3. Chapter 2
Clark – Two Days Later
I take a shuddering breath as I pack my stuff into the two duffel bags on my bed while eyeing my bedroom door with my heart in my throat.
Everyone is at the clubhouse, my parents, my brother, Trick.
A prospect was upgraded to brother and recently got his cut. I used schoolwork as an excuse, a school that no one is aware I’ve graduated from, because I got my diploma early.
I won’t be walking across the stage in two weeks with my best friend, Belle. I won’t be going to college, and I won’t become a nurse. Instead, I’m taking her small savings and running.
Everything is already planned and it’s the only way.
After I woke up in my brother's guest room with my best friend, she admitted she overheard Crash’s conversation with Trick and it broke my heart.
“He’s going to marry you,” Belle gasps as she rushes into my brother's room, and I blink, my mind not able to comprehend what she just said as I slowly sit up and frown, realizing I’m at Crash’s house.
When did I?
Oh yeah, when I word vomited to Trick, when I admitted…
I blink again. I’m pregnant, freaking pregnant. The first time I had sex and I can’t remember it, Trick can’t remember it… I feel like I assaulted him and yet here we are, pregnant.
What are we going to do?
Heck, what am I going to do? I’ve barely spoken to anyone for weeks, not since finding out the Trick believes he knows who spiked his drink and they refused to kick anyone out without proof.
I blink, then blink again, as Belle gets in my face and grips my cheeks, her light blue eyes looking at me with concern.
“I need you to hear me, Clark, can you do that?” she whispers, and I nod and mutter, “Okay…”
She takes a deep breath, then says, “Remember when we had our fantasy lists, you know, if you could have any brother, which one would you marry in third grade?”
I frown but nod and say, “Yeah, you chose my brother, which I still find weird.”
She winces then reminds me, “I’ve been with your brother since I was sixteen, you need to get over it,” and I manage a half smile, not really upset about it.
I mean, I hate that he’s treating her like a secret, I shouldn’t even know, but Belle and I don’t keep secrets from each other.
“Your fantasy was Trick,” she unhelpfully reminds me, especially since even now he’d still be my pick, and my half smile disappears as she states, “And he’s about to make that fantasy true because I just heard him and your brother talking in the living room. Trick’s marrying you for your safety.”
No.
For years I always had this attraction to Trick, he always held my attention, but I never said or did anything because he’s my brother’s friend. Then bang, someone spikes his drink that I end up drinking most of and we sleep together before I nearly died.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was supposed to move away from the club and find myself as something other than a club princess.
I feel like I assaulted and trapped him, and instead of giving it a night after I confessed that I was pregnant and didn’t know what to do, he made a plan to marry me in a month's time.
He didn’t consult me, he didn’t explain his reason. He only said it was going to happen after I confronted him.
“Marriage? Are you kidding me?” I snap as I storm into my brother's living room, and Trick flinches at my anger. My brother gives Belle a disappointed look, and I shout, “Don’t look at her that way, Dominik you know I come first!”
My brother winces and softens his look, but the damage is already done. Belle turns her head from him and crosses her arms over her chest in defiance.
“It’s for the best, buttercup,” Trick chokes, and I lock eyes with his red ones.
My heart pounds at his state, and I swallow hard.
Has he been crying?
“How is it for the best?” I choke, “You don’t love me, Trick, and last time I checked, you never even wanted a wife.”
He didn’t, I know he didn’t.
“You’re pregnant.”
That was all he said before he walked away, leaving me even more broken.
I never had a say with my virginity, he never had a say in taking it, yet he’s taking away all my future choices too.
Mom explained when the wedding would be without making eye contact, and I knew no one in my family would help me, except my best friend.
“Okay, are you ready?” Belle asks as she rushes inside not making eye contact, but I don’t notice and I nod as I zip up the bags. She takes them after handing me her car keys and a bank card.
“Are you sure about this, Belle?” I ask with a whisper, and she finally looks at me, and I can’t decipher the look, but I do see determination.
“No, because I am going to miss you, but I also won’t watch you break because you’re having more choices taken away from you.”
“What about my brother?” I ask, “What will this do between you and him?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know and honestly, right now, I don’t care,” she admits, “I’m all for us being on the down low for my protection not just from that group but also from the club bunnies.
I draw the line in forcing someone to marry a brother without even sitting down and discussing it.
Your brother can get lost for all I care, especially after what I saw earlier. ”
I tilt my head at my friend before I frown, seeing her eyes wet.
“What did you see?” I ask, but she shakes her head and mutters, “It doesn’t matter,” but I quickly grab her hand, and I plead, “Talk to me…”
We don’t have secrets, she knows this.
Her bottom lip wobbles, and she admits, “Nova was hanging off his arm in the common room while your mom gushed about how perfect they’d be together, and he never pushed her away, I mean, I was only watching for like a minute but still, it was a minute too long.”
I sigh. Nova Channons, my mom’s best friend’s daughter. She is the girl she has always envisioned Crash would end up with.
