"Westy, it's alright," she says sitting next to me
The dog is shaking and cuddling into her lap.
She looks at me and sighs
"Novie, maybe go grab a tennis ball?" I suggest
"Okay!" They say rubbing towards the shed
"I feel bad that my dog is never any fun for them," she sighs "he's always scared,"
"He likes me," I say
"Everyone likes you,"
The dog gets off her lap and he walks cautiously towards me so I pet him and it's starts getting happier.
It nips at me, nothing bad
"Weston, no," Cheryl says "I'm so sorry,"
"He's just a puppy, it's okay,"
"I shouldn't have gotten him when I did, but I was super depressed and I thought he'd give me a reason to wake up," she sighs "but I guess I just messed him up too,"
"I thought the same way about having Nova, I thought having her would give me purpose that I didn't have and confidence to leave him," I sigh "and it did, it just took too long, since I was depending on him financially,"
The dog is calm when the girls come back so they throw the ball.
Cheryl lays her head on my shoulder and I smile
"Am I okay?"
"O-oh ya of course,"
The dog gets tired and the girls go to find Ronnie and Archie.
"Did they tire you out Weston?" She laughs as the dog cuddles beside us
"Have you been doing okay?" I ask
"I'm doing a lot better, thank you,"
She looks at me and I inhale sharply
She's so so pretty.
"C-can I ask you something?" She whispers
"Sure,"
"Why did you try so hard to help me?"
I gently put my hand on her jaw and kiss her.
She kisses me back and I smile
"Because you're special Cheryl, and you didn't deserve to be treated like shit,"
