Our exit is so anticlimactic. In the movies, everyone is lined up throwing confetti or rice at you. Zander yelled to everyone thanks and that we were headed home and that was it. We had a few hollers of goodbye and Ash came up and hugged the life out of me saying she’ll miss me and that was it.
I decide to keep my wedding dress on until we get home. I’m hoping that Zander will enjoy taking me out of it if he touches me at all. He has been skittish around me when it comes to physical contact because of my injuries. I crave physical touch from him, maybe I can persuade him into a hardcore cuddle session.
Zander carries me over the threshold bridal style and I love every second. This is all the stuff we didn’t get to enjoy when we thought we were married in Vegas. Carrying me straight to the bedroom I start to get excited, maybe he did have something planned for our wedding night after all.
“Baby I see that look in your eyes, you know the doctor said nothing physical for two weeks. Sorry to burst your bubble but your recovery is priority number one. As much as it pains me to say it, there will be no love making tonight.”
Jutting out my lip I pout. Two weeks without Zander may very well kill me, or I may be the one killing him when I am cleared for some naughty time between the sheets. He does strip me out of my dress and puts on my pajamas laying me down so we can cuddle.
“I’ll take cuddles from you any day. I missed this when I was in the hospital, you holding me making me feel safe.”
“Get some sleep beautiful girl, we have a big day tomorrow.”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s a surprise baby, now get some sleep. Today must have taken a lot out of you.”
“Mmmmhmmmmmm…” I mumble out.
“I love you so much Savvy, I am the luckiest guy in the world that you agreed to be my wife.”
“I love you too, so much. Thank you for taking such great care of me.” I snuggle into him more.
“I will always take care of you Savvy, always.”
A contented sigh slips past my lips as I drift off to sleep, wrapped up in the arms of this sexy fighter… my sexy fighter.
EPILOGUE
Ashlyn
Sometimes life has a way of fucking you up the ass. Case and point, my current situation. How does one little decision change the whole course of your life? If I’m being honest it wasn’t a little decision. I weighed pros and cons, thought about it late at night and then in the end after all of the lists I made in my head, my heart won out.
I’ve had a hunch for a few weeks now that I was pregnant. Thinking if I didn’t know, that if I could hold it off for a little while longer I could somehow pretend it wasn’t real. Realizing I was acting like a child and could potentially be harming my unborn child I went down to the store last night and decided to take the test first thing this morning. The box said something about first urine or something.
I think back to this morning when I walked into the bathroom after my timer went off alerting me it was time to pull up my big girl panties and man up. I had never been more terrified in my life as I picked up that test and saw the words I was most scared to see, yet secretly thrilled for. Positive. I was pregnant, with child, had a bun in the oven, whatever you want to call it. I was going to be a mom to a precious bundle of joy and I couldn’t seem to find the negative in it. I would not regret my child, if anything I was grateful for it.
I shared one beautiful passionate night with Josh before everything came crashing down around us. That night had started like so many other’s when he stopped by for dinner. We were still teetering on the line of friendship when all of a sudden it felt so right. I could see that Josh was someone I could spend the rest of my life with, so why was I putting this off any longer? I walked over to him, straddled his lap and began to work his mouth slowly, cautiously, trying to gage his reaction. Plunging his tongue into my mouth I threw caution to the wind. I wanted him so fucking bad and had been denying myself for weeks.
I gave in that night, I gave him all of me. We made promises to each other and I told him I had fallen in love with him. As we made sweet, passionate love, he told me that he fell in love the moment he laid eyes on me. It was the single most beautiful thing I had ever experienced in my life and I would never trade it for anything. It gave me this beautiful gift growing inside of me.
When I woke up the next morning he told me he was going to grab some breakfast at the local café. Kissing me on the forehead he left and I was on could nine. Little did I know when he returned everything was about to change.
He was gone for hours and I began to worry. He was only going to get breakfast after all so what the hell was taking him so long?
I went from pure elation at finding the man of my dreams to complete devastation when he confessed to me that he got a phone call from his ex-girlfriend back home on his way for breakfast. She confessed to him that she was pregnant and wanted to raise the baby with him. I cried but I knew in the back of my mind that we could make this work. I loved him enough to help him raise another woman’s baby. When I told him as much he shook his head shattering my dreams of a life with him.
“I need to be there for her and the baby…” I was zoning in and out of what he was saying, having a hard time understanding what was going on.
“Moving up here by the end of the month…” what? Who was moving up here?
“I’m so sorry Ashlyn, I never meant to hurt you…” that’s when it started to sink in.
Josh decided to choose this woman over me. He made me promises that night, promises that would have taken us to when we were old and sitting on the front porch watching our great grandchildren play in the yard. I wanted to shake him, try to make him see reason because he was throwing way our future over a sense of duty to his unborn child. I would have loved that child because it was a part of him, but he never gave me the chance. I broke down and began to sob as he grabbed his things and headed out the door, apologizing one last time.
