Total pages in book: 179
Estimated words: 167819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 839(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 839(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
Elli is lying in the bed, eyes closed. She looks to be asleep. Pulling up the rest of the house where I’ve installed cameras, I see Corbin and my sister in the living room. I turn on the volume to the max setting to listen in.
“Why did you tell her all that?” she growls at him. “Elli is fragile.”
“Like I said, she deserved to know.” He shrugs. “Sin’s marrying Amelia. The poor girl needs to get over it and move on.”
“Oh, because that’s so easy.” Kira laughs but it holds no humor. “Would I be that easy to get over?”
“Kira,” he snaps. “Don’t start…”
“What would you do if I dumped you to marry someone else? Hmm? You’d just let me walk away?”
“That’s different.” Corbin runs a hand through his hair.
“That’s a cop-out if I’ve ever heard one.” She rolls her eyes and steps away from him.
He reaches out, grabbing her upper arm, and spins her around. She goes to push him away, but he pulls her in, kissing her.
I go back to the camera in the bedroom, not wanting to watch that shit, and see the bed now empty. I sit up straighter. Where the fuck did she go?
Pulling up another camera, I look at the bathroom. It shows her walking up to one of the double sinks. Her hand over her face. She turns on the faucet and cups the water, rinsing out her mouth.
I turn on the volume as my sister enters. “Knock, knock.”
Elli looks up at her, tears silently falling down her puffy face.
“You okay?” she asks softly.
“Fine,” Elli answers and starts to walk back toward the bedroom.
“Did you get sick again?” my sister asks her.
“I’m fine, Kira.” Elli ignores her question.
“Are you pregnant?” Kira asks, and Elli comes to a stop.
She slowly turns around to face my sister. “No.” Shaking her head, she runs a hand through her tangled hair.
“Are you sure? Maybe you should take a test,” my sister offers, her voice so low that she sounds afraid to even put the thought into Elli’s head but also concerned for her friend’s health.
“I’m not pregnant, Kira. I’m on birth control,” Elli argues, getting irritated. Turning, she goes to walk off again when my sister speaks.
“But what if you are?”
Elli’s shoulders fall and she sighs heavily, but she doesn’t respond. Instead, she goes into the master suite and crawls back into bed, pulling the covers up and over her head to block out the world and her best friend.
ELLINGTON
I SIT AT the restaurant, staring at my water. Kira’s words keep echoing in my head that I might be pregnant.
It’s not possible. But that would be my luck, right? Having Sin’s baby. The universe fucking me one last time. I highly doubt my future husband wants to raise another man’s child. Hell, I’ve already got his name tattooed on me. At least that can be covered up with another one. And my mom said it yesterday that I was lucky a Lord even wants me. Add a child and fuck that shit.
A part of me hopes I am. It’ll give me an out. I’ll tell the Lord that I’m supposed to marry I’m pregnant and maybe he’ll throw me to the side, and I’ll get to go on with my life. Alone. Far away from here where nobody knows me. Sin will be busy with his wife and starting a family with her, he’ll never even think about me, let alone look for me. The thought makes my breath catch and chest tighten.
“Ellington?”
I look up to my mother who sits across from me. “Yeah?”
She sighs, her eyes falling to her phone Checking the time, I’m sure. Counting down the minutes until she gets to leave. I don’t even know why she wanted to go to lunch with me anyway. And I don’t know why I crawled out of bed in the first place today. I didn’t even brush my hair or take a shower. Just threw on a pair of shorts and T-shirt along with some tennis shoes and walked out the door.
Standing, she gets my attention once again and I see her smile. “Darling.”
Lincoln comes up to the table and I roll my eyes. Of course, he’s here. I’m not surprised that she didn’t tell me we were having a guest. Why would she want to eat with me alone?
He kisses her cheek and then looks at me. “Elli, it’s good to see you out of the house.”
I say nothing.
“I hope you ladies don’t mind but I brought company.” He gestures to my right, and I look over, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Of course not,” my mother says excitedly.
The kid leans over and shakes my mother’s hand, and she blushes. His green eyes meet mine and I feel like I’m going to puke again. It’s him. The kid from James’s office, then their reception.