Page 2 of Coerced

We held on to one another for a bit longer, neither one of us wanting to let go. But eventually, we had to separate ourselves from each other. The longer I stayed here, the longer it would take for me to get things fixed.

I’d already waited far too long to make that happen. This was overdue.

So, I crouched down, cuddled, and kissed Sasha. WhenI stood, I stared at Britney and promised, “I’ll call you in a few hours to check on her. And I’ll keep you updated as I get things figured out.”

“Sasha’s in good hands. Don’t worry about her. Which way are you going when you leave here?”

I offered a small smile in return. “Wherever my gut tells me to go.”

She sighed, shaking her head slightly with a look of disbelief on her face. “You’re so brave, Aria. As sad as I am about you leaving, I want you to know how proud I am of you. This is the right thing for you to do.”

“Thanks, Brit. That means a lot to me.”

Smiling, she said, “Alright, get out of here before I change my mind and stop you from going.”

After another hug for Britney and several strokes along Sasha’s back with tears filling my eyes, I moved to the door.

Before I knew it, I was in my car and pulling out of the driveway.

At the end of it, I inhaled deeply, looked both ways, and decided to turn right. This was the official start to my new life.

I was nervous as heck, but I was excited to see where I’d wind up.

ONE

Aria

Five years Earlier

“I’ll have Aria pick up Jazzy, and I’ll be right there. Don’t panic.”

Hearing my father’s words, I was suddenly tense. Because before he even answered the phone, he’d indicated it was my mom calling. Why would he be telling her not to panic? Granted, my mom had a flair for dramatics, but this sounded different.

Where was my mom, and where was my dad planning to go?

Dad disconnected the call, a strange look washing over his expression. He shook off whatever it was and said, “I need you to run home and pick up your sister, please.”

“Okay. Sure. What’s going on? Is Mom alright?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, she’s alright. She was in an accident on the way back here from her appointment, but she’s okay. She’s just shaken up, so I told her I’llcome out to meet her. But I don’t want you to be here alone. I’ll call Jaz and let her know you’re on your way.”

Without hesitating, I moved to grab my purse and keys from beneath the front counter and ran out the door. If my mom was calling my dad, the chances were that it was worse than he was letting on. Doing my best not to panic, to keep my composure, I hopped in my car and took off toward the house.

My sister, Jasmine, and I still lived at home with our parents. I’d just turned twenty-five and was saving up for my own place with my sister. We were going to share an apartment, so we could save on rent costs while she finished up school and I worked toward my goals of saving for my own place and pursuing my ultimate dream job.

Jasmine was going to school now at the local community college, since she still didn’t have a clear picture as to what she wanted to do with her life and the costs made sense. I’d already graduated, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Unfortunately, the career I wanted was one that required a lot of time and patience. And not everyone who endeavored to become an artist would ever see the success I hoped to achieve one day, so I had to be realistic and work another job in the meantime.

For now, that meant helping my parents run their general merchandise store here in the town where we lived. We did well enough for ourselves. We weren’t rich by any means, but we had everything we needed. We’d always gotten by, and even as kids, Jasmine and I never felt like we were missing out.

Our house was close to the store, and with the worry for my mom in the back of my mind, I made it home in a matter of minutes. My sister was already waiting for me,and judging by her expression, it was obvious our dad hadn’t held back on communicating the seriousness of the situation.

She ran toward the car and hopped in.

“Hey, Jazzy,” I greeted her.

“Aria, is Mom okay? Dad wouldn’t tell me anything.”

I sent an apologetic look her way. “Physically, I think she’s fine. She was talking to him on the phone, but I think she was panicking a bit. Maybe much like you are doing now.”

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