Chapter 1 Home Coming
I'm so freaking exhausted. I spent the last few days exploring Las Vegas with my older sister and her husband. Now I think I need a vacation from my vacation! Can't I just get... I dunno? A couple days to recover?
"Can't I just stay home tomorrow?" I whined. "I'm not going to learn anything! And don't you need someone to take care of you this close to your due date?"
"Liv, you've had 3 days off school already. This is your senior year. Don't you want to graduate without having to go to summer school?" Josie coaxed.
Well, when you put it like that... The thing is, I don't even know what I'm going to do after high school. All I want to do is draw. I know Josie said I can go to an art school and open up my own art studio... But is that really what I want?
I think Rick should've just let us stay in Vegas for the rest of the week and told the school it was a family emergency!
"Your sister is right, Liv. You need to go to school in the morning. Besides, I'll be with Josie. You don't have to worry about her!" Rick smirked as he bent down to kiss my sister soundly.
Well, to be honest, it kinda was. See, Trent had this plan, after Uncle Jay... did things to Charlie, he was worried about a pregnancy, and to save her from embarrassment, we all went to Vegas so they could get married. That way if she turned out to be pregnant, she'll be covered... Even though there are even odds that it's Trent's.
Instead, he brings me home on a Wednesday night and Josie expects me to be in class first thing Thursday morning! Yes, it would probably be good for me to show up to history and English Lit... but can't I just get my assignments and do them online? Then I can get a little bit of rest... I'm jet lagged!
How is that fair?
Charlie and Trent are skipping school for the whole week to go on their 'honeymoon' however short that is. And yes. There is a major difference between high school and college. Number one being you have to pay for college! I guess Charlie and Trent made arrangements with their professors and will be doing their assignments remotely.
It's my freaking senior year; I should be allowed to skip a week! It's not like I taking hard classes anyway!
Yes! I know! I sound like a princess! But I can't help it. Since I was little, Daddy always treated me like the princess. Jos was the reliable older sister with the full job of making sure Aunt Beth let us eat. (I may have been a jerk to her for years, but I'm getting better now!) And Charlie is my emotional support... Yes, I need a lot of emotional support!
Come to think of it, I look more like my dad, maybe that was why I was his little princess. My sisters take after my mom with their hazel eyes and light blond hair. I've got Dad's blue eyes and dark curls... I miss them.
"There's my little princess," he would always say before he'd give me a big hug. And then Mom would be right there too, "Such a pretty girl!" she'd coo.
That was their thing. Josie was their dancer, Charlie was their scientist, and I was the princess.
To be completely honest, I'm jealous. I'm jealous both my sisters are getting their happy endings and I'm stuck with Braxton! But I really don't want to think about him right now.
On to more exciting news, I'll be 18 in just a few short days! I'm thinking of throwing a party. Rick is normally pretty cool about us throwing parties. He's got the house for it after all. He only had one small request.
"It's fine, just as long as you don't invite any of Braxton's friends to the party!" Rick demanded. "We do not need a repeat of last time!"
"Don't worry Rick. I don't even know if I'm even going to let Braxton come to this party this time," I mumbled under my breath.
"Good," Rick stated without any shame.
I don't blame him. Just a couple weeks ago, Rick threw a 'block party' for Josie and Baby Sophie, and then Charlie got cornered by Axel. I still feel bad! I wasn't even at the party!
Not that I didn't want to go to my family's party, I was hauled away before I could even show my face!
"Braxton, I'm supposed to be here! This is for Jos and Sophie! I want to be here with my family!" I asserted.
But I guess he didn't care, because he just dragged me into his car. "I don't give a fuck if they are royalty and demand your presence! You are coming with me!" he snarled.
Brax had been a jerk and had not been invited to it, and he kept me away as well. It sucked because a lot of my friends were there, my sisters were there and they were celebrating the baby!
Why the hell do I always let him get away with everything? Why can't he just once consider what I want? He's such a fucking bully and I can't seem to get away from him!
I look down at my sketch and smile. I'm drawing a picture of Charlie and my new brother-in-law from their wedding. It was so cute how he looked at her like she was his whole world... I wish someone would look at me like that!
I still remember his words from the wedding. "I love you, Charlie. You are my everything. You always have been, and I can't wait to make you mine forever. I want to raise a family with you, and grow old with you. I want all of life's highs and lows to be with you by my side, and I promise I will never leave yours!" he proclaimed.
See! I'm freaking jealous and I'm not even ashamed to admit it! (Not that I actually want Trent, she can have him. But I want my own 'Trent' or 'Rick'...) Both my sisters have devoted husbands, and all I have is Brax, who is seething as he sits in the chair next to me.
I can actually feel the anger rolling off him in waves and I'm actually scared to look at him right now. I don't know what the hell is going to set him off. But I have a pretty good feeling I know why he's pissed off this time.
The thing is, there is nothing I can do about it! So, I'm just going to have to put on my brave face and pretend he doesn't intimidate the shit out of me. I don't want him to think I'm the coward I really am.
"Why wasn't I invited?" He snarls into my ear. "You know I should've gone with you. I don't like you being anywhere without me! What the fuck were they thinking keeping you away from me for almost a fucking week?!"
It sends a shiver up my spine (and not a pleasant kind). It's never good when he's in this kinda mood. I could just play dumb... Or ignore him... Or tell him the truth, stating that neither of my brothers-in-law even like him, so why the hell would he be invited to the wedding... But instead, I lie to save my skin!
I'm pretty sure if Trent or Rick ever found out I threw them under the bus they wouldn't even care! Neither of them is scared of Brax. In fact, Trent beat the hell out of him recently, so Brax is scared of Trent. And Rick just stood by letting it happen!
I roll my eyes at my boyfriend and look up from my sketch, "Uh, because Rick paid for the tickets, and Trent wanted a quiet wedding?" I sigh in fake annoyance. I'm actually really nervous, I never know how this is going to turn out. "Why would you even want to come to the wedding anyway? You hate both of them!"
So, I didn't lie, I just didn't give the full reason. And the full reason is my whole family is against my relationship, and I'm starting to see why. They keep telling me to ditch him.
"Liv, you really need to start thinking about yourself. Do you really want to be under Braxton's control for the rest of your life?" Charlie pulled me aside before her wedding.
"I don't know. I just... feel important when I'm with him," I admitted.
"Sweetheart, that is not a good enough reason for him to treat you like shit. You know this, Liv! Use that pretty head of yours and start thinking! He's not good for you!" she challenged.
And I hate to admit that I’m actually considering it. We’ve been fighting all the freaking time lately. And this situation doesn't seem to be getting any better with our current argument.
"That's not an excuse! You should've demanded I come along! I'll be part of your family soon enough!" He snarls. "You can't leave me ever again! You belong to me!"
Dread fills my soul at his words. Is that really what I want?
I look down at my sketch and see the love my sister and Trent have for each other. That is what I want. That is NOT what I've got with Braxton!
I can't stop the lone tear from tracing my cheek. This is the fairytale ending I want... And I don't think I'll be getting it with Braxton, no matter how much he claims I belong to him.
