KAYLA'S POV, A YEAR LATER.
After a year and a half, I could proudly say Aidan and I were going strong and were the best couple ever. Even after high school.
Not.
Everything was going south. Nothing was going the way I envisioned it, and I was slowly dying on the inside.
I guess you really can't have your cake and eat it.
And whoever said high school romance was the best and lasted a lifetime was a fucking liar.
Aidan and I moved to a different town and got a studio apartment after we graduated high school a year ago, and I decided to skip school to work harder for the both of us while Aidan pursued his dream degree, Fine Arts, at the town college.
And while I worked hard trying to pay his student loan, Aidan made it his mission to fuck everything that had a vagina in the town, and I forgave him every single time and welcomed him back with open arms.
I was at the grocery store getting pregnancy test strips, and all through the process of paying, walking back home, and peeing on all three of them, my heart kept beating rapidly.
And as I waited for the results, two things were going through my mind.
One, we were broke, and a baby was not something we could afford right now.
Two, how the fuck did I let this happen? Sleeping with Aidan after he cheated multiple times was not something I prided myself on.
And as all three of the strips on the bathroom counter showed me two bright pink lines, I turned paler, and my heart completely bottomed out.
"Fuck, fuck, fucking shit!" I muttered angrily. This wasn't fucking happening. "This shouldn't have happened."
My cell phone rang, pulling me out of my deep thoughts, and I picked up the crappy device with a wince when I saw who was calling.
Delilah.
My coworker and only friend in this town
I checked the cracked top part of my phone screen and saw that it was five minutes until my shift started at the bar.
I picked up the call, running into the bedroom immediately after her voice came through. "I'm on my way, Dee. I am so sorry." I shuffled to put on my jeans as I spoke.
She huffed and told me to hurry up before ending the call, and I winced harder.
Delilah was a sweet soul.
I was supposed to be at the bar twenty minutes before my shift started so Delilah could go on her anniversary date with her husband and I could cover for her.
I quickly rushed out of the house and took a cab to the bar, only because I had to get there faster, and I mentally calculated how much the cab money was going to take out of the little cash I had left.
It was only when I was in the cab that I realized that I had worn my top wrongly. I quickly changed, giving the rearview mirror a look as I did, before texting Delilah that I was on my way.
Once the cab driver pulled onto the curb, I saw her standing impatiently in front of the packed bar with a frown on her face.I paid the cab driver before rushing out of the car to meet her. Her shoulders lost their tension when she saw me, but she still had a glare directed at me.
"I am so sorry." I gave a shaky smile before I hugged her.
And as I retreated, she took one look at my tear-stricken face, and her expression turned stormy.
"What did that bastard do this time?" She snapped.
Delilah knew about Aidan and me, his cheating, and how whenever I decided to confront him, he always resorted to using his fists.
"That's a story for another day. You have to go meet Josh now; you look beautiful, by the way." I grinned, giving her a once-over.
She did look beautiful.
Delilah was a middle-aged, fiery, curvy, red-haired woman, and she was married to her high school sweetheart, Josh.
Delilah and Josh were the only exceptions to how awful high school relationships were. Her husband, Josh, was still so smitten with her even after ten years of marriage.
I would always comment on how rosy and different their relationship was from others, mine inclusive, and Delilah would always argue, telling me not to always believe what I saw.
But I knew firsthand how much they loved each other.
Delilah gave me a suspicious look. "Did he hit you again?" I shook my head, but she didn't budge. "All I have to do is tell Josh, and you're free. You know that, right?"
Also, Josh was a cop.
I shook my head and gave her a push. "Go! Your prince charming is waiting for you."
She sighed, "You're right, I do have to go." She gave me another hug. "Take care of yourself, and if anyone messes with you, let Bandit know."I looked back at the club's entrance to see one of the bouncers, Bandit, already staring at me.
I gave him a little smile and a wave before turning back to face Delilah, who had a funny look on her face.
"What?" I asked, looking at her and then at Bandit, who still had his attention on us.
"Nothing," She smirked, stepping onto the sidewalk. "Byeeeee."
I stepped back. "Bye." I waved and began walking to the entrance of the club.
Bandit nodded at me when I walked past him, and I gave him a polite smile before stepping into the club.
I wasn't stupid. I knew Bandit had a huge crush on me.
