REN|01

I stared at her as she slept so peacefully. The glow in her deep brown skin, those curly long lashes, her little nose, those deep dimples in her cheeks and her plump lips. She moaned in her sleep, curling into my hold, the tiny strap of her nightdress fell down her shoulders.

I fought back the urge to chuckle and twirled my finger around a strand of her locs.

"Cold?" I asked and she nodded sleepily, wrapping her arms tighter around me. It had been four years. Four years since we were married. Four years and those palpitations hasn't stopped. I buried my face in her long locs, pulling her close.

It had been four years since she was in an accident. Four years since she came back into my life. I didn't want to pull away from her now even for a second. I didn't want to blink with the fear that she'd disappear...or leave me.

When Rain fell asleep, I stood up and stepped out of the bedroom to check on Matt, our son and just as I had expected, he was awake.

"Daddy! " He called, throwing down his toys before he ran into my arms. He barely looked like a three-year-old boy as he had the height of a five or six-year-old kid. Matt's curly brown hair flopped around as he moved his head excitedly.

And just like Rain, he was a little too smart for his own good. For the second time in my life, I cried when I held him in my hands the night he was born. He looked like Rain so much, it made my heart hurt. When his little fist wrapped tightly around my finger, it felt like a dream.

Rain, Matt and I lived in an estate, your typical family home with white picket walls and three bedrooms. It was what Rain wanted and so, I wanted it too.

Watching Matt left a strong feeling of delight in my soul. An odd satisfaction. Rain and I had a son that looked just like both of us.

"Morning, buddy. How did you sleep?" I kissed his forehead, staring down at him as he talked about how he dreamed about waking up in a chocolate factory with his mom. I blamed it on Rain's addiction to Charlie and the chocolate factory.

I had an addiction. I had a problem...a secret if you would. One that I would do anything for. Rain. She was my addiction. One that I would go to hell and back for. When I met her years ago, I knew that for her, I'd do anything. In my dark world, she was the only thing that gave me sanity.

For her, I'd done wicked things and I had no regrets. Or maybe I did...but seeing that smile on her face, I realized it was all worth it.

Rain and Matt were the most important people in my life and whatever it took to keep that smile on their faces, I'd do it.

I heard the bedroom door creak open and she stood right there, that spellbinding smile on her face.

"Mommy!" Matt screamed and she laughed, holding her arms out as I moved closer to her, letting Matt into her arms. I smiled as the little boy littered kisses all over her face and she did the same. They were basically the same person.

"Why did my baby wake up so early? Did daddy wake you up?" she cooed, nudging her nose against his and as he told her about his dream, I stared at her. As Matt told her about his dream, she laughed. She was always so ethereal when she laughed like that.

After promising to make him chocolate cake at the bakery, Rain tugged me out of our son's bedroom and into our bedroom, shutting the door.

"I didn't get a kiss this morning" She leaned against door and I inhaled, placing my hand next to her head as I cupped her face. I usually wondered if she could hear my heartbeat when we stood so close, like this. Could she see how madly I was in love with her when I looked into her eyes? Did she know how much I craved to be right next to her every breath that I took?

Maybe not.

I ran my thumb over her bottom lip and felt her shiver. I leaned down, feeling her warm breath against my lip before I nipped on her bottom lip, slipping my hand down to her waist and pulling her close. Rain slipped her tongue in between the seams of my lips, hands running up my chest and sending sweet shivers down my spine.

Rain pulled back, breathless and I chuckled.

"Good morning, Darling" I kissed her nose and she giggled.

"Morning to you too. You're not going to work?" I groaned at the thought of going to work, wrapping my arms around her waist and kissing down along her neck.

"I don't want to. Can't we stay at home like this...and make another baby?" I whispered the last part, making her laugh.

"Another baby? No please. Matt's like ten babies already and then there's you, the biggest baby of them all" She teased, and I smiled nipping on her earlobe. She always smelled so good.

"But I'm your favorite baby, right?" I whispered and she laughed, walking out of the bedroom while I followed behind her as we walked to the kitchen.

"You're still jealous of Matt? He's just three" I exhaled as I thought about it. Well, technically, he was almost four, but I digress.

When Matt was around the age of one or two, he would make Rain send me out of our bedroom. When he was still really little, he got a fever and after he recovered, he stuck to my wife's side. I wasn't sure why but he wouldn't let Rain move an inch away from him.

He even slept in our bed --in between us. It got to a point where he'd cry if I went close to my wife. I almost lost my mind because I had known her for much longer than he knew her.

Ironically, my name was the first one he called.

I still loved them so much.

We stood in the kitchen and she turned around in my hold, staring into my eyes for a couple of seconds before she cupped my face.

"Of course, you're my favorite baby" She pressed her lips to mine, pulling back too quickly and I smiled. I took her hand in mine and fiddled with the wedding ring on her finger.

I had put it on her finger four years ago as she laid in that hospital bed with blood all over her favorite white undress. I could never forget the image and even to this day, it haunted me for months on end.

"I love you" she whispered, almost like she was reassuring me. I could never be reassured. Never. Not when he was still out there and not when I knew she could do better.

She had more reasons to leave than she had to stay. Rain was an amazing woman. Smart, beautiful and talented while I...I had nothing but money, a scarred face and a dark past I hoped would stay hidden forever. I had many regrets. I had done many things. I didn't believe in God.

But, if there was a God somewhere, anywhere, listening to my prayers, I asked every day that my wife and my son wouldn't be taken in substitution of the sins that I committed. In the dark world that I lived in, they were the only form of light that I had.

"I love you, Rain" 

A\N
Hello (again)
Here's Ren's chapter. Lol. I hope you like him because he's an absolute sweetheart. Honestly, I didn't like his character at first but maybe because I've read this chapter a million and one times, I like him a little more now.
If you didn't read the introduction, 'The Devil You Know' will be updated on Saturdays.
Let me know what you think!
Enjoy!
-Aduke🌻