A Hidden Picture

Bonus chapter

~ Reed ~ over a year later

"We'll be over later. Blake and Jesse might be a little late though," Ro tells me through the phone.

I gnaw on my lip as I turn the steering wheel. "Okay. Also remind Gracie to bring my The Neighborhood CD back."

He chuckles. "Don't worry I will. Laterrr-" He hangs up as he drags on the word. I shake my head with a tiny smile and toss it onto the empty passenger seat.

We're ordering pizza and everyone is coming over to eat a little later.

It's almost Christmas and it feels like it's negative degrees outside. But I just got back from the inside practice gym and I'm sweating so my body doesn't know wether to feel hot or cold.

My skin is sticky with sweat, but I'm wearing a thick crew neck and sweatpants.

I groan, god I need to shower.

I finally make it to the building and it feels like my legs are burning and about to collapse from beneath me.

C'mon five more steps.

My eyes are clenched in pain and I hiss when I run up the last few steps.

My god. I let out a breath and grab my keys to open the door.

Gently, I shut the door behind me and proceed down the hallway.

"Hey ba-" My sentence cuts off when I see Annalise not on the couch.

Sighing tiredly, I tug my crew neck off from the back of my neck and tossing it on the couch before heading down the hallway and to the bedroom.

Quietly, I crack open the door.

I smile to myself. There she is.

Annalise sits with her back turned to the door, sitting at the desk near our bed. Textbooks and papers are scattered everywhere and she's so entranced in the work she doesn't notice me until I'm right behind her and smacking a kiss on her head.

She gasps slightly and jumps in her seat a little, spinning to look at me on the chair.

Suddenly she winces in pain and I glance down to her arms.

"Shit I thought she'd be taking a nap right now?," I say to Annalise before pressing a soft kiss to our daughter's forehead. "Are you okay? Well...is your tit okay?"

She scowls up at me and I smirk but still wait for an answer.

When she doesn't respond I lean down and press a kiss to her lips. When I pull away she pushes upwards to try to prolong it.

I chuckle and press another kiss to her mouth before standing back up straight.

Looking back down to Lila, I smile.

She looks drunk. Breast milk trickling out the corner of her mouth.

"Here lemme get her. I haven't seen my little princess in hours," I say as I gently grab her out of her mother's arms and hold her head, placing her on my chest. "I'm sorry that I probably smell like sweat," I tell her even though she's practically asleep now.

Annalise sighs tiredly as she pulls her tank top back up to cover herself and turning back to the textbooks.

"Anise....you need to take a break," I say softly as I rock back and forth, patting Lila's back as she sits propped on my upper chest.

"I'm almost done studying for the day, I have to take an exam next week," she mutters while continuing to write.

I take in her appearance. She's wearing sleep shorts, a grey tank top with stains on it from our five month's old spit up and leaked breast milk, and her hair is tied in a messy bun at the nape of her neck.