“And if I don’t go?” She turns and looks me dead in the eye. You would think I would feel something, anything when I look at my mother, but all I see is a woman who took away someone I loved. Who I still love. I will never forgive her for that. There’s not an ounce of love in her eyes as she narrows them at me.
“Then you will have nothing. How can you possibly expect to raise your daughter without our financial support? This house is no longer ours. You have nowhere to go. You’ll be on the streets tomorrow night. Quit talking nonsense and start packing.” Shemotions for me to go up the stairs before walking across the foyer to her bedroom on the other side of the house.
I stare after her, my heart pounding in my chest at what this really means. This is what I’ve prayed for every single night for the past three years. My father’s threats are useless now. He’s lost everything and has no power over me anymore. Everything I’ve been working on for the past three years is finally happening. It’s time.
I walk up the stairs, still in a daze, wondering if I made the right choice. I lay my sweet girl in her bed before putting on her nightgown and tucking her in. I gaze down at the girl that I love with my whole heart.
What if he never forgives me for leaving him? I don’t think I could stand to see hate from those greys that used to look at me with so much love. I work my bottom lip between my teeth as worry invades my mind.
What if he’s married? Would I be able to co-parent with him and watch him with another woman? It would break me in two, but my daughter deserves to have her dad in her life. He deserves to know. I just pray he understands why I had to do it.
I walk back into my bedroom and pull out my phone. I open my bank app to check my account and breathe a sigh of relief when I see the money still there. It’s not much, but I refuse to take my parents’ money. I’ve been saving every dime I can so when the time was right, I could leave. It’s enough to get us where we need to go while I figure out what my next step is.
I pull out my suitcase and start packing what little I need. I’ll be gone before they even notice me missing. If they really believe there is a chance of them getting away before they are caught, they will have no choice but to leave without me.
Thoughts drift back to the last time I had to leave in a hurry. It was the worst day of my life, and I live with the pain everysingle fucking day. The tears silently fall down my cheeks, and I swipe them away as I relive them in my mind all over again.
I’m pregnant.I stare at the words on the stick not quite believing what I’m seeing. I’m a week late, so I took a test to ease my mind, but instead, I found the surprise of my life. I’ve been on the pill, so we haven’t been using any other protection.
Placing a hand on my stomach, I can’t help the grin that breaks through. I know I’m young at nineteen, but I already know I want this baby with all my heart. I can’t think of anything I could possibly love more than to have a part of Ryder growing inside of me.
I know he’s going to be surprised, but I don’t have a single doubt that he’s going to be thrilled. The baby wasn’t planned, but sometimes blessings come when they are least expected, and I have no doubt this is our blessing.
I run to the bedroom to get ready so I can go to the grocery store. I want to make his favorite meal tonight and tell him. Excitement flows through me at the thought of telling him. We have talked for hours into the night about getting married one day and having a family once Ryder starts his own business.
He’s in the process of trying to buy Jimmy’s now and turn it into his dream of owning a restore automotive shop. Jimmy passed away recently, and Ryder’s been taking it really hard. I’m hoping this news will ease some of the pain and help him focus on something beautiful to look forward to. He’s still running the shop for Jimmy’s family until the papers can be signed this week. They agreed to let him finish on the projects they have lined up until he takes on the new ownership.
I hear a knock on the door and quickly finish getting dressed. The knocking gets louder and more frantic as I crossthe living room, wondering who in the world it could be. I throw open the door and see both my parents standing there.
“It’s about time.” My father mutters before pushing his way inside.
“What are you doing here?” Since I moved in with Ryder, I’ve cut all ties with them. They were a toxic part of my life that I finally had to let go of and, for once, put myself first.
“Well, since you haven’t returned any of my calls, we had to come to you.” My mother looks around the place like she’s in some dirty hotel room instead of a cute apartment that I love.
Ryder and I picked out every piece of furniture together to make it our home. The wooden floors and large windows give it a beautiful, cozy feeling. I’ve added several plants and rugs throughout, along with some of his brother’s artwork that he did for us. Travis is a tattoo artist like Jake but has started doing portrait drawings. He surprised us with a few pieces of Ryder and me together that he captured from photos. He gave them to us as a housewarming gift.
“There’s a reason I didn’t return the phone calls, Mother. You guys still haven’t accepted Ryder and made me choose. I chose him, and I will choose him till the day I die.”
“I think you will choose differently when you hear what we have to say.” A knot forms in my stomach as my mother looks at my father and motions for him to speak. I can tell she’s irritated by him with the impatient look that crosses her features.
“We are leaving today for Seattle and want you to come with us. I’m needed there for work.” My dad straightens his tie, and I laugh.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m not going anywhere with you two.”
I hear my mother gasp, and I turn around to see her holding my pregnancy test. “You’re pregnant?” Her face pales as she looks at me.
“What!” My father walks over and grabs the stick out of her hand. “How the hell did you let this happen? You’re nineteen years old. This just reiterates why you are coming with us. Go pack your bags. Now!” he says when I don’t move.
“No. I told you I’m not going with you.” I put a hand to my stomach, wanting to shield the baby somehow from my parents.
“I thought you might say that.” My mother looks at my father, and I hear him sigh.
“I didn’t want to have to do it this way, but you leave me no choice. You are either going to come with us or Ryder can kiss his dreams goodbye.” He looks at me with his cold brown eyes, sending chills down my spine.
“Wha…what do you mean?” I try to keep the fear out of my voice, but I know my parents and what they are capable of.
“It means that Ryder will be lucky if he gets a job anywhere in this town or the next. Money goes a long way, and I have a lot of it. I have business acquaintances everywhere, including the banks and anywhere else he tries to apply. A lot of his clients that come through his shop have dealt in business with me, and it wouldn’t take much money for their heads to turn away from him. You leave with us now, and I’ll see to it he becomes the proud owner of Jimmy’s, and his clientele stays intact.”
