The Final Reckoning E-Book

Angel Rupert

• Herausgeber: Bentockiz
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

I wondered nervously exactly what our last discussion meant. The impersonal kiss he had given me was a bit upsetting. I hadn’t talked to him since that disastrous day when we had spent the entire day upset with each other and I was afraid he was still ticked off at me. It was no wonder he never told me anything; every time we were together, we always seemed to end up arguing.

Leseprobe

Title Page

The Final Reckoning

Whispers and Secrets

Angel Rupert

The Final Reckoning / 10th of series: Whispers and Secrets / By Angel Rupert

Published 2023 by Bentockiz

e-book Imprint: Calkden Norsh

e-book Registration: Stockholm, Sweden

e-book ISBN: 9789198848694

e-book editing: Athens, Greece

Cover Images created via AI art generators

Table of Contents

Title Page

Introduction

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Introduction

Through books we come into contact with everything important that has happened in the past, analyzing also current events and putting our thoughts together to predict the future. The book is a window to the world, acquiring valuable knowledge and sparking our vivid imagination. It is a means of entertainment and is generally seen as a best friend, or as a slave that carries together all valuable information for us. The book is a friend who stays together without demands, a friend you call upon at every moment and abandon when you want.

It accompanies us in the hours of boredom and loneliness, while at the same time it entertains us. In general, a book does not ask anything from us, while it waits patiently on a dusty shelf to give us its information, to get us out of dead ends and to travel us to magical worlds.

This may be the travel mission of our books. Abstract narration, weird or unconscious thoughts difficult to be understood, but always genuine and full of life experiences, these are stories of life that can’t be overlooked easily.

This may be the start of something amazing.

Chapter One

Flashback Memories

Absolutely beside myself with fury by that point, I refused to model anything for him, staying in the dressing room the whole time, allowing the salesgirl to bring me clothes.

Instead of my grand plan to buy a bunch of things that would wow him with my ‘chic-ness’, I only bought what I thought was necessary for my survival until I was ready for true maternity clothes.

A few church dresses, a tailored jacket and matching skirt, a couple of pairs of jeans, a bunch of blouses, and some unmentionables all in a size larger than my usual were all that I could bring myself to buy.

He wasn’t happy with me. In all honesty, I wasn’t happy with me either.

I would have passed the bridal shop altogether, planning to wear one of the dresses I had already bought since I assumed it would be a simple ceremony with only a few friends and family, but Drew hauled me in there.

“I don’t need a real wedding dress,” I hissed at him as the salesclerk approached us smiling.

“And why not...?”

“Don’t you think it might be overkill for a justice of the peace ceremony?”

“May I help you?” the saleslady asked smiling at Drew, obviously captivated by his good-looks.

Without taking his eyes off me, he said, “Excuse us for a moment,” and led me by the hand to a spot just outside the shop as the woman watched, a perplexed look on her face.

Bet she’s wondering now if she should have paid more attention to me and less to my fiancé.

“You will pick out a wedding dress for our church wedding,” Drew said with finality in his voice.

“Church wedding...?” I gasped in surprise.

“Yes...church wedding...and I would appreciate it if you would keep your voice down,” he chided. “This is a public place.”

“Are you crazy?” I asked in a hysterical whisper. “We can’t get married in a church! I’m pregnant in case you haven’t noticed.”

“Yes I have noticed you’re pregnant, by your mood swings if nothing else and we can get married in a church. The jury’s still out on the crazy part. Marrying you may just put me over the top on that one.”

“Then call it off, right now,” I challenged him. “I never wanted to do this in the first place.”

“You’ve made that abundantly clear,” he assured me between clenched teeth. “Now put on your best fake smile, get yourself in that shop, and pick out a wedding dress to try on or I swear I will dress you myself.”

“Fine,” I huffed, turning to enter the shop again, but Drew stopped me before I could take a step.

“Wrong attitude,” he warned.

“It’s the only one I’ve got.”

Before I realized what he was doing, his arms were around me and, in total contrast to the tone of our altercation, began planting soft, tender kisses on the sides of my mouth, my chin, and on each of my cheeks.

I melted.

Turning my head in an attempt to capture his lips, he managed to evade me each time, his kisses remaining just off center driving me insane with desire.

“Are you going to behave?” he whispered softly against my skin.

“Kiss me,” I begged.

“Are you going to behave?”

“Yes,” I whispered achingly.

Our lips met for a brief second and when I strained to move closer, he set me firmly away from him.

“We are in public, Felicia,” he commented in amusement.

I opened my mouth to blast him, but he knew what was coming and headed me off quickly.

“You promised to behave.”

Without a word, I turned haughtily away from him and entered the shop. Chuckling quietly, he followed me.

The saleslady must have decided that making me happy was a good idea, because she was very attentive after that. I could still see her sneaking longing glances at Drew, but she was much more circumspect about it.

Since I absolutely refused to wear white, my choices were limited. Thankfully, there were a few antique white dresses in stock from which to choose.

The one I finally decided on was a double layered tea length satin A-line dress with a sweetheart neckline and overlay of embroidered netting that began at the shoulder and followed the dress down to the hem.

Although the satin part was strapless, the netting—which rose a couple of inches above the sweetheart neckline forming its own graceful curve just below my collar bones emphasizing them—came together at the shoulder preventing the dress from being considered strapless.

Even though I liked the strapless look, being what CeeCee would call ‘blessed’ I avoided strapless dresses for the most part, having a hard time not coming out of the top.

Since my pregnancy, my ‘blessedness’ had blossomed even more, and I wasn’t about to risk becoming a peep show at my own wedding. With the A-line cut of the dress smoothing over my bulge, the dress was perfect. The only depressing parts being the fact that I was forced into buying a size six instead of my usual size and Drew’s insistence on paying for everything, but all things considered, it could be worse.

I dressed carefully the next day knowing that if I wore something Drew didn’t approve of he would have every right to complain since I hadn’t allowed him to see any of the outfits I had bought with his money.

Examining myself in the mirror, I couldn’t find anything to complain about in the tailored navy blue two piece suit, but he was unpredictable at best. I nervously waited for his opinion but, once again, he barely even glanced at me. I was miffed and relieved at the same time.

On the way to the marriage license office, we stopped off at a jewelry store, Drew intent on buying me an engagement ring as well as the wedding rings we needed for the ceremony. I told him I didn’t need an engagement ring but, unable to put my feelings into words and explain why, I simply angered him...again.

Although it wasn’t my intention to keep infuriating him, nothing felt right. Barely able to decipher it myself, I found it impossible to make him understand. I was already pregnant, what did it matter if I wore a wedding dress or had an engagement ring. I had...cheated. Everything was a lie. I didn’t deserve a church wedding with all of the trimmings, a beautiful engagement ring, a wonderfully romantic honeymoon, none of that.

I didn’t deserve it!

Giving up and giving in, I finally chose a one-carat Marquis Diamond solitaire with a thin white-gold band. Over the years, I had developed a special liking for that particular cut.

While they resized it as well as the matching wedding ring to fit my size 4 ½ finger, I casually walked around glancing at the different showcases.