"THIS IS RIDICULOUS" SHE GRIMACES, attempting to squirm out of his grasp but he grabs her wrist and tosses her down against the bed.
"Spencer if you don—" his lips capture hers in a surprise kiss and she stiffens, eyes going wide and horror-struck.
David dominates her lips fiercely, not caring if she feels the evidence of his desire. Now using his body as an anchor, he presses against her hard, forcing her head against the pillow as the smooth burn of premium whiskey that he'd been drinking soils the hint of mint in her mouth.
Heat runs along the entire length of his body, eager and needy but just as it's about to get to the best part, she wrenches him away and gasps sharply.
"Did you just fucking kiss me?!" She exclaims but David smiles, noting how red her cheeks are.
He tilts her chin to meet his vague gaze."Should I do it again?"
"If this is one of your sick escapades, you better snap out of it and let me go while I'm being nice!" She yells but he ignores her and lowers his head to rest on the crook of her neck.
"I've always loved your smell Stacey" he inhales swiftly "so... exotic" he nips her skin and she squirms, left stupefied by his actions.
"Spenser stop!" her voice breaks, barely keeping it together as he hovers atop her body, his hand purposefully sliding up her dress.
"If you don't like it rough, I'll be gentle" he whispers against her neck and she presses her lip, unsure of how to react to his sudden impulsive behavior, but one thing is sure; this isn't the goofy low-witted Argent she knows, this is a man raging with lust and the thought of what he might do makes her heart pound violently.
"No Spencer, get off or I'll call the cops!" her voice quivers in failed attempts to stay calm.
"No you won't" he releases her wrists and searches for the lining of her shirt, eager to get the skin-to-skin friction he fantasized about.
"I swear I will!" She blurts.
"Would you really send me to jail, Stace?" He forces his way through her tank top and she yelps.
"Spencer!"
"I promise I won't hurt you if you just let me" his voice is gentle and assuring, she almost wants to give in but not like this.
"You're drunk Spencer, please let's stop this" she pleads, the corner of her eyes starting to water.
"Isn't this what you've always wanted, to see what made other girls go crazy for me?"
"You're my best friend, you're like a brother to me, I don't-"
"Can you stop the best friend bull talk, I know you have feelings for me, I know you think of me the same way I think of you!"
He slides his arms back in and she whimpers, unable to protest as he pins each wrist to the bed, applying pressure enough to keep her secure, but not so rough to leave bruises.
"I know you get jealous whenever I bring a new chick home, I know deep down you wish to possess me like they do...to have me right on top of you, filling you with nothing but sinful pleasure"
Her eyes widen at his bluntness. He didn't bother being fancy with his words.
"Are you out of your mind?!"
"I don't wanna be your best friend, Stacey, don't you fucking get it, am I that much of a nonentity that you still refuse to see how crazy I am over you?" He releases a low growl.
"I love you, Stacey, I've loved you since the day you walked into class with your messy hair and worn out soccer pantsuit"
He leans forward.
"I can't reason, I can't eat, I can't breathe, all I think about is you Stacey, and it sickens me so much that I just want to scream"
"We can't be more than friends Spencer"
"Who says we can't?"
"I don't want it"
"Is it because of him, because of Brad, that dumb imp?"
He pulls away slightly and kneels over her.
"Brad has nothing to do with this, just let me go okay, Stella might get the wrong idea if I don't return soon"
"Do you like him, is it because he called you pretty and took you out on a few dates, is it because he is more reserved, or are you into him because he fucks you good?"
"You're disgusting!" She spits but he doesn't feel affronted.
"That must be it, he fucks you rough right?"
"You're talking straight out bullshit, get off me, you moron!"
"Am I not good enough, why won't you still see me as a man and not your play buddy who is always there to catch fireflies or braid your hair, we're not kids anymore, I have feelings, I feel lust just like everyone else!"
"Let me go this instance, Spenser, I'm tired of listening to your nonsense!" she forces him back enough to untangle her body from his but he pulls her back down, hissing as she nudges him in the gut but his grip remains unbroken.
"I don't want to hurt you Stacey" he scowls, pinning both legs with his knees as she released a strangled cry, flailing her arms and legs in the air.
"Don't fight it stace" he successfully captures her legs between his kneeling thigh and he rips through her shirt, exposing her skin and almond curved breast that made his winter eyes even darker.
"Spencer, this isn't you, please!" Hot tears spill from both sides of her eyes as she now realizes that her words and resistance won't do any good.
"I'm sorry Stacey" his hands reach for his belt and he slides them off, lost in the desire to fill his unquenched thirst.
"W-wait, please, let's talk about this!" She struggles but it's to no avail.
"I can't, Stacey I've waited too long as it is. I need to be inside you, now."
"Spenser!"
_
For a moment David did nothing but blink repeatedly, still trying to process. He sucked in a sharp breath and slowly tilted his gaze away from the photo.
He looked at her, perplexed and horrified. He didn't understand. He didn't understand why a little boy who looked just like him in his childhood appeared in a photo.