“Fuck you,” I spat out. “You are making the biggest mistake of your life and when you realize it, I won’t be here for you anymore.”
He actually had the audacity to look heart broken. He chose this, he decided to leave me. I can’t seem to care about how he is feeling right now, I can only feel my own heart breaking in my chest.
Thinking about that night still guts me. I’m still so in love with him, but he decided to leave me and he needs to live with his choices. Marybeth moved up a week ago, or so I hear. Savvy’s wedding was the last time I saw him a few weeks back, why would I want to punish myself by seeing them together? Seeing what I should have right now. Going to doctor’s appointments, baby shopping, sharing it with our loved ones together. Fuck him, I don’t need those things. I’m strong enough to raise this baby by myself.
Placing my hand over my belly I vow to my child that I will never be anyone’s second choice and neither will they. He doesn’t know I’m pregnant and when he does find out it will change nothing. He won’t leave Marybeth just because he finds out and even if he did I wouldn’t want him back. I would always feel like he was with me just because I was pregnant, exactly how that skank should feel.
Walking over to my purse I look around the kitchen to make sure nobody is looking as I pull out the pregnancy test, the only piece of evidence that I am pregnant. Smiling to myself I think about a little girl with her father’s eyes or a little boy with his father’s sandy brown hair and toothy smile. I know that Josh was it for me and I’m okay with that and I’m thankful that I will always have a little piece of him to love. Our one night together, the love we had for each other created this perfect little miracle regardless of how our relationship ended up.
“Order up!”
The hustle and bustle of the kitchen jars me out of my thoughts as I tuck the test away and wash my hands. Heading back to the oven I spot Savvy over in the door way looking at me with concern in her eyes.
“Ash you okay?” She knows me better than anyone in this world. She knows something is up.
“No…but I will be.” We will be.
THE END
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you so much for reading Caged! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it. It has been one hell of a journey and I loved every second of it. I started this adventure by messaging an author for advice resulting in her telling me to give it a go and try participating in nanowrimo. Deciding to “practice” before it started, Caged was born and I couldn’t be more proud of it.
I want to thank my wonderful kiddos who probably felt neglected at times because mommy was writing. I know my son Ashton got sick of hearing “give me 5 minutes bud.” Their cooperation let me finish this book and I love them so insanely much. Even though they are too young to understand what is going on, someday they’ll know I did this all for them.
I need to give a few short words to my husband who laughed at me when I told him I was going to write a book. Yeah that’s right, he laughed! Here you go Mike, I published a book! You know I love you, thanks for being supportive when you realized it wasn’t some weird phase.
Thank you to the insanely talented Karen Raines for all the help and support. Without you this book would not exist right now. It’s hard to believe we only “met” a short while ago and now I consider you one of my best friends. I’m sorry for all the crazy messaging and the fact that you had to deal with all of my insecurities leading up to the release of this book. You seriously are the best and I really appreciate all of your help. After you proof read my book I felt like I needed to go back to 3rd grade and brush up on my grammar skills. Thank god you are a Grammar Nazi otherwise this book would be a hot mess. Seriously, these words don’t even describe how much I appreciate all of your help. Thank you.
Tanya you have been insanely helpful throughout this whole process, you’re seriously the shit and I am so happy that I met you. Thanks for agreeing to be one of my beta readers, always being there for me to bounce ideas off of and helping me get my name out there. You kept my head up when I was doubting myself and helped me a lot behind the scenes and I really appreciate it. Thank you!
Julie, you’re a brave soul. Thank you so much for taking a chance on a new author and being the first to Beta read my book. I really appreciate all of the time and work that you put in!
Lisa Reads I bow down to your insane skills. You brought my characters to life through the book cover and teasers. I love them so much! Thank you!
All the ladies in the Sinful Smutters!! Thank you for all the support and giving me a chance in a group with two other amazing authors. I love our group and all the members in it!
Lastly, I want to thank all the people that supported me by getting my name out there. The indie scene is seriously the best. The way everyone bands together to help a new author is truly amazing. Thank you all so much.
About the Author
Brittany Crowley grew up in Massachusetts and still lives there today. She is a stay at home mom to her three little ones and loves every second of it. Getting into the world of romance after she had her first child, she was hooked. Never thinking she had what it takes to write, she had many ideas in her head but never put them on paper. Now you can find her trying to keep up with her crazy kids and writing any chance she gets.
Want to keep up with Brittany? You can find her links here.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorbrittanycrowley/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrowleyBrittany
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16221789.Brittany_Crowley
Email: [email protected]
I share a fan group with two other awesome authors. Come check us out at the Sinful Smutters!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1100905163282279/
Table of Contents
CAGED
Dedication
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
EPILOGUE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Caged (Bound by Cage Book 1) Page 23
