Substitute Father (Ross Lynch)

Chapter 24

There's only a few chapters left of this book, but I will be writing a sequel! I just need a name for it. Any ideas?

I shot up in bed, gasping for air and tears streaming down my face. My heart was pounding and it felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. I looked at Ross' spot on the bed and more tears fell down my cheeks when I saw that he wasn't there.

"Ross!" I yelled, my voice cracking in the process. "Ross!" I covered my mouth with my hand to prevent the sob from escaping. My hands were shaking, and pretty much every other limb.

The bathroom door burst open and Ross ran out, a towel loosely hung around his waist and his hair was dripping wet. "What happened? What's wrong?" His face was full of panic and worry, and his eyes were wide.

I just shook my head and jumped out of bed, throwing myself at him, not caring that he was wet. He stumbled back a bit, but wrapped his arms around my body after getting over the initial shock. My stomach was touching his, but he didn't seem to mind. I just needed physical contact to make sure he was actually here. I hadn't lost him.

"Sky, you're scaring me." He murmured, rubbing my lower back. "What's wrong?"

I pulled back slightly and wiped my cheeks with the backs of my hands. I sniffled and stared into the eyes of my concerned boyfriend. "I had a nightmare," I began, my voice trembling. "I-I thought...It was just so real..." I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to prevent anymore tears from falling. Ross grabbed both my hands and rubbed soothing circles on the backs. "You died." I whimpered. "You died and I thought I lost you. I lost you, Ross." A sob escaped and Ross immediately pulled me into his arms.

"Shh, it's okay, Sky. It was just a dream, I'm not dead." He rested his chin on the top of my head and continued to rub my back. "Try to calm down, okay? Nothing that happened in your dream was real. I'm very much alive and loving my life because I'm spending it with my amazing girlfriend who is carrying our baby." He held me at arms length and and wiped away any remaining tears from under my eyes. "It was just a dream, Sky."

I took a moment to try and calm myself down, breathing in and out until my heart rate returned to normal. I had never freaked out over a dream that much, but it just felt so real. And when I didn't see Ross next to me, I honestly thought he was gone. The feeling I had when I thought I lost him was a feeling I never wanted to feel again.

"Better?" He asked softly, lifting my chin so our eyes met. I could see the concern in his brown orbs, and I felt so guilty for causing that.

"Better." I confirmed, sending him a weak smile. The last scene of the dream was replaying over and over in my head, but I had to remind myself that it wasn't real. Ross was here and he was alive, not dead. "I'm sorry for freaking you out. It just felt so real." From all the dreams I could remember, this one was the most realistic and vivid dream I had ever had.

"Don't worry about it, Sky." He shook his head and kissed my forehead softly. "I was just worried that something was wrong with Olivia." He tightened his hold on the towel around his waist and bent down so his face was right in front of my protruding stomach. "Good morning, princess." Olivia kicked just as Ross kissed my stomach, and he yelped, jumping back. "She just kicked my lips! That actually hurt!"

I burst into a fit of giggles, watching as Ross touched his lips, his eyes wide. "If kicking your lips hurt, think how I feel." I placed my hand on my stomach, my eyebrows raised. "She's growing inside me, kicking all day long. You don't get to complain, Shor." Yes, Olivia kicking could get painful at times, but it was the most amazing feeling because it was proof that there was a human being growing inside me.

"You're right." He agreed, wrapping his arms around me. I placed my hands on his biceps and looked up at him, although my eyes wanted to focus on his bare chest. "But that still hurt my poor lips." He pouted, pointing to his kissable lips. "I think you should kiss them better."