Two Wrongs

TWO WRONGS KIMBERLY CARRILLO Copyright © 2023 by Kimberly Carrillo All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copywriter law. This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to persons living or dead are purely coincidental. Edited by: Linnea Valle Cover by: RECreatives, Renee Ericson Created with Vellum Contents Special Note to Readers 1. Wren 2. Wren 3. Griffin 4. Wren 5. Griffin 6. Wren 7. Griffin 8. Wren 9. Griffin 10. Wren 11. Wren 12. Griffin 13. Wren 14. Griffin 15. Wren 16. Griffin 17. Wren 18. Griffin 19. Wren 20. Griffin 21. Wren 22. Griffin 23. Wren 24. Griffin 25. Wren 26. Griffin 27. Wren 28. Griffin 29. Griffin 30. Wren 31. Griffin 32. Wren 33. Griffin 34. Wren 35. Griffin 36. Wren 37. Griffin 38. Wren 39. Griffin 40. Wren 41. Griffin Epilogue 1 Epilogue 2 Acknowledgments About the Author Playlist Also by Kimberly Carrillo This one is for my ex. You said I dreamed too big, and thought too much of myself. How does my dust taste? How high can I reach? Fucking watch me. Special Note to Readers This book contains some heavy topics that may be upsetting to some readers. Please be advised about the following contents of this book so you can decide whether or not to continue reading: Substance abuse by a loved one Cheating (not between the main couple) Emotional abuse of a spouse. Divorce Attempted suicide/self harm Explicit sex Profane language Smoking Exhibitionism Use of the word “daddy” by heroine to refer to the hero Sexual dominance/light bondage spanking Pregnancy/breeding kink 1 Wren “It has to be perfect,” I say to my best friend while I search my mother’s old cookbook for ideas. “You’re going to cook? Are you sure, Wren? You know the smoke detector isn’t the timer, right?” Audrey teases. “Har dee har. I started one fire. I’ve been practicing since then, but I could still use some help. Please help me,” I beg. “Why are you putting so much pressure on this anniversary? You aren’t pregnant are you?” My stomach drops. I’ve thought about kids a lot over the last year. Liam keeps insisting we are too young, and don’t have enough money to support a kid. It isn’t a realistic desire, but having lost my family, I long to start one of my own. Of course, Liam is right. Now is not the best time to have a baby to look after. Kids are expensive, and he already works so hard to provide for us. My job as a receptionist doesn’t help as much as I had hoped, but I can’t sit at home all day doing nothing. Liam takes care of our finances, and he is even willing to work extra hours to try and make ends meet. The least I can do is stop badgering him to start a family that would only make him even more stressed out. That’s why I want everything to be perfect tonight. To show him how much I appreciate the life we’ve been building together for the last five years. It hasn’t been easy and yet here we are, defying the odds everyone gave us when we married right after I graduated from high school. Liam is a year older than me. He chose to go to the local community college, even though he had a full ride scholarship for football to Western State, just so he could stay close to me. At the time it seemed romantic, but I often find myself wondering if he regretted not going to school. Sometimes I do. I got accepted into my dream university, Central Valley, and I even managed to get a scholarship. Even with tuition and books covered there were still expenses like housing and food. Still, there are loans, part-time jobs, all sorts of ways to fund an education if you’re willing to work hard enough. Instead of accepting my place in the freshman class, I accepted Liam’s marriage proposal. Liam thought we shouldn’t start our lives out in debt, and I gave up on the idea of going away to school. I did manage to get my AA degree from the community college, and someday I’d like to continue my education. The last six months have been the hardest. It’s a rocky patch, but I know we can overcome it. That starts with the perfect anniversary dinner. All we need is a chance to reconnect. Hopefully rekindle our love life, which has been nearly non-existent except for one drunken night after one of Audrey’s parties. “I can’t tonight. Really, Wren, don’t you think maybe you’re forcing this relationship to work? If you hadn’t gotten married so young, you’d have probably broken up by now. Most people don’t stay with their high school sweetheart.” Counting to ten, I force myself not to blow up at my best friend. Other than Liam, she is the only person on this planet to know pre-tragedy Wren. The carefree girl who dreamed big and lived fearlessly. I buried that girl with my parents the summer before my senior year. My mom’s younger sister came and stayed with me until I turned eighteen, but it wasn’t the same. The only constants in my life are Audrey and Liam. If sometimes I have to bite my tongue to keep from lashing out when she thinks she’s being helpful, it’s worth it to maintain our friendship. I know she’s only saying it because she cares about me. She’s held my hand through every attempt I’ve made lately to save my marriage. Still, I couldn’t say nothing and let her think I agree my marriage isn’t worth the effort. “We’ve talked about this. I love him.” “You shouldn’t have to twist