Anabel Unraveled by Amanda Romine Lynch

I glared at him with my full fury. “Yes, we went into the cottage. But there are security cameras in there, too, so you saw that nothing went on between us that wasn’t perfectly kosher!”
    “Perhaps you’ve forgotten where else there are cameras? Not to mention other people looking around and watching?”
    I felt the color drain from my face.
    “Anabel! What on earth were you thinking?” The vein was really throbbing now.
    I crossed my arms and exhaled, leaning against the door. “You really want to know what I was thinking, DAD?” I pushed open the door to my room. “I’m a girl. Jared likes girls. So, I figured I had a shot, and I was thinking that maybe if I slept with him, he’d get me off this awful island. BECAUSE I HATE IT HERE! I HATE IT, AND I’M SICK OF YOU, AND I WISH YOU WOULD JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!” I started crying. “For once, Daddy, I wish you would think about what your choices do to me every single day. I’m lonely. I’m afraid I will never get away from here, and all I want to do is get as far away from you as possible.” I choked back a sob. “I hate being here so much. I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” And I walked into my room and closed and locked the door. Then I threw myself on the bed and sobbed hysterically for a few moments. I had visions of myself as a middle-aged spinster who didn’t even have a cat, living with my father. I prayed to God that He would find a way to get me out of here.
    True to form, about two minutes later he started knocking on the door. “I told you to leave me alone,” I called.
    “Well it’s been awhile since you said that, so I thought maybe you had changed your mind. Women do stuff like that,” asserted Jared.
    I opened the door and stared at him. “Are you serious?”
    And he gave me a wolfish grin. “May I come in?”
     
     

Chapter 9—Anabel
    I started to feel sick. No, no, this wasn’t good. I caught Sam’s eye and he nudged our lawyer, as was the signal, and our lawyer asked to take a break.
    I hurried down the hall to the bathroom, and threw up three times. When I was through, I walked over to the mirror and stared at myself. Then I slowly unbuttoned my coat and took a look at my belly.
    I couldn’t hide it for much longer. I was four months pregnant, almost five, and I was definitely showing. The morning sickness had not subsided as the doctor said it would, and any sort of weird smell triggered the nausea. Thinking about Jared coming to my bedroom that night made me sick to my stomach, and without a clear course of action, my desperation was becoming greater. Sam’s advice the other day had been to stand up straight to hide it, but the baby was growing. I didn’t know who he thought he was kidding. It had sure been easy for Matt to spot it, I reflected. Today the dress that I was wearing clung to my belly and made no effort to hide the fact that there was a baby in there.
    So here it was. I was carrying Jared’s child. One time, apparently, is all that it takes. Sighing, I studied my reflection. I was so pale. I splashed some water on my face and was drying it off, willing myself to hold it together, when Marilyn barged in. “Annie, are you okay? Sam said to leave you alone, but I saw your face go all white and—oh my goodness!” She gaped at my stomach. “Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.”
    I stared at her. “Go on, ask me.”
    She swallowed. “Are you . . . Annie, are you pregnant?”
    “No, just super fat.” I threw away the paper towel and turned to face her. “You can’t tell anyone. Please. I’m not ready yet.”
    “Well you can’t hide it forever . . . that bump is only going to get bigger,” she stated matter-of-factly. “Besides, wearing your coat all day long is going to make you even more uncomfortable. I wondered why you were doing that.” She hugged me, but I stood limp in her arms, unwilling to return her embrace. Marilyn knowing caused all sorts of complications that I didn’t quite