Page 38 of Plus-Size Pregnant Mate

She ignored me, walking towards her room, and the door slammed shut. I felt my shoulder sink.

I ran a hand over my face, knowing I needed to fix this, but I didn't know how. No one prepared you for something like this.

I decided I should grab her art. At least I could do that right.

Chapter 19 - Ashley

I smiled as I grabbed the ballerina art piece from my stack and pulled it free. I turned towards Eza, the lady who was buying it.

She smiled, her eyes scanning the art as she held it. "God, it is absolutely just breathtaking. It looks even better in person."

"Thank you," I said, feeling a blush roll over my face. I wasn't used to the compliments that I was getting.

She looked around the space and raised an eyebrow. "I don't recall seeing any of these on your website."

I looked at the one she was pointing to. "I have sold a few other pieces, and when they sell, I take them down, and a few of them aren't put up just yet."

She pointed towards an ocean watercolor I had started that was sitting on my easel. "When this is done, can I call dibs?"

I quickly nodded. "Of course, I'll message you when it's finished."

I felt nervous. It wasn't that I didn't think my art would sell, but I didn't expect it to sell as quickly as it was. It had only been a week, and I already sold a few pieces.

"Before I forget," Eza took her phone out, and after a moment of silence, I felt my phone vibrate.

I pulled it out, seeing a message that the money had been sent to my website. I smiled and looked back at her.

"Thank you."

"Of course. How else would you pay your rent for this place?" She looked around, taking it in.

I wanted to tell her it wasn't my apartment, but I didn't see the need to share that information with her. She wasn't from our town, so she wouldn't even know.

"I'll let you know about this other piece," I said as I headed for the front door.

After she left, I sat down on the couch with my laptop and transferred my money to my account. My account was actually a trust fund that was given to me when I was eighteen. I had a little over three grand left in it, plus the money I made off the art pieces I sold.

It wasn’t a ton, but it was enough where I could survive at least a month or so before things became tight. Hopefully by then I had a job and had everything else figured out.

I clicked over to another tab where I had apartment listings open. I had scanned a little last night but wasn't getting far.

The town didn't have many apartments, and what we did have wasn't cheap. With no actual income, I needed to go cheap, and with a baby on the horizon, I needed one with space.

I rubbed at my head as I scrolled, suddenly feeling like the money I had made wouldn't keep me afloat long.

"I'm going to need an actual job," I said, chewing my lip.

The problem was that I didn't have much experience to get a job. I had spent all my time in school, and then I focused on my art. I had tried having a job before, but it didn't last long since I couldn't focus. I always figured it was okay because I was being helpful but I had been wrong. Looking at everything now, I was falling behind in life because of it.

I opened another tab and looked just to see what was available in town. Maybe I would get lucky with something.

I scrolled through a few job options. Plumber, but I knew nothing about plumbing. They were looking for a teacher at the elementary school, but that required a degree. A cashier was needed at the grocery store, but the wage was low. It wouldn't even pay for rent.

I closed my eyes and sighed. This wasn't where I thought I would be. Pregnant, homeless, and jobless. How had I screwed up my life this badly?

I felt my phone ding, and I looked at it. I saw a message from Owen. It was simple and short, just asking how my day was going and what I wanted for dinner.

I chewed on my cheek, wanting him to fix everything. But he was part of the problem. No matter how badly I wanted something to happen or how much I thought he loved me, it didn't change the past. It didn't fix our problem. Owen cheated, and I would never be able to trust him like I had before.

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