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Broken (chap 8 & 9) from Loving You Hurts So Good
Hey, everybody! Jed and Sage’s story continues in Broken. Here are Chapters 8 & 9. Please be sure to read Chap 1-7 first. Links are below:
Chapter 1 & 2: Link
Chapter 3: Link
Chapter 4: Link
Chapter 5: Link
Chapter 6 & 7: Link
Chapter Eight
The cabin was surrounded by trees and hidden nicely away from the main roads. Luckily, it was fairly easy to move his wheelchair around because of the cemented pathways. They arrived at two in the morning, and by the time Sage unloaded everything and set the bathroom up, it had turned into three o’clock.
“Thanks again for everything. I think we escaped undetected. I know you must be tired. I’m going to try to use the bathroom one more time, but I think I should be okay now. You should get some sleep,” Jed said.
“Yeah, I’m wiped. I’ll just wait until you’re in bed.”
“You don’t need to tuck me in, Sage.”
Sage laughed. “I like tucking you in. Now, go try to use the bathroom. I want to know if you’re successful with it.”
“You’re a bully!” Jed laughed, wheeling himself into the bathroom. He had no idea how he got so comfortable with her so quickly. It was as if the last ten years had never occurred.
When he returned to the bedroom fifteen minutes later, Sage was still there, but was wearing her sweats and a tank top. “Figured I’d go change and then check on you before hitting the sack.”
“Cute nightie. Sexy!” Jed teased.
“Hey! It’s comfortable. So, were you able to pee in the toilet?”
“I know you won’t leave me alone until I answer, so yes, I did pee. Satisfied?”
“Much.” Sage watched when Jed positioned his wheelchair next to the bed to scoot himself over. “Why don’t you try to stand up to get into the bed?”
“Because I’ll fall flat on my face,” he answered, frowning.
“How do you know unless you try? You have to try every time so you can teach yourself to stand again,” Sage encouraged.
“You think I can just miraculously stand and get into this bed?”
“No, but I can help you stand. I’m just saying the more you force yourself to use the muscles, the better.”
“All right, let’s try it. I’m a lot taller than you. You sure you can help me? I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Yeah, I’ll do what your therapists do. I’ll be right in front of you and hold onto your waist to assist.” Sage took her position, and Jed made sure his feet were properly placed under him. “Okay, at the count of three. You ready?” When Jed nodded, she continued, “One, two, three.”
Jed pushed up with his legs with all his might, and Sage helped him up. He had to hold her shoulders with his hands for support. Somehow, he was bearing weight through his legs, but he knew they would collapse any second. Quickly turning, he fell onto the bed, taking Sage with him.
Both laughing hysterically, Sage remained on top of him while he continued to hold her. “Hey, I think you were able to stand for a second or two,” she said.
“I was pushing down with my hands quite a bit on your shoulders. You okay?” Jed asked while playing with her hair.
Sage looked up at him, suddenly realizing how close they were. “Yeah, um, I better go.”
When she tried to pull herself off of him, Jed held her tighter.
“Not yet,” he whispered. He held her face and brought it down for a kiss. Deepening the kiss, Jed heard her moan. He permitted his hands to roam her body, reliving every memory. He knew exactly how to touch her…what made her feel good. With skin as soft as snow, she melted under his touch. What he wouldn’t do to make her his at that very moment. Reality came crashing down, though, and he abruptly pulled away. “We better stop.”
“Mm,” she moaned. “That felt good.” She rested her head on his chest, enjoying the rock-hard muscles under her. Jed had always been athletic and active, which is probably what’s helping with his rehabilitation.
“Sage? Yeah, so I totally felt something.”
Looking up at him, she asked, “What do you mean?”
“I mean, it felt good, like really good. I didn’t think I could respond like that with my paralysis and all. But, you definitely were able to wake up some muscles that have been inactive since the accident.”
Smiling ear to ear, Sage kissed him again. “That’s the best news yet, Jed.”
When he saw her eyes filling with tears, he said, “Don’t. One day at a time, right?”
“Yes, one day at a time.”
Chapter Nine
Each day, Jed continued to show improvements, and each day, they became closer. While she was stretching his legs on his bed one evening, she said, “One of my colleagues is attending a conference at Dallas this weekend. He’s a neurologist, and he specializes in spinal cord injuries. I’d love for us to meet with him to get his opinion. We can bring your records, and maybe he might be able to give us some type of prognosis.”
“You want us to drive up to Dallas?”
“Yeah, I’ve known him for a while, and I know he’s good at what he does. I think he’ll be honest with us.”
“All right, sure. We can drive up. It’s only an hour and a half drive.”
“Okay, good. I’ll let him know. Maybe he can meet us for lunch or dinner, and we can fill him in.”
Jed remained quiet for a few moments before he finally asked the question that had been bothering him for a long time. “Why did you break up with me, Sage?”
