**NEW VERSION - EDITED**

Brock's POV

I rolled slightly onto my back as I awoke, a searing pain shooting through my skull and causing me to instantly regret the movement as I did so. Fuck, scotch never agrees with me. I was brought out of my self-loathing thoughts when a warm body followed my backwards movement and rested against my chest.

Oh shit, I cursed to myself as the nitty gritty details of last night came rushing back to me. I glanced down, the sight of Dani's peaceful face a very welcome one despite how much I knew I shouldn't like it. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was even and steady, each puff of air fanning out against my bare chest. My dick jumped to life as she released a content sigh seconds before she burrowed further into my frame. How the fuck do I manage to get myself into these situations? Christ, I wish drunk me had had half a mind to at least put some Goddamn pants on I thought as my boner grew in size, the offending organ beginning to poke again Dani's soft thigh under the covers.

I attempted to hug and roll her off of my body, but my plan completely backfired as she abruptly woke up with a soft gasp.

"What? Oh, shit, you scared me!" she quietly reprimanded, her voice slightly groggy from sleep. "How are you feeling this morning?" she asked, her tongue slipping out to wet her bottom lip. I couldn't help myself as I watched the movement like a hawk. My entire body froze with tension to keep from leaning forward to suck that tongue into my own mouth. Why does it feel like being a complete asshole is the only way to protect myself from her fucking hold on me? Christ. Having her here in my bed was so much different than us co-sleeping in the guest bedroom.

It felt so much more...intimate. Serious.

"My head is killing me," I grunted out honestly, keeping my tone controlled and even to not give away any of my emotions. I pulled my hands away from her body and rolled onto my back, reaching my fingers up to rub at my temples to hopefully ease some of the pounding in my temples.

I blamed the fact that we were still so in-tune with each other's emotions that she immediately caught onto my stand-offish mood and the thoughts running through my mind.

"You invited me to sleep in here. Do you even fucking remember that conversation or were you too fucked up?" she snapped, a hurt expression taking over her features as she threw the covers off of her frame and struggled to pull herself up into a sitting position - I usually helped her with that task each morning. I just swallowed thickly, not wanting to admit that yes, I did remember everything from last night and that I had royally fucked up. Whether that was last night or this morning, I wasn't quite sure. Well - no - I was, I just didn't want to admit it.

"Is that a rhetorical question? I do recall you loving those," I shot back sarcastically. I figured she already probably hated me at this point, might as well drive it home.

"You are fucking unbelievable!" she screamed, whipping around to glare at me as she picked up a pillow from the bed and tossed it at my head. I deflected the hit, just glaring right back, but I couldn't help but notice that the neck-line of the huge shirt I'd put her in of mine last night had ridden down, exposing one of her engorged jiggling tits. Fuck, that's a beautiful sight.

"God, I'm so stupid!" she growled more to herself than to me when she caught me intently staring at her chest. "I should've never let you touch me. I fucking knew it! I...I should've stopped things after our kiss," she cried to herself before yanking the shirt up and effectively covering herself once again, effectively ending my personal peep show.

"Then why didn't you, huh? Why did you let me take you to bed that morning?" I asked, raising my voice.

"Because I'm horny all the goddamn time!" she yelled back, surprising me when her cheeks didn't flame with embarrassment. "You don't even understand how fucking hard it is to say no to the one man you want touching you when that's all your body desperately wants, but your fucking mind knows they're just using you!"

"I wasn't using you when we had sex, Dani," I growled, but stopped myself before I could say too much. There was so much I could say. But I was a fucking coward. Plain and simple. 

"Hey daddy, why is mommy crying? Oh! Don't worry, honey, it's just because daddy only likes mommy when he wants to get his fucking dick wet!" she screamed back as tears flowed down her reddened cheeks before she threw the bedroom door open and made her grand exit. I slumped back down on the bed, cradling my face in my hands. Wow, I really fucked up this time.

