Love Defied, page 1
Love Defied
Traci Sek
Contents
1. Gracie
2. Gracie
3. Gracie
4. Anderson
5. Gracie
6. Anderson
7. Gracie
8. Anderson
9. Gracie
10. Anderson
11. Gracie
12. Gracie
13. Anderson
14. Gracie
15. Anderson
16. Gracie
17. Anderson
18. Gracie
19. Anderson
20. Anderson
21. Anderson
22. Anderson
23. Anderson
24. Gracie
25. Anderson
26. Anderson
27. Gracie
28. Anderson
29. Gracie
30. Anderson
31. Anderson
32. Gracie
33. Anderson
34. Gracie
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Traci Sek
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This new adult romance is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and the trade-marked owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission.
The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. This book is licensed for your personal use only. This book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with, thank you for respecting the author’s work.
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Chapter One
Gracie
“I’m sorry, Gracie. They gave me no choice. I have to marry her.”
I rubbed my chest since I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I knew it was a panic attack, but it became unbearable as my heart shattered into a million pieces. We were in the middle of a church on his wedding day. Not mine. Not ours. His. With eyes wide with horror and pain, he reached out his hand, begging me to understand. Begging me to forgive him, but I refused to listen. It was crazy and unfair.
“You said you would always love me,” I gasped as bile rose in my throat, threatening to escape. My head spun, my legs turned to jello, and I thought I would collapse, but somehow my clammy palms held me steady against the wall.
“Please understand,” he exclaimed. “I love you! I meant every word! I’ve told you this decision was difficult for me,” he said through clenched teeth. He fisted his muscular hands at his sides.
“You’re a liar! I hate you!”
“Please don’t do this, Gracie. Don’t make this harder on me. My mother is dying! This,” he announced while holding up his hands to appease me, “is my fate. Her dying wish!”
“Don’t make it hard for you?! What about me? This doesn’t have to be difficult! You made love to me last night,” I yelled back, clinging to the only thing I had left. My emotions were all over the place. He winced as my voice echoed off the frigid marble walls.
“Gracie, please stop shouting! We are in a church, for God’s sake. You know I don’t want to marry her.”
“Then don’t.” Anger bubbled out of my pores, yet the hot sting of tears threatened to fall at any moment.
He groaned and wiped his palm down his face. He looked so handsome in a black suit and tie—a look I’ve dreamed about for our wedding day. He looked up at me again; his face contorted, and eyebrows furrowed. An unsettling look I had never seen before clouded his features. His eyes were piercing, dark like ice, and void of any emotion.
“Just leave, Gracie. Please,” he hissed.
I didn’t know hearts could explode until, at that moment, mine did. Tears fell from my eyes as I watched him turn away from me and walk down the hall through the double doors of the big oak church. I slid down the wall, pulling my knees into my chest, and sobbed.
I sat in that position for what seemed like hours until the distant doleful bells rang. The hallway had turned dark and empty, with only a flicker of light filtering through—dark, empty, and unbearable. Anderson had pulled me aside when I showed up. Did he honestly think I wouldn’t?
I got up, wiping the tears from my puffy eyes, and trudged down the narrow hall. Maybe I was crazy, but I was also determined, determined to beg him to stay with me. We loved each other; that had to mean something. Right? This was not who I was. Before I met him, I was strong, independent, and never took crap from anyone. Anderson knocked down my walls and saw through my tough girl act. I depended on him. I needed him. There was no way I could live without him. I knew I was acting childish, but I couldn’t help it. This wasn’t the end. Not yet.
I would not let this random girl marry my man just because they picked her at birth. I sped up my pace, and with determination coursing through my veins, I pushed open the double doors with all the strength I had left. A hundred pairs of eyes met mine, but I only cared about one.
His parents arranged the marriage from day one, which was a family tradition from Sri Lanka. He told me multiple times he would never go through with this sham. I guess words didn’t mean a thing to him.
When we met and fell in love, he ignored it until he found out about his mother’s illness, but that changed everything. People from both sides of the church turned towards me wide-eyed. I ignored them and stared straight at him. The horror on his face and deceit on hers said it all. His parents stood up in the front row and started yelling for the guards. They must have known I might try to pull something. Time stood still as I inched forward in slow motion towards the altar. Our eyes locked as the shards of ice melted in his eyes, replaced with fear? Before I could dodge the burly men, they grabbed both of my arms. Pain shot through my body as I panicked and screamed.
“Please don’t do this! I love you!” I cried.
I didn’t care who was watching. I would shout it a thousand times if I had to. The deceitful woman at his side grabbed his chin, pulled it towards her face, and kept it locked there. My heart momentarily stopped.
