Chapter 83

MADDISON

Ebony rushes to me as soon as we’re back, leaving Ella and another girl behind. The other girl is petite, with brown hair and a scowl that could curdle milk. She eyes me with what I interpret as disdain, sizing me up while I cling to Asher.

I’m holding onto him like he’s my lifeline, and there are two reasons for that. First, I feel like absolute crap. My whole body is throbbing, the meds are making my head spin, and I’m burning up.

Secondly, the welcoming committee isn’t exactly a sight for sore eyes. Everyone is just standing there, waiting, and it’s…odd. I mean, I’m a stranger to these people; I have no blood ties here.

Heck, even Asher barely knows me. Yet, here they are, welcoming me home from the hospital that saved my life in more ways than one. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that there’s a baby growing inside me.

A baby I had no idea about, a baby that could have cost me my life. Birth control was one of the few responsibilities Fennick entrusted us with. It was a rule we had to follow—no exceptions.

Having a baby and everything that comes with it would make us useless, meaning we’d lose our jobs and our purpose. The thought of having a child might have been appealing if I didn’t have to foot the bill—and provide a stable home.

I once considered getting pregnant as a way out of the grim job my own father forced me into. But then Jonathon claimed me, told me I was his, and that I couldn’t leave without his permission. I’m surprised I’m even here, to be honest.

The fact that I’m with Asher now, going through this with him instead of Jonathon, feels like a miracle. What would Jonathon have done if I had passed out in front of him? Would he have gotten me medical help or just pumped me full of drugs to keep me going?

Would that have led to my premature death? Would I have even cared? Would that have been a better life than this nightmare of being used as a…slave?

“Hey, Til’s,” Asher greets the brunette who’s been glaring at me.

“Why is she clinging to you, Asher? Isn’t it bad enough that you brought her? Now she’s—”

Ella interrupts her. She tugs at her T-shirt as Asher’s mom steps out of the house with a little boy, about the same age as Asher’s younger sisters, clinging to her.

“Maddison, it’s so good to see you looking better. I hope my girls have been treating you well?”

I nod, despite the hostility radiating from Tilly.

“How are you feeling now?” she asks me.

“Okay, better than a few nights ago,” I reply.

“It’ll get better, but for now, why don’t you rest?” she suggests.

I’m more than happy to agree, nodding eagerly as Ebony guides me into the house and up the stairs, with Asher following behind us.

Ebony seems like a different person here, despite her recent drug addiction. Her skin is no longer slick with sweat. Her eyes are less bruised-looking.

A genuine smile has replaced her perpetual frown. And she’s talking, whereas before, she barely breathed. She must feel safe here—safe enough to be herself.

“Eb, I could really use a nap. Is it okay if I’m alone?” I ask her as Asher ushers me into his room.

I shouldn’t want to be here with him, but I want to be right next to him, just like we were in the hospital. For some reason, the more time I spend with him, the safer I feel.

It sounds crazy, even to me. But that’s how I feel, and I’m too exhausted to fight the urge to sleep next to him.

Ebony looks a bit hurt by my request but puts her feelings aside and lets me have my way. She looks sad as I walk away from her—climbing onto Asher’s bed.

Then Asher takes her outside, guiding her with a hand on her back, and for some inexplicable reason, I feel a pang of jealousy when he touches her.

My hormones are all over the place. I can feel it. And they must be crashing through my body like a ton of bricks.

The nurses had cautioned me about this—the way the absence of pregnancy hormones could mess with my moods, my sleep, even my skin.

The ironic part? I never experienced those hormones while I was actually pregnant. Not once did I feel the weight of pregnancy, nor did I ever question if something was off.

My periods had already disappeared, thanks to the birth control. I never experienced morning sickness, nausea, or dizziness.

Every symptom the doctors rattled off, I seemed to lack. Apparently, that’s not unusual for the kind of pregnancy I had.

Pregnancy. That word. Why does it send shivers down my spine just thinking about it?

I wrap myself in Asher’s comforter, his scent strong and comforting as I breathe him in deliberately.

And then he’s there, peering through the open doorway at me sprawled on his bed. A thousand unspoken words pass between us.

Then he moves toward me, as if he heard my silent pleas for him to hold me. He climbs into bed and slips under the comforter, settling next to me, his breath warm on my face.

“Maddison, you need to nap. You must be exhausted,” he says.

I want to argue, to resist his control, but the truth is, I am really tired. It feels like all my energy has been drained.

So, I close my eyes and obey his command, letting sleep claim me as he rests his head next to my shoulder.