By the time we pulled up to my brother’s house, one way too large for only one person, Brinley’s forehead had cooled, and she was dozing in and out of sleep. I had held her to my chest tightly, terrified that we would be in a car accident and she would be sent flying without a car seat. “Baby, we’re going to stay in Uncle Ben’s house for a little bit,” I whispered, wanting her to know where she was even though she was falling asleep. It would be terrifying for her to wake up in a strange place in the morning. “Uncle Ben?” She asked, her excitement muffled by her exhaustion. “Let’s get you into bed, and we’ll see Uncle Ben soon,” I said as Bash unlocked the door and gestured for us to enter first. The house looked sterile; not a single thing was out of place. It would probably bother him to see the kind of mess a toddler can make within a few minutes. Ignoring my concern for invading Ben’s space, I walked down the hallway, checking multiple doors, before I found a guest room on

My phone ringing startled me awake, though I hadn’t intended to pass out on the couch. Usually, when Brinley was sick, I would sleep in her room to ensure she was okay.I jumped for the phone to keep the ringer from waking Brinley.It had been pointless, though, because I cursed loudly as my knee connected with the coffee table, and my arms flailed as I tumbled off the couch and onto the floor with a 'thud.' My vision was still blurry from sleep, and the room spun from the quick movement, but I managed to grab my phone and answer the call, unable to see the number on the screen as I blinked rapidly to moisten my eyes. “Hello,” I said breathlessly, rolling onto my back and pulling my knee up to my chest. “Ms. Evans,” A man said, and my eyes shot open as a jolt of excitement went through me at hearing my maiden name. I had no clue who it was, but it was the first time since the hearing yesterday that I had been called Ms. Evans without me having to correct them to it from Mrs. Johnson

My knee bounced as we sat in the waiting room. I was nervous, but not because of my meeting with Mr. Collins.I was nervous about giving Alexander the apology he was owed. He had hurt me beyond belief when we were younger, but the way I had treated him today was unacceptable. Over the past twenty-four hours, he had been kind, stood up for me, brought me to a safe place to stay, and got medicine for my daughter.He deserved an apology, and I had been so caught up in my head that I wouldn't have realized it if it weren't for the damn jalapenos. After Brinley’s fever had been broken, I brought her into the kitchen to make breakfast, and the guilt I had been feeling tripled.On the kitchen island sat a take-out bag with several containers. One with bacon and sausage, another with hashbrowns and scrambled eggs. The last sizable take-out box had biscuits, and my mouth watered when I realized he had ordered a side of sausage gravy to go with it. Spreading them out onto the counter, I smil

BAILEE “You bitch!” Caleb screamed. I had heard him call me countless times before, but it was humiliating having witnesses. Yet, even though he was shouting behind me and I could hear the commotion of the security guards escorting my ex-husband from my ex-boyfriend’s office, I couldn’t pull away. My body betrayed me, melting against Alexander’s as his fingers slid into my hair, and he kissed me deeper, his tongue meeting mine. The groan he let out sent a jolt of pleasure straight to my core, and my hands tightened into fists, clutching the fabric. It was heart-achingly familiar. His lips were just as soft as I remembered, and the butterflies I used to get with him returned. He was the only one I had ever felt them with. Yet, it was also new. Alexander's body was larger and harder, more defined from his time in the military. The scruff of his neatly trimmed beard, which he hadn't had before, scratched against my chin, waking me from the lust-inducing kiss. Pulling away, I b