Daring the Wild Sparks by Ren Alexander Read Free Book Online Page A

telling him.”
    Chrissie scowls at Simone and then says to me, “Ugh. Do not do that. He would be so pissed and he’d feel rightfully betrayed. He would never trust you again, Hadley.”
    I avow, “I wouldn’t. I couldn’t anyway.”
    “Why?” Simone asks. Shit! I’m the mega mouth!
    “Nothing.” I quickly dismiss my big mouth and walk over to the window, crossing my arms and staring out at the quiet street leading up to the driveway.
    Julie asks, “Are you not on the Pill?” Fuck…
    I sigh and stupidly admit, “No.”
    Simone presses, “An implant? Shot?”  I shake my head at the window. She shrieks, “Well, then it’s easy for you to have an accident !”
    I turn my head to glance at her. “Chrissie’s right. I could never do that to him. I wouldn’t forgive myself.” I walk back to the counter and grab the pile of beige napkins Simone had put into blue ceramic rings.
    “How are you not getting pregnant?” Julie intrusively asks. I’m again speechless by what someone in this house has said to me. Wasn’t Julie against the Pill at one time? I guess she’s clueless that her son doesn’t want me taking it—well, until earlier when he said he “changed his mind.”
    Simone laughs. “We know you’re doing it since you’ve been together for three years!” Is it normal for women to talk about something so personal this openly with their sort-of in-laws?
    Chrissie says, “Eww, guys. I don’t want to know that, and I’m sure Finn doesn’t want Hadley broadcasting their sex life to us, especially not to his mother.” Exactly!
    I shyly avoid their expectant stares, as well as answering Julie’s question, and I walk the napkins into the dining room. As I set them at each place setting, I look out the window to see the black Mustang pulling up into the driveway. Shit.
    I return to the kitchen. “I’m going to go change. I’ll be back.” Everyone shrewdly smiles and nods as I make a fast retreat. I quickly grab a change of clothes, my makeup bag and search for the bathroom down the hall. Easily finding it, I dash in and lock the door. The bathroom is spacious and brightly lit without the lights on. It’s a lilac color and smells like the flower, too.
    I sit down on the edge of the large, whirlpool bathtub and close my eyes. How do I face him? I’ll have to eventually since I’m with him the whole weekend. And, I did promise to move in with him. We’ll get past this. But, then what? Do we keep having this argument again and again, or do I just let it go, not to ever think about it again? Do I just go on the Pill now and forget about ever becoming a mother? Maybe this is God’s way of saying I shouldn’t. I’d probably be a shitty mother like my own was. She was great up until that one day she took off and never looked back. Why didn’t she love Jared and me enough to stay, or at least to stay in our lives? No phone calls. No cards. Nothing. Does she even know we’re still alive?
    Sighing, I take my lounge pants off and put my jeans on. Then I pull my shirt up over my head and change into an olive green button-up, cotton, collared shirt with silver buttons. I find my hairbrush and take my ponytail out.
    There’s a hard knock on the bathroom door and I drop my brush. Shit. Can I not be startled by every damned sound? I’m jumpier than a depressed cricket on a window ledge. Damn Rod and his analogies.
    “Becks, can I come in?”
    I huff as I brush my hair, “No.”
    “Becks, come on. I need to talk to you.”
    “I’m busy, Finn. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
    I hear him sigh heavily before bounding down the stairs. He actually respected my wishes for once. What a revelation.
    I add some brown eyeliner, some blush, and concealer underneath my eyes to hide the puffiness. It doesn’t really work, though. I sigh and gather my things.
    After dumping them off in Finn’s room, I slowly make my way downstairs to the nearby chattering in the kitchen and dining room. Simone’s