Total pages in book: 176
Estimated words: 167257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 558(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167257 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 836(@200wpm)___ 669(@250wpm)___ 558(@300wpm)
“Fuck all of that,” Joren spat. “You—”
“She got pregnant that night,” I blurted before he could spew more venom. I heard Atlas sigh next to me at my lack of tact. I didn’t know if their marriage was salvageable after today, but I realized one thing while listening to Jada’s rant.
She loved Joren.
His cheating had taken an emotional toll on her that she’d tried to exorcise by betraying him too. The only problem was Atlas. The baby she’d given away. Jada could never truly return the pain without revealing her most fucked-up secret.
So Jada wallowed, took it, and found ways to cope. Namely, fucking me and spending all of Joren’s money.
“What do you mean she got pregnant?” Joren echoed. “She—” His head swung her way. “You got an abortion?” A waterfall of fresh tears spilled from Jada’s eyes as she shook her head. “Then what is he talking about, Jada?”
“I had the baby,” she cried. “I didn’t know if she was yours or his, and I was so scared. My parents sent me to my Aunt Candace in Ossella to have the baby, and I…” Jada broke out into hysterical sobs.
I felt Atlas’s presence draw closer to me, so I pulled her in and wrapped my arms around her. “It will be okay,” I whispered to her when I felt her body shake. “I got your back.”
“She told me she didn’t want me,” Atlas whispered back. “I knew that already. I just…it’s different when you hear it in their own words, I guess.”
I was going to fucking kill Jada.
After today, Joren probably wouldn’t mind, and it would give me a whole lot of satisfaction.
I was sure Jada never expected to see the daughter she’d given away again, and it must have fucked her up, but it had also been her decision to press the button that blew up all of our lives. She was equally responsible for this.
“Where is the baby?” Joren roared. “What did you do with my fucking baby, Jada?”
“I g-g-gave her awaaay!”
“I’m going to fucking kill you!” Joren lunged for her. Before any of us could react, he had his hands around her throat. “I’ve begged you! For seventeen years, I fucking begged you to have my baby, and all along, your hateful ass had been hiding it!”
“I’m sorry!” Jada wailed.
It took Roc and Golden to pry him off her. Jada slid down to the floor, and it was Joren’s turn to cry this time. I’d only ever seen him do so when his father died our senior year.
I think losing his dad was part of the reason he’d married Jada. Grief makes you do things you know are wrong, and Joren desperately needed to refill that connection he’d lost.
“My baby.” He sobbed in Golden’s arms. “She gave away my seed, dawg.”
“Well, if you want a baby so bad, go be with that little bastard you had on me,” Jada spewed.
“What the fuck are you talking about? I don’t have no fucking baby!”
Atlas tensed in my arms.
Keeping my gaze on the screaming couple, I bent my head and whispered to her, “What do you know about this?”
“Ruen,” she grumbled back. It was the only answer she gave.
“That’s not what I heard!”
“I don’t give a fuck what you heard!” He yanked away from Golden, but Roc swiftly moved between them when Joren pulled his gun. “Where’s my fucking daughter, Jada? I swear to God, you better tell me, or you won’t live to see another day.”
Atlas’s nails were suddenly digging into my chest, stealing my focus from the spectacle Jada and Joren made. “Please,” she pleaded, her eyes brimming with agony and guilt. No doubt she blamed herself for Jada and Joren’s marriage unraveling when she was far from blame. “Get me out of here, Owen. I want to leave. Please.”
But it was too late.
Before I could herd Atlas out of the door, Jada flung her arm out and screamed, “She’s right there!”
I watched as Jada’s revelation landed—as Joren’s emotions shifted from anger to confusion to incredulity and then horror. Before either of them could do any more damage, I swept Atlas up in my arms and got her the fuck out of there.
We were halfway to the car when the front door burst open and Joren stormed out. Golden and Roc were hot on his heels. “Atlas,” he called out. “Atlas, wait!”
A whimper escaped Atlas as she burrowed deeper against my chest. I was forced to set her on her feet when I looked over my shoulder and saw Joren gaining on us.
“Aye, back the fuck up,” I barked at my boy. I pushed Atlas behind me where she clung to my back.
Joren stopped and held his hands up. “I just want to talk to her.”
“That’s not happening.”
“What the fuck do you mean?” Joren snapped. “You owe me this!”