Page 19 of The Broken Beginning: Part One

Again, I shrugged. “I just came up here and went to work. Honestly, I never had time to think about it because I worked through most of the night and fell asleep at some point. I figured Stacey could come over at some point today and help me out if she was able to get a ride.”

“I think you need to back out of some of the classes you’re taking, baby girl. You’re always working so hard on all those papers you write. I’ve never seen a high school student with so many bullshit assignments.”

Merc turned his narrowed gaze back to me for a minute, assessing what my father was saying. He didn’t know shit about me though, so he’d never understand the fact that all those papers I worked on weren’t mine.

“Get down here, so I can help you with that dress.”

I did as he said and descended the steps carefully. Barefoot now, as I’d kicked off the slippers I’d worn yesterday at some point, I had an easier time navigating them than I had yesterday. Once I got to the bottom of the steps, all three men were watching me carefully, as if I might fall apart the moment they looked away.

Avoiding Merc became a game I played for years. Sure, I watched him covertly, but any time I knew I had his attention, my eyes would never stray toward him. I employed those same tactics as I moved toward my father and then turned my back to all of them. I quickly lifted my hair off my neck to give my father access and heard the soft intake of a shocked breath when the zipper was pulled down.

How in the world me not wearing a bra under my wedding dress could scandalize the three bikers was beyond me, but I couldn’t think of any other reason… except… shit!

“Baby girl!” The heartbreak in my father’s voice could not be contained. I’d forgotten about the words I had in the middle of my back. They sat on a pile of ashes with a few embers still glowing hot and orangish-red on my skin. Beside the embers and ashes, was the most evil, dangerous looking phoenix to have ever been inked to skin. It peered back over its own wing while taking flight from the ashes. The blue-green eyes of the bird matched my own and seemed so real that it was truly captivating. The artist had been passing through town on a tour as a guest artist, and I just happened to be explaining what I wanted to someone at a local shop when he told me to hop in his chair. I trusted him and did it. I had it done before I knew I was pregnant. Still, no one had seen the work yet but me.

“What does that say?” Boone asked, clearly not having his glasses.

Before anyone had a chance to respond, I quoted the words inked into my skin. “My ashes spill beyond the flame, forgotten after the desire. Inside them still, my heart does swell, waiting for release. When wicked men are gone again, so then shall rise my beast.”

“What is that from?” My father asked, his voice shaky.

“I wrote it.” That was all the explanation they were getting. Instead of waiting around to hear what else they had to say about my tattoo, I held the bodice of the dress tight against my chest as I made my way to the bedroom to get clothes to change into. Once there, I realized that the bed was still freshly made, which meant that my husband hadn’t come home last night either. He must have come back this morning, saw the bed untouched, and panicked. I wasn’t sure why he would be worried about me not being home when he got there.

I decided to take a shower too instead of just changing my clothes. I had to wash yesterday’s memories away somehow. So, that’s what I did. When I finished my shower, dressed, and made my way back out to the kitchen, it was to see that my dad had breakfast cooked up for everyone.

I sat down at the only place that wasn’t occupied at the small farmhouse table and groaned in appreciation when I slipped a crispy piece of bacon in my mouth. I hadn’t eaten much beyond crackers in the past 24-hours and my body let me know that it was unacceptable. I ravenously ate everything on my plate before I bothered to acknowledge anyone else. When I finally looked up, it was to see all three men staring at me as if I were some wild beast who had been brought in from the cold.

“What?”

“Do you want more?” Dad asked cautiously.

I shook my head. “No. Sorry, I was hungry. All I had yesterday was crackers.”

“You’re pregnant,” Merc stated in a matter-of-fact manner that prickled my nerves.

“No shit?” I asked sarcastically.

“You have to eat if you plan on having a healthy baby,” he scolded me, as if I didn’t know that or as if he cared. I didn’t miss the smirk on Boone’s face. He thought his son was starting to give a shit. I knew better.

“I didn’t exactly have an appetite yesterday,” I threw back at him.

“Don’t know why. You got what you wanted,” he mumbled under his breath.

I picked my as yet untouched glass of milk up off the table and tossed the liquid on him. “What I wanted was to be left alone, to be a single mother, because it has to be better than being saddled to some selfish prick who won’t be around to give a shit about anything anyway. All being married to you did was limit the choices I have.” I stood and carried my plate and utensils to the kitchen sink, rinsed them off and left them there.

“If you’ll excuse me, I still have a paper to finish writing.” Then, I walked off and left the three men there to clean up the mess they’d made of my life, or at the very least the kitchen. Not that they’d ever do a good enough job of that, but at least it got me out of discussing my marriage, the tattoo, or pretty much anything else that I didn’t want to talk about with them.

At some point, I heard the door latch closed again when everyone left. At least, I thought everyone had gone until I heard him speak.

“Is that shit on your tattoo about me?”

I laughed without looking up from what I was typing. “Not everything is about you.”

“Then who the hell hurt you?” He asked, sounding as though he was ready to defend my honor against anyone else, beyond himself.

“I thought you left,” I deadpanned while continuing to work and trying to change the subject.

“Well, after calling our dads to find out where the hell you ran away to, they decided it was best if I stuck around today, to make sure I didn’t lose track of you again.”

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