No Strings Attached

Chapter Five

“He’s really trying, Tor,” she said gently, “He’s an amazing father, an amazing boyfriend – the two of you are perfect for each other. But you can’t expect him to be perfect, because he never can be. He’ll never ... fix, you just need to work with him.”

“I know.”

“He’s come such a long way since last year, babe, and it wasn’t magic and miracles that got him there ... it was you. And you’re only packing more ammunition with that beautiful baby girl you’ve given him. You’re his little piece of Heaven.”

Tori’s eyes were clouding with tears as she mulled over Shannon’s words, “That’s such a beautiful thing to say,” she whispered, her voice catching in the sobs that were brewing in her throat.

Shannon shrugged, and chuckled softly, “The truth.”

Shannon lay on her side, closing her eyes, letting the sunshine and silence wash over her.

The memories rushed in, as she thought back on the day that she’d expected to tell Nate about their child, the day she’d expected to tell him that, not only were they free from her father, and her past, but they had hope, not only with each other but with the tiny being inside her. She’d thought she knew exactly how he’d feel when she told him that they now had a future that they would hold in their arms.

It had been a week since she’d lost her parents, and though she was consumed with grief, and fear of being alone, she knew she had Nate. They were free to be married now, to live a normal life, together, without the shadows of her father looming over them.

And they were expecting a child, everything would be perfect.

The electrical fire that had consumed her parents’ house had completely destroyed everything that she had. Although her parents had tormented and abused her, she had always been graced with the benefits of their vast wealth – at least as far as the outside world was concerned. She was dressed smart – always in brand new, beautiful clothes.

But she would never have known where they were had the house and everything in it still been standing anyway.

Her mother controlled her wardrobe. Each morning a new outfit would be laid on the bed – still with its tags on the label – and each night it would be locked away, in what and where, Shannon had no clue. So, in one way, it was almost easier that everything was gone, because how on earth could she have explained all of this? There were no happy memories in that building, just dividends and insurances on absolutely everything.

She’d stayed with Tori and Nate, whose parents had already passed away the year previous, and Tori had already started a brand new wardrobe before the end of that evening, although Shannon had had to explain that she didn’t really know what styles she wore, or what she liked, because her mother had always shopped for her. It was just easier to explain it like that, and Tori had taught her exactly how her own mother taught her to put things together, to play around with her own image, and explore her creativity.

So she’d tried, and absolutely loved it!