“Anderson!”
The security guards dragged me away like a doll and dumped me outside on the stairs. They stood behind me until I gathered enough strength to leave. My mind was numb; it shattered my heart. Everything I thought I knew about myself and love went right out the window. From that minute on, I swore to myself; I would never love again.
Chapter Two
Gracie
Fifteen months later
I stood looking at myself in the mirror. Examining the dark circles that had formed under my eyes, I gave a sigh. I splashed my face with water and threw my hair into a messy bun. The sound of crying rang in my ears, and again I gave a heavy sigh. I ran into the nursery, picked up my son and tried to soothe him .
“It’s okay, Isaiah; mommy’s here,” I whisper to my six-month old.
Being a single mom was difficult. It wasn’t exactly on my to-do list either. A month after the wedding fiasco, I found out I was pregnant. Anderson, of course, was the father, and I spiraled into a deep depression. It was hard enough to lose him let alone the idea of being a single mom. I cried myself to sleep that night, not knowing what to do or how I was going to raise this baby—alone. I worked at a local grocery store part-time and had zero savings.
My roommate hated kids and didn’t want to live with a screaming baby, so she gave me the boot. I had to move back in with my mother in her small two-bedroom apartment. Life was bleak. After begging Mr. Bends, the manager, I went full-time at the grocery store. Mr. Bends had a stipulation: I had to work until I went into labor. Although the thought was daunting, I readily agreed.
When Isaiah was born and laid in my arms, all my worries melted away. My mother helped when she could, but money was tight. She still felt the need to take care of us; working a full-time job that left me no choice but to put Isaiah into daycare at two weeks old. Isaiah continued to wail in my ear. “Please, baby, it’s okay. Mommy’s going to get you a bottle..”
I quickly got his bottle ready and sat with him on our worn-out couch. He quickly grabbed the bottle, and devoured the milk. I admired him, taking in every feature. His dark curly hair, light olive skin, and emerald green eyes—the spitting image of his father.
At first, it was difficult to look at him. It reminded me of the hurt of my past, but as the months went on, I learned to see past that. After Anderson, I thought I would never love again until Isaiah entered my life. I loved him so much it hurt, and vowed from day one I wouldn’t tell his father about him. After the choices Anderson made, he didn’t deserve such a precious gift as Isaiah. That didn’t stop my mind from fantasizing what it’d be like if we were a family. My heart sped up, just thinking about it. I banished the thoughts from my head and focused on my son.
I settled deeper into the couch. The left side always sagged, and I swore under my breath whenever I sat on the rotten thing. Getting up off the damn couch with a sleeping, well packed, six-month-old was no easy task! Somehow, I was going to save up money for a new one or a decent used o
Isaiah’s eyes drooped as he sucked hard on the bottle, and my left butt cheek was now numb. God knew sleep had been an elusive thing these past six months for both of us. My stomach grumbled, and another sigh escaped my lips. Finding time to eat was another rare commodity. I watched the bubbles gather at the top of the bottle as Isaiah finished the last bit of his milk. He held on tight to the teat, and I wiggled it a little before he finally let go. He pursed his little lips together and continued the sucking motion; I watched in wonder with a lump in my throat. I set the bottle down on the armrest.
Those moments made everything okay. I eased him to my shoulder and rubbed his tiny back. How was it possible to love another human being so-so fiercely? This little person, a mixture of Anderson and me, made me feel things that I struggle to understand sometimes. The overwhelming love was so painful, yet beautiful. After a few seconds, Isaiah let out a long, satisfying burp. I had to bite down on my lower lip to keep the elation at bay. Who knew baby’s burp could bring so much joy to an emotional and exhausted mother? He wasn’t sleeping through the night yet, and I was bone tired. After laying him down in the crib, I went to the kitchen and grabbed a bite to eat as my mom walked in.
“Good morning, sweetie.”
“Morning, Mom. No work today?” I asked. She usually worked on Fridays.
“No, I switched shifts with a girl who needed off Sunday.”
My mom was a nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital and worked long hours, six days a week—especially since Isaiah came. She felt bad that she couldn’t watch him, so instead, she worked harder to have extra money when we needed it. I was okay with that, although I often felt guilty. She came home every night, especially when she picked up an overnight shift, and fell on the couch because she was too tired to walk to her bedroom. She was a great mom and we were very close.
“Oh, nice,” I replied.
“Any plans today?” she asked as she busied herself with making breakfast.
“No, I’m off as well today. I might go grocery shopping later, though. I need to pick up a few things for Isaiah.”
“Okay. Have you heard from Sasha lately?”