Pausing briefly, she answered, “We were in the opposite sides of the country. Our relationship was drifting, and I knew you were starting a new life in LA. I didn’t want to hold you back.”
“Bullshit! Don’t turn it around on me. You know damn well, I never wanted either of us to quit on our relationship, no matter how hard it got.” Jed remembered feeling the betrayal and the pain when she had ended it. “You wouldn’t even meet with me in person. Our relationship was that insignificant to you that you just ended it over a phone call.”
“It wasn’t easy for me, Jed. But, one of us had to do the right thing. I was busy with my studies, and every time I saw pictures of you on social media partying with different girls, I’d go crazy. I literally couldn’t even focus on anything but what you were doing. Finally, it all just got too much. I knew I had to let you go.” Sage quickly wiped the tears that had slipped out.
Jed grabbed her hand and pulled her down toward him. Rolling on top of her, he stared into her eyes, her soul. His eyes raw with deep emotions, he said, “You made the decision for both of us. You gave me no choice. Like I had no feelings. Like I was just along for a ride. I mattered, Sage. You mattered, and our relationship mattered. I didn’t want us to walk away.”
Sage could see the pain and anger in his eyes. “I tried to stay connected. I called you numerous times, so we could keep in touch,” she tried to explain.
“You think after our history together that I could just be your friend? Come on, you know me better than that.”
With her voice trembling, Sage said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to feel obligated to stay with me. I wanted you to have your freedom. I tried so hard to let you go, Jed. But, you were always with me. Right here, you were always with me.” She took Jed’s hand and placed it over her heart.
Jed buried his face into her neck. “Losing you nearly killed me,” he whispered.
Sage tangled her fingers into the lock of his hair and held him close. Unable to resist, she began to pull his t-shirt off. Playing with his chiseled chest, she closed her eyes, savoring the sensation. She could feel him trembling under her touch, enjoying the power she had over him. “I’ve missed you, Jed.”
Looking deep into her eyes, he slowly lowered his lips, devouring her. Turned on by his passion, Sage instinctively molded her body against his. Soon, he had her tank top off and was already playing with her breasts with his hands and lips. She couldn’t help the moans that slipped out as both of their breathing became erratic.
“Sage, my whole being wants you so bad. You can’t possibly imagine. But, I don’t think I can yet.”
Slowing her breathing down, she said, “It’s okay. It doesn’t matter.”
Jed kissed her one more time. “Stay in this bed with me tonight. I want you in my arms.”
Nothing could make her happier. Sage slid closer to him and cherished the strong arms cradling her.
Jed held her tight, thanking his lucky stars she was back in his life. Holding Sage in his arms felt like being home again.
Chapter 10 coming soon! As always, thank you for your support. All of my books and stories can be found on Amazon (and they’re all free on Kindle Unlimited). LINK
Best Friends, Chapter Six
Here’s the final chapter of my short story, Best Friends. Hope you’ve enjoyed this sweet escape. 🙂 Please make sure to read the first five chapters before this last chapter.
Chapter 1: Link
Chapter 2: Link
Chapter 3: Link
Chapter 4: Link
Chapter 5: Link
Best Friends
Chapter Six
For the entire month, Ryan did not try to reach her. She missed being able to talk to him about nothing and everything. She missed running with him, asking for advice, watching movies with him, and most of all, arguing with him. She hadn’t realized how much Ryan had become a permanent fixture in her life. Now, without him, she was utterly lost and empty. Nobody knew her better than Ryan. Hell, he probably knew her better than she knew herself. Some days, it got so unbearable that she couldn’t help but try to contact him. She tried everything from calling, texting, and even liking every single one of his pictures on social media, just so he would receive a ton of notifications from her. Each time, though, he ignored her.
As far as Jeff went, he was angry with the rejection and did everything he could to ruin her at work. But, to her surprise, she was promoted. Her boss told her she was one of his top attorneys, and she deserved the recognition.
Her colleagues from work insisted on celebrating with her. They were taking her out for dinner and drinks the next Saturday evening. On impulse, she texted Ryan.
Hey Ryan. I wanted you to know that I got a promotion at work. They’re taking me out to celebrate on Saturday. I would rather celebrate it with you. It would mean a lot to me if you could stop by. We will be at Jon’s Karaoke Bar at 10pm.
Most of the coworkers from her firm joined them, including Jeff. She had avoided him for the last month and still had no desire to be anywhere near him. She knew he came to celebrate just to save face.
As the night progressed, she couldn’t help but keep checking to see if Ryan walked in. It was hard to even enjoy herself because her focus was on the front door. Just when she was about to give up, she saw his tall frame standing at the entrance. He was wearing black jeans, a white, button-down shirt, and a black, casual blazer. As soon as she saw him, Kat’s heart jumped. His hair was the same messy look, but seemed to be longer than last time she saw him, making him look even sexier.