Bandit was a cute guy; he was huge with a buzz cut, and with his dark Italian looks, he was every girl's dream man, but with the news I just got today and Aidan's maddening obsession over me, I was not willing to even entertain the idea.
I made my way to the changing room, cursing myself for not following the back exit as I struggled to walk through the sea of gyrating people.
I quickly changed and stepped in front of the mirror to do my smoky makeup before applying multiple layers of watermelon lipgloss. I paused to look at my eyes.
It took me a while to get used to looking at them.
I had segmental heterochromia; both eyes were green, but my left iris had a dusting of gold at the bottom.
I was bullied severely for it in high school until I became friends with Aidan and his group.
All the bullying for being the Mayor's spoilt and defective stepdaughter ended when Aidan stepped into my life.
Aidan was my savior.
Until he wasn't.
With a sigh, I stepped into my boots, laced them, and walked out of the room to do the only thing that made me survive.
Make money.~~~~~~~~~
It was until five o'clock the next evening before I was finally let up by my next co-worker and was able to go home.
I slept inside the train, and by the time I got home, I was worn out. I sleepily tried to unlock the door, but I was shocked to find it open. I made my way inside the small apartment and was surprised to find the place dark.
Was Aidan sleeping?
With a frown, I flicked the lights on, only to find an empty apartment.
The first scream that left my lips was ear-piercing, and my bag fell from my loose hand to a thump on the floor.
All of my furniture—my threadbare couch, my wooden center table that had a huge crack in the middle, and my small old television—were all gone.
I quickly went inside the room to find the bed; all of the pieces of jewelry my grandma gifted me and other valuables I hid were gone.
I fished my phone out of my jeans pocket and immediately dialed Aidan's number for the fifth time this evening.
He always called every time my shift ended, and I was surprised when I found no calls from him while in the changing room.
And like the other five times, the call went straight to voice mail.
"Pick up the fucking call, Aidan. We're fucked, so fucking fucked." I sobbed as I dialed again, and it went straight to voice mail again.
Where was he?!
I felt a panic attack rising as I looked around the room again.
All of the things I got from my hard work are gone.
Just like that.
I flung my phone across the room, and the sound it made when it hit the wall did nothing to calm me down.
What was I going to do?
How did my day go from bad to worse?
My sobbing didn't stop as I wondered who would have done this to me.
The building I lived in was rundown, but I rarely heard of robberies or any sort of attack.
I sat on the floor, my throat sore from the screams, and I briefly wondered if Aidan was behind this.
No.
I shook my head.
Even if Aidan was a cheating scumbag, he wouldn't do this to me.
Or would he?
The thought made me sick to my stomach, and I made my way to the bathroom to spill my guts out into the toilet.
And as I sat on the cold floor, wondering why and how this happened to me, my eyes went to the counter, and I found a piece of paper on it. I quickly stood up, my eyes spinning as I did, and moved to pick it up.
My heart bottomed out when I saw Aidan's writing on it, and even before I read the whole body of the letter, I realized that I was right.
My eyes went to the three pregnancy test strips, and I knew that I was utterly and completely fucked.
I felt sick, and I rushed back to my old spot.
And that was how I spent my evening—puking and crying my guts out.
Because once again, I had been ditched and left alone to start all over again.
Just like the last fucking time.
