CHAPTER 2

KAYLA'S POV, A YEAR LATER.

After a year and a half, I could proudly say Aidan and I were going strong and were the best couple ever. Even after high school.

Not.

Everything was going south. Nothing was going the way I envisioned it, and I was slowly dying on the inside.

I guess you really can't have your cake and eat it.

And whoever said high school romance was the best and lasted a lifetime was a fucking liar.

Aidan and I moved to a different town and got a studio apartment after we graduated high school a year ago, and I decided to skip school to work harder for the both of us while Aidan pursued his dream degree, Fine Arts, at the town college.

And while I worked hard trying to pay his student loan, Aidan made it his mission to fuck everything that had a vagina in the town, and I forgave him every single time and welcomed him back with open arms.

I was at the grocery store getting pregnancy test strips, and all through the process of paying, walking back home, and peeing on all three of them, my heart kept beating rapidly.

And as I waited for the results, two things were going through my mind.

One, we were broke, and a baby was not something we could afford right now.

Two, how the fuck did I let this happen? Sleeping with Aidan after he cheated multiple times was not something I prided myself on.

And as all three of the strips on the bathroom counter showed me two bright pink lines, I turned paler, and my heart completely bottomed out.

"Fuck, fuck, fucking shit!" I muttered angrily. This wasn't fucking happening. "This shouldn't have happened."

My cell phone rang, pulling me out of my deep thoughts, and I picked up the crappy device with a wince when I saw who was calling.

Delilah.

My coworker and only friend in this town

I checked the cracked top part of my phone screen and saw that it was five minutes until my shift started at the bar.

I picked up the call, running into the bedroom immediately after her voice came through. "I'm on my way, Dee. I am so sorry." I shuffled to put on my jeans as I spoke.

She huffed and told me to hurry up before ending the call, and I winced harder.

Delilah was a sweet soul.

I was supposed to be at the bar twenty minutes before my shift started so Delilah could go on her anniversary date with her husband and I could cover for her.

I quickly rushed out of the house and took a cab to the bar, only because I had to get there faster, and I mentally calculated how much the cab money was going to take out of the little cash I had left.

It was only when I was in the cab that I realized that I had worn my top wrongly. I quickly changed, giving the rearview mirror a look as I did, before texting Delilah that I was on my way.

Once the cab driver pulled onto the curb, I saw her standing impatiently in front of the packed bar with a frown on her face.

I paid the cab driver before rushing out of the car to meet her. Her shoulders lost their tension when she saw me, but she still had a glare directed at me.

"I am so sorry." I gave a shaky smile before I hugged her.

And as I retreated, she took one look at my tear-stricken face, and her expression turned stormy.

"What did that bastard do this time?" She snapped.

Delilah knew about Aidan and me, his cheating, and how whenever I decided to confront him, he always resorted to using his fists.

"That's a story for another day. You have to go meet Josh now; you look beautiful, by the way." I grinned, giving her a once-over.

She did look beautiful.

Delilah was a middle-aged, fiery, curvy, red-haired woman, and she was married to her high school sweetheart, Josh.

Delilah and Josh were the only exceptions to how awful high school relationships were. Her husband, Josh, was still so smitten with her even after ten years of marriage.

I would always comment on how rosy and different their relationship was from others, mine inclusive, and Delilah would always argue, telling me not to always believe what I saw.

But I knew firsthand how much they loved each other.

Delilah gave me a suspicious look. "Did he hit you again?" I shook my head, but she didn't budge. "All I have to do is tell Josh, and you're free. You know that, right?"

Also, Josh was a cop.

I shook my head and gave her a push. "Go! Your prince charming is waiting for you."

She sighed, "You're right, I do have to go." She gave me another hug. "Take care of yourself, and if anyone messes with you, let Bandit know."

I looked back at the club's entrance to see one of the bouncers, Bandit, already staring at me.

I gave him a little smile and a wave before turning back to face Delilah, who had a funny look on her face.

"What?" I asked, looking at her and then at Bandit, who still had his attention on us.

"Nothing," She smirked, stepping onto the sidewalk. "Byeeeee."

I stepped back. "Bye." I waved and began walking to the entrance of the club.

Bandit nodded at me when I walked past him, and I gave him a polite smile before stepping into the club.

I wasn't stupid. I knew Bandit had a huge crush on me.

Bandit was a cute guy; he was huge with a buzz cut, and with his dark Italian looks, he was every girl's dream man, but with the news I just got today and Aidan's maddening obsession over me, I was not willing to even entertain the idea.

I made my way to the changing room, cursing myself for not following the back exit as I struggled to walk through the sea of gyrating people.

I quickly changed and stepped in front of the mirror to do my smoky makeup before applying multiple layers of watermelon lipgloss. I paused to look at my eyes.

It took me a while to get used to looking at them.

I had segmental heterochromia; both eyes were green, but my left iris had a dusting of gold at the bottom.

I was bullied severely for it in high school until I became friends with Aidan and his group.

All the bullying for being the Mayor's spoilt and defective stepdaughter ended when Aidan stepped into my life.

Aidan was my savior.

Until he wasn't.

With a sigh, I stepped into my boots, laced them, and walked out of the room to do the only thing that made me survive.

Make money.

~~~~~~~~~

It was until five o'clock the next evening before I was finally let up by my next co-worker and was able to go home.

I slept inside the train, and by the time I got home, I was worn out. I sleepily tried to unlock the door, but I was shocked to find it open. I made my way inside the small apartment and was surprised to find the place dark.

Was Aidan sleeping?

With a frown, I flicked the lights on, only to find an empty apartment.

The first scream that left my lips was ear-piercing, and my bag fell from my loose hand to a thump on the floor.

All of my furniture—my threadbare couch, my wooden center table that had a huge crack in the middle, and my small old television—were all gone.

I quickly went inside the room to find the bed; all of the pieces of jewelry my grandma gifted me and other valuables I hid were gone.

I fished my phone out of my jeans pocket and immediately dialed Aidan's number for the fifth time this evening.

He always called every time my shift ended, and I was surprised when I found no calls from him while in the changing room.

And like the other five times, the call went straight to voice mail.

"Pick up the fucking call, Aidan. We're fucked, so fucking fucked." I sobbed as I dialed again, and it went straight to voice mail again.

Where was he?!

I felt a panic attack rising as I looked around the room again.

All of the things I got from my hard work are gone.

Just like that.

I flung my phone across the room, and the sound it made when it hit the wall did nothing to calm me down.

What was I going to do?

How did my day go from bad to worse?

My sobbing didn't stop as I wondered who would have done this to me.

The building I lived in was rundown, but I rarely heard of robberies or any sort of attack.

I sat on the floor, my throat sore from the screams, and I briefly wondered if Aidan was behind this.

No.

I shook my head.

Even if Aidan was a cheating scumbag, he wouldn't do this to me.

Or would he?

The thought made me sick to my stomach, and I made my way to the bathroom to spill my guts out into the toilet.

And as I sat on the cold floor, wondering why and how this happened to me, my eyes went to the counter, and I found a piece of paper on it. I quickly stood up, my eyes spinning as I did, and moved to pick it up.

My heart bottomed out when I saw Aidan's writing on it, and even before I read the whole body of the letter, I realized that I was right.

My eyes went to the three pregnancy test strips, and I knew that I was utterly and completely fucked.

I felt sick, and I rushed back to my old spot.

And that was how I spent my evening—puking and crying my guts out.

Because once again, I had been ditched and left alone to start all over again.

Just like the last fucking time.