Noticing her, Ryan stopped for a brief second before heading toward their group. Kat wanted to run to him and jump on him. In the last seven years, she had never gone this long without seeing him or talking to him. As soon as they were done with college, Ryan had contacted her, and instantly they’d become best friends once again.
Kat left her friends and met him halfway. “Thanks for coming,” she said, restraining herself from pulling him into her arms. She hadn’t seen him in over a month. All she wanted to tell him was how much she missed him not being in her life.
“I can’t stay long. Maybe about half an hour,” he responded. He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
Kat’s heart skipped a beat as his soft lips caressed her. Although it was a brief kiss, the burning lingered.
“That’s fine. I’m just glad you came,” she said, her voice sounding breathless even in her own ears.
“Jeff got you the promotion?” Ryan suddenly asked.
Kat narrowed her eyes at him. “Is it that hard to believe that my promotion was from my own merit?”
“Not at all. Apparently, you had a hard time believing that when you thought you needed him to help you move ahead.”
“Jeff is a nobody to me, Ryan. And yes, I was promoted because of my hard work.” Kat turned to walk back toward their group.
Ryan grabbed her arm and swung her back toward him again. “Hey, I’m proud of you.”
Kat smiled, knowing the truth in his words. “Come on, have a drink or two before you head out.”
Once at the table, everybody swarmed around Ryan, glad to see him. Of course, Jeff kept his distance.
“Our next singer is Katrina Tyler,” the MC announced.
Everybody started clapping and screaming for her. Kat squeezed Ryan’s hand and headed to the stage. Although she was nervous, at least she knew she looked good. She had her tight leather pants on with her stilettos, and her sequined, tan blouse revealed just enough of her cleavage to leave any hot-blooded man begging for more.
Taking the mic, she cleared her throat. “Hello!” Kat paused and cleared her throat again. “This song is dedicated to my best friend. He knows how much I hate putting myself out there, but he’s worth it.”
The crowd hollered for her while her work colleagues turned their heads toward Ryan. Getting up from his chair, Ryan left the group and leaned against the pole, watching her.
When One by Ed Sheeran began playing, Kat lost herself in the song. She changed the word “man” to “woman” in the first line instinctively. She sang the song to Ryan with all her heart, never looking away. Ryan remained motionless, but kept his focus on her…only her. Neither noticed the crowd had gone silent, lost in the magic that was unfolding before their eyes.
When the song finished, people whistled, clapped, and sighed. Kat made her way where Ryan remained standing by the pole, watching her every move.
“Nice song,” he said, as a slow smile played on his lips.
Caught up in the moment, Kat leaned forward and kissed him on the lips while everybody cheered. “I love you, Ryan Stark,” she said, once she stopped kissing him.
“I know,” he answered as he reached to put a lock of her hair behind her ear.
“You do?” Kat asked, feeling like her legs were going to collapse.
“Kat, I’ve been in love with you since the first time I saw you. You know what I remember? The first time you popped my zit. Now, that’s true love. You wouldn’t have done that for me unless you loved me.” Ryan smirked, cupping her chin to look at him.
Kat laughed, remembering that incident all too clearly. They must have been twelve years old, and she had pinned him down to get at his zit. He didn’t want her to do it, but she’d insisted, and finally had to tackle him down to get to it.
“You know what I remember? When we were in kindergarten, and we were in the same soccer team. I fell and scraped my knee. I’m sure I must have cried.”
“You not only cried, but you let out a bloody scream, Kat!”
“Anyway, I was on the ground, and you were all the way on the other side of the field dribbling the ball. You were about to score when you heard my scream. Instead of kicking the ball to get that goal, you ran toward me all the way across the field, helped me up, and brought me to my parents. All that in the middle of the game. Now, that’s true love.”
Ryan kissed her again. “Yes, it is. Let’s get out of here.”
Holding each other’s hands, both escaped the crowded bar. Although it was raining outside, neither cared. They both ran in the rain, laughing.
Suddenly, Ryan stopped her. “I’m ready to collect my debt now.”
Confused, Kat said, “Huh? What debt?”
“You owe me, remember? When I agreed to be your pretend boyfriend. You said you’d do whatever I asked.”
Kat laughed. “Yes, I do remember. Okay, name it. Your wish is my command.” She then bowed dramatically in front of him.
“Marry me.”
Kat’s legs buckled and would have tumbled down if it weren’t for Ryan grabbing a hold of her.
Pulling her close to him, he continued, “I don’t want to be friends with benefits. I don’t want to be your boyfriend in some silly relationship. I’ve always known I was going to marry you one day. I want you in my life forever, Kat. Marry me.”
Unable to hold the tears back, Kat wrapped her arms and legs around him as he spun her. The rain danced with them as they lost themselves in their past and the new memories yet to be created in the future.
