Page 15 of Surprise Pregnancy for Villain

She nods in agreement, and we make our way out of the building. It’s a sunny autumn day, and the trees in the campus courtyard are ablaze with color, but my insides feel as gray and bleak as midwinter, just like my future. All I can see ahead for me is endless days of being subjugated to my father’s will and then by my future husband’s. That’s no kind of life; more like a slow death. I know I’ll have to take some drastic action to change the course of my fate, but what? I feel as trapped as the mice in our biology lab and just as weak and helpless.

Katie leads the way to our favorite spot under the canopy of a huge oak that stands near the center of the campus grounds. I flop down on the grass beneath it, nursing my wounded pride along with my headache. I’ll never drink Fireball shots again.

“Something’s bothering you,” Katie observes, plopping next to me.

“Not necessarily. I’ve been wondering. Did you see anyone on the accident scene the other night?”

Katie’s brows quirks. “Besides the cops?” She scoffs. “I’m still surprised that not even a single neighbor came out to investigate.”

“Yeah, besides the cops,” I reply.

“No. What, you saw someone?”

“I’m not sure…” The memory of his fingers stroking my face still feels so real. I touch my cheek, sighing wistfully. “Maybe I imagined it.”

“Chances are, you did. When I came to, I only saw the cops. If there was anyone else, they would’ve hung around.”

“Then who pulled us from the car?”

“The cops, duh.”

I shrug. None them mentioned it when they came for the report, but that’s the only thing that makes sense.

I guess.

“I still can’t believe your dad took your cellphone.”

“Oh, that’s the good part. He said that I embarrassed him and the entire family, that if I was going to act like a child, I would be treated as such.” I look miserably at Katie, her freckled face pinched in concern.

“What did he mean by that?”

“He’s cut off my allowance. No cash. No cards. Can you believe that?” I moan.

Katie’s jaw drops. ““So, you have no money on you? Nothing?”

I shake my head. “Nope. Not a fucking dime. And that’s not even the worst of it, Kate. Now I can’t leave the house except to come to classes, and even then, I have to be escorted to and from campus every day in an unmarked car by at least one of our security staff.”

“Holy crap, that’s a bummer.”

“And that’s still not the worst of it.”

Her eyes widen.

“The wedding,” I say, spitting out the W word like it’s a piece of sour candy, “is to be moved up by nine months.”

“Oh no,” Katie groans, looking genuinely sorry for me.

“Oh yes,” I say, nodding grimly. “So that I’ll be ‘properly looked after,’ he said.”

“What does that even mean?” Katie asks, her brow knotting in confusion.

“It means he’s going to keep me under guard. Preserved, like a fucking jar of pickles on a shelf until I’m married. And that asshole Lucca is the only one who gets to crack the seal.”

“Oh, girl…”

I heave a deep sigh as though my soul seeks to escape on my breath and dissipate into the open sky above. “Might as well be until I die. I’ll stab Lucca in the throat before I let him touch me.”

“That’s awful. I’m so sorry Nicki. I wish I could help.”

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