Pretend With Me (Midnight Society #1) Read Online Free

choice
Jen - without his help you would have died...”
“So it was die at birth or be married off to a stranger
that I might end up hating for the rest of my life,” I sighed,
not believing that this was happening. Arranged marriages
didn’t exist anymore - well maybe in some small taboo
village, but not here, not now.
“We didn’t have a choice,” my mom pleaded and then
something inside me snapped awake. It was finally
beginning to sink in now, and I felt the all too familiar
ache beginning to vibrate inside my body.
“I can’t do it, mom,” I said without looking at her,
silently begging her. “I can’t do it. You know why I can’t
marry him.” My voice had gone soft and hoarse as I
desperately tried to keep the tears back. My throat burned.
I swallowed, taking in a deep breath. Suddenly it felt as
though I couldn’t breathe. My chest tightened and my
throat closed up, cutting off my air.
“I’m sorry Jen, but you don’t have a choice. I get that
Daren was special to you and I get that you’re still
dealing... but this is final.”
“Please, don’t make me do this,” I begged her. “Send
me back to Trinidad - send me to that stupid boarding
school you wanted to - I don’t care, just don’t make me
marry him. I can’t marry him - I can’t marry someone else,
please... I’ll be good - I swear, no more breaking school or
cutting classes, or fighting - nothing. I’ll go back to being
the perfect daughter I was before he died. I promise no
mess ups this time. It’s only been three weeks, please!”
“I’m trying to get better, I swear I am. Don't you think
that I want to forget about him? I wish I could, all it does
is hurt; it hurts to think about him and to remember him.
It hurts to breathe... but I’m trying... I’ll try harder; I won’t
be like this anymore… Just… please don't do this to me.”
Tears flowed freely down my face at this point and I
closed my eyes in an attempt to stop them. I took a deep
breath, trying to find some sort of release, but as usual
none came. My heart was heavy in my chest. I wanted to
curl up in a ball and disappear. Wiping my eyes, I reopened them and looked to my mom, begging her to
understand. She knew about Daren, how could she still
force me to do this?
“This isn’t about you acting out Jen,” she told me,
wiping away her own tears. “We understand why you’re
acting out.”
“Then what?” I wiped away more tears, but as soon as
they were gone, my face was coated with new ones.
“Exactly what we said, Dr. Wilson helped you stay
alive. He made you so strong in such a short time that it
was a miracle. We owe him everything we have, and he
wants you to marry Eric. We didn’t have a choice, we
couldn’t let you die.”
“No!” I shouted angry now. My voice was steady and
venom coated. “You kept me in the dark, mom. You lied
to me… my entire life you all lied to me.”
“We weren’t sure what Eric would decide,” my dad
explained. I turned to Eric now. All his words in the car
now made complete sense.
“You knew,” I said, but it came out as a question rather
than a realized statement.
“Yes,” he nodded. “I knew since you were born.”
“It seems that everyone knew about my ‘wedding’ but
me,” I said to all of them. I turned to my mom and dad
“You know what this is going to do to me; I hope you’re
happy when it all crashes. But fine,” I smiled without any
humor, turning back to Eric, “have me if you will, but
you’re a fool because I promise that I will make our
married life Hell ,” I threatened, and began to walk out of
the room. Just when I was at the doorframe I turned back
to him, and our eyes met for a second before he lowered
his head. “By the way Eric you were right - I do hate you.
Congrats on your engagement.”
Later that night, after Eric and his parents had left for
their hotel and my parents were in bed, I sneaked out of
the house, not knowing where I was going. I found myself
walking without