SURROGATE : Conception (+18) BOOK 1 (COMPLETE)

| 32 | The Land of No Return ||

Penelope put the car in reverse and started backing into the garage spot. Once she put the car in park, she cut the engine and just let the silence fill up the space.

She screamed and smashed the wheel a couple times until her palms burned from the exertion. She sniffed and wiped the tears away aggressively.

She'd been in sort of trance since John dropped her off at her car. She opened the door, got in, started the car, pulled out the parking lot, went to the "Crack Burger Place" ordered food for herself and Liam, and took the drive back to the Rogan's oceanside mansion.

Cutting off the engine, sitting in the silence forced her to finally come back to reality. Seems a place she hadn't been that past couple months she'd been with the Rogans. The problem was she had grown too comfortable living in this big house away from her reality. That's why the run in with John took her so off guard. She needed the reminder of who she was, and why the hell she was here to begin with.

She couldn't lose sight again. God she hoped Phillip didn't hear about her run in with John, though the odds of that weren't good. John would use that to keep Phillip under his thumb. Who knew what the man had Phillip doing "inside" just to keep her safe.

She wasn't sure exactly where it came from, but the sob that took over her seemed to fill the small space like a sponge being soaked by a flood of water. She'd been feeling more emotional over the last day or so.

Her period was coming. She could feel the weight of it. This was the only time in her life where she prayed she'd miss her period, but she knew that wasn't her reality either. What if she couldn't get pregnant? What then? The more immediate question was what the hell was she going to do about John's new demands?

Some unknown amount of time later, she finally gathered most of her dignity, wiped away the tears, reapplied some concealer and lip color. She didn't want Liam to see her despair because he would ask questions and she would have to lie then eventually the lies would unravel. She wasn't sure how long she could keep all this up.

Why did she feel like she needed to keep the truth of things from him? Well, because it was none of his business. Not really. It was her problem. She hung her head. Pride. She was prideful and proud people didn't drag other people into their issues. They solved them on their own, even when they were completely over their head in a flash flood. Even when their head was constantly plunging under the water's surface and feeble limbs struggled to stay above the surface.

She gathered her items and opened the car door then made her way into the house. Even from the garage entry, she could hear Liam talking in his office. She made her way to his office after locking the back door, and shedding her jacket and shoes. She knocked gently on the door and waited until he announced she could come inside. As if everything were alright with the world, because in that moment everything was, she smiled at him realizing just then how long it'd been since she really laid eyes on the man.

It'd been days since she'd seen him and, to no surprise, he was still as handsome as he was three days before. She laughed at that because why would he all of a sudden change? That was quite silly to think.

She set the bag of food on the table the smell of the burgers, & waffle curly fries made her remember she didn't eat lunch.

He covered the mouthpiece and whispered a thank you. Must have been on a client call. She pointed to the grease that had stained the bag and he smiled up at her. For some obnoxious reason, the gesture made her insides bounce and twist around like butterflies about to take flight. She shoved down the elating but curious feeling and exited the room quietly so as not to disturb his phone call. She then went into the kitchen with her greasy bag and set it on the counter. Oh, boy did she have plans.