I eventually got the balls to leave my bedroom and go find her. When I did, she was in the kitchen, crying over a pan on the stove as she cooked herself breakfast.

"Dani," I murmured, trying to gain her attention so I could try and give her somewhat of an explanation.

"Just leave me alone, Brock. Please. Just fucking leave me alone unless either one of us is going through some dire emergency. I don't feel well. I called Dr. Anderson and she said our arguments are likely causing me excess stress. It's not good for me or the baby. Just...just leave me alone," she pleaded quietly before going back to cooking, completely ignoring me. Just the mere idea that I could be the cause of a complication with her or our child's health was the biggest fucking blow to the balls. And all because I was simply being myself.

If that didn't say all it needed to about the kind of man I'd become, I wasn't sure what did.

**

"Yes, Ma, my bags are packed and I'm getting in the car as we speak," I rattled off as I held my phone in the crook of my neck while loading Dani and my luggage into the SUV. I still had yet to figure out how to break it to my mother that I was bringing along my six-and-a-half month pregnant...whatever Dani was to me; my baby mama I guess. It also didn't help that we hadn't been on good terms since our fight a month ago. That was surely going to make this trip even more strained than it was already going to be.

"Promise you'll call me at every stop you make. I want you to keep me updated on how far along you are on the trip." My mom responded. It could've been considered a request, but I knew better than that. There was always an underlying command to my mom's questions when she wanted something. That, and all of us kids knew better than to go against what she wants - unless we wanted to put up with our father's wrath.

"Yes, I promise. I've got to get going or I'm going to get behind on time since I decided to drive." I reasoned.

"I still don't understand why you're not flying instead. It's such a long drive," my mom muttered. I just ignored the probing question. It was irrational considering flying during pregnancy was completely safe until about thirty-seven weeks, but neither Dani or I wanted to take a chance. I just mumbled a quick I love you in reply and hung up.

"So, you're not going to give her a heads up that you're bringing me along?" Dani asked curiously, giving me a look with a single raised brow before shutting her car door. I didn't have much of a chance to reply to her question as I finished loading the car. I released a puff of breath from my lips before shutting the back hatch and finally getting into the driver's side. Fantastic, the first thing she says to me after weeks of silence is about keeping her a secret.

"No, I'm not. The situation would sound a hell of a lot worse over text messages than face-to-face," I stated before starting up the vehicle and pulling out of my apartment complex. There was no good time to leave due to the never-ending traffic of the city. By the time we finally managed to reach the interstate, Dani was already complaining of her lower back hurting and her bladder being full.

"I'll pull over at the next station I see," I reasoned, trying to put her mind at ease.

"There! You just passed one, turn around!" she demanded while pointing out her window.

"The next one is only 30 miles away. I want to make up for lost time," I explained, rubbing my forehead in mild frustration.

"Goddammit, Brock, turn around or I'll piss all over your leather seats!" she yelled before dramatically grabbing onto her door for support as I whipped a sharp - and illegal - turn to go back towards the gas station she'd seen. I refrained from saying anything in response, just focused on my breathing as I pulled up to the location in question.

"Voilá," I grit out before resting my head against the back of the headrest and pinching the bridge of my nose. I waited a few seconds, but she didn't make a move to get out. "What're you waiting for?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"I don't want to go in there alone. Gas stations are creepy," she whispered timidly. I examined her face for a few seconds, noting the bags under her eyes and the genuine look of slight fear on her face. Despite my insistence, she'd refused to share a bed with me the last month and had claimed the pregnancy pillow I bought worked just fine. She said she didn't need me to get a good night's sleep anymore. I bet if my dad or Troy were here, they would've just gotten out and gone in without having to be asked. They probably would've known that gas stations were "creepy".

What else didn't I know? What else made me a defective man?

