Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 82112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Walking over to the bathroom, I turned on the light and stepped inside. It wasn’t much bigger than the bathroom at the apartment, but it was my own private bathroom. There were two towels hanging on a rack beside the toilet. The shower in the corner had shampoo and conditioner, along with a bar of soap on the built-in shelf.
A door slammed somewhere in the house, causing me to jump, startled. The loud knock on the bedroom door was followed by Saxon calling my name. Turning, I went back into the room and over to the bedroom door to open it.
Saxon’s scowl met me. “Get dressed. We have to go to the main house. I told Mom I needed to talk to her.” He paused and flicked his gaze past me into the room. “Wear something nice.”
I had to meet his mother. Now. This morning. My stomach turned, and nausea hit me.
“Don’t wear anything slutty,” he added.
I managed to nod and closed the door without replying. Once it clicked shut, I turned and rushed back to the bathroom, making it to the toilet before I heaved. My stomach was empty, I realized as I heaved again and nothing came up. A cold sweat covered my body, and I leaned against the wall, feeling light-headed.
When was the last time I’d eaten?
“What can I do?” Saxon sounded tense.
I hadn’t realized he’d come into the room.
I closed my eyes, wanting to lie back down, and tried to muster up enough energy to stand up. I was going to need a shower. I just didn’t know if I could take one without passing out.
“Haisley?” Saxon said, reminding me that he had asked me something.
Oh, yes, what could he do? Not get me pregnant—that was what he could have done.
“Nothing,” I whispered, keeping my eyes closed as I pressed my cheek against the wall.
“There is nothing there. You dry-heaved. When was the last time you ate?”
I took a slow, deep breath. “I don’t remember. Yesterday sometime.”
“That’s fucking great. Why did you decide to keep the baby if you’re gonna fucking starve it?”
His angry tone made me flinch. I couldn’t defend myself. I didn’t have the energy.
“I’m going to make you something to eat, and you’re gonna eat all of it,” he told me. “Get up and put something on other than that fucking shirt, then come to the kitchen.”
I listened as he stalked away, clearly pissed off. I wanted to slap his face—no, I wanted to punch him in the nose. I just couldn’t manage that at the moment. I was having to focus on standing up.
Once I was in front of the mirror, I turned on the water and splashed my face with cold water. It felt so good that I did it again before turning off the faucet and staring at my reflection. My cheekbones stood out more than normal, and the dark circles under my eyes made my face seem as if it belonged on someone else. I didn’t even see myself anymore. The girl in the mirror was terrifying.
Unable to keep looking at what I’d become, I turned and walked back into the bedroom to find something to change into. The shirt I’d slept in had belonged to AJ when he was in high school. It was faded and worn, but it was soft. I didn’t own pajamas. I never had. Clearly, my lack of those annoyed Saxon.
Pulling out a pair of knit shorts and a tank top, I changed, careful not to move too fast and lose my balance. I still felt out of sorts. Once I was changed, I made my way into the open area of the house and found Saxon putting a plate on the counter in front of a stool.
He glanced at me, and his disapproval at my clothing was clear in his eyes. What had he wanted me to do, get dressed and ready to see his mother before I came to eat? I tried to ignore him and turned my attention to the food. A slice of toast with butter melting on it, scrambled eggs, sliced strawberries, mixed with blackberries, and a glass of milk. Even on a good week, I’d never had a breakfast like this. Typically, it was toast with peanut butter or a cup of yogurt when things were going well. When they weren’t, I normally skipped breakfast so the younger kids had enough food.
“It’s healthy. Eat it.” Saxon’s tone was annoyed. “That’s regular milk. If you need another kind, I can get it from the house.”
“Thank you. This is good,” I replied, not looking at him as I walked over to the stool and sat down.
The fact that he thought I would be picky with what kind of milk I drank proved how little he knew me. Yet, that being so, we’d still managed to have sex three times.