Page 102 of Illicit Heir

And she knows how he treated me. Well, not everything, but enough. I don't get it. Why would she want me to return to someone I'm scared of?

I stare at the phone and decide there's only one solution. I leave the pub, ignoring the barmaid on the way out and whatever snotty comment she has to say. I walk down the street and go directly to the train station.

The man behind the ticket counter looks up. "Miss. Where ya going?"

I glance at the screen, looking for the farthest place from here and Dublin I can afford. I answer, "Clifden."

"Round trip?" he questions.

The oxygen in my lungs turns stale. I have never known anywhere besides Coolock. I shake my head and then clear my throat. "No, just one way."

He states the price.

I reach into my wallet and pull out cash, realizing I have barely any left.

What am I going to do for money?

It doesn't matter. The first step is to get away from here. I cannot let my mum take me to Caleb.

I slap the cash on the counter.

He takes it and hands me a ticket. "Have a nice journey."

"Thank you," I say, then go over to a seat and wait until my boarding time comes.

I get another text.

Mum: Lauren, where are ya?

My pulse skyrockets. I glance at the clock. There are only a few more minutes before boarding.

Me: I'm picking up some groceries. I'll be home soon.

My heart hurts lying to her. I wonder if I'll ever see her again.

Tears well, and I swipe at them, but they fly down my face uncontrollably.

How could my life have changed so much in so little time?

How could I have been so irresponsible to have sex without a condom or being on birth control?

I didn't even think about it. It never once crossed my mind.

I put my hand on my belly, feeling nauseous, and I close my eyes. I rest my head against the wall, swallowing bile and breathing through it.

When the nausea passes, there's an announcement on the microphone. A woman's voice declares, "Gate thirteen to Clifden is now boarding."

My butterflies take off.

Is this really the only solution?

Yea, it is.

I glance around the station, not recognizing anyone, and board the train. I find my seat and sit. It doesn't take long before the train starts moving, and a strange feeling hits me. It's a mix of dread and sadness but also hope. No matter what, I need to figure out how to make it work on my own.

I'll get a job. I can work in a pub. I'll find something, I tell myself.

I look at my wallet again and count my change. Barely over twenty euros.

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