Guilty As Charged, page 6
“When this is over, I’m not letting you out of bed,” I say, and this time when we kiss, it’s tender and slow.
“Deal,” she agrees when I pull back. “Think you can walk out there without making men feel inferior?”
“What?” I’m confused until she glances down at my cock that’s still hard and buried inside her. “Oh, yeah, let me get this under control.”
It takes me longer than necessary to get my cock to go down, but I have to force myself not to look at Abbie, and then I have to tell her not to look at me. We laugh through most of it, and I can’t help but think how much I love everything about her. When I’m with Abbie, I can be silly and fun because she brings out the best in me. I’m happier, lighter, and a better man because of her. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life loving her.
Chapter Thirteen
ABBIE
It wasn't until we got to the convention and I saw everyone that it really hit me how much I’ve missed all this and being a part of the world. Even when online. In my head I kept telling myself I was fine, but being here is a giant reminder that this is my world. I belong here.
“Are you good?” Spencer tugs at the top of my dress, straightening the material.
The man is always fussing over me, and I love it. Hell, I love him, but it’s hard for me to say the words. They weren't tossed around my house as they should have been when I was growing up. When you love people, those words should flow, but I might have a tingle of rejection still in the back of my mind.
“I mean, we haven’t seen Geoff yet, but I’m good right now.” He’ll be here. I’m sure of that. No way he’d miss an opportunity for people to see him and stroke his ego. I never cheer for a person's downfall, but I have no sympathy for this man.
“That’s all that matters,” Spencer says before pressing his mouth to mine in a tender kiss.
“This world has kind of become my makeshift family, you know? Or I’ve been using it to fill that void,” I admit to Spencer.
Now that I’ve had some time away, a lot of things are becoming clearer to me. Not only that, but today when I took my time getting ready and becoming Delphine, it was different. Delphine is able to be who she is without fear of what others think. She was a character, but the truth is, she’s still a big part of me. The part I keep tucked away because I’ve been told it’s too much.
Spencer has shown me that I’m perfect as I am. All the parts of me. With him, I have the freedom to express myself without worrying about criticism or negative reactions. The man adores me and can’t get enough. It’s a freeing feeling to have that in my life.
One of Spencer’s hands shifts, and he brushes it over my stomach. I think about all the times he came inside me and how having a family could become a reality sooner than later. I know in the heat of the moment he says dirty things, but it was never one-sided either, and I welcomed it every time.
“I can understand making your own family. It’s always been me and Scout since as far back as I can remember.” He doesn't talk much about his family. If anything, he talks about Landon and Gideon like they are his brothers.
"Scout!" I squeak. "I’m supposed to meet up with her." She's been the one number I saved to my new phone, and we have been texting nonstop. She’s also extra petty and isn’t too happy with Geoff either.
Scout is a fun time and always has a way of making me laugh. She puts on a hard shell, but I’ve gotten in there a little, and it's all marshmallow. It's going to take a strong man without an ego to get to her heart, but hey, any man worthy of her should have to work for it.
"I'm sure she's more than fine." Spencer kisses me again, this time on the top of my head. "I bet she's out there searching for Geoff herself."
It wouldn’t shock me. "How do you think he's going to act when we find him? He might pretend I don't exist." That would be the smart thing. Wiping his hands and being done with each other would be the best way to walk away.
"No one can pretend you don't exist. You stand out." The confidence with which Spencer says it makes me want to melt into a puddle.
"You're always saying the sweetest stuff to me."
“As I should. I know just how fucking sweet you taste.” His tongue swipes across his bottom lip, and it’s so damn hot. After he goes down on me and kisses me, I can taste myself on him. It’s like I’m marking him in my own way.
“Spencer.” I give his chest a playful shove, not really wanting him to go anywhere. “We’ve only got you settled down,” I remind him.
“Right, let's go before they send out a search party.”
“No one is sending a search party. It's not that big of a deal.”
“You are, and it’s only up from here,” he says before he takes my hand and leads us back out of the room.
A few people glance our way, but most have already shuffled inside to the main event area. We stop at the map outside that tells people where each person or company is located. I see Geoff’s name on one of the tables and point to it.
“My name is with his.” After all I’ve learned about Geoff, I hate the idea of people thinking I’m paired up with him. I can’t be the only person that has run into issues with him, and I don’t want to be lumped in with his mess.
I’m not prepared to have a table. I was going to move around the crowd and take pictures if people asked. That’s what I wanted because it lets me mingle. I’m a fan myself too, and there are a lot of talented individuals here.
“That doesn’t mean you have to go there.”
Will people think I ditched if I’m not there? Geoff’s done this on purpose, and Spencer knows it too. I don’t miss the way he stands up straighter, his whole body on high alert. The man could give Superman a run for his money.
“You really think he’d try something here?”
"With the shit he's already pulled, I don't put anything past him." This is true. He’s done things I never thought he would.
"He's so worried about his image. Geoff wants to be famous more than anything."
"He's all ego, and you not giving him what he wants is going to hit him where it hurts most."