I cleared my throat before killing the ignition and pulling the keys out. "Okay, let's go." Getting out, I rushed to her door and opened it for her, helping her slide out before resting my hand on the small of her back. The small amount of contact didn't last long, though, because she quickly waddled ahead of me and did her best to ignore my presence. You don't care. It doesn't affect you. She's just a chick you accidentally knocked up.

I caught up to her and opened the door for her, surveying the inside to see if I could figure out what it was that made these places "creepy". As soon as we entered, a group of older men - who looked as if they belonged to a biker gang or something of the sort - immediately focused their attention on Dani. One of them cracked a sickly smile before nudging his buddy to get his attention. The action immediately set me off as I wrapped my arm around Dani's waist and pulled her close to my body before sending the group a menacing glare.

I ushered Dani into the family bathroom before instructing her to lock the door. I stood guard outside; one way in, one way out I assured myself. I crossed my arms over my broad chest, staring down the now loitering group of men. They were clearly sizing me up. Dani reappeared after a few minutes had passed looking much more relaxed than when she entered.

"Thank you," she murmured under her breath. Whether she was talking about me turning around and coming back so she could do her business, or the situation with the men, I wasn't quite sure, but I nodded anyway. She reached her arm around me and fisted the back material of my sweatshirt in her hand before subconsciously leaning into my body. I returned the favor by wrapping my arm around her shoulders and escorting her out, still glaring at who appeared to be the head biker dude as he silently challenged me with his stare.

Try me motherfucker - my concealed carry is still good for another year. I fucking dare you to threaten my woman and child.

Neither Dani or I spoke another word as we strapped ourselves back into the car and took off. She seemed visibly shaken by the sketchy encounter as her hands trembled and her knee bounced up and down. I lifted my hand from the steering wheel to rest my palm on her lower thigh before rubbing soothing circles into her leg, trying to calm her down. Whether we were getting along or not, she was still the mother of my child and her distress was our child's distress. And...and even if I didn't want to admit it to myself, part of me still...I sighed deeply as the familiar thoughts plagued my mind.

She settled into her seat, resting her head against the window with a tired sigh of her own before leaning her chair back just a tiny bit. I expected her to fall asleep right away as she seemed to always be tired anymore, but she continued to fidget around for the next ten minutes or so. She tried to rub her back without me noticing, but there wasn't much she did that ever slipped past me.

Removing my hand from her thigh, I could see the slight disappointment flash across her face before she tried to mask it. "Hold on," I muttered before blindly reaching behind me and pulling out the small pillow I'd packed right before we left. "Lean forward," I ordered, seeing her confused expression from my periphery as I kept my focus on the road. She did as told as her expression changed to that of shock as I slid the pillow between her back and the seat to cradle her source of pain.

She blinked a few times while staring at my face before lying down once again and getting comfortable. I resumed my hands soothing motions on her leg as I listened to her breathing finally slow and even out.

**

She was out for a solid five hours until she finally woke - desperately needing to pee. Again.

"Turn, turn, turn, turn!" she yelled while simultaneously wacking my bicep.

"Jesus, woman! I am!" I growled back while trying to deflect her hits. I couldn't keep the half-smile off of my face as I watched her once again waddle comically-fast into the fast food diner seconds after we'd pulled in hustled out of the car. I waited outside the women's restroom - as per Dani's request - before we finally settled into a booth. I caught myself comparing this run down, shitty place to the diner my mom, sister, and sister-in-law ran. A deep-seeded feeling of homesickness ran through my body and settled down.

"I could eat the asshole of a skunk right now, I'm so fucking hungry," Dani huffed before beginning to intently read the menu. I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of my chest at her statement - something that seemed to immediately snap her out of her food craving induced haze.

"Why are you looking at me like I have two heads?" I asked before picking up my own menu and ignoring her intrusive glare to scan the contents.

"I just...it's been so long since I've heard you really laugh," she murmured, her stare never wavering. She was getting that look on her face again, the lovestruck one. Fucking hell. "Maybe I should've tried harder to get you out of the city," she added when my easy-going smile faded.

