Page 13 of Second Draft

I toss my bags in the corner of my room, then shut the door.

She was supposed to be mine. The thought comes unbidden, from a primal part of my brain. The part that’s beating its chest right now, demanding that I claim her, fill her with my cock, and make her scream my name so loud she’ll forget all others.

Swiping a hand over my face, then through my hair, I let out a heavy sigh. I’m used to life throwing curve balls, but this one I didn’t see coming.

Chapter 4

Layla

Travis glares at me over his coffee cup, and leans against the kitchen counter. Obviously sporting a wicked hangover. His eyes are rimmed red, and his hair sticking up in all different directions. The girl who was in his bed last night left a few minutes ago, and now his full attention is on me, and I can see him stewing for another fight.

Not today, please.I want to beg. Not when his brother, the man I’ve been dreaming about for the past year, is sleeping right above us.

“You’ve got to get rid of it.” Travis’ words are casual, like he’s talking about an old sweater, or piece of furniture that he wants taken to the dump, and not an actual human being.

“I can’t.” We’ve had this argument multiple times since I told him I was pregnant. And every time it ends with him storming out of the house and me in tears. Not because I really care what Travis thinks, but because I have no idea how I’m going to raise this baby on my own.

“It’s not even a baby yet,” he sneers, dragging his fingers through his brown hair. “It’s just a mass of cells. I don’t get what your problem is.”

I can’t explain the way I feel, not to him. Even if I did, I know he’d never understand.

“You’re being so fucking selfish.” He slams his cup on the counter, his voice getting louder. “This ismylife too.”

“I told you. I don’t want anything from you.”

“Bullshit.” He grabs the bottle of Vodka off the counter and pours some into his coffee.

It’s not even nine in the morning and he’s already drinking. But that’s what he does. Drinks. Parties. Sleeps with countless women. It was a mistake to move in with him. Our lives are so completely different. But then I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the last few months as well. Mistakes I promised I would never make again.

I need to get out of here, and not just right now. I need to find a new place to live, ASAP.

“I’ll move out as soon as–”

“So then I’m the asshole who kicked his pregnant girlfriend out of the house?”

“I’m not your girlfriend.” I never was. It was just sex between us, and only once.

I’d been drinking – my first mistake. I don’t drink, or I usually don’t. But I’d had a really shitty week. I’d only meant to have one, maybe two beers, but then Travis’ friends came over, and they kept offering me drinks.

By the time I’d stumbled to my room, and stripped off my clothes, I was plastered. When Travis crawled in beside me I didn’t push him away – mistake number two.

Travis swears he used protection, but I can’t remember if he did or not. Either way, he got me knocked up. I’m just glad I didn’t get something worse, like an STD.

“Fuck, Layla.” He begins to pace. “I’m not ready to be a father.”

“I’m not asking you to be.”

“If you’re keeping it, you are.”

“I didn’t want this either, but–”

“I’m starting to wonder if maybe you did.”

“Excuse me?” Is he kidding? I’ve never been a violent person, but right now I’m ready to slap him. My fingers wrap around the back of a kitchen chair, my knuckles whitening. “You better not be saying I planned this?”

“It just seems odd. We only slept together one fucking time, and it wasn’t even that good–”

“You really are an asshole.”

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