*****
“You wander from room to room, hunting for the diamond necklace that is already around your neck.” -Rumi
That’s Best Friends. I absolutely loved writing this story. So many times, special relationships are right in front of us, and we don’t even notice.
If you’re interested in reading any of my books, here’s my Amazon page. Link
They are also free on Kindle Unlimited!
Best Friends, Chapter Four
Many of you have been following Kat and Ryan’s story in Best Friends. This is a romantic comedy, and I absolutely loved writing this short story. Before reading this chapter, please make sure to read Chapter 1, 2, and 3 first. Here are the links:
Chapter 1: Link
Chapter 2: Link
Chapter 3: Link
Best Friends
Chapter Four
The strong body braced against her pulled her closer. When the powerful arms embraced her from behind and wrapped around her, she sighed. It had been so long to have a warm body next to her. As soon as the hand snuck under her shirt, her eyes flung open. Immediately recognizing that it was Ryan’s hand exploring her body, Kat froze. Was he even awake? Did he know what he was doing?
Kat wanted to stop him, but she was unable to resist the way he was making her feel. Her breathing hitched when his hand found her breast. She bit her bottom lip to stop the moan from escaping. A part of her knew this was wrong in every way, but it felt too good. What was wrong with her? It was Ryan, her buddy, for heaven’s sake!
She felt his face in the nape of her neck, as he continued seducing her with his tongue. When he played with her nipple, Kat couldn’t hold the moan back. She knew Ryan was aroused when she felt him against her hips, and she couldn’t stop herself from leaning into him.
“I want you, Sarah. I have to have you, right now.”
Reality hit her like a ton of bricks. Ryan was apparently still asleep and thought she was Sarah. Kat pulled herself out of his hold and rolled off the bed.
Confused, Ryan’s eyes sprung open as he tried to process the situation.
Kat stood back up, grabbed her pillow, and hit him with it. “Are you crazy? It’s me, dummy! You’re trying to make out with me.”
Ryan continued staring at her and finally realized what happened. For a brief second, he was embarrassed, but then he chuckled under his breath. “I wake up horny every morning. What do you want from me?”
“You called me Sarah!” Kat accused.
“Of course I would think you’re Sarah. I’ve been with her for the last couple of months. Would you have rather I called you Kat? Now, that would have been weird, wouldn’t it?”
Kat remained silent. He was absolutely right, of course. The only problem was that she knew it was Ryan that had turned her on. Suddenly ashamed, she turned away.
“I’m going for a run this morning. I think I need it. You coming?” Kat decided to change the subject. She knew it was pretty early in the morning, and the others were probably still sleeping.
“Of course. I’ll see you downstairs in about ten minutes?”
Kat dodged to the bathroom with a change of clothes. She put on her jogging shorts and her tank top, pulled her hair up in a high ponytail, and headed downstairs. Ryan was already waiting for her by the front porch wearing his tank top and basketball shorts. Kat always knew he had a fit body since he worked out all the time, but noticing how sexy he looked was making her feel uneasy.
Deliberately pushing all thoughts away, Kat took her frustrations out on the run.
***
The group decided to go horseback riding and canoeing that day. Once again, Kat was annoyed at how hard Jenna kept trying to get close to Ryan. True to his word, though, Ryan continued to focus his attention on Kat and be the devoted boyfriend.
By the time they got back to the cabin, Kat was beat and was ready to crash. She was glad the trip would end tomorrow since this charade had drained her. Not understanding her feelings toward Ryan, she decided to call it an early night. By the time Ryan got into their room, she was fast asleep.
The next day, Kat woke up extra early. She took a quick shower and watched Ryan as he still remained asleep. She always recognized that he’d grown up to be a beautiful man, but she’d never thought of him as anything more than her best friend. Lying there shirtless, Ryan’s chiseled chest, defined abs, and muscular arms screamed for her. Bottom line was, she wanted him.
Just then, Ryan’s eyes flew open. “What’s up? Why are you staring at me?”
Kat wondered if Ryan had been awake all that time and somehow figured out that she had shamelessly fantasized about him. “Has this weekend been weird for you?” she finally asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Okay, you’re my best friend, and I can tell you anything, right? I mean, I’ve always been able to tell you anything I wanted, so why should it change now?”
“Spit it out, Kat. What’s wrong?” Ryan sat up, suddenly curious.
“Well, I’ve been kinda sorta attracted to you. It could be because we’re in an intimate setting? I don’t know. But I need to get it out of my system. Do you want to be…you know?”
Ryan raised his eyebrows. “No, I don’t know. What are you saying?”
“Geez, Ryan! Do I have to spell everything out? I wouldn’t mind if we were friends with benefits. I mean, I’d be willing to try, if you were.”
