Stripping Her Defenses Read Online Free

sweetheart, pregnant with our first child, and a college degree. So why wasn’t I happier? Why was I still questioning every move I made these days? Constantly asking myself what I could do to bridge the ever expanding divide between me and my husband?
    Shaking my head, I tried to push those negative thoughts away. Everything was fixable.
    Right?
    Walking away from the college towards my car, I tried to think of the positive things to push away the encroaching dread. All I had to do was keep up with my plan. This morning had brought a ray of renewed hope for my marriage in the form of an idea on how to get through to my husband. I would continue in my efforts to be a good, little seal wife, understanding Riley’s needs to do his perceived duties. My hope was that, when our son was born, he would want to slow down. Later, after little Jr’s arrival, I’d find a way to open the lines of communication between us and ask him to talk to me about whatever was bothering him. If we could talk it all out, work through our problems, everything would be fine.
    At least, that was what I seemed to be attempting to convince myself of. I had a baby to consider. I couldn’t simply give up on my son’s father, nor could I turn my back on the first and only man I’d ever loved. I would keep my head up, remember not to go bat-shit crazy on him from the pregnancy hormones that were turning me into a walking, talking, constantly crying basket case, and the two of us would figure this out. We had to.
    The gray clouds above my head rumbled with thunder, and that was the only warning I got. Approximately two seconds later, it started raining like it was the freaking monsoon season in China.
    Carefully jogging across the wet asphalt, I finally made it to my car and jumped in, completely soaked, my clothes sticking to me like a second skin. Turning on the air to make sure the car didn’t fog up caused me to shiver. As soon as I made it home, I was going to take a nice, long, warm bath. That would be relaxing.
    As I headed out of the parking lot, the rain became worse. Driving in conditions like this always made me nervous. I kept the car at a slower pace, ten miles under the speed limit, with my eyes glued to the blacktop in front of me. However, with my nerves shot to hell, the silence in the car started to drive me a little crazy. Because, really, who liked sitting in a quiet car? Therefore, I blindly reached over with my right hand until I found the button that would turn my stereo on, sighing in contentment when music started to play through the speakers. The song ended and the DJ began to speak about some of the community events coming up. A photography contest being held by the local art center was announced; with the grand prize a brand new, top of the line, digital camera that I’d been drooling over for months.
    I began to imagine the kind of pictures I could take of the baby with that sweet-ass camera! Maybe I should flip through my portfolio and see if there was anything I could submit. The shots of the dolphins jumping out of the water the day I rode the ferry were pretty good. But as I eyed a familiar sharp curve ahead, I let thoughts of photo contests and pictures drift away.
    On a regular sunny day, this curve was a nasty one. It cut sharply to the left and many accidents had occurred because of it. On a day like today, where the rain was pouring down so hard you could barely see five feet in front of your car, it was best to concentrate and be careful.
    Slowing my little sedan down even more, braking as gently as possible before the curve, I drifted carefully to the left and started praying I wouldn’t hydroplane. I started to round the worst of the curve when something flashed and caught my attention from the corner of my left eye. My hand started to jerk the wheel away from the oncoming threat, but I found the strength to stop myself. There was a deep embankment to the right, and it was too dangerous to risk. The loud squeal