Nova also happens to be a super bitch and the biggest bully at our school.
Normally she leaves me and Belle alone but if she knew about Belle’s relationship…
“He loves you, Belle,” I whisper, knowing my words are the truth and that he’s probably trying to save face with Mom, “And you said it yourself, you only stood there for a minute.”
“I’m not so sure about that, Clark,” she says, I quickly hug my friend before she pushes me back and says, “We don’t have time for a pity party, we need to go.
” I sigh but allow her to drag me out of my old room and we quickly rush down the steps only to pause seeing my brother and Trick at the bottom, arms crossed over their chests and disappointment and frustration builds before I frown.
How would they know…
I look at my brother to see he’s looking at Belle, and she whispers, “Jackass tapped my phone.”
I look back at Crash with wide eyes while he looks at Belle with disappointment instead of apology.
“Going somewhere?” my brother asks as he looks at me, and Belle scoffs while I lie, “We were going to go for a picnic to take my mind off everything,” and Belle adds, “Why don’t you go back to the clubhouse, Crash, Nova’s waiting for you.”
Uh oh, she’s letting her jealousy cloud her judgment. Crash frowns in confusion and takes a step forward, but she turns her head making him pause and furrows his brows, no recognition coming through.
“Buttercup,” Trick says gaining our attention and I look at him, “we all know you’re not going for a picnic. I’ve read the messages between you two, and you’re not leaving.”
“You can’t stop me,” I state, “And what you did was an invasion of privacy, of Belle’s privacy who isn’t involved with the club!”
“I’m sorry,” he rasps as he looks at Belle who sneers at him. He ignores her look and gives me his attention.
I grit my teeth as he states, “Because of this stunt, instead of getting married in a month, we’re getting married today, and you’ve only got yourself to blame.”
“Damn alpha hole,” Belle mutters, and I begin to shake.
“You can’t do this!” I snap, and he sighs as he runs his hand through his pitch-black hair, exhaustion radiating from me.
“I don’t have a choice, Clark. You’re keeping the baby, meaning you’re now at more risk. I have to do what I need to so I can keep you and the baby safe,” he says softly, and I swear it feels like he’s just kicked a puppy.
He’s not marrying me because he loves me, because he always wanted me. He’s taking away my chance at finding someone who will.
Belle shakes her head at his words, while my anger doubles.
I didn’t ask for any of this. He knows this. We were drugged, we had sex that neither of us can remember, and now I’m having his baby. That doesn’t mean he should be throwing it back in my face because I haven’t terminated the pregnancy.
My anger boils over, and I shout, “I don’t even want to marry you!” meaning every word, because I don’t.
I want to marry a man who loves me wholeheartedly, and while I find Trick attractive and I’ve always gravitated towards him, he isn’t marriage material. He’s made that perfectly clear over the years.
His club and his career as a doctor, that is what he’s wanted to focus on.
Trick gives me a sorrowful look and he whispers, “I know, buttercup, but your safety, our child’s safety has to come first,” and I look away as he continues, “You’re my friend, my best friend’s little sister and I hate that I have to do this to you, I really fucking do.
I hate that this has happened to us, but I promise, things won’t change, it’ll just be on paper, so those fuckers stay away from you.
You want to date, you can date after the baby is born, we’ll continue to live as we used to. ”
Wow, so not only will I be in a loveless marriage, but he’s just basically admitted he’ll be cheating as well, because in my eyes, marriage is marriage, it is sacred, and he knows that.
There is a reason why I wanted to wait until I was married to lose my virginity.
I only wanted my husband to have my body.
“You’re a jackass!” Belle snaps, “You know her views on marriage, and you’ve just torn it all up in a few sentences!”
“Belle, let's give them a minute,” my brother interjects before my friend attacks the father of my unborn child.
“No!” she snaps, “Go back to Nova!”
“Shorty…” He tries, but Belle shouts, “I said go back to Nova!” and even I flinch while my brother’s face pales.
I hear a sigh before Trick mutters, “Come on, brother, let's give them a minute to get their bearings. We’ve got to tell Chains and our parents the wedding is changed to today,” then he says, “Buttercup,” but I don’t look his way as Belle wraps her arm around me.
He huffs, “You can sulk all you want, the wedding will be happening today and before you both come up with anymore bright ideas, I’ve transferred Belle’s savings into another account that I’ll give to her after we’re married.
A prospect will be at each exit of the property until I come back with an officiant that can stamp our marriage licenses. ”
He’s taken everything away from me.
“I hate you,” I choke out as I wrap my arms around my stomach, and Belle holds me tighter.
“Yeah,” Trick whispers, “I hate me too,” before I hear the door slam shut, and sobs come out of me as my legs give out. Belle follows me to the floor as she holds me tightly while I cry.
“I’ve got you,” she whispers, “You’re not alone, I’ll stand beside you every step of the way, I love you so much, Clark, you are my family.”
I hold onto her while wishing things were different, wishing this wasn’t my life.
I wish I had never come into the clubhouse that day.