Ryan jumped out of the bed and marched toward her. “You want to have sex with me?”
“Don’t worry, no strings attached. Admit it, Ryan, you were turned on yesterday morning. Sure, you thought I was Sarah, but it was still my body. I think we’re adults enough to handle it.”
Ryan stood in front of her and stared down hard at her, making her feel nervous. “I don’t know whether to take your proposal as a compliment or an insult.”
“Why would you take it as an insult?” Kat placed her hand on his bare chest, no longer in control of her actions.
Ryan grabbed her hand by her wrist and shoved it away. “Because, Kat, you just made me feel like a piece of meat.”
Kat rolled her eyes. “Will you stop analyzing everything? You sleep around with girls all the time. You have one night stands, for heaven’s sake!”
Clenching his jaw, Ryan pulled away from her. “No, the answer is no. I don’t want to be your friend with benefits. It would completely ruin our friendship.” Ryan walked toward their door. “I’m going for a run…alone this time.”
Hearing the door slam, Kat closed her eyes. She had no idea why he was upset with her, but she probably shouldn’t have said anything to him. This whole experience at the retreat had been awkward for both of them, and she couldn’t wait to go back to her normal life.
Surprised to hear the soft knock on the door, she said, “Come in.”
Jeff strolled in, closing the door behind him. “Trouble in paradise?”
“What do you mean?”
“Ryan slamming the door woke everybody up, Katrina.”
“As usual, I think you’re reading too much into it, Jeff. What do you want?”
“Look, I didn’t come here to argue. I just haven’t been able to get you alone at all this weekend. I have to get this off of my chest. I’m still in love with you. I’ve never been able to get over you.” Jeff walked toward her, his arms reaching for her.
Kat stepped away from him, confused. “What are you saying? We broke up six months ago. What about Angel?”
“Angel is nobody serious. You know that. I was upset because you wouldn’t agree to move in with me at the time. I was ready for the next step, and you weren’t. I’ve regretted my decision to end our relationship ever since. Please give me another chance, Katrina. What we had was special. Don’t give up on us.”
Kat frowned, her mind completely jumbled from this new information. “Jeff, you’re throwing a lot at me right now.”
“I know, honey. But, I had to just go for it. I would forever regret it if I didn’t fight for you.” Jeff reached her and took her hand. Kissing it softly, his baby blue eyes stared into her green ones. “You know I love you, right?”
Kat inhaled a deep breath. “I’m confused, Jeff. I need some time to think this over. You can’t just expect me to forget the last six months since our breakup.”
“No, of course not, dear Katrina. Let’s just get back home, and I’ll call you this evening when we can talk in peace.” Jeff leaned into her and teased her lips with his before turning around and walking out of the door.
Okay, chapter five will be posted next week. Hope you’re enjoying how this story is developing. What’s up with Jeff? Ugh, can’t stand him! Love how Kat suggest to Ryan that they should be friends with benefits. 🙂
If you’re interested in continuing with this story or any other short stories, you can get Loving You Hurts So Good on Amazon. It’s also free on Kindle Unlimited. Amazon
If you’re interested in reading any other books, here’s my Amazon page. Link
Best Friends, Chapter 2
I posted Chapter 1 last week. Each week, I’m going to try to post another chapter of my short stories. These stories were fun to write, so I want to share these amazing characters to my readers.
Here’s the link to Chapter 1, so please read this first before continuing. Chapter1
Best Friends
Chapter Two
It was a two-hour drive to the resort. Ryan was driving while Kat enjoyed the country breeze blowing from the windows.
“So, what did you tell Sarah?” she asked.
“Women are crazy…no offense. I tried to tell her I was going away with my buddies for the weekend.”
“You mean you tried to lie to her.”
“Whatever. Anyway, she started throwing a fit about that. Something about how come I don’t take her away for a weekend. It got so annoying that I just had to break it off right then and there.”
“Are you serious? You broke up with her? All because of a little disagreement?”
“She was starting to become too clingy anyway. I’ve been feeling claustrophobic lately.”
Kat shook her head in disapproval. “What happened to the nice Ryan I used to know when we were kids? That Ryan would have treated his girlfriend like a princess.”
Ryan laughed. “That Ryan never dated. He couldn’t even get a date if he tried.”
“Well, you went from one extreme to another. You’ve never wanted to be in a serious relationship? I mean, Ryan, we’re getting old. Maybe we should be thinking of finding somebody to settle down with.”
“Speak for yourself. I’m in my prime age. We’re only twenty-eight. You make it seem like we’re in our fifties or something.”
Kat rolled her eyes, wondering what happened to her sweet, innocent Ryan in the last ten years. “Well, one day, somebody is going to steal your heart, and you won’t even know what hit you.”
