Addicted

Chapter 4

When we're finally released from the hospital, Dominic drives me and Anastasia home with Owen following behind in his car. Before Dominic has the chance to close his door, Owen opens the back door and grabs the baby's carrier. As I head towards 3B, I place my hand over my slightly deflated belly. It's odd not being able to feel her move around in my stomach anymore. I already feel lighter despite the small baby bump that remains. The doctor reassured me that as long as I maintained a healthy diet and continued breastfeeding, the weight I gained during my pregnancy would be gone soon. I'm not too worried about it because she was worth it.

Opening the door, the two men follow me inside. Owen places the carrier on the center of the table and begins unbuckling our daughter. "Do you mind if I use your bathroom?" he asks, glancing over his shoulder before picking Anastasia up.

I point towards the door. "It's right there."

Pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head, he passes her to me. He goes into the bathroom and I take her into my room where her round crib is set up in the corner. She is still sound asleep so I carefully lay her in the center, smiling in content. She's beautiful. Dominic wraps an arm around me, pulling me against his chest. I slip my arm around his waist, leaning the side of my head against his chest as I continue to look down at Anastasia. "She's perfect," he says softly.

"I know," I breathe.

"You did great. Not only with her but with Owen. I think you handled him well."

"You think so?" I ask. He nods and I look up into his eyes. "Thank you for everything, Dominic. I don't know what I would have done without you. Anastasia and I are thankful to have you."

"It's no problem. You know I'd do anything for you. And she'll have me wrapped around her little finger in no time," he smiles.

I smile because I know it's true. He'll probably spoil her more than he spoils me, if not more. "We're two very lucky girls," I say softly, reaching up to place my hand on his cheek.

His eyes warm immediately and I know what he wants. It's what he's wanted since we met - me. He wants me. And it feels so good to be wanted. Meeting me halfway, his lips press softly against mine. It only lasts a second but it means so much to both of us. When we pull apart, we stare into each other's eyes and smile a little. His hands move down to my hips and I place mine on his chest. "I'm the lucky one," he says.

"Wow," Owen says from the doorway, ruining our moment. "That was really sweet. So tell me again how there's nothing going on between you two."

Rolling my eyes, I take a step away from Dominic. "Don't be dramatic, Owen. I don't have to explain anything to you."

"You promised me that you'd never be with him," he says.

I groan. "Because he was your second in command but he hasn't been for nine months now. Will you ever stop being so selfish?"

I leave the room, pushing past him. He follows me. "Selfish? You're f*****g selfish for keeping your pregnancy from me."

I stop abruptly, quickly turning around. "Because you don't deserve her and you sure in the hell never deserved me. Why would I tell you? So you could let her down just like you did me? It's not f*****g fair to either of us."

"You think you can raise her by yourself? You've relied on others your entire life," he yells angrily. "After your grandmother died, you went from man to man so they could provide for you. And look, Dominic is the one providing you with all this."

His words sting. "You're the only one who has ever made me feel worthless," I say in defeat.

He takes a small step back and I quickly look away from him. "Ma-"

"Just leave. If you really want to see her we can go to court."

"What the f**k? Madison-"

"Get out," I yell. "Get the f**k out."

Shaking his head angrily, he leaves my apartment, slamming the door behind him. Thankfully Dominic closed the door so the baby didn't wake. His sympathetic gaze causes me to break. Sobbing, I fill his arms and he holds me tightly. "Shh. It's okay. I'm here for you," he says, rubbing my back. "Don't waste your time thinking about him. You don't need him."

Sniffling, I nod. "I know."

He presses a kiss to my forehead. "Why don't you get some rest while I make dinner, okay?"

I nod and he wipes away my tears, giving me a small smile. Taking a deep breath, I pull away from him and go into my bedroom. Walking over to the crib, I smile down at my tiny daughter who is still asleep. She's all I need, I tell myself. If Owen wants to see her, he's going to have to prove that he can be a good father and that he can behave decently around me. There's no way I'm going to let him be around either of us if he's going to continue acting that way.

Reaching down, I brush the back of my finger against her pudgy cheek. She's absolutely perfect. I never imagined myself as a mother but it feels pretty good. I am going to be such a better mom than my mother was. She moves a little and I am reminded of why I came in here. I need to rest because I know she'll be waking up soon. Sighing in content, I crawl into bed and attempt to fall asleep. When I fall asleep, I dream of Anastasia but soon it changes to Owen and the girl that stood beside him at the casino. Thankfully, Dominic floods my mind and all thoughts of the two are gone. Dominic and Anastasia are the constants in my life. They're all I need.