KAYLA'S POV- THREE YEARS LATER. I was running late, and it was all because of the freaking traffic. I glanced at the clock on the dash of my car and blew out a shaky breath. I had a little over fifteen minutes to make it seven miles across the small town and with the traffic; it didn't seem possible. Not when the cars ahead of me were at a standstill, with multiple horns blasting and the shouts that filled the air did nothing to move the traffic. How I lost track of time was not much of a mystery to me. I had lost track of time and the bar where I worked was busy, busier than usual for a Thursday, one of the worst days of the week. I and the other girls there had to work harder tonight, and it took me a while to get off my shift. Rumors were, a bunch of multi-billionaire investors were in town for a new business deal, and the bar I worked at was the perfect place for dodgy business meetings and backhanded deals. It wasn't the most outstanding bar in the town, but it was the only bar
KAYLA’S POV Saturday comprised me going to Target to get a few food items for Estelle and I, a new vase for the pretty Daffodil flowers my old witty neighbor, Mrs. Winfield, gifted me in the wee hours of the day, and a few clothes for Estelle with the money her great-grandma sent on Monday - money that was forced into my hands. I then used the same money to pay a guy I met on the street who fixed the leaking ceiling in the bathroom and also the heater, I had given the scrawny-looking guy, who reeked of a mixture of weed and something pungent, a funny look and he gave me a crooked smile, show-casing stained brown teeth. "You're in safe hands, don't worry." He had said when he noticed my stare. And with how perfectly everything worked now, he did a pretty splendid job for a low cost. Life in this part of the town had its perks if you thought about it. After that, I got us both ready for the day, I dressed Estelle up in a green cottage swing dress and a sweater for the chilly even
I breathed out as I hurriedly tried to make coffee, no cream, for the graying old man standing impatiently across the counter. Sweat trickled down my back as his glare turned harsher. He muttered out a "Finally" when I passed the plastic cup to him before slamming his money on the counter. I gave him his change, and he rushed out like the cafe was on fire. This was a normal Monday morning in the cafe for me. Delilah snorted, and I turned to look at her. "You have the friendliest customers." She deadpanned, trying so hard not to laugh at the whole scene. "He seemed like such a sweet soul, that one." "They can be really intimidating. I got anxiety alone from trying to make his coffee." I chuckled nervously. "All back. No cream." Delilah said mockingly, imitating his grating voice, and I laughed. She wiped off the syrup on the corner of her lips. "Your waffles taste so good, by the way. You need to open up your own cafe." "Did Josh let you come to the shady part of the town all by
KAYLA’S POV "Holy shit-balls, this place is amazing!" Dee beamed. She grabbed my hand, grabbing me through the crowded nightclub, and she made a beeline for the VIP lounge upstairs. Once we reached the bottom of the stairs, a buff bouncer stepped in front of us with a glare, and his huge biceps stretched across his chest. With a huff, Dee slipped our passes out of her clutch and passed it to him. He looked down at the passes, back at us before letting us pass through the brass stanchion. Once we reached the top of the stairs, she tightened her hold on my hand and walked us to the right part of the lounge. The VIP lounge had little lighting and the bass of the thumping music was way quieter here. With red strobing lights and a small stage where sexy strippers were slithering up and down four steel poles while hundreds of dollar bills rained down on them, it gave a different vibe from what was happening downstairs. We walked passed a group of men seated on a luxurious red cushions
I walked down the stairs and approached the VIP bouncer, asking for an exit. The burly man nodded to a black door on our right. I expressed gratitude through a smile and headed towards the door, conscious of his gaze fixed on me. Upon reaching the door, I pushed it open and stepped out into the refreshing evening air. Taking a moment to close the door behind me, I surveyed my surroundings and realized I was alone. I leaned against the wall; and let out a deep sigh, closing my eyes as I focused on my breath. "Fuck," I muttered. Today had turned out to be one of the worst days of the year, and we weren't even halfway through. It wasn't uncommon for people to make snide remarks about my financial struggles and being a single mother. Their disdain was all too familiar, even when I tried calmly to explain the circumstances. They often placed the blame solely on me. I wasn't stupid to say that Aidan alone was at fault. Even I recognized my own faults in the situation. The desire to rebe
We rounded the corner, and he guided into his waiting car. I didn't falter.Didn't utter a peep even when I climbed into the vehicle, and neatly tucked my knees together. I held my breath as I waited for him to get in beside me in the backseat. The minute he stepped in and clicked his seatbelt, the driver set off. The car got onto the road and the privacy screen went up. I looked to the side to find him rapping his knuckles against his knee, and it did not surprise me when I found his gaze on me. "Did you come to the club with anyone?" He asked, and it seemed I had forgotten how good he sounded because his stunned me. It was low and raspy, and husky, and it made me think about sex. Not just mediocre sex, but the best sex.Toe-curling, nails-breaking-in-the-sheets sex. Sex so fucking good you wouldn't walk the next day. Sex so hot, my current temperature was going to pale in comparison, and that was saying something because my temperature was hot as hell.Sex that I, unfortun