Ryan remained silent for several seconds. Changing the subject, he said, “Okay, let’s talk about the game plan for this weekend. Do I need to know anything? What kind of boyfriend am I to you? How did we decide to start dating? We need to make sure we have the same stories, Kat.”
“Right! Okay, so you have to convince them that you’re head over heels in love with me. That’s the best payback. I’m dying to see Jeff’s reaction. Nobody knows I’m bringing you. They all think I’m coming alone. I can’t wait to see their faces when you walk in with me.” Kat smiled to herself, visualizing the entire scenario. “As far as how we started dating… hmm let’s see…Oh, I know! You’ve always been in love with me since we were kids. You just never had to guts to tell me. But, one day, when we were out, and we were both drunk, you finally had the courage to confess to me. I decided to give it a chance, and well, you won me over.”
“That’s stupid. I don’t like that at all. It makes me sound pathetic. You know, less of a man that I had to get drunk to tell you my feelings. Why can’t you be the one who asked me out? How about, you were drunk and called me over. You attacked me, but I was a gentleman and didn’t take advantage of you. When you woke up in my arms the next day and realized that I respected you enough to not do the dirty, you realized that I was the one for you. It was like an epiphany.” Ryan smiled smugly at his version of the story.
“Wow, that’s really bad. But fine, if that makes you feel more like a man, we’ll go with that story. By the way, you know we have to share a room, right?”
“I figured as much. It would look very strange if we were in different rooms. I don’t have a problem with it. I mean, it’s not like we’ve never shared a bed before.”
Kat laughed, remembering how they would have sleepovers all the time until they were about ten years old. After that, both of their parents allowed them to hang out, but restricted sleeping together.
“Wish we could go back in time, Ryan. Everything was just so much simpler back then.”
Ryan reached to hold her hand. Squeezing it, he said, “You just make things more complicated than it needs to be. Things can still be simple.”
She sighed, shaking her head. “No. Life is complicated. We were so innocent back then that we didn’t notice. When middle school and high school came, everything changed.”
He removed his hand and placed it back on the steering wheel. “It didn’t have to change. We drifted apart. You hung out with the popular kids. I’m sure being a big time cheerleader put a lot of pressure on you regarding who you could hang out with. A nerdy guy with glasses and pimples would not have been cool at all.”
Kat sensed the bitterness in his tone. “Ryan, I know I was a bitch back then. Those stupid, so-called ‘popular’ friends are not even in my life right now. You’re the only one who has stood by me through all these years.” She leaned her head onto his shoulder. Ryan meant the world to her. She knew she was nasty to him those years growing up, but once she matured, she had always regretted it.
Ryan sighed and placed his arm around her, bringing her closer to him. “Hey, on the bright side, at least the pimples, the greasy hair, and the glasses are gone now.”
“Amen!” Kat agreed, leaning her face up and kissing his cheek.
Before long, they were pulling up on the dirt road which led to the oversized cabin. There would be seven other couples there. Luckily, the cabin was large enough, consisting of eight bedrooms, four bathrooms, a kitchen, basement, and a large living room. The law firm liked to send the attorneys away once a year. They felt it was good for team building and the morale of the firm.
Kat’s anxiety began to build as they pulled up the driveway. She had purposefully avoided Jeff at work since the breakup. How was she going to handle being under the same roof, especially with his new girlfriend?
Ryan must have sensed her uneasiness because before exiting the car, he grabbed her hand. “Hey, you okay? Show me the confident, badass Kat I’ve known all these years.”
Kat took a deep breath and nodded. She could do this, especially with Ryan standing by her side. “I’ll be fine. I just needed a second.”
Without saying anything further, Ryan jumped out of the car and swung around to open her door. He then grabbed their luggage and waited for her to catch up. Smiling reassuringly at her, he gave her his arm for her to hold while they both walked toward the door.
Jenna, one of her colleagues, ran out. “Katrina, you made it! You’re the last to arrive.” She turned her attention toward Ryan. “Oh, hey! Ryan, right? I didn’t realize Katrina was bringing anybody?” She then turned her gaze toward Kat, her eyes dancing with curiosity.
“Hey, Jenna. Yeah, I wanted to bring my boyfriend to the retreat. Can’t be away from him for all those days,” Kat replied, proud of herself at how smoothly she handled that.
“Hello, Jenna. Long time, no see,” Ryan said, flashing his sexy smile.
Kat detected the flirtatious tone and glared at him when Jenna’s back was to them. Damn him, he just can’t help himself.
Ryan smirked, shrugging his shoulders innocently.
Once inside, the rest of the guests crowded around them, everybody talking at once about the plans for the weekend. Kat immediately noticed Jeff as he slowly strolled toward them from the living room.
“Hey, guys! You all remember Ryan, right? My best friend from childhood? Well, he’s now my boyfriend.” Kat decided to just throw it out there right from the start.
