Page 4 of Born a Hero

“If I tell you my name will you tell me yours?” His teasing had made her laugh.

“Is that your usual schtick to hit on the girls?”

“Did it work?”

“Sure. They call me Princess.” He’d already referred to her in that way after knocking into her and it seemed cute to play it back at him. She laughed, loving the silliness.

“Then I’m your prince.”

“What’s your dream for the future?”

He told her then about his goal of becoming a doctor and how during his residency, time was only a magazine. “We’re normally run off their feet for days on end. The only reason I have this night off is because I worked two forty-eight hour shifts in five days and the boss found me asleep, standing up against the wall. What about you?”

Feeling like the biggest loser on the planet, she lied about her dismal work record. “I’m a – I’m still a student. But it’s funny. Because one day, I’d like to be a nurse.” She fed him what she thought he’d like to hear. Lies that came easy until she’d put them into words and realized how true they really were.

She’d make a great nurse. Hadn’t she looked after her father when he was terminal and her mom worked two jobs to keep a roof over their heads? Of course, that was before the old lady took off.

Once her mother became a widow, the first patsy who came along willing to take her under his wing, filled the slot as husband number two. She attached herself to the mealy-mouthed cheap bastard and quit both jobs. Problem was, he didn’t want a teenage daughter as part of the bargain. And Mom wanted her last chance at having another man in her life to take care of her. One who didn’t have death in his near future.

Shaking off the memories, she watched her new friend return with another round, and she let go of everything from her past, everything in her future especially her dismal store-clerking job, and just lived for the minutes with him.

When her hero saw her home after many drinks and a few sexy dances, she invited him up to the place she was housesitting and didn’t ask about condoms or birth control or anything that would let the real world burst her bubble.

When he asked, she lied about her age. When he worried about her safety, she lied and said she was on the pill. When he asked about her parents, she lied and said they’d rented her this apartment because while in college, she needed a home and hated the dorms.

How could she tell him the truth? That she was using a coworker’s place because she’d promised to look after her cat.

The bubble she formed around them was thin and delicate, but in her pathetic state of drunkenness, she didn’t care. All she wanted was to be in his arms and know heaven. And for the first time in her useless life, she had reached the stars and knew then that all the songs and romantic shit people wrote about in books was real. Love did exist.

The next morning when she woke up, he’d left without any way for her to contact him. She’d cried for days, stayed in bed, praying he’d return and lost yet another job because of her disappearing act… not the first time.

Once she’d finally admitted he wouldn’t be back, it seemed to be the catalyst she needed. No more bars or one-night stands. No more messing up her life. No more letting the future look after itself.

She started an online care-giving course, got a better job so she could move out of the ratty, shared apartment where so many hung out, and became a responsible person. She’d even changed her address to a less expensive place to live. But she never forgot the guy who’d made her feel like she mattered, like she was pretty special.

Unfortunately, he forgot about her.

A month later, reading the pregnancy test kit, the truth slammed her in the head. He’d left her pregnant.

***

And now her reason for living was missing. Scrambling to get to her vehicle had been futile. She’d never felt so inadequate or alone. Crying, broken and terrified, she knew one thing… she needed to stay alive. Because when this nightmare had passed, she’d do everything it took to find her baby.

Chapter Six

Once Bryce finished his shower and had put on the dry clothes, he returned to the bedroom where Sonja and Justin were huddled together making peanut butter sandwiches on the bed.

Sonja had used a blanket like a tablecloth and with the end of a comb, she was spreading peanut butter. As soon as she saw him, she lifted the article in her hand and said, “It’s new so wipe that look off your face.”

He laughed. “At this point, I don’t care. Just hand me one of those slices. I can smell the peanuts from here, and I’m suddenly starved.”

Doing as he asked, she slathered another couple of slices and passed them over. Then she ripped open a package of Oreos and handed one to Justin.

When she came close, Bryce whispered, “How’s the kid? Any sign of a temperature? Did he get any cuts from the car window. I tried not to let him too close to the edge.”

Sonja shook her head. “Nope, he’s fine, aren’t you, Justin?”

“Yep. I like this bwead. Can I have another?”