Spencer’s hand goes to my back as we walk further into the convention area. The place is swarming with people already, and everyone is dressed up.
“They’re so cute.” I motion to a pair of little girls. One is Scarlet Witch, and the other is She-Hulk. I can’t help but picture what my and Spencer’s kids would look like in a place like this. Who’d be their favorite comic? Would there be DC and Marvel rivals in the house? The thought makes me smile.
"Ours will be cuter," he whispers into my ear. The man can either read my mind, or we are that in tune with one another.
“Abbie!” Scout shouts my name while waving her hand in the air. I see her moving through the crowd of people quickly, and when she finally reaches us, she’s out of breath. “He’s here, and he’s insane.”
"I’m pretty sure we covered that." I laugh, but Spencer stays stuck to my side.
“No, listen.” Scout drops her voice. “You know how you said when he started making the comics dirtier and wanted the character to look like you, that the writing felt different?”
“Yes, it was horrible.” I suspected it was because he was thinking with the wrong head when he was doing those. “It felt off.”
Scout smirks. “Maybe because he didn’t write it.”
“What?” That catches me off guard. "So he’s not writing or illustrating the comic?"
“It's all ghosts, and I think some are stolen.”
“Shut up!” I gasp. Things against Geoff keep stacking up. “He doesn’t do any of it? Wow.”
“He’s a fucking psycho.” Scout purses her lips to control her temper. Yeah, she’s really pissed. She glances around then drops her voice as she leans closer. “It would be nice if all this information was revealed while we’re here.”
"Delphine!" a young girl in her teens calls out. "Can I get a picture?"
"Of course!" I give her a bright smile as I move beside her. "I would be honored to have my picture taken with Captain Marvel."
I pose with her, and a few more people come over to ask for photos. Before I know it, I’m surrounded by people, and I’ve lost sight of Spencer. There are so many people it’s hard to move, and people keep placing one thing after another in front of me to sign.
I assure myself that everything is all right. It's too public for anything bad to happen in the middle of a crowd. But it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong. There’s one thing you can't control…crazy.
Chapter Fourteen
SPENCER
“There are too many people,” I say to Scout as I watch more fans gather around Abbie.
“Can you see her?” Scout is tall, but not nearly as tall as I am. She’s craning her neck to see over the tops of people's heads. The more that gather around Abbie, the farther we get pushed out and the harder it is for her to see.
“Yeah, but I think it’s time to put an end to this.” I go to take a step in Abbie’s direction, but Scout puts her hand on my arm to stop me.
“Wait, this is a big moment for her. I want her to be safe, but maybe we should let her enjoy this.”
Scout looks at the crowd nervously, and I can see she’s torn between letting Abbie have her moment and keeping her safe. When it comes to Abbie, there’s only one choice for me, and that’s always going to be protecting her.
“It’s okay,” I tell Scout. “I got this.”
“Lead the way, Superman.”
I’m almost seven feet tall, so when I walk through a crowd, people see me coming. But wearing a Superman costume is a whole new way to get noticed. As I tell people I’m coming through, the crowd parts, and I have a direct line to Abbie. When she sees me, she looks relieved, and I know I’ve made the right decision.
“Trust me,” I tell her, and she nods.
“Always.”
I turn around to face the crowd and talk as loud as I can without screaming. “If you want to take a picture with Delphine, she’ll be at table twenty-two where you can form a line that won’t make the fire chief angry.” People in the crowd chuckle as I reach behind me and take Abbie’s hand. “Ready?”
She looks confused for half a second until I grab her by the hips and lift her above my head. Then she lets out a little squeak as I place her ass on my shoulder so she can perch on it like a goddess. The crowd starts whooping and whistling as I walk in the direction of her table assignment on the map.
With Abbie sitting on my shoulder, she’s taller than everyone, and people can see her coming from across the convention center. Hundreds of people form a crowd behind me as I hold her up for all eyes to see. This is her moment, and she deserves to be in the spotlight. It’s my job to make sure that happens.
People have started cheering and clapping when they see her, and when we round the corner to where her table is located, all eyes turn our way. Including those around Geoff’s table.
It’s the one directly beside where Abbie has been assigned, but it doesn’t matter. Everyone that was waiting to see Geoff has moved away and is coming over to meet the incredible Delphine.
“He’s here,” Abbie says, and I squeeze her hip, letting her know I see him and that I’ve got her.
“And he’s shitting himself.” I almost laugh at the sight of Geoff at his table. He’s gone completely pale, and he’s totally alone.
When I get to the table, I make a show of placing Abbie on top of it for a second. She waves to the crowd, and their roar of excitement is deafening. Once I put her back on the ground, Scout is at her side to help control the line so people come up one at a time while I stand by and act as security.
I’ve got my eye on Geoff when I feel my cell phone buzz. It’s hidden in the back pocket of my cape, and I pull it out to see a message from Taylor. I grin to myself as I put my phone back in my cape and go over to Abbie.
Bending low so only she can hear me, I whisper in her ear, “You’re going to want to watch this.”
