Unbound: Forbidden Desires

21 | Consequences

"𝓨ou need to go to church and make sure you pray."

I was starting to regret having called my mother. Her concern was nice, until it turned into a speech about religion. After she made me say a prayer with her, she told me that I needed to go to church and pray for the second chance I had been given.

Thankfully, dad had been mostly concerned with my safety and the state of my home. They offered me the chance to move back, but there was no way in hell I was doing that. They wouldn't care that I was a grown woman, my mother would demand I be home by 10 and want to be in all of my business.

I hadn't even told her about Jeremy, and that had been about two months ago, which is why I wasn't surprised she brought him up.

I was starting to get a headache.

The smart thing to do would have been to just let her words slide and move on, but everytime she brought up Jeremy and how I should be thankful he was there to save me—an assumption she had made—I felt like screaming.

"Mom! We're not together anymore. I broke up with him months ago!" The words suddenly burst from my mouth. Damn, I was probably gonna regret that outburst. Knowing my mother, she was going to find a way to put the blame on me. Though I wonder how she would react if I told her that the reason Jeremy broke up with me was because I was doing as she said, waiting until marriage.

"Months ago?" She repeated, stunned. "Qué pasó con ustedes, mijita?" (What happened between you two?")

"He cheated on me."

There was heavy silence on the other end of the line. That was a surprise.

"He's a stupid boy." She suddenly said in her heavy Spanish accent, surprising me once more. "Don't you worry about him, mija. I will pray for a good man to come into your life. You'll see."

Yeah, we'll see. I couldn't help but chuckle bitterly to myself. My life seemed to be a magnet for walking red flags. I decided to end the conversation before it turned religious again.

After assuring my parents and my little brother that I was okay, I hung up just as a familiar sight entered the room.

Relief swarmed me at the sight of Michelle, Clare, and Chloe at the door, holding flowers and balloons.

"She lives!" Clare hopped onto the bed beside me.

"What the hell happened?" Michelle took the seat beside me, while Chloe put everything on the stand beside me.

✤

"Wow." Clare had her arms wrapped around me.

"So, his brother saved you?" Michelle asked.

I nodded my head.

"How did he know?" Chloe chimed in, her curiosity as evident as my own.

"I have no fucking clue." I shrugged my shoulders. "I intend to find out, but right now, I'm just really grateful he was there, or I don't think I'd be lying here."

"Wait, so someone deliberately nailed your windows shut?" Clare asked, her brows furrowing in concern.

"Apparently." I confirmed.

"Do you think it was Jeremy?" Michelle frowned, her expression darkening with suspicion.

I sighed. "It crossed my mind. I mean, he did threaten me the last time I saw him, right before Aries stepped in and then kicked him out the club like trash."

"Serves him right." Clare muttered into my chest.

"I just can't see him doing something so extreme. I mean, we dated for six years. He was an asshole, but he never hurt me...at least physically."