"It can't be..." He muttered
Stella stepped forward. "It's been five years, David, Five years since Stacey passed away in childbirth" She jabbed her fingers in the photo, trying to hold back her tears. "She was pregnant for you, it's your child — your son and now he is dying and I need your help"
***
THAT EVENING, ALL DAVID WANTED was to see Dawn and sleep next to her. It'd only been a few hours away from her, but it felt like a lifetime and it wasn't just the sexual pleasure he missed— he missed everything about her; her smile, her sarcasm, the way she always made him feel okay — he needed it right now.
It was late when he arrived home and Dawn had already tucked herself into bed but when he stepped into the room, she awoke.
"David is that you?" She mumbled, turning her head towards the door.
David closed his eyes for a moment and hummed a low response. "It's me..."
"You're late"
He sighed. " I know."
Without saying anything further, he slugged into the room, knocked off his shoes, and peeled off the top layer of his three-piece suit before climbing the bed as settling beside her.
Dawn propped herself against the headboard. "David, Is everything okay?"
David shook his head softly. "It's not" he muttered, leaning to rest on her shoulders.
"What's going on, talk to me"
At the moment, he wished he could come clean. He wished he could tell her he'd done something horrible. He wished he could share his burden and anxiety with her, but he couldn't, at least, not yet.
"David..." Dawn called, caressing through his hair. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing... I just missed you way more than usual today"
Dawn cracked a small smile. "I missed you too"
That night, there was no sex. Instead, David just held her, the tremendous weight of his worry evident with every breath he took as he stayed awake, unable to sleep most of the night.
It seemed like the fun, carefree days of their relationship had gradually come to an abrupt end and things were going to change in a very drastic way.
***
THE NEXT MORNING, Dawn woke to a fully dressed David stroking her cheek.
"Hey, morning mist" he cooed and she fluttered her eyes open.
"Hey. Did I oversleep?"
"No. I'm early. I have a busy day and wanted to get an early start"
She stretched lightly and pulled herself up into a sitting position. "Will you be home early today?"
He shook his head. "I'm going to be late but I promise to make it up to you once I get back"
"Just get me my favorite milk cookies on your way back and we'll be on good terms again"
David chuckled and kissed her gently. "See you later babe"
After he left, Dawn had fallen back to bed and dozed off for the second time but the sound of her phone ringing woke her and when she picked, it was a call from Paula urging her to be at the hospital for her test result.
An hour later, she arrived at the hospital and found herself squirming on the bed as the winter feel of the transducer touched her exposed stomach.
"Do you feel any pain or pressure on your lower left?" Paula asked, focusing on the video monitor as she moved slowly across her midsection.
Dawn closed her eyes, breathed in, and then opened them."Pain, no but I do feel a huge amount of pressure"
"Like something kicking?" she joked.
"Definitely not like something kicking" she rolled her eyes and Paula chuckled.
"I still don't get why you are so scared of getting pregnant."
"I'm not scared" she corrected.
"Right, you're just not ready" she mocked with a small laugh and Dawn shrugged, clearly affronted but choosing not to show it.
"Look, I know you both made this fantastic decision to wait till God knows when and I don't want to be hypothetical about this, so let's just wait for the doctor's result to be out okay?"
Dawn simply nodded and sat up when she withdrew her hands. She just didn't want to think about it. Her relationship with David was more important and if he wanted to wait till his 40s before he had kids, she had no right to protest.
She closed her eyes for a brief moment and exhaled loudly.
It was clear that he wasn't the sort of man who adored kids, he was a busy man and barely had time for himself and, recently he slept late, having weird dreams that kept him up half the night, and then there was something about his sleep whisper that made her apprehensive.
"Do you think it's weird?" She thought out loud, pushing her dress down.
"What's weird?" Paula turned, putting the transducer aside and tossing her gloves into the trash can.
"It's David... Last night he was sleep talking.
Paula shrugged. "It's pretty normal"
"I know but..." She sighed and rubbed her head. "He kept subconsciously muttering the name Stacey in his sleep"
"I knew that good for nothing fuckboy was having an affair, you can not trust men these days" she sighed.
"Do you really think he is?"
"This is an obvious sign that he is having an affair"
"I don't think he would" surely, he wouldn't, he had promised her and she couldn't make such misjudgment about her husband.
"Then why don't you just ask him?"
She was quiet for a minute. "It might be personal..."
"Your husband uttering another woman's name subconsciously during sleep is nothing to be classified as personal"
She shook her head lightly and tossed the thought aside. "Maybe I'm just hearing things, you know me and my paranoia"
"For the love of—"
A knock on the door sounded and Paula pressed her lips together, scowling at Dawn before walking to answer it and when she opened it, the nurse handed over Dawn's test result.
She nodded a thank you and opened the files, the expression on her face remaining neutral.
Dawn swallowed the lump in her throat, shifting in her seat as she suddenly felt apprehensive. She craned her neck."Is that the result?" She asked, and Paula nodded with a hum.
She cleared her throat, feeling her stomach twist lightly. "Well, what does it say?"
Paula looked up and pressed her lips together before speaking. "You're not pregnant, Dawn"
Her eyes lit up a bit. "I'm not pregnant..."