Just then Taylor appears, but nobody would know it’s him. He’s wearing a Deadpool costume complete with a mask that hides his face. Abbie, Scout, and I watch as Taylor pretends to ask for an autograph, then passes Geoff the papers and informs him he’s been served.
But before Taylor walks away, he directs Geoff's attention to the jumbotron screen that’s high over our heads in the rafters. They must use this place for indoor sporting events because it’s in the middle of everything and huge.
“What’s going on?” Abbie says a second before a video starts.
“I think this is what Scout was talking about,” I say and wrap my arms around her from behind.
A man comes on the video and starts talking about the story he wrote. The same story Geoff stole from him. He shows images of straight plagiarism before it fades to another person. A woman is next, and she has almost the same story as the one before, including Geoff stealing from her and passing it off as his own. The crowd is totally silent as one after another comes forward and unmasks Geoff’s deceit.
Lastly, there’s a video of Abbie dressed as Delphine, then screen shots of the harassment she received online. People in the crowd start to boo at all the hate but then go silent when the video shows that Geoff is the one that was making the comments. You could hear a pin drop as the slides keep going, and then there’s a loud gasp. The next photos are of Geoff stalking us when we were at the house in the country.
I’d called Taylor that night after we got home and told him I had a feeling he was watching us. He had security do a sweep, and sure enough, he was there, trying to find Abbie and get her alone. The photos of Geoff in the bushes and sitting in his car watching us are creepy as fuck, and I feel Abbie shiver in my arms.
“It’s okay, I’ve got you.” I kiss her cheek, and she relaxes into me, giving me her trust while I keep her safe. “The world knows what he did to you, and I’m going to make sure he pays for it. He pays for all of it.”
Abbie turns in my arms, and I see unshed tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”
“I love you, Abbie,” I blurt out. This wasn’t exactly how I wanted it to go, but I need her to know. I need her to understand that there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to make her happy. “You’re my soul mate, and I knew it from the moment we met. You were meant to be mine, and if you’ll let me, I swear to love and honor you for the rest of my life.”
“Spencer,” she gasps before a few tears finally fall. “I love you too.” She hardly gets the words out before I’m pressing my lips to hers.
The sound of the crowd cheering startles both of us, and I don’t know how I could have forgotten we weren’t alone. We laugh as we kiss again, but I force myself to hold back. They can see her get a kiss, but the rest is for my eyes only.
There’s a ruckus at the table beside us, and we look over in time to see the cops cuffing Geoff. He’s pissed off and yelling that they can’t arrest him, but with all the people that claimed he stole from them, there’s a good chance he’s going to see some jail time. Not to mention the charges we got against him for breach of contract, online harassment, and now stalking.
“It’s over,” Abbie says as she cups my face. “All thanks to my Superman.”
“You’re the real hero,” I tell her. “I’m just the cute sidekick.”
“You are pretty dang cute.” She pulls me in for another quick kiss, and then Scout clears her throat.
“Um, guys, could you save that for later? We’ve got a few hundred people here that want a selfie.”
“Time to get to work,” I say and straighten behind Abbie. “I’ve got a feeling you’re about to have a lot of new commissions.”
Epilogue
ABBIE
Years later
Halloween is hands down my favorite holiday. It’s even better now that I have little ones that get dressed up with me. Our three girls are bouncing from the sugar rush already, and we’ve only hit a few spots.
We do our best to come out to the country house for the holidays. It feels the most like home when we can go into the small town where we know everyone. Plus, the girls love seeing all the houses there and then the tents in the center of town.
A lot of people have homes far from town, which means they don’t get trick-or-treaters. So the city sets up tents for families to decorate and pass out sweet treats. This way everyone can participate if they want. That’s one of the many reasons I love it out here.
Spencer takes my hand in his as we follow two of our girls. The third climbed into the wagon and looks like she’s about to pass out. I guess the sugar crash came sooner than she expected. She’s dressed up as Catwoman and refuses to say any real words, only meowing. It's adorable, and I’m impressed with her dedication.
I’m dressed up as Wonder Woman this year and rocking my small baby bump. I’m only three months along, but it’s already popped out. This time we’re having a boy, and I have a feeling he’s going to be as big as his daddy.
Spencer is obviously dressed up as Steve Trevor in retro Air Force pilot gear. I swear there isn’t a costume the man can’t pull off. It only goes to show how much we were meant to be together. We fit in everywhere. In this universe and all the others, I have no doubts.
“Hi!” I wave to people as we pass. At this point, everyone in the town knows us. I have always been a city girl, but I love living in both these worlds.
Before Spencer, I never had much of a family. Now there are so many people that love and adore me, even with all my quirks I once believed were annoying. Spencer has shown me that I’m not too much, that those who think that about me don’t know what they’re missing. He tells me that it’s their loss if they can’t handle who I am.
He's right, and I love him so much for it. We teach our girls to be who they are and to not let the world hold them back. The Catwoman in our wagon is a perfect example of that, and I hope my kids never lose that spirit.
