LOGINShare
Chapter 83: Brett
Related chapters
The Bound Collection Chapter 84: Annie
Brett hadn't wanted to admit he'd gotten into a fight with Gray at work, but it came out when he told me Dan was going to ask Lissa to move in with him. I didn't think she'd go for it until he said he wanted to buy the house next door. As thrilled as I was, stress and anxiety had me on edge. The issues with Gray left me uncomfortable and worried that he'd show up at random times, and I'd be alone. I couldn't stand he was doing this crap to me, but Brett being involved escalated it to a level no one wanted to experience. I was in this weird state of hovering between the life that was, the life that is, and the life that was coming. Maybe it would have been different if I had actually been carrying the child, but as it was, Lissa's pregnancy was like an anticipated holiday. I was excited, but it wasn't my reality. I'd gone with her to every appointment, made sure she had everything she needed and never had to ask, took her shopping for maternity clothes, and tried to make this fun for
The Bound Collection Chapter 85: Annie
With the discussion of a frat party at Hooters to welcome our child, I thought I had managed to escape Brett's attention. But when he pulled in to the CVS parking lot, I knew I hadn't been so lucky."Do you want me to go in, or do you want to go?"I didn't know why I was mad. Probably because Brett was a man, and they weren't supposed to notice anything, much less when a woman ate wings. I didn't have my purse with me so I held out my hand for cash and unbuckled my seat belt. I didn't even pretend to be happy trekking my ass into the drug store. When I got to the family planning aisle, I grabbed the first box I saw and stalked up to the cash register. Here I was married, but somehow embarrassed to be buying a pregnancy test. This was sheer torture. Just because I had suggested chicken didn't mean he'd knocked me up. Next thing I knew, he'd tell me I was having an affair with an Asian man because I picked up Chinese takeout. The whole thing was preposterous. So was my acting like a
The Bound Collection Chapter 86: Annie
I did something last night I'd never done before. I dreamed about the little girl who couldn't wait to meet her parents. We'd played in the grass, running, chasing butterflies, laughing, but we never spoke. She was older, but somehow, I knew she was mine. Maybe it was the dark, wavy hair that mimicked mine, or the way her bright green eyes glistened in the sun like Brett's, or possibly the sound of her laughter reminded me of my own-either way, I knew one of these babies was a little girl. A peace fell over me while I slept. It was still early, but the sun was trying to welcome the day, and I was overcome with excitement I couldn't contain. I dragged my foot up Brett's leg under the covers, trying to rouse him to wake. When he finally opened his eyes, I saw the same green I'd seen in my dream and couldn't contain the smile."You're in an awfully good mood this early in the morning." He yawned and stretched before bringing his arms back down and around me. Thick muscles pulled my bod
The Bound Collection Chapter 87: Brett
After enduring party planning with two pregnant women, one of whom had been incognito for weeks, I couldn't wait to have this soiree over and done with. Had I ever been involved in the planning of a wedding, I'm sure I never would have agreed to any of this, much less helped choreograph the gathering.Part of me wondered if Annie was making up for not having a reception by inviting everyone she'd ever known. She and Lissa had gone hog wild with the guest list, and everyone they invited said they were coming. There had been a blanket invitation issued at the DC, but I prayed to God Gray stayed away. Dan had gotten to him outside of work before I could. I doubted I'd ever know what was said, or what went down, but Gray hadn't bothered Annie since, nor had he spoken a word to Dan or me.The news of our surrogacy had spread rapidly through the DC, but we'd expected that when we invited people to Hooters. People had all kinds of opinions on the subject, but wisely, those who objected kept
The Bound Collection Chapter 88: Brett
The parking lot was packed. I offered to drop Annie off, so she didn't have to walk, but the moment she saw Gray's motorcycle near the door she refused to go in without me. I had hoped he had the sense to stay away, but that was wishful thinking. Hand in hand, I escorted my wife to the door. We'd rented out the entire restaurant for the night. It helped that Dan and I had gone to school with the General Manager, and he'd been in our fraternity.Lissa and Dan were the first to greet us. Lissa tugged at Annie's hand, unaware that Gray was here. I realized she'd never met him and wouldn't know him from Adam. I seriously doubted Dan pointed him out. Once those two were out of earshot, Dan started his warning."Gray's here. And he's been drinking. I talked to him, and he assured me he was here to celebrate with you guys. Swore up and down he wouldn't cause any problems. I didn't want to make an issue of it with so many people here from the DC, who weren't around during his tenure with you
The Bound Collection Chapter 89: Brett
Sitting at the light outside of Hooters, I watched Gray get on the back of his motorcycle. I couldn't believe he was dumb enough to ride in the condition he was in, or that no one had stopped him. When the light turned green, and I turned toward home, he pulled off and settled in behind us. Keeping my eyes on him and the road without alerting Annie or Lissa was proving to be difficult. Annie had just stopped crying, but I could still hear her sniffles, and Lissa hadn't said a word since I'd found them in the kitchen. There wasn't a safe way to ride drunk, it was even more dangerous than driving drunk. At least in a car, there was a layer of metal to act as a shield between your body and the asphalt, not so with a bike. I kept my speed to a minimum in an effort to keep him from going any faster. I shouldn't care if he smeared his brains across the interstate, but at this point, I just wanted to be home.In the second it took to glance at the road and return my gaze back to the rearvi
The Bound Collection Chapter 90: Annie
The lights and sounds that came barreling down the street assaulted me. The sirens pierced the otherwise silent night while Lissa and I sat staring at the scene unfolding in front of us. The sky was lit up in a prism of red, white, and blue. My head kept telling me something was wrong, but my heart refused to believe it. Less than two hundred yards in front of us lay Gray's Harley, and my husband had been on his knees with his back to us for far too long. Lissa hadn't said anything, and neither had I. My lungs ejected one ragged breath after another as the road filled with emergency workers-fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars circled the epicenter of chaos. The only two men alive I'd ever loved were both inside that ring of lights, and I couldn't sit idly by wondering if one of them was hurt. I was pissed Gray had pulled the shit he had tonight, but I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to him.Ignoring my husband's request, I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door.
The Bound Collection Chapter 91: Annie
Devastation didn't begin to describe what consumed me at that moment, or maybe it did. Standing in the rain, I wasn't aware of anything around me. It might have been the water or the fact my brain was overloaded and stopped functioning hours earlier. I knew he wasn't there, but I couldn't help myself. The guilt weighed heavily on my conscience as I traced the top of the family's marker. My legs quivered as I lowered myself onto the ground, kneeling above his body with my hands pressed into the freshly turned earth. Everyone else had either left or stepped away. Gray's mom was nearby, as was Brett, but I'd ended up here alone to say goodbye. There were likely people watching, and those who thought it was inappropriate, but I laid down on my side, with my temple to the cool dirt below and let the tears slip away. From my face to the ground, they instantly disappeared, as though they were insignificant and meaningless. I wanted to believe if I laid there long enough, somehow, I could re
Latest chapter
The Bound Collection Chapter 150: Epilogue
The Bound Collection Chapter 149
The Bound Collection Chapter 148
The Bound Collection Chapter 147
The Bound Collection Chapter 146
The Bound Collection Chapter 145
The Bound Collection Chapter 144
The Bound Collection Chapter 143
The Bound Collection Chapter 142
