Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 36506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Ava was so nice.
Mom is wrong about this like she’s wrong about everything else.
“I have a plan.” My voice slightly shakes, and I swallow down more milkshake to keep myself from crying. “Can’t you just trust me?”
She shakes her head. “I essentially said the same thing to your grandparents after I got pregnant with you. Right after I quit college so I could bartend. I’m not going to let you make the same mistakes as me. College is a must.”
“College that we can’t pay for,” I deadpan. “Makes a lot of sense.”
“Reid told me he’d saved for Brayden to go to college. Now that he’s gone off and ruined his life, Reid has all that money just sitting in a college savings account.”
I gape at her, unsure if I’m even hearing her correctly right now. “What are you even talking about, Mom?”
She tosses her crumpled napkin onto her plate beside her half-eaten burger. “I’m just saying that maybe we make things permanent with him. That’ll ensure your future. I’ll at least have done something right when it comes to you.”
By using Reid?
I’m disgusted that she thinks I’d be okay with her idea to guilt Reid into giving me Brayden’s college fund. I don’t even want to go to stupid college. And now we’re about to drag Reid into our nonsense.
“No,” I clip out. “I won’t allow you.”
Her eyebrows hike up her forehead and she gapes at me. “Just because you’re eighteen now doesn’t mean I won’t ground you, young lady. You’re being incredibly disrespectful right now.”
“Mom—”
“Emma Renee Abrams, just stop. I’ve made my decision. You may as well quit arguing. All it will do is upset me. I really don’t want to cry in front of all these people.”
It’s always about her.
“Mom…”
She holds up a hand and shakes her head. “I’m going to talk to him tonight. Apologize for being distant and absent. I’ll negotiate with him.”
Why is she treating her relationship like a transaction?
“I’ll tell him I’ll stop working so much if…”
The rest of her words are drowned out by the ringing in my ears. I heard them all right, but they’re not registering in my brain. It can’t be real. He wouldn’t agree to that. Why would she suggest such a ridiculous thing?
“You could be my maid of honor.”
The smile in her voice sours her words even further.
I’ll stop working so much if…we get married.
If. We. Get. Married.
And she wants me to be the maid of honor.
She’s not the only one about to cry in the restaurant.
With a few words, she’s completely wrecked my world.
Reid
Something happened.
I can’t put my finger on it, but I sense it when they come home.
“I missed you,” Amara says, flinging her arms around my neck, after she sets down her massive cleaning bag. “Did you miss me?”
Emma’s green eyes, shining with hurt, dart briefly to mine as she passes by us. I can’t help but track her as she heads for the stairs.
“She’s in a mood,” Amara explains as she plants a kiss on my lips. “We discussed some difficult subjects like her job and college.”
I’m stiff, still worrying about Emma, when Amara slides her hand down to my crotch. She fondles my dick, but it’s not interested in playing. It’s fucking worried. I grip her wrist and pull it away from my cock.
“Are you in a mood too?” she asks, bottom lip puckering out. “I’m feeling unloved this evening.”
It takes a lot for me not to roll my eyes at her. I hate that I feel this way toward her, but I can’t stop it.
“We need to talk,” I clip out. “Sit with me?”
Her eyebrows furl together. “Why do I feel like I’m in trouble?”
“You’re not in trouble,” I assure her.
I might be.
If she knew how I’ve been looking at her daughter lately, I definitely would be.
She sits down beside me on the couch, body tense. “You’re scaring me, babe.”
I’m scaring myself.
“Listen,” I say, as I absently rub at Brayden’s name tattoo on my hand. “I think we should—”
“Get married?” She grins at me. “Yes. The answer is yes.”
I gape at her in confusion. The thought of marrying this woman has dread pooling at the pit of my stomach. It feels like a prison sentence. We’re not happy. I’m not sure we ever were. I’ve been with her out of duty, and it has to end. It’s not fair to any of us.
“Uh, no,” I mutter, gently patting her knee. “I was actually thinking we need some space.”
Ah, fuck.
Cue the waterworks.
Tears well in Amara’s eyes and she blinks rapidly. “Wait, what? You’re not proposing to me? You’re kicking us out?”
Us.
“No,” I growl out fiercely, shaking my head in vehemence.
The thought of Emma homeless is too much to bear.
“The two of you can stay here,” I assure her. “I’ll sleep on the couch. I just think you and I aren’t connecting like we should be, but I care about Emma’s wellbeing. She has a home here.”