Makeshift Love

My hand clasps over my mouth as I stare at the test in my hand, tears beginning to stream down my face. I trembled at the thought of becoming a mother at seventeen years old. What are my parents going to think when I tell them? I stifle my sobs as I process the information that is staring me in the face. I take a shaky breath, trying to calm down as I decide what to do. I want to keep my baby. Once I figured out what I wanted to do, I needed to do one of the scariest things I’d ever have to do: tell my parents. I sat in the sitting room, waiting for my parents to arrive from work, preparing myself for what I would tell them: what happened on the trip to Ireland, the pregnancy, everything. The door opened, and I heard my parents’ laughter as they entered the home, “Rayen?” My mother called; in a shaky tone, I answered her, “I’m in the sitting room, mother.” She and my father entered the room;

The funeral was quick, but it was beautiful as well. Hailie stayed by my side the entire time, from the time they allowed me to view his body before we got started to place him on the ground at the family gravesite. So many people came to pay their respects to my grandfather, their friend, and their family. Hailie held my arm, “You’re supposed to meet with the attorney in the study, Mr. Woods.” I nod, “Yes, thank you,” I say, finally tearing myself away to go to my grandfather’s study. Ethan already sat at my grandfather’s desk, all his papers ready to go. His glance comes up to me, his eyes filled with sorrow as he motions for me to sit. I did so. Soon joining me, he gets situated in his seat, “I’ve always hated these damn chairs.” He says, “I’d tell your grandfather that he needed to replace them every time I had to sit in them.” We both chuckle at the memory, “I recall.” A smile formed on my face, “He’d tell you

Why did I do that? Why did I do that? Why did I do that? I kissed Hailie. I’m drunk; maybe I’m not thinking straight. No, that’s not it. If I was drunk, then I wouldn’t be having this conversation with myself. Do I actually want to hook up with her? Shaking my head, I headed to the bathroom to shower; ever since my teenage years, when I needed to process things or think, a hot shower always helped. Once the water was at a temperature I liked and I was completely naked, I hopped in, allowing the steam to engulf me and the water to trickle down my torso. I placed my hands on the wall before me as my thoughts wandered to Hailie. Her red hair in her typical French braid, her piercing blue eyes that could freeze you at that moment, and you can’t tear yourself from her gaze, not even if you tried. My thoughts then wandered to my grandfather’s conditions of my inheritance. Hailie has to be cared for, and I have to marry; why would he put thos

I sat in the study, reviewing every inch of this contract to see what I may sign up for. His friend Terry was here, too, so if I agree to the terms and Ash agrees to mine, Terry will notarize it for us. All three of us sat in uncomfortable silence as I continued reading, finally coming to the end. I sat it down and looked Ashton in the eyes, handing him a list of my conditions. “Let me know if you have any questions.” He nods and glances over the paper, glancing up at me, surprise in his eyes, “You’re still a virgin?” I sucked in a breath and glanced at Terry, who was clearing his throat, trying to mind his own business. I turned back to Ashton, “Yeah, I am. You’d remember that if you weren’t drunk the other night.” I tell him, “And I don’t plan on losing my virginity to a man who doesn’t even love me.” He looked back at the paper and nods, “Okay,” he says, “I can agree to these terms. However,” I caught his gaze, “On the honeymoon, we

When we made it to Alador City, my jaw nearly dropped. I’ve only been to the city a few times, the most recent being in an ambulance with Mr. Woods on our way to the hospital. There was no time for sight-seeing. But now, riding in the car with Ashton, I enjoy the city’s beauty. The buildings, the people, the greenery. Everything. Ash was nice enough to let me gawk rather than trying to hold a conversation with me. I was grateful for the silence after what happened in the laundry room this morning. I don’t know why my body reacted the way that it did to his dominating tone, but I know that it had my pussy dripping; if he had told me to turn around and bend over, I probably would have. Ash pulled into a parking spot and got out, opening my door for me when he reached my side. “Are you hungry?” He asked, “Or do you want to look around for a while?” I shrugged; I ate a bagel this morning, so I was fine for a while, but I don’t know if he ate anything yet. “Are you hungry?” I as