“You remember what happened when I went on the pill,” I tell him. I tried it for a month, and it didn’t agree with me. I put on weight and felt like shit. Dr. Reeves said we could try another one, but I just said I would use condoms. Eric and I always used one, even though he tried to talk his way out of it a few times with the infamous ‘I promise I’ll pull out’ line.

Yeah—not a chance in hell.

“I wasn’t criticizing you, Faye, but you are pregnant,” he says kindly, pulling out some brochures from his drawer.

“I see,” I say, staring into empty space.

And I did see.

I saw my career and my life plans crashing. Evaporating. Vanishing.

Disappearing right before my eyes.

“You have options,” he says, sliding the brochures to me. But I don’t. I don’t have options, and my life is over. My parents will kick me out, my education is going to take a backseat to changing nappies, and the baby’s father is an outlaw biker. This kid doesn’t stand a chance. I’m pro-choice, but I could never have an abortion. That’s just not me. I stand up, the sound of the chair scratching on the floor filling the silent room.

“I’m keeping it,” I announce. Everyone else be damned.

Doc has a talk with me, gives me a book to read up on, and tells me to get some folic acid and other things. I leave the doctor’s in a daze.

A plan starts to form in my head.

First of all, I need to save money.

Then me and my baby are out of here.

*****

I’m four months pregnant when I start to show. And that’s when everything goes to hell. My parents find out and tell me to leave. No second chance. No discussion. My mother just tells me to be gone by the end of the day. My father looks sad but doesn’t dare go against her wishes. They should have never had a child. I’m going to make sure I’m a way better mother than she ever was. How predictable of them. I always knew they would cut me out of their lives the moment they found out. I pack up my belongings, ready to leave. Luckily I have been saving every cent during the last few months, preparing for this moment. I even cashed in some of my gold and sold everything I could, even my PS4. I don’t need all those things. What I need is a plan for the future.

Just as I throw the last bag into my car, Eric pulls up in his obnoxious car. Not someone I want to see right now. Maybe even the last person on the face of this earth, but such is my life.

“Where are you going?” he asks as he storms up to me. He frowns when he sees all my stuff in the back of my car.

“Taking a little holiday,” I say in a tone that lets him know I’m not in the mood for his shit.

He grabs my arm. “What the hell is going on?”

I lose it. Months of hiding, stressing, and crying all burst out of me. “I’m pregnant, and I have nowhere to go so I’m leaving town. Now get the fuck out of my way!”

He stands there, frozen, his mouth open in shock. “You were going to leave town without telling me about my baby?”

I can’t help it. I laugh. It’s more nervous laughter than anything else. I probably sound psychotic.

Eric and I hadn’t had sex in a month when I slept with Dex. There is no way the baby is his.

“Baby isn’t yours Eric, don’t worry about it,” I say, pulling out of his hold.

“The fuck?” he growls, his face going red in anger. “Who did you sleep with?”

Typical male. Of course that would be all he cares about.

“Too many to count,” I reply, opening the door. I still and turn to him. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

Or not.

“You don’t have to leave,” he says, still looking confused and hurt.

The pain radiating from him makes me hurt too.

“There’s nothing left for me here anymore Eric,” I say softly, letting him look into my eyes and see the truth.

We are over. There’s no going back now.

“Faye…” he whispers, his voice cracking. He sees it. He knows it. It’s done with.

I smile sadly. “I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”

He runs his hand through his hair. “We can say it’s mine.”

My eyes flare in surprise. I didn’t see this one coming. I actually consider it for a moment, but then I see him with that other woman.

It would all be pretend.

Fake.

And I don’t want to live a lie. “Eric, thanks for the offer, but that isn’t going to work. Take care of yourself.”

I get in my car and start the engine, his eyes on me the entire time.

As I pull out of my driveway, I leave him standing there looking helpless.

Looking just how I feel.

Chapter Four

The present

The drive home is uneventful. Dex is quiet, playing head-banging music the whole drive, giving me a migraine.

“Still like shit music I see,” I comment.

“This is Five Finger Death Punch,” he replies, sounding offended. “Still only listen to commercial crap then?”

I make a hmmph noise but don’t reply. The song changes to some alternative¸ hipster music I’ve never heard before, so I put in my ear phones and stare out the window, into the darkness of the night. I lower the volume so he can’t hear ‘You and I’ by One Direction playing. I finally fall asleep but instantly wake when Dex touches my arm. He pulls the ear phones from my ears and speaks.

“I’m stopping to pump petrol, do you want anything?” he asks. One of his hands is on top of the steering wheel, and I stare at the tattoos covering his knuckles. On one hand W.D.M.C is spelt out, a letter on each finger.

Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club.

“Faye,” he snaps, when I don’t answer.

I blink and look at his face. “No thanks, I’m fine.”

“I’ll get you some water,” he says, sliding out of the car. God, he’s so bossy.

And hot—but that’s another story.

A few minutes pass when I see Rake walking up to the car. He comes to stand right at my window and taps on it. I blink slowly a few times before rolling the window down.

“Hey,” he says, smiling as he lights up a cigarette.

“Um hi,” I reply, staring at him. My lips quirk as I look at him, his smile contagious.

“Can’t wait to get home,” he grumbles around his smoke.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” I say, shrugging sheepishly.

He chuckles. “Was worth it, seeing Sin get all worked up.”

“Sin?” I ask, my lips pursing. Is that what Dex goes by nowadays? “Do you know what he’s planning on doing with me?”

Rake looks over the car, then takes a step backwards. I turn my head to see Dex get back into the car, a bottle of water and a chocolate bar in his hands.

“Thanks,” I say as he hands them to me.

“See you at the clubhouse Sin,” Rake says, tapping his hand on the top of the car before walking off.

“Sin?”

“Drink the water Faye,” is all he says in reply. He starts the car and drives back onto the main road, following behind Rake in my car. I take a sip of water to get him off my back then turn my body towards him.

I have so many questions right now.

“Why do they call you Sin?”

“They just do,” he replies shortly.

“Where are you taking me?” I ask, scrubbing a hand down my face.

He sighs heavily, like he’s sick of me already. “You’re going to stay with me. I heard that your piece of shit parents kicked you out, so you’re with me until you can get back on your feet.”

That is kind of nice. As much as I don’t like being told what to do, it’s going to save me a lot of stress, having a stable place to stay during this pregnancy. However, I do have other concerns.

“Where exactly do you stay? With a group of bikers?” I ask slowly, not wanting to offend him. But at the same time, I’m not living with a houseful of bikers.

“Who told you that?” he asks, frowning.

“Eric.”

“Of course that little bastard did,” he sighs, looking straight ahead at the road. I stare at his handsome profile, waiting for him to elaborate, but he doesn’t.