Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92519 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“Rosalie doesn’t deserve this. She doesn’t deserve any of this.”
“True, but we all have to accept the lot we’ve been dealt. You keep your end of the bargain and Rosalie will never know that it took you a couple of years to warm up to her. I wonder how she would feel knowing that the first couple years of her life, it was me that got up for her at night. Me that changed her diaper.”
Tears filled Gabrielle’s eyes. It had taken her a long time to come to terms with it. Each week, Daemon had brought Rosalie to her, and she had rejected her every time. This was her shame. Gabrielle didn’t even know what changed. One day she looked at her daughter and that was what she had seen—her little girl, her baby.
Daemon smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m not here to scare you, or to hurt you. Rosalie made sure of that. So long as she keeps her end of the bargain, you’re safe, Gabrielle.”
He mocked her, throwing it in her face that once again she had failed as a mother.
Chapter Seven
“Rosalie, it’s me.”
“Come in.” She was still in the shower, enjoying the relaxation of the hot water as it slid over her body. There was pain inside, more than she anticipated, but she could handle it.
The first one was over. Next Friday, it would happen all over again, but it wouldn’t be the same. The first time was the hardest, or so she had been told. She could handle this.
Petal opened the shower stall. She sat on the floor, her legs pulled up toward her chest. Petal crouched down and looked at her. “You’re turning into a prune.”
“I’ve got no problem with that,” she said, smiling.
Petal looked down at her dress and then climbed into the shower, closing the door behind her.
“You’ll ruin the dress,” Rosalie said.
“I don’t want any memory of it anyway. This wedding was a joke. You know it and so do I.” Petal wrapped her arms around her. “Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I wasn’t here for my bestie?”
Rosalie wanted to be strong. She had tried to be. Her body hurt, but she had fulfilled her part of the bargain. Now it was up to her father to fulfill his.
“Give up, Rosalie. Rest your head on me. You know you want to and I’m here for you. I’m not going to give up on you.”
She thought she had cried the last of her tears but within seconds of being in Petal’s company they were back in full force.
“Let go. I’m here.”
She held onto her friend, wrapping her arms around her, not caring that she was naked. Petal had been with her through thick and thin.
“I’ve got you.”
Rosalie sobbed. She couldn’t keep her pain in anymore. She had tried.
“I’ve got you,” Petal repeated.
She finally let go and allowed the tears to fall. She felt completely shattered. So much pain, so much anger and hatred had built inside her, and today she had no choice but to keep it all at bay. To be strong for her mother. Her father had been watching and she couldn’t allow him to see any weakness and yet, it had been so close. All she wanted to do was run away, to pretend none of this was happening.
Now, she was no longer a virgin. She hadn’t been saving it for any special person. There had been guys willing in the past, but she hadn’t been interested. Sex hadn’t interested her. Now that she’d experienced it, there was no way she wanted it again. But, she was going to have to go through with it again and again, until she got pregnant. Was it a son they wanted from her? A daughter? Another pawn to use in their game.
She would fight for her daughter.
Seconds passed, maybe minutes, or even hours. Rosalie didn’t know, but she had to get out of the water. She pulled away from Petal, who climbed out of the shower. She had a towel and wrapped it around her, covering her. Rosalie took over as Petal stripped out of her clothes, keeping her underwear on.
Rosalie walked into the main bedroom and went through the drawers looking for some clothes. She found a couple of pairs of sweatpants and large shirts. Quickly pulling them on, she handed the others to Petal who did the same.
The bed had been stripped.
“What’s the matter?” Petal asked.
“Do you mind if we sleep on the floor?”
“Not at all. We can sleep wherever you’d like.”
She wanted to go home but that would mean passing everyone after they had seen the evidence of what had happened. Grabbing the pillows and the blanket, they moved to the bottom of the bed, and Rosalie sat on the pillow leaning back against the bed.
“Was it as horrible as we imagined?” Petal asked.