Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135955 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
My body jerks forward. “Dare I feel sorry for her?”
“No,” he clips coldly. “Koby and I were at the courts, playing a game with a bunch of friends when I got the call. I rushed to the hospital and found her in hysterics. She had a panic attack and blamed it on anxiety about my upcoming meet with the recruiter. I was eighteen and could literally ride out the day after graduation. Her parents were understandably upset, but they were livid with me. When they left us alone, her tears dried up, and she offered herself to me. My guilt was strong, but I was thinking with my dick. I fucked her over the side of a hospital bed and conceded to go to college before enlisting.”
I gasp, throwing my hand over my mouth to cover my scream. “You didn’t.”
“Oh, yeah.”
Even at eighteen, Major was a heartbreaker. In my line of work, I’m frequently faced with women who use their bodies to control men. Especially good-looking ones who come from wealth. “I have a clear picture now.”
“Not even close. When I stayed back and went to college, Koby insisted on waiting for me. This was our thing. We were going to be Marines together. That’s how loyal he was to our friendship.”
I can’t stop the all-over body tremor, fearing the rest of this story. Koby never got his chance. “You can stop now.” I no longer care about any of the rest.
“My parents are well off, but back then, Dad was a partner at a prestigious law firm in Chicago.” He goes on like I said nothing. “One reason he was successful was because of the Marines. His time in operations made him a genius in Business Law. Darla was convinced she could talk me into college, law school, and following Dad’s steps.”
“What about the Marines?”
“Get this—she thought I’d agree to a compromise of a four-year stint that would help further my career as a veteran, a graduate, and a lawyer.”
“And you didn’t agree?”
“Fuck no.”
“So what happened?”
“She got pregnant.”
The news hits me so hard, I sway, dropping his hand and squeezing my eyes to stop the blades jabbing my eyeballs. Pregnant? “She got pregnant?” I screech.
“Jesus Christ, baby, breathe.” He yanks me to him.
“You had a baby with her?”
“No, there was no baby.”
I pop back up, horrified. “She lied about getting pregnant?”
“This is where it gets fucked up.”
“It’s not already fucked up? You were a boy being manipulated by sex. For what? What did she think she’d gain?”
“She wanted to live a life of wealth and prestige. I was her ticket.”
“How?”
“My dad.”
“That makes no sense.”
“Darla wanted to be a lawyer, but she didn’t have the ambition, grit, or smarts to make it through what she considered a reputable law school. She figured if she got pregnant, I’d do right by her. This would put my dad in the position to help her get into his firm and move up. She’d have James Power at her back, and no one would fuck with her.”
“This is insane.”
“Our freshman year of college, she wanted us to get an apartment together, and I refused. Why spend the money when we could commute to school? She was pissed, more pissed than ever before and told me it was over. Koby, my parents, my brothers, everyone told me to watch out.
“My parents took the twins to a baseball tournament, and I stayed behind. Darla showed up in hysterics, begging for me to hear her out. One thing led to another. I was so damn stupid and didn’t wear a condom.”
“Oh, God, wasn’t she on some form of birth control?” I think about our night together and the lack of protection. He picks up on my thoughts, sitting up and taking my hand again.
“Baby, outside that one time, she never had me bare again. No one has until the other night.”
“Right, okay.” I snap back to attention. “What happened next?”
“We got back together, but she was clingier than usual. My time with friends triggered her. I was losing interest and ready to call things off. Then she told me she was late. I went to her house and her parents were waiting. Her dad told me he expected me to marry his daughter and make a family in the traditional way. They weren’t supposed to be there.”
“Ambush.”
“Fuck yeah. I thought I didn’t have anyone at my back. I was scared and shocked.”
“You agreed to marry her?”
“No, but in hindsight, I didn’t fight it, saying I’d make the plans. Darla took it as an instant engagement.”
“What did you do?”
“I went to Koby and got drunk. Told him everything. He was supportive, but he was also pissed. Our plans to join the Corps were done. He wouldn’t go without me. In his mind, he’d betray me by going forward alone.”