"It's for Reign," I grind out. "Our son. For when he gets back."
"But he's not back, is he?" Her voice wobbles as she speaks the words and she wipes her teary eyes in frustration. "And we don't know if we'll ever get him back."
"You have to stay positive." I make a move to touch her shoulder, but Pandora steps out of my reach. "Please, toy. I'm doing my best here, I want to get him back as much as you do."
"How am I supposed to stay positive when he's out there with her?" She rubs her eyes, smearing mascara all over her face. Instead of making me angry at myself, it only serves to make my cock jump in my pants in anticipation.
It's been months since I fucked her, almost a year. Apart from the time when I made her come, Pandora has kept her distance, and I let her have it. But my patience is waning, my need to own her taking over again and threatening to make me do something to her. I want her back. I want her body back. It was made for me. She was born to be mine.
"You're on thin ice, Pandora," I warn her coolly. "You're being a fucking brat again. You remember what happens to brats, don't you?"
She stares at me with contempt before marching toward the door of the baby-blue nursery. I catch her before she can leave, fingers wrapping around her forearm.
"You're hurting me," she hisses, but I pay it no mind, pulling her body close against mine.
"I did this to cheer us both up," I tell her firmly. "We both need it."
"What the hell am I supposed to do with a nursery," she spits out. "When I have no baby to put in it?"
She pulls my arm free of her reach with such force, I accidentally scratch her. She inspects the claw marks on her arm and glares at me.
"Now look what you did! You hurt me..."
"You hurt yourself," I reply firmly. "And you keep doing it, Pandora, because you aren't fucking listening to me."
"I don't want to listen to anyone!" Her voice is getting louder and louder. I can tell she's scared, upset and angry, and I'm just waiting for her to break down now so I can pick up the pieces. "I want my son back! I want Reign here with me!"
"We're doing everything we can," I growl.
"Not enough!" She starts slamming her little fists against my chest, over and over again. "It's not enough, Dexter, it's not enough..."
"It will have to be." I grab her by the wrists, preventing her from hitting me again. "Look at yourself, Pandora. You're a goddamn mess."
"How do you expect anything else?" She's blubbering now, not even fighting back the tears anymore. "You can't imagine the pain of this, of losing a child."
"How can you say that?" I pull her against me, her body crashing into mine fiercely. "How can you say I don't understand? I lost something too."
"You don't know if he's your son."
"He is," I insist. "Do you want to stay with me?"
She stares into my eyes stubbornly before giving a barely perceptible nod.
"Then he's my son. And this hurts me, too, Pandora. But what hurts more is losing you. Watching you drift away. I need you back here with me so we can fight this together, do you understand? Your calling isn't over yet. You're the only one that can change Eden Falls. Don't you want Reign growing up in a better place?"
By her bottom lip wobbling I can tell she's about to fight me again, so I press a finger against her lips before she can speak up.
"Think about it, Pandora. You can change this place. You can change everything."
"But the pain is t-too much," she finally stutters. "It hurts too much, Dex, I can't focus on anything else. It's like there's a hole and I can never fill it. It hurts so bad..."
"Then we'll give you something else to occupy your mind," I insist firmly. "A new hobby? A new job?"
She shakes her head and I pull her closer again.
"You want to forget the pain?" I ask. Her eyes meet mine and she nods. "You want it gone? Replaced? You want to forget about Reign, just for a moment?"
She nods again.