Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73683 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“Which he’s never going to do,” Jubilee said. “He likes that we’re living in sin.”
I snorted and looked away, a movement catching my eye.
I narrowed my eyes at the man that was staring at us with an intense expression on his face.
I bared my teeth when he didn’t look away.
“Stop,” Jubilee whispered.
I growled and looked away, hating the fact that that man was going to get a light sentence due to his mental state.
I didn’t have to be in that chamber where the jury was deliberating. I knew what was going to happen.
And I had my suspicions confirmed moments later when they came out and handed the judge the verdict.
“We find the defendant guilty.” She paused. “But we also find him mentally unstable enough that we feel that he would be better off in a mental facility.”
Though the mental facility was ‘for life’ it still felt like a loss.
“That sucks,” Jubilee muttered as we got up to leave the courtroom five minutes later.
We were just passing the first row that would lead us out of this fucked up place when a voice stopped us both in our tracks.
“I lied about something else.”
I turned and looked at Crest, feeling my hand tighten into a fist.
“What?” Jubilee said, sounding tired.
“You’re not really infertile. I just told you that because you were kind of wild.”
With that he walked away, leaving both Jubilee and me stunned silent.
“That’s a bitch thing to do,” she finally said. “But…I think he was right.”
I looked down at her.
“Why?”
“Because we haven’t gotten pregnant in six months of unprotected sex,” she answered. “Not to mention my periods have been wonky since it happened.”
“Then we’ll go get tested.”
Chapter 24
Quick grammar lesson:
Doesn’t = does not
They’re = they are
You’re = you are
My fire = the one desire
Believe = when I say
I want it = that way
-Text from Jubilee to Turner
Jubilee
6 weeks later
“Jubilee.” Zee ran up and lifted me up off my feet. “Sorry I’m late. I got stopped by a wreck.”
I patted his head and said, “It’s okay. I just got here myself.”
“Good.” He looked at the innocuous brick building. “I’m nervous.”
“Me, too,” I said as I stared at the building right along with him. “What if they say that I’m infertile and I’m never having kids?”
“What if they say you’re not?” he countered.
I pursed my lips.
“I guess it’s not really going to change how we live our lives,” I admitted. “I’m just sick to my stomach, worried that this is going to be the confirmation that it really is as bad as I think it is.”
I drew in a deep breath and let it out, but he stopped me before I could take a step toward the front door.
“Baby, wait,” he said.
I took another deep breath and turned back to him, blinking rapidly when he wasn’t on his feet at my side, but on his knee with a black box in his hand.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
His grin was devilish.
“What does it look like I’m doing, sweet cheeks?” he asked.
“It looks like you’re finally growing a pair and asking me to marry you,” I teased.
His grin was bright and magical—at least to me.
“Then you’d be right,” he countered. “I was going to ask you yesterday, but then I got that call that took me back out before I’d even gotten home. Then you were gone this morning to work on that dead guy, and I never got my chance to do it. I wanted you to know that, no matter what that doctor says in there, that my choice is you. Kids or no kids.”
I swallowed hard.
“Okay,” I whispered.
“Okay, you’ll marry me, or okay, that’s okay?”
I snatched up the ring box and practically ripped the ring from the velvet pouch.
Seconds later, the ring was on my finger where it belonged for always, and I was throwing myself into his arms.
“You sure do know how to make a girl happy,” I whispered fiercely into his ear.
We walked into the doctor’s office hand in hand with smiles on our faces.
Three hours later, we walked out frowning.
“I don’t know whether that was a good thing or a bad,” I admitted. “I was right about my ability to conceive naturally.”
“True,” Zee said, squeezing my hand lightly. “But you also found out that invitro-fertilization was possible. That you could successfully carry a child to term. That’s better than never at all.”
I frowned down at the white sheet in my hand. “It’s expensive.”
“It is,” he agreed. “But I think it’ll be worth it.”
He was not wrong about that.
“I want to marry first,” I told him. “I want to do this,” I shook the paper at him. “But I want to get married. I want to make sure he or she is legitimate before we go any further with this.”
He winked at me. “I know a judge.”
I shook my head.