Total pages in book: 52
Estimated words: 49949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 166(@300wpm)
His tone has changed—it’s almost as if he is explaining something to a child.
“I don’t care what’s okay. I don’t care what anyone thinks about us!”
“Shh…” he quiets me. “You don’t even care what your father thinks?”
“Of course I do, but Daddy loves us both. He’ll come around.”
“You obviously don’t understand fathers and their little girls.”
“Oh, and you do?” I spit at him.
For a split second, I imagine Kane holding our baby girl. I don’t even know the sex of our baby, but either way, the vision of Kane with our child warms my heart.
“Look, Rey, I care about you, and that’s why we need to end this now. It’s already gotten out of hand. You need to live a normal teenage life. Go to college and date boys your own age,” Kane demands, his blue eyes hard and unwavering.
I shake my head at him vehemently.
“I don’t want to date anyone else, Kane. I want you!” I yell, shoving him in the chest. He catches my wrists and holds me in front of him.
“I’m sorry. This has to end. I want what’s best for you, and that’s definitely not me,” Kane says.
Tears are streaming down my face at this point, and in a moment of desperation, I remember his journal.
“If you do this, I will show everyone at my party your journal… and all of the naughty things you’ve been writing about your goddaughter.”
I can’t stop the vindictive tone I speak in or the stupidity of it all. This morning, I didn’t want to trap him with a baby, but now I’m trying to blackmail him again—this time to get him to stay with me?
Kane must think I’m one of those psycho Lolita types of girls you read about in books and see in movies. I’m not proud of my scare tactics, but I guess this is what a broken heart creates in a person… desperation and schemes.
To my chagrin, Kane doesn’t look the least bit stunned by my threat. Instead, he throws his head back in laughter.
“Rey, do you really think I ever felt threatened by your blackmail attempt? Nothing happens if I don’t want it to,” he drawls out in a scathing tone.
His eyes are piercing through mine, and the realization that I was never in control of the situation hits me. Kane was never scared I was going to tell my father. He knew I wouldn’t do that. He knew I was bluffing all of those months ago, and he knows I’m bluffing now.
Kane has been in control this entire time; he just let me think I had the upper hand. I should have known better. Kane would never let someone control him like I’d tried to do. I’m such a damn idiot!
I can’t even look at Kane right now. I’m too hurt that I don’t mean more to him… definitely not enough to risk embarrassment around town or my father’s wrath.
Along with the pain and embarrassment of rejection and the desperation to hold onto Kane, I’m terrified of what’s next for me. Do I have this baby alone? Do I give it up for adoption? I could never do that. Who will I say the father is?
I push past Kane, wipe my face, and head out of the theater room, marching in the opposite way of my party and heading upstairs.
Running to my room, I shut the door behind me and lock it. Searching through my bookshelf, I look for the brown moleskin journal. It’s gone! Kane must have taken it, knowing this was all going to come to a head today. Had he planned this? Was his plan to break my heart today of all days with a house full of guests just so I couldn’t manipulate him with sweet talk and sex?
Sinking down onto the bed, I feel weighed down by all of the emotions coursing through me. Devastation and shock are only second and third to the overwhelming feeling of my heart breaking at the realization that Kane doesn’t want me.
I was just his side piece, fulfilling his taboo fantasies behind closed doors where no one could see us. He never wanted me, just the idea of me.
Lying down, I stare up at the ceiling, waiting for it to fall down on top of me, but that never happens. Insistent knocking rings through my brain, breaking through the heavy blanket of emotions that covers me.
“Rey?” Chastity calls out. “Are you in there? Your dad wants to serve the cake.”
I can’t move or respond, and I don’t know how I’m going to face a house full of people. How the fuck am I supposed to look at Kane and pretend everything is fine?
The door opens, and Chastity stands in the doorway, looking angelic with her golden hair and white dress. All that’s missing are her wings. She holds up the bobby pin that she’d picked my lock with. Beautiful and handy. Why couldn’t I be more like my best friend? She’s pure and level-headed. She would never find herself destroyed by love.