Page 18 of His Curvy Temptress

That asshole did this when I was sobbing my heart out over the death of my mom.

The door slams shut behind me, and I hear the lock start to engage. I’m staring at my possessions on the ground. I swallow hard as I see some of them are completely ruined thanks to the downpour of the rain and the mud on the grass. I spy my teddy bear, the one I’ve had since I was a little girl, the one my biological parents got me. My dad won it at a fair, and I’ve kept it ever since. But Andrew has thrown it to the ground, mud coats its fur and rain has made it soggy and wet.

I walk over to it and pick it up. I bury my head in its dirty fur and start to cry again. I hate this. I hate that Maggie’s dead, but I hate that Andrew’s treated me this way. I don’t know why he dislikes me, I don’t recall doing anything wrong.

I sit on the porch steps and sob, my body tired and hurting. I can’t believe that this has happened. Today should have been a good day. I found out I’m pregnant, but instead it turned into one of the worst days of my life.

* * *

Daylight has gone,and I’m still sitting on the porch. I need to leave, I need to go. I get to my feet, I’m a little uneasy on them. I have no cell to call Abel or anyone else, as Andrew cut me off, I’ve checked, and there’s no way for me to make one. I left my purse at home, and my car is gone. I have no other choice but to walk home.

The rain continues to fall as I start to walk away from my mom’s house. That's what this is, I’m not going to call it Andrew’s, not after what he’s done to me today. I had hoped that one day we’d have been able to make amends and have things good between us, but that doesn’t seem likely, not with Maggie gone. She was the only person that made Andrew see sense, and now she’s gone, I feel as though he’s going to go on a downward spiral.

It’s going to take me a while to walk home, my teddy bear clutched to my hands and my clothes completely soaked through, clinging to my body. My hair was drenched and stuck to my head. I must look like a mess, but I don’t care.

My stomach growls, and I realize I haven’t eaten anything today. I was planning on having some food after I came out of the shower, but the call from Andrew made me abandon my plans and rush to Mom.

It all makes sense now. He had this planned. The reason he called Abel's home phone rather than my cell was because he’d already shut it off. God, he’s a manipulative bastard. Had he said to me that he wasn’t paying for those things, I’d have happily switched everything over myself, but he’s left me without a way home in the rain or a cell to call anyone in case there is an emergency.

I’m beyond tired, my body feels heavy with every single step I take. I want to go home.

ELEVEN

ABEL

Today has been the day from fucking hell. Having to deal with bullshit after bullshit for my clients. It’s almost eight in the damn evening, and I’ve been calling Alexis all day, and her cell seems to be off. I’m worried about her. In the past five months, we’ve managed to get into a rhythm with our lives. Never did I think that I’d find the woman who I’d want to marry, but Alexis is it. She’s fucking everything. I fell hard and fast. I always knew there was something about her, and I was right. It’s because she’s my one.

Entering the house, I see the lights are on, and my heart swells. Good. She’s home. “Baby girl?” I call out the moment I close the door behind me, but I’m greeted by silence. Where the hell is she?

I pad through our house, my stomach sinking as the silence continues. I enter our bedroom and come to a stop when I see her lying on the small couch we have by the window, she’s fast asleep, shivering. Her clothes are wet, as is her hair.

What the fuck?

I move over to her, gently reaching out to touch her. “Baby, wake up,” I say as I shake her gently.

Her eyes flutter open, and she releases a yawn. I feel like a dick for waking her when she is tired, but I need her out of those damp clothes, and to get her warm. Recognition hits her when she sees me, and I notice that her eyes are red and puffy. “Abel,” she breathes and then bursts out crying.

I pull her into my arms, realizing just how fucking cold and wet she is. “Hey,” I whisper, as I walk toward the bathroom. “What’s going on?”

“Maggie,” she breathes, and I know instantly my sister-in-law has passed.

In the past five months, Maggie and I have had a lot of conversations. She was happy that Alexis was happy and she was proud of her daughter, but she was hurt that I—someone who had known her since she was a teen, had fallen for her—it’s understandable as to why she was hurt and angry, but thankfully, by the time she passed, she was happy for us. My brother on the other hand, is a fucking bastard, and is acting as though neither Alexis nor I exist.

“I’m so sorry, baby girl,” I whisper as I hit the shower on. This is the second mom she’s lost, and I know it’s something she’s been dreading. It’s got to be hard to lose a parent, something I’m thankful I don’t know how it feels, but to lose two moms. That’s awful.

“I’m sorry too,” she cries. “Maggie was your sister,” she sobs.

She’s breaking my heart. I fucking hate seeing her this way. Never has a woman’s tears gutted me like Alexis' does. “Why are you so wet and cold?” I ask as I strip her out of her clothes.

“Andrew called,” she breathes, her teeth chattering. “Maggie was dying, and he let me say goodbye to her.”

I close my eyes and press a kiss on her forehead. I’m so fucking glad my brother got his ass out of his head and let her do that. I know she wanted that.

“I said goodbye, and I stayed with her for a while,” she cries softly, her tears streaming down her face.

I finish pulling off her clothes, put her into the shower, and quickly strip out of my own and follow her inside. The water beats down on my back as I wash Alexis. “Keep talking, baby,” I say, wondering what else happened.

“When I was leaving, Andrew told me he had my car towed, my cell shut off, and my cards canceled.”

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