"I fucking hate that place," I grunted, knowing for a fact a look of disdain had taken over my face.

"I know you do. You only ever complained about it all the time," she teased light-heartedly before picking up her straw and shooting the wrapper at me. I quirked my eyebrow up at her, the corner of my lip threatening to lift too at her childish behavior.

"I see food still hasn't changed from being the only thing that cures your shitty attitudes," I chuckled knowingly, referring back to when I wanted to try something new in the bedroom and she would throw a tantrum - simply because she was hungry. Her cheeks blushed before she laughed with a singular nod.

"Sorry for the wait ya'll, what can I getcha to drink?" our middle-aged waitress asked, slightly winded as she approached our table.

"It's not a problem. I'll just have water with lemon please," Dani said politely, giving the woman a sweet smile.

"I'll have the same, please," I responded.

"Is that a southern accent I detect? Where you comin' from, sugar?" the waitress asked, clearly knowing that this diner was in the middle of absolutely nowhere. I smiled a real smile and nodded as memories of my childhood came to the surface. It felt good to reminisce over them if only for a split second.

"Coming from New York, but we're headed to Charleston for a long-overdue visit home," I answered.

"My Goodness, you certainly are a long ways from home, ain'tcha? I bet your mama's more than excited," she said with a smile.

"You have no idea," I nodded with a laugh, mirroring her smile. Our conversation ended as Dani's stomach growled loudly, cueing our waitress into how hungry she truly was. The kind women apologized again before quickly taking our orders and promising to get them to us as soon as possible before dashing off to take the ticket to the cooks in the back.

I cleared my throat before scratching the back of my neck, completely unsure of how I was going to approach the subject that had been stewing in the back of my mind ever since we loaded up and got on the road.

"Alright Casanova, what is it? And don't try and bullshit me," Dani demanded as she crossed her arms over her chest. Instead of speaking, I reached into my front coat pocket and pulled out the small velvet box that'd been burning a hole there all day. I popped the top open, revealing the massive engagement ring that I'd had for quite some time now. Her eyes grew wide as saucers as she sucked in a big breath and held it.

"What the fuck is that?" she hissed out, a slight hysteric undertone to her voice.

"If I bring you home pregnant without a ring on your finger, my mom will cut my dick off and my dad will skin me alive," I reluctantly explained, swallowing the lump in my throat at the circumstances in which I was presenting the jewelry. I felt my stomach drop as the look in her eyes turned cold and hard the second my words processed as she continued to stare at the diamonds as they sparkled under the diner's lights.

"And that's supposed to be my problem? I'm not going to lie to your family and feed into your bullshit because you're terrified of commitment," she ground out right as our waitress stepped back up to our table with our food. I cleared my throat awkwardly and swiped the ring off the table and back into my pocket. The waitress looked back and forth between the two of us, totally unsure of how to handle the situation as she'd seen the ring, and the pissed off expression on Dani's face as well as my most likely desperate one. I probably looked like a fucking pansy. I clenched my jaw before silently making room for our food and motioning for our waitress to set it all down. She did so before giving us both one last questioning glance, asking if we needed anything, and walking off. 

Not a single word was spoken between us as we began eating. We were only a few bites into our meals when Dani finally broke the silence.

"I think that's the first time you haven't had an excuse to counter the truth."

"No, I just have no intention of spilling my own truth and upsetting you in public - especially with how jealous you get when I point out being with other women and enjoying the bachelor life," I spouted off without even thinking about it, despite the fact that none of the bullshit I was saying was even true. A huge knot formed in my stomach as my words had their intended effect - silencing while also hurting her. But that's not really what I wanted. I was just so fucking used to being a dick to protect myself that it's what was second nature at this point. I fucking hate myself.

It wasn't until she pushed away her half-eaten meal that I realized how badly I'd fucked up. God dammit. I can't do anything right with her. I can't do