Page 49 of Simply You & Me

Just like when we found out she was self-harming, my world stops. Pregnant. Addie's pregnant. The question I have doesn't come out of my mouth, but when I look at all three of my men and they shake their heads, life centers itself once again.

Adelyn is pregnant with my baby.

We put my baby and my girl in danger.

Addie's in trouble.

My baby is in trouble.

Chapter Thirty-One

Adelyn

Stars flash in the darkness I was forced into. The sickening smell of cigarettes and mold assault my abused throat and nose. I burn. Everything burns. First, it's my eyes, then it's my lungs. The fire in my hips turns into a stabbing throb, as do my hands and knees.

The black abyss cocooning me swirls with a milkiness that I don't want any part of. I don't need my memories to flash through my mind to tell me my ex-boyfriend and rapist kidnapped me. Not before they beat my bony body up pretty badly. If I had some meat on me, I doubt I would be hurting this badly.

"Wakey, wakey."

The white bursts make my eyes water become more apparent the further into consciousness I'm forced.

"The sooner you wake up, the sooner you go home, Add." Johnny's sickly, sweet voice turns bitter and harsh in the same breath. "So, I suggest you be a good little bitch and wake the fuck up."

It's hard to hold back my groan of discomfort as I reorient myself on the cold cement floor, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction. I take a moment to look around the cell, because that is absolutely what this horrific room is. The walls are stained with hell knows what. The ground has nothing but scatterings of dirt and small puddles of water. No bed, no sink, no nothing. Just Johnny and I. Him on a wooden chair, me on the cold, hard ground.

"There she is. You gonna beg so pretty now?"

I hate to do it, but I study the man who ruined high school for me. He's grown up. Five o'clock shadow, sharp nose, and cheekbones, perfect brown hair. Johnny's buffed up a bit, but he's still tall and lean. I would say he's handsome if not for the nasty gleam in his eyes.

"Why would I beg? You already said you'd let me go." I know it's stupid to taunt him, but years of pent-up anger and resentment for the monster before me overshadows my common sense.

He hums, tilting his head like a predator hunting his prey. "Right, but next time will be worse, I promise."

"Next time?" I croak. My head swims as I claw my upper half into a sitting position. What the hell did he give me?

Johnny barks a laugh, forcing a flinch out of my jittery limbs. "Oh, Add. This won't be the last of our time together."

"Why are you doing this?" It can't actually be because of high school. Can it? I did nothing wrong. What was it he said in the car?

Leaning forward, he braces his arms on his knees. "Good question! Those men you’re whoring yourself out to, they’re going to suffer. It just so happens that the perfect way to do that is through my high school plaything."

Without an ounce of warning, he's out of his chair. I recoil, lifting my arms to cover my face, but his hand sneaks through before I can cover myself. Johnny's icy fingers latch around my throat, cutting off my air and the startled scream demanding release. My grip on his wrist does nothing as I'm lifted so high my tiptoes barely brush the floor.

Gasping breaths scorch my chest and throat. Flailing, I swing my legs every which way in hopes of knocking him off balance. All my effort gains me is more pain, though. Tutting at me, Johnny's free hand snatches a chunk of my hair and rips my head back so the only thing I can see as my vision darkens is his wicked smirk.

Slamming to the forefront of my traumatized mind is a memory of Wyatt's grin. What I wouldn't give to be staring into his smiling face right now instead of Johnny's. Choked cries bubble around his flexing fingers, and I know I'm not going to be able to stay awake much longer.

"See you soon, Add." His voice warbles as my body slackens its fight. The last thing I hear before I'm ripped away from this world again is his teasing warning. "Oh, and make sure those assholes know this is a warning for them. Nobody fucks with the Heads and lives a happy life."

Flashing white lights. Car horns. Traffic.

I wait a beat as I wake, trying to figure out if there's anyone around. I thought my throat had burned before, but it has nothing on this new feeling of hell wreaking havoc with each swallow.

Not hearing anyone around the thick traffic and bright lights, I crack a watery eye open. Looking around and ignoring the torment my body is in, I find myself lying in tall grass. Between the blades, cars flash by. The cool, moist night air of South Carolina settles some of my uncertainty.

Stars wink at me from above, making me irrationally angry. Why me? I'm literally nobody. I work as a waitress. I'm a low-class citizen just trying to make it through each day. I don't have enemies, yet my battered skin and muscles beg to fucking differ.

The guys have enemies. And they just happened to drag me right into the middle. Pregnant with a kid waiting for me at home.

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