I laid back down, spread open my legs, slipped my hands down and parted my folds with them, showing him my wet opening.He looked at me for endless moments; our gazes trained on each other before he broke it and trailed his eyes down my body. The further he went, the darker his blue orbs got.He moved to the edge of the bed, and leaned into me, placing his hand next to me head. He used the other hand to wrap around neck and I whimpered when his gaze turned harsher and he tightened his hold a little.I had no clue why I found that so hot.He trailed that hand to my globes of my breast, trailed a finger around my areola and tugged hard on my nipple.My breathing came out as gasps and he locked his gaze on mine once again. "You want more?"I half-mewled my answer, "Yes."He got to work.Tugging and tweaking the hard points until I was soaking the sheet below me, and I was begging. I didn't know what I was pleading for. For him to stop or to make it hurt more, I had no fucking clue.He sl
The sound of the door shutting close jolted me awake.I woke up to find myself on the softest bed I had ever laid on in my twenty-one years of life.The black duvet was flung over the lower half of my body, and one of my ass cheeks was out on display since I was lying on my stomach with one of my leg arched high.I groaned as I struggled to open my eyes."Shit," I hissed. The light filtering into the room through the uncovered windows seemed way too bright for the morning.As my eyes adjusted to it, I made a quick perusal of the unfamiliar room and I groaned and closed my eyes as the memories of last night came flooding in.The dull ache in my head told me I'd had one too many drinks. With my eyes still closed, I took in a deep breath and his scent and the smell of sex filled my nostrils.I didn't believe in natural scents or pheromones until I scented his delicious essence. And right now? I wanted to breathe and live in it.The smell of sex reminded me of the night before.Of how he
GABRIELS' POVI tried to calm my raging nerves as I watched Kayla storm off in front of me.I could tell she was pissed at me for interrupting whatever the hell that was with the man outside who seemed to be eye-fucking her with his leering eyes.But she wasn't the only person about to lose their mind. I was two seconds away from turning back and blowing his brains out for even exchanging words with her.I had no idea when my…fascination for Kayla grew to this extent.After seeing her for the first time at the crèche parking lot, I felt drawn to her, and the next time at the club, I took that opportunity and offered my proposal that night.Recently though, my fascination for Kayla was growing from mere infatuation into something else.Something more sinister.I refused to put a name on it.But seeing her laugh and bat her fucking eyelashes at a man wearing goddamn colorful khaki shorts, and watching him blatantly undress her with his eyes right on my fucking sidewalk in public, has my
I was sipping on a cup of coffee the next morning, leaning on Gabriel's granite counter, when he strutted in like he owned the place, which he did.The joke was completely on me.I grasped the handle of the mug harder when he brushed past me to stand next to the coffeemaker. I'd resumed work earlier than usual today, and Michelle was still upstairs getting ready with Vee.We were alone in the kitchen and although the morning air was crisp, the air in the kitchen felt heated when he stepped in."Good morning, Mr. Marcello," I greeted as cheerfully as one could greet her employer.I was still brewing with annoyance at his attitude yesterday, but I wasn't going to let it ruin my mood.I was here for a reason, and that was to make money.I waited, watching as he made he filled his mug with coffee, black, before turning to stare at me with hard eyes.I tried to take in deep breaths, but he was still staring at me.His gaze never wavered, even as he took sips of his hot coffee.I took the on
We were all seated on the blanket now.With Michelle's new friend, Eden, next to her.After I had called Michelle to come and eat, she'd ran to us with us with Eden behind her.Huge smiles etched on their faces.Shocked, I'd looked to Gabriel and Mrs. Vee for assistance when I'd ask Eden where her parents were, and like a true knight, Gabriel had came to my aid by signing to her and asking her where her parents were, and who she came with.And there was just something hot in watching a huge man like Gabriel, squatting next to her, murmuring softly while signing to the little girl with a small smile.He was such a softie with kids, and it got me all mushy and soft as well.Now we were all devouring Mrs. Vee's sandwiches.I was still a bit tense as we ate. The feeling of Gabriel sitting so close to me, our knees bumping, had me on edge the whole time.There was no way I was going to sit here and avoid him while we were here together.I didn't want Mrs. Vee to notice something was off or
