Read Riders - Horizons (III) for Free Online

with a light head. I felt sick
to my stomach. For several good reasons.
    “Tiffany please don't
go.”
    “I've got to. I can't even
look at you. How could you? How could you believe Mickey over me?
How could you not speak to me about it at all? How could you
condemn me as a cheap money grabbing whore without a word. Don't ever speak to me again, Joshua
Lyle. ”
    I started up the engine, walk reversed it in
a dreadful state, hardly able to see, and rode off in a mad
screeching of tires down the street.
    I cried all the way home. God knows how I
even got there.
    How could he think for a second I was like
that? What had I ever said or ever suggested to raise this
doubt?
    I didn't know and wished he hadn't told me
this. Now I hated him even more. I wanted to slap his handsome face
for all eternity and screw his balls in my fist, so painfully hard
he could never walk again.
    I parked up outside, and flew in the door in
distress. I fell into my surprised Mom's arms, thankful she was
still up this late. I needed her so bad. I sobbed into her shoulder
like a crazy lunatic.
    “Tiffany... sweetheart,
what's on earth's the matter?”
    What the hell could I say? She deserved some
kind of explanation. I didn't want to worry her too much. I tried
to say something... and the single word “Josh...” came out...
    I didn't notice she had company until he
spoke.
    “Ummm, Miranda, I'd better
go.”
    “No, it's fine. I'll just
take Tiffany to her room. Calm her down, okay? Please don't
go.”
    I raised my tear soaked face, from her wet
shoulder and through blurred eyes saw Col standing awkwardly behind
us. I liked Col, despite his close association with Joshua. He was
good guy, I could tell. Mom had told me about his past and she
liked him. A whole damn lot. I didn't want to spoil anything
budding between them.
    I pulled myself together, my sobs calming to
a gentle shake of my body and pushed away from my mom.
    “It's okay... You guys
chill... I can go to bed on my own.”
    “No, I'm taking you to
your room.”
    She led me up the stairs and stood me
against my door.
    “What happened with Josh,
sweetheart?” she asked in a kind voice, her face full of
concern.
    “We spoke about something
that was very upsetting.”
    “Look, I don't know what's
going on with you two. But I know he hasn't been around... is it
over?”
    I really needed to tell her, and to tell her
everything. But not now. I was mentally exhausted.
    “Oh mom. It's too late to
talk it out. I'll tell you tomorrow. Go back to Col, okay? I'm
fine. I just need to sleep. I'm sure I'm overwrought with tiredness
mainly.”
    “You sure you're alright?”
She kissed me on the forehead.
    “I'll live. It was just a
bad conversation, that's all.” I tried to raise a smile, but
failed.
    “Okay, but I want to know
all about it.”
    I wasn't sure I could say the words out
loud. I could barely even think them
    “Yeah, night Mom. Love
you.” I opened the door and went in, undressing and slipping in
between the sheets.
    I cried silently into the pillow as I'd done
on several occasions this week.
    I wasn't one hundred percent sure, because I
hadn't the money to buy a test, but all the signs were there.
Absence of monthly event, subtle body changes, tenderness, a
constant funny taste in my mouth.
    It had only taken that once; that one stupid
heated mistake.
    Now I was pregnant.
    And very much alone.
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER SEVEN
    JOSHUA
    She was so distressed I couldn't abandon
her. I wasn't sure she was safe to ride a bike at all, but I didn't
expect she'd listen to me if I tried to reason with her. So I
followed her home, at a discreet distance. Thankfully she arrived
without having a serious accident. I stopped at the end of her
street and waited for her to go inside. Col's bike was there.
    I was guessing that at least one of the
females in the Johnson household was happy tonight.
    I sat for a while, having a smoke and
thinking what to do.
    I wasn't giving up on her. We were