Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74123 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74123 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
“Thankfully, my grandmother found me. Apparently, my mother had let my father know she was pregnant with me, and he’d told his mom. He’d planned on coming to get me but he died. It took a while for my grandmother to find me and when she did, she wanted me right away, but my aunt insisted I was well cared for, so grandma backed off for a bit. But she’d often visit with gifts and my aunt would put on a great show that everything was perfect.”
“And then what happened?”
“Grandma kept in contact with me and give me gifts, but every gift I received from her, my aunt would take from me and give them to her own children. My aunt would tell me that she would hurt me if I told my grandmother what was happening. I think one day, I muttered something under my breath and I can’t remember what it was I said but it set my Aunt Sharon off. She punched me right in the face.”
“That’s awful.”
Amina shrugged. “She’s done worse. Anyway, I got a black eye and she made me stay home from school. But around that time, my grandmother wanted to come by my school and surprise me. When I wasn’t there, she went to my aunt’s house. I was home alone and she saw my eye. I didn’t want to tell her what happened at first because I was scared of what my aunt would do to me.”
“Eventually, grandma got the whole story out of me. She took me down to the police station and filed a police report and contacted CPS. It started a long custody fight with my aunt. I think Aunt Sharon only fought at first because she didn’t want to lose the check. But eventually my grandmother gained custody and I lived with her up until she died.”
“I miss her so much that there’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think about her. I think that’s probably why I clung to my relationship with Mark so tightly. He filled a void at the time and I believed myself to be in love with him. He was great at first and then he wasn’t. Not only was he unfaithful, he was emotionally, physically and financially abusive. He even cheated on me with my cousin Candace.”
Ethan’s grip tightened on Amina briefly as he remembered what happened in the previous timeline. “Those two were together at your wake. It was clear they were closer than was proper for grieving relatives.”
“Figures. Funny thing is, Candace, wasn’t really into him. She used him when she was on the outs with her drug dealer boyfriend. And Mark was fascinated with her because she was the forbidden bad girl he knew his parents would never approve of.”
“Well, you never have to worry about being around him or her in any capacity again. I’ll protect you.”
Her body shivered and tears now streamed freely down her face.
“Amina, what’s the matter?”
“I want to believe you Ethan, but I’ve been let down so many times, I’m scared to trust you. Even my grandmother left me. Granted she died, but it doesn’t change the fact that she’s not here.”
Ethan wondered if this was how his mom had felt, living in constant disappointment of the people who should have loved her but eventually abandoned her.
Amina’s pain was so palatable he could practically touch it. He wanted nothing more than to ease the ache in her heart and a plan suddenly formed in his head.
He cupped the side of her face. “Amina, I know that whatever it is between the two of us is only beginning but when I came back from the dead or whatever you call it, I decided I would live my life without regrets this time around.”
“And I think it’s time for you to start doing the same. I want to be the man you turn to when you need a shoulder to cry on. I want to be the one to keep a smile on your face. I want to be the man to hold you every night. I can’t promise that I’ll be perfect along this journey, but I do swear, I’ll be your sword when you need to fight. I’ll be your shield when you need protection. But most of all…”
He stared down into her big brown eyes with determination.
“What?” she asked breathlessly.
“I’m going to be there by your side, when we take revenge on all the motherfuckers, who wronged us.”
Chapter
Twelve
“Thanks so much for inviting me out today. I couldn’t believe when you suggested we hang out, outside of the office or a work event,” Paisley gushed.
Amina smiled. The bubbly receptionist always seemed to be positive no matter what and while some people found Paisley’s constant optimism annoying, Amina knew it came from a good place. And learning from Ethan that Paisley had attended that sorry excuse for a wake that Mark had thrown for her, she’d been touched.