It’s been two weeks since I started working for Gabriel as his daughter's nanny. And it was safe to say I was an exceptional nanny to Michelle. Her initial hesitant smiles were slowly turning into full grins and soon enough, I knew she was going to be bubbling with laughter. We spent the mornings gardening and harvesting whatever we could, followed by playing legos and taking her to the park in the neighborhood to chase butterflies. We also took walks along the wide sidewalks, with me taking in the astonishingly big houses that lined the street and Michelle picking whatever flower we found on our way. And on the days we couldn't go to the park or take long walks, I would cradle her and read to her one of her numerous storybooks in soft tones, and during those moments, Mrs. Vee would pass us with a fond smile on her face. I was also doing an excellent job of avoiding Gabriel. Whenever he turned right, I went the other way. I avoided his gaze in the kitchen whenever he came to dr
"No way," Dee gasped, leaning from her relaxed position on my cushion. "I might tell you a joke, but I'll never tell you a lie." I laughed. I was sitting on my ass, cross-legged, in the middle of my sitting room, and we were talking about my present predicament. I just told her about the Gabriel situation. Dee laughed, hugging the small throw-over pillow to her chest. "This is gold, Kay! Like freaking gold. I've always read about this but I have never actually seen someone that has experienced this." she threw the pillow at me, and it hit me right in my face. "I can't believe your one-night stand, the one who fucked you so good you could barely walk straight, if I may add, is your first client. This is freaking gold." She laughed, and I glared at her. "Stop!" I threw the pillow back at her, aiming so it hit her face instead of her stomach. "I can't even stand him, Dee." that was a lie and the look on her face said she knew that too. "Okay. I guess I can stand him, but I literally t
Both Mrs. Vee and Michelle were looking at me as we approached the garden, trailing my every move and they watched as my eyes widened with awe. "This is where Michelle spends all of her time," Mrs. Vee said, walking further into what was far from what she called a 'little garden'. I gauged Michelle's face, as her big grey eyes held mine, it almost felt like she was trying to see the space through my eyes. Like she was wondering if it looked as magical to me as it was to her. If I viewed the towering greenery and wildflowers as an unplanned mishmash. "It's beautiful," I breathed out, walking further into the garden. My steps were small and my feet met the brown soil like whispers, I was afraid if I walked normally I would stomp on her pretty flowers. The garden before me was a riot of color with five sections. The first section behind had blooms locked together like joints. They reached for the sky in some spots, and crawled on the ground in others, creating a pattern that I was
I quickly followed Gabriel out of his office, and just like before, my nerves were taking a hold of me. Gabriel's home was huge. The penthouse we fucked in suddenly flashed before my eyes, and I huffed a laugh. There I was thinking the penthouse was his actual home, whereas it was fuck pad. I suddenly felt like one of the numerous ladies he took there. I shook my head to get rid of those intrusive thoughts. What the hell was I thinking? Of course, I was one of those ladies. Cue, another huff of laughter. I followed him up to the right part of the foyer; we passed the huge a huge living room and the dining area. As we walked further, I heard a voice coming from what was beginning to look like the entrance of the kitchen. We stepped into the kitchen, and although I was in the kitchen with him, his broad shoulders blocked my view, and I frowned. As if sensing my displeasure, he moved to the side, and I finally saw Michelle and Mrs. Vee. Michelle was in a baby blue flowery top an
I tried to keep my composure. I really did. But then I took him in and I lost all the composure I had gathered. With his ruffled hair and suit that stretched on his muscles, he still looked as sexy as ever. "Miss Kayla. Please take a seat." He nodded to the sleek leather chairs across from his desk. I shivered again. His voice was something I could never forget, not in a lifetime. And it made me recall the throes of passion we had the night we spent together. How good he made me feel, how hard he made me orgasm, and how sore I was the next day. I looked at him; he was staring at me and I waited for some sort of, I don't know, recognition to flicker in his gaze. Or shock to show on his face, which I was sure was very noticeable on mine. But nothing came. He looked like he had never seen me before. Was his memory that bad? Because I knew I had eyes that would take time before it slipped through his memory. He said so himself. I looked into his eyes, waiting for him to say so
The next day, the first text I saw when I checked my phone was from Dee and I frowned. Dress up and come over now! We need to go shopping; it said. I had no idea why we had to go shopping, and I told her so. Bubbles appeared on my phone screen, showing she read the text, and she was typing back. And when her text came, my breath ceased. BECAUSE YOU GOT THE JOB, SILLY! Was written boldly and on all caps on my screen. WHATTT???! I texted back and my body felt light from the excitement I was feeling. I quickly sent another text before she could respond; Why didn't you say so at first? You have no idea how happy I am. Thank you so much, Dee. You're the best girl ever! Her next came through; Don't thank me yet, Kay. Come over so I can give you more details and we can shop at the mall for your first day tomorrow. With a huge grin on my face, I squealed, and Estelle, who was on my bed now fully awake, giggled. I scooped her up, rubbing my nose with hers. "Mama just got a new job. Tha