Frayed (Torn #2) by Pamela Ann
Acknowledgments
To my amazing beta readers, Cami Hesnault, Dawn Martens, Tia Marie and Beck Sewell. I want to thank each and one of you incredible ladies for taking the time and effort to help me hone the book to its fullest potential. All of your input was substantial and I am more than grateful for all of your detailed feedback. Your love and support helped me through the writing process.
Mom, as always, you rock! Niko , I love you very much. To my brother, Lorenzo, I do appreciate your comical monstrosities, thank you. And to my sister, Amelia, thank you. I love you both dearly.
Lastly, to all of my readers, especially my Facebook dolls, Triple M’ers and Goodreads folks, I graciously express my heartfelt gratitude for all the support you’ve all shown. Thank you all for making my dreams into reality.
For those who loved with all of their heart s—got betrayed and left broken… this is for you .
Prologue
If someone would have told me a year ago that my life would be irrevocably wrecked, I would’ve laughed in their face. You see, I was once a good-natured person. A fun-loving, devil-may-care woman, who laughed a lot and partied until the sun came up.
Yes, I was a party girl. Why? Because it was fun and I had a blast dancing and flirting with guys. Flirting was my thing.
It was my specialty.
Even though I partied, kissed and sometimes ended up doing more with these guys, I never loved any of them. Do I have any qualms about falling in love? No, never that. I always wanted to fall in love, but none of the guys made it happen for me.
Well, at least none of the guys I kissed and hooked-up with, anyway.
That is, until Harry.
Harry was the perfect man.
Unfortunately, he was perfect for my cousin, Harry’s wife, Becka, too.
Yes, Harry’s married… to my cousin.
Did I plan to fall madly in love with him? Never!
But it happened… and there was nothing I could do once it did. I was sucked into this unique world. A world where all I could ever do was follow where my heart would beat at a speedy, exhilarating rate.
I lived for Harry.
I breathed for Harry.
I loved for Harry.
Even though I knew having an affair with him was immoral and, without a doubt, scandalous, I didn’t care. Nothing mattered then. No thought, rhyme or reason could deter me; us.
Once our lips touched, the flames were instantly ignited.
The fire was consuming, searing and hot. If I were a wiser person, I would have known that fire—once it gets out of hand—cannot be controlled.
It spreads, destroying everything it could reach and everything that was in its way.
It devours all with totality.
And sometimes it causes fatality.
I could’ve prevented this devastation if I had not succumbed to the wills of my heart and body.
One kiss was all it took to destroy me.
One gargantuan mistake was all it took to end me.
A month ago, Harry killed me.
But he didn’t know.
No one did.
Chapter 1
About a month ago…
Trista
“Congratulations! You’re going to be a new mommy!” The enthusiastic, middle-aged doctor announced. I sat there, immobilized and speechless as her words rang in my ears.
“Oh… I am?” I whispered, wholly aghast. Pregnant… with Harry’s baby… The thought alone brought happy and sad tears into my eyes.
The doctor dimmed the lights before she started to prep me for the ultrasound. She was telling me a story about some pregnant woman, but I could barely hear her. Quite simply, I was distraught and horrifically panicked. When the doctor lifted my gown and exposed my belly, she kindly warned me that the gel would be a little cold. I moved my head to the side, away from the small screen, as the realization of what my thoughtless actions had borne with them. Before I knew it, the whole room was surrounded by a loud whooshing sound.
A heartbeat.
My baby’s heartbeat…
“Let’s, see. You’re about thirteen weeks,” The doctor continued as she started to point on the screen, telling me which part was what.
She pointed out the baby’s head and told me what was developing at this stage. Curious, I made an effort to watch the tiny screen. I barely nodded at her while I stared blankly at the screen, seeing the tiny seed that was my baby, but really not seeing it. How had this happened? We were always careful. Harry always wore protection. Every. Single. Time.
“Do you have any questions for me?” The jovial doctor asked, while she maneuvered around and studied the screen closely.
Tons, I had so many to ask, but no answers for her to give. “I think you’ve explained everything,” I responded flatly. This was the worst possible outcome of our affair. All the possible bad scenarios played in my head as the doctor did her own thing. The first one was Harry’s reaction. The second one was the outcome of this pregnancy.
I barely registered what the doctor was talking about as she carefully cleaned my belly off and slowly pulled my gown back to order. While giving me some sort of pregnancy advice, she was jotting down a prescription for my pre-natal vitamins and whatever else she thought I needed. The doctor was rather oblivious to the horrified expression I have had ever since she announced the pregnancy less than an hour ago. When my period didn’t come as scheduled, my intuition pointed towards stress, but never pregnancy.