Everybody stopped talking and stared at Ryan and then back at her. Kat could feel the heat rising to her face, wondering if she totally screwed that one up.
Ryan placed the luggage down and said, “Hey, glad to be here. I probably know most of you here, except for the significant others. I just couldn’t let Kat go without me. I would miss her every minute of the day. Hope you guys don’t mind me tagging along.” He pulled Kat into his arms and lifted her chin, gazing into her eyes. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers, teasing her. “Three days without you would be the death of me, Kat,” he whispered.
While several women from the audience sighed, Kat knew her face was probably beet-red by then. She had not prepared for this at all. She thought she could pull this off, but she was failing big time. Not only was she flustered from Ryan’s kiss, she was completely astonished by his acting skills. How the hell was he so good at this?
“So, where’s our room, guys? Would love to unpack and get cleaned up a bit,” Ryan asked the group.
“Oh, yeah, sorry, Ryan. Where are our manners? You just threw us off guard with that sexy kiss,” Larry said, and several people chuckled. Larry was one of the guys who had organized this trip. “It’s upstairs. Come on, I’ll show you guys.”
Kat sprinted after Larry, well aware of Jeff’s eyes following her and watching her every move. Once Larry left Ryan and her alone in the room, she closed the door. She immediately noticed the tiny room with the full sized bed in the center. Against the wall, there was a small chest with a mirror and four drawers. This is going to be a long weekend, she thought.
Ignoring the setup of the room, she turned her attention back to Ryan. “What was that?” she whispered.
“What?” he asked innocently, raising his eyebrow.
“That…that kiss…downstairs. I was not prepared! You should have warned me.”
“Kat, you were making a total fool out of yourself. I was trying to save you.”
“I made more of a fool out of myself from your kiss. I was not ready for that,” Kat continued to whisper loudly, her hands on her hips.
“How could I know that my kiss was going to get you all rattled? I didn’t know I had that kind of effect on you.” Ryan laughed, unable to hold back.
Kat picked up the pillow and threw it at him. “It didn’t have any effect on me. I just didn’t realize you were going to kiss me right then and there. I needed to be prepared, that’s all. Besides, it’s not like that’s the first time we’ve kissed!” she hissed.
Ryan was in the middle of unpacking his clothes, but turned to her when she said that. “You remember that? We were like four years old.”
“Of course I remember. That was the first time. We snuck a peck in the closet. But then, we kissed again when we were ten. And, the last time, we were thirteen. That one was a bit longer.”
Ryan laughed. “Yes, I remember all of our innocent kissing. I think we were curious more than anything. Guess there will be a lot of kissing this weekend. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Oh my God, Ryan! You’re impossible.” With that, she took her luggage and began throwing her clothes in the drawers.
Fifteen minutes later, they were both heading downstairs, holding hands. As soon as they arrived in the living room, Jenna grabbed her and said, “Come on, Katrina. I’ll get you some wine. Ryan, do you want anything?”
“Yeah, I’ll take some beer if you have some.”
“Of course,” Jenna replied. She continued to pull Kat into the kitchen with her. “Holy shit, Katrina! Why didn’t you tell any of us? He’s so hot. How do you manage to get the most beautiful guys?” Jenna poured the red wine into the glass and handed it to her. She leaned into the fridge and grabbed a Bud Light. “Did you see Jeff’s face? It was priceless!”
Kat took the opportunity to inquire about Jeff. “Which one is his girlfriend? I don’t know everybody here.”
“Oh, she’s the cute blonde who looks like she’s twenty-one. Her name is Angel. I don’t know what he sees in her. I swear, she’s probably ten years younger than him.”
“Angel? Really?” Kat couldn’t help herself, and she noticed her immediately.
Angel had long, curly hair, a petite body, and a gorgeous face. Yep, complete opposite of her. Kat had brown, wavy, shoulder-length hair, green eyes, and although she prided herself to be physically fit, she knew she wasn’t petite by any means. She was 5’8” and being a natural athlete, she had strong, defined muscles. Jeff was 6’1”, and his new girl, Angel, seemed like she was just over five feet. As much as Kat hated to admit it, she knew that Angel was a looker. She had the innocent beauty that most guys would be drawn to and would want to take care of her.
“Yes, he told us her name was Angel. She’s kind of clingy, though,” Jenna continued. “Who cares about her, though? I want to hear more about what happened with Ryan and you. I always knew there was something there between you two. I was just wondering when you guys were going to figure it out.”
Kat swallowed hard, faking a smile. Before she could reply, she heard Jeff say, “So, Ryan, how did you and Katrina finally hook up? We want to hear about this.”
Ryan looked at her and smiled. As he held his hand out to her, Kat walked to him and took it. She handed him his beer, and he pulled her into his embrace as he planted a kiss on her forehead.
