Her Reluctant Husband by Erica Marselas (books to read for 12 year olds .TXT) 📕

years ago when you started all your trouble. Now I’ll make sure of it. I never want to see you again."

"Alex. Please. Listen to me." I reach out for him again.

“I should’ve known better than to get mixed up with some stupid teenager.” His words are a final kick to my lifeless body because I now feel dead inside.

The curtain pushes back and a nurse steps in, glaring at Alex. "Sir, you'll need to step out of the room,” she says sharply.

"Gladly," Alex spits. "I'm done here." He steps out of the room, and deep down, I know he’s leaving my life forever. I’m struggling to breathe as the darkness starts to takeover.

The nurse puts her hand on my cheek. "Sweetie, I need you to try and take deep breathes."

“He hates me,” I whimper through my labored breathing. I’m in the worst nightmare of my life and there are no signs of it ending. Everyone I love is—gone.

“Shh. I’m going to give you something to calm you down.”

Calm? Is she crazy? How can I be calm? I’m all alone. My words mean nothing. Kathleen is gone. The people I considered family are gone too.

“Did my test really say I was…drunk?” I look up at my nurse who seems kind with her light chocolate eyes and warm hands, but even I can tell she’s disappointed in me.

“Yes, ma’am,” she says, and I gasp out. My tears are choking me. The nurse taps my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. “Now, let me get some meds that will help you rest. You need that.”

“I don’t.” I turn away from her and peek out the still opened curtain. A cool liquid runs through my IV as I focus on Alex who is slumped in a plastic chair, crying, while Deacon pats his shoulder. It’s like the devil can always sense me and he turns to look at me, with a smug look on his face.

Liz comes rushing down the hall. She’s my one and only hope. She has to believe me.

Alex stands when he sees her, grabbing her into a hug. He’s talking a mile a minute, all while Deacon eyes me. Liz finally turns to look at me and there’s the disappointment, the disgrace in her eyes. She hates me too. Of course, she would. Why would she believe me?

Why couldn’t it have been me that died tonight? Kathleen had promise, and I was going nowhere.

Deacon has made my life hell for years and from the evil dancing in his eyes as he stares me down, I know tonight my new nightmare is only beginning. If I don’t get out of Kinder Falls soon, I’ll be forever trapped in the darkness of this hell.

 

 

 

 

 

2ALEX

Five Years Later

The gravel crunches under my truck tires as I drive up the long driveway to the white farmhouse on the hill with its grassy field stretched out as far as I can see, and the horse barn to the right. The place I once called home. It looks the same as I remember from when I was a kid. I haven’t been to this property in over a year, and I didn’t think I would feel so lonely when I saw it again today.

Aunt Liz should be walking out of the front door greeting me with a hug, then bringing me inside to try to force her sour lemonade down my throat.

But she's not coming, and I’ll never have that again.

I turn off the engine and throw my head back to my seat, closing my eyes tightly, trying to picture her. It's only been a few days since I lost her and the memories of her are already so hazy.

I wish I’d gotten to say goodbye. I never get to say goodbye.

If only I hadn't been a shitty nephew and stopped by to see her more. She didn’t even tell me she was sick, and I know it’s because she didn’t want to worry me. I should’ve come home sooner to visit. Instead, I was selfish, making her come see me because I was too busy trying to get my next promotion.

A job I spent half my morning at because I didn’t know what else to do with myself.

Now she's gone.

Like everyone else in my family.

I had hoped I had more time. Then again, I should’ve learned at an early age tomorrow is never promised.

I’ve always been surrounded by tragedy. My parents died in a car accident when I was eight, which is why my sister and I had to come and live with Aunt Liz. Years later, I lost the man I considered my mentor and the closest thing I had to a father to some freak construction accident. As if his death wasn’t enough, I lost my baby sister three years later. She wasn’t the only thing I lost that night.

Now I’ve lost my Aunt, leaving me without any blood relatives or any of the people I once truly loved or cared about at the age of twenty-nine. The thought is suffocating as I make my way to the wraparound porch that looks out to the grassy field. I would do anything to see Kathleen dancing around out there again, so free and happy doing what she loved the most. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her.

The front door creaks open and Mr. Warren Kelley steps out in his ill fitted gray suit and extra large navy tie. He is my Aunt’s lawyer and most trusted adviser. He wanted me to meet him here today so we can go over Liz’s will and final wishes. He grips my shoulder, giving it a gentle shake. "I'll be with you in five minutes, Alex," Mr. Kelley