Their Bride (Marriage Lottery Series Standalone) by Stasia Black & A.S. Green

Author:Stasia Black & A.S. Green [Black, Stasia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-08-04T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

MICHAEL

This was why Michael didn’t drink. After spending the entire day at Donovan’s, the bar outside town, he’d stumbled home, lost all control, tripped, and fallen onto the dry grass in the backyard.

He hadn’t felt much at the time. That had been the point, hadn’t it? But now he was fairly conscious, and the prickling sensation of so many dry blades at his skin was unbearable. If he tried to move, it made matters worse.

“You were wrong, Mama,” he whispered, staring up at the stars. Was she actually up there, in heaven, or was that just as much a lie as everything else?

Even as he thought it, he heard his mama’s voice in his head. You can do anything you set your mind to, Michael, you hear me?

But she was wrong.

He could never be a husband to Vanessa. Not like she deserved. Not like he longed to be.

Of course when he’d told Mam she was wrong back then, she just shook her head. He’d barely been able to see her, he’d been crying so hard.

She’d been sick from the Xterminate virus for months and it was close to the end. They both knew it, no matter how much Michael kept trying to pretend she was going to turn the corner and start getting better any day.

He was a twenty-two year old man, but in that moment he felt six, helpless and wanting his mama to just take him in her arms and tell him everything was going to be okay. That she could make it all better.

“You’re stronger than you think, baby. I’ve done you wrong, letting you shut yourself completely off from the world like you have.”

“No, Mama, no.” A tear dripped from his cheek onto her hand on the bed. It was the closest he could come to touching her. The thought only made him cry harder. More than anything he wanted to hold her in his arms. To comfort her like she deserved.

She just nodded. “It’s true, though. There was no reason for you to stop going outside. To stop seeing people. Having friends.”

“I have friends. I have a ton of friends online. They’ll fix the power grid any day now and I can go back to—”

“Stop!”

Michael was taken aback by her sharp tone. And he felt terrible for making her upset when it was followed by a hacking cough. Especially when he saw blood trickling out of the corner of her mouth.

“Mama,” he whispered, feeling more terrified than ever. He reached his hand toward her, stopping only inches from her face.

Godfuckingdammit! He couldn’t even comfort his own mother! What the fuck use was he?

“Promise me, honey.” As weak as she was, her bloodshot eyes were no less commanding as she stared him down. “Promise me.” She gasped for breath. “One bite at a time.” She broke into another coughing fit.

“Hush, Mama. Shhh, it’s okay. You don’t have to talk anymore. I’ll be fine.”

He held the glass with a straw to her mouth. Thank God he

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