Tough Love

CHAPTER THIRTY

ASHTON

"I'm all yours" Belle yawned again sleepily. She was exhausted.

"And, I'm all yours." I lent down and kissed her softly, sinking behind her and pulling her back against the front of my chest. "Get some sleep beautiful, I love you." I whispered, closing my eyes also. It had been a long day, and I was fucked.

If someone had asked me five hours ago how I felt then I would have said heartbroken, shattered and contemplating belting someone. But the more I thought about it, the more I couldn't be that type of man and just toss her out. I was relieved Belle wanted to fight with me, she was still our daughter, just not fully ours.

Sleep soon overtook us both and we passed out completely, snuggling the pregnant woman who was using my body as her body pillow, I was on my back with her leg draped over mine, and her belly pushed against my stomach. I loved the feeling of her against me. Tomorrow would be a better day.

I soon woke up to the smell of coffee, bacon and eggs, my eyes opening to see Isabelle sitting beside me in a bra and her stomach bare as she played on her phone, she hadn't noticed I was awake and I didn't want her to just yet, I just wanted to sit there and watch her, watch as she'd scratch her tummy then look down and smile as she looked over her bump and pushed her tummy out further, I couldn't hold back the chuckle at seeing that.

"Stop watching me" she groaned "eat you breakfast before it gets cold, or I'll eat it for you."

I looked to the side of me and sure enough she had cooked me bacon and eggs with a coffee "what did I do to get a woman as good as you?" I sat up, pulling the covers up to cover the nakedness between my lap and I leant over and kissed her cheek, rubbing her stomach and giving her a kiss there as well.

"No idea pretty boy, maybe you had something to do with the very good sleep I had last night." she smiled then sighed "I wish our baby was born now, I want to hold him or her in my arms, I've never held a baby before believe it or not."

"We'll you will in a few months, you'll be a great mum." I guess now was the time to bring something else up as well. "I've been thinking about something else as well and don't go off until you hear me out" I spoke and now had her full attention.

"I'm listening" she rolled to her side and faced me.

I looked at her after taking a mouthful of coffee. "I want to build us a new house, this one is great, and I love it but the yard is too small, and well there's a block that'd be perfect to have a bigger place and the house would be bigger, more room for your clothes. I know you like looking over the house plans and we could build something that you like?"

"But I love this house" was all she said, seeming confused.

"And I love it too, but I want to build a new house for us all, we can sell this one and make a better one" I responded. "The market is great."

She laid down further in the bed, and brought her drink to her lips. "I guess we could do that."

"Really?" I asked waiting for the catch.

"I have one condition."

I laughed, of course she does. "What is the one condition?"

She smiled. "The condition is that it's done before our baby is born, I mean it Ash I want the house built before we have the baby. We can't move with a newborn; do you know how crazy that would be."

I had to agree, and I had considered this already. "Well, it's a good thing I already brought that block of land then, it'll be done before then" I winked. Surprise.

Belle hadn't really been too worried I brought it; she figured I would have had the house half built already. I hadn't told her that was true and the house we were building was our new one, I had just laughed and dodged the question.

Jenna was in the kitchen when we walked in and I tried for the life of me to act like I always had but suddenly she felt like a stranger, she wasn't my daughter, she was another man's. It got me thinking that what if this was me, what if I had a long-lost kid out there that I didn't know about, I would want to be in their life no matter how many years later I found out.

She had a right to know.

She gave me a smile and I returned it as she walked past me and outside to the pool, then Parker decided to open his gob and speak.

"So maybe you two should keep it down." Parker coughed lightly.

"Maybe you should stay in your area of the house" I shrugged back.

"Oh guess what," Belle suddenly beamed. "Rachel is coming to visit, she's just text me."

"Rachel?" I groaned fuck no, she's loud, mouthy and her and Belle together are crazy. Rachel was the friend you could only handle in small doses.

"Yep, she is excited to come visit." she smiled widely.

"She still single?" Parker grinned "could use a easy lay right now."

"No. She is in a relationship and keep your dick down in your pants" Belle grabbed his hair "she is off limits Parker and I mean it."

"Fine, I get it." he groaned, and I bellowed out a laugh.

These two could bicker and banter all day long. They were both easy to rile up and didn't stop. I decided to cut their teasing short by discussing something a little more serious.

"Actually, I was hoping we could talk?" I asked her and gave Parker a look to back me up, I didn't want her to see it until the framework had been finished.

Parker came in closer and lowered his voice. "Yeah, we need to talk about Jenna."

I frowned, not what I was going to talk about. Belle turned and glanced between us both. "What about her, we're not doing anything rash, that's what we decided last night isn't it?" she looked at me confused, "Ashton what's going on, we're not giving in?"

Fuck. This wasn't what I was going to discuss. Those conversations need to be held behind a door.

"I know that babe but the more I think about it the more Jenna had the right to meet her real dad" it killed me to even say the words but at the end of the day it was the right thing to do, she deserved to have that chance and for all we know he could live just around the corner from us.

"What do you mean meet my real dad?" the little voice behind us all spoke quietly.