Sasha was my best friend in the entire world. We grew up together in the same neighborhood. When she found out about Anderson, she wanted to kill him. I loved her like a sister. She always had my back, good or bad.
“Um, yesterday. I called her.”
“Oh, that’s good. How’s her vacation going?”
Unlike me, Sasha came from money, but she never treated me differently. Both of her parents were doctors and became good friends with my mom when she started working at the hospital ten years ago. Right now, Sasha was with her parents in Hawaii. It wasn’t a vacation for her parents; they were at some medical retreat, but Sasha was determined to make the most of it.
“She’s great, enjoying the beach. She sent me a few photos.” I dug my phone out of my pocket to show my mom the pictures.
“Oh, that’s lovely, sweetie. I am happy for her.”
That’s another thing I loved about my mom. She didn’t have a jealous, hating bone in her body. She was always happy, no matter the circumstance. My mom didn’t even hate Anderson. She understood and did her best to comfort me. I admired her and hoped one day I could be like her.
“You look tired.” I couldn’t argue with her on that one. Why don’t you get some rest before you go shopping? I’ll watch Isaiah if he wakes up. Don’t worry.”
I smiled at her. “Thanks, mom.” I got up and headed for my comfy bed. It didn’t take long for darkness to consume me when I hit my pillow.
Chapter Three
Gracie
I woke up in a panic. I wasn’t used to sleeping for so long. What time was it? I glanced at my clock sitting on my wooden nightstand, which read one in the afternoon. Startled, I looked in the crib—it was empty— and I jumped out of bed and rushed into the living room. My mom was sitting on the couch with Isaiah, who was playing with a toy. I smiled at the sight while my heart thumped wildly in my chest.
“Oh, you’re up. Look, Isaiah, it’s mommy.”
Isaiah clapped his hands and cooed.
“Sorry. I didn’t think you would let me sleep that long,” I stated as I padded over to them and scooped Isaiah off my mom’s lap.
“It’s ok you deserve it once in a while.” She let out a chuckle.
“Thanks, mom,” I said with a smile. I carried Isaiah back towards my room and started getting him ready for the store. When I finished, I yelled, “Do you need anything from the store, Mom? I’m leaving now!”
“No, honey, I’m fine, thanks!”
I packed Isaiah’s stuff up and headed for the bus stop. I couldn’t afford a car, and mom decided since the hospital was within walking distance, she didn’t need one. When I found out I was pregnant, I tried to save every penny for the baby. A car would have to wait. I carried Isaiah in my arms instead of the bulky baby seat and didn’t bother to take the stroller. It was easier and lighter than trying to manage hauling the stroller along with the diaper bag. Tried it once and learned my lesson the hard way.
The bus was crowded as usual for an afternoon, as I found a seat. People eyed me, some curious and some nasty. I can’t blame them. Single mom, just turned twenty-one, riding a bus with a baby in her arms. Hell, I would stare too. I learned to ignore people and things around me. It was how I coped with all my issues. I shut the world out, and I liked it that way.
I didn’t mind the short walk from the bus stop to the store. The sun shone brightly, warming my skin. Making it to the store, I put Isaiah in a shopping cart and made my way into the store. I was not too fond of shopping of any kind. It was such a grueling task multiplied by ten with a small soldier next to me. I walked the aisles, looking at the items on the shelves. Not paying attention, I bumped into another shopping cart.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so—” My mouth went dry, and panic rang through my body as I realized who I had just bumped into. My eyes went wide with alarm, as did his when he recognized me.
“Gracie!?”
That was it. I yanked Isaiah out of the cart, turning on my heels. I ran as fast as I could with no actual destination in sight. I couldn’t think clearly, bumping into people as I ran, holding onto Isaiah tight.
“Gracie, wait!”
I heard him scream in the background but ignored him and kept going. I didn’t turn around as my eyes zeroed in on the restroom sign. With my destination in place, I made a beeline towards the solid, bulky door and heaved it open, running straight into a stall before locking it tight.
This wasn’t happening. I kept repeating to myself over and over. I pinched myself, making sure this was really happening and not a scary nightmare. “Ouch,” I hissed. Yes, not a dream. I reassured myself it was going to be ok. I was in the ‘ladies’ restroom. No guy would dare come in here. Right?
Chapter Four
Anderson
Staring at a label on a box I had picked up was embarrassing. I was not fond of food shopping, especially for Aliyah—my so-called wife, who single-handedly ruined my life. I only agreed to get away from her. She was picky and had a list of demands—organic this, gluten-free that. My musings halted when someone hit my cart. I dropped the box I was holding and looked up to see the only girl I had ever loved—a girl whose heart I broke into a million pieces. Her eyes went wide with panic.
“Gracie?” I somehow managed.