“Oh, I’ve always been in love with her. Probably since the first time I saw her…yeah, I was about three years old when my family moved next to Kat’s house. I would say it was love at first sight for me.” Ryan caressed her back, pulling her tighter into his arms.
“That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard,” Dee, one of her other colleagues, said. “What about you, Katrina? What finally convinced you to give him a chance?”
By now, Kat was so confused, she couldn’t remember what story they had agreed on. When she continued to stand there with a fixed smile on her face, Ryan continued, “Oh, she had no idea I’ve felt this way. Finally, I just couldn’t take it anymore. One day, we were hanging out at a karaoke bar, and I had plenty to drink. I finally got the courage to get on stage and sing to her about how I felt.”
Kat was frozen. Where was this coming from? They hadn’t discussed this at all.
“You sang to her? You’re kidding! How sweet are you!” Dee jams her boyfriend in the rib.
“What? Oh, man, you’re gonna get all the guys in trouble here,” her boyfriend said.
“What did you sing to her?” Jenna asked, dying to know the details.
“One by Ed Sheeran,” Ryan replied. “Once I was on stage, I announced that I was dedicating the song to my best friend, Kat. Of course, after I sang the song, she finally figured out how I felt about her. And, well, the rest is history.”
“That is the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” somebody said, while other females began to sigh loudly around the room.
“You loved my singing, didn’t you, babe?” Ryan turned his attention to Kat, flashing his cocky lopsided grin.
“Yes, babe, I did. You sounded just as good as Ed Sheeran, if not better. Stole my heart that day,” Kat said, staring hard into Ryan’s eyes, and silently promising him he wasn’t going to get away with this one.
That’s all for now, folks! Chapter three is coming your way next week. Kat and Ryan’s story is becoming interesting, right?
If you’re interested in continuing with this story or any other short stories, you can get Loving You Hurts So Good on Amazon. It’s also available on Kindle Unlimited. Amazon
If you’re interested in reading any other books, here’s my Amazon page. Link
Best Friends, Chapter 1
Hello, good people! Happy 2018! I have decided to share some of my short story collection right here on my website. Most of these stories are in Loving You Hurts So Good, which is available on Amazon.
I will post a chapter at a time. Hopefully, you guys enjoy reading the stories as much as I enjoyed writing them. Today, I’m posting Chapter One of “Best Friends.” It’s a contemporary romance/romantic comedy. I just think it’s really a cute story, and literally, I laughed out loud writing some of the parts. I totally fell in love with Ryan and Kat and their story.
Best Friends
Chapter One
“You drag me to dinner with you just to watch you mope around? Come on, Kat, you’re acting ridiculous.” Ryan watched her play with her food.
“Ryan, you don’t understand how serious this is. I have to go to this stupid retreat with my firm. There’s no way I can get out of it.”
“Can’t you just say you caught the flu at the last minute or something?” Ryan took another bite of his steak.
“No. You see, that’s what everybody is expecting. They think I’m going to back out. I just can’t give Jeff that kind of satisfaction.” Kat slammed her fork down onto her plate.
“Then go there looking hot and show him what a mistake he made. Show him you don’t even notice him.” He cut another piece of his steak and brought the fork to her mouth. “You’ve got to try this. It’s freakin’ delicious.”
Kat opened her mouth and accepted the tender meat. “Mmm, yes! That’s sooo good.”
“Told you! Here, if you don’t like your food, you want half of mine?”
“Nah, I’m too worried about next weekend to enjoy it. I’m sorry, Ryan. I’m a terrible company.”
“Yes, you are. You need to stop letting this loser make you feel like this. You guys have been broken up for over six months now.”
“I know! I know! This is definitely not me. But damn it, I have to see him at the office every day. And now that he’s got a new girlfriend, it’s just that much harder. He’s bringing her to the retreat, so I’ll have to watch him flaunt her around. Why me?”
“If you had started dating again, you could have brought your new boyfriend to the retreat and shoved it in his face.” Ryan’s eyes were dancing as he teased her.
“You know I’ve had a hard time moving on after Jeff. But yes, that would have been the perfect revenge. He dumped me after an entire year of dating. I’ve never dated anybody that long for God’s sake. And this is exactly the reason why I don’t.”
Ryan smirked. “You broke your own rule on this scum, Kat. Hope you learned your lesson.”
She rolled her eyes. “You think this is funny, don’t you?” She snatched his plate. “Give me this. I change my mind.”
As she began eating his food, all Ryan could do was laugh at his friend. He was happy to see her eating something. “So, what are you going to do?”
“I like your idea of bringing a boyfriend. But there’s no way I can find one by next weekend. I’m screwed.” She continued to devour the food. Suddenly, she stopped eating. “Wait a minute. I got an idea.”
“Oh, no. I don’t like the sound of that. One of your ideas usually means trouble.”
“Um, okay. Let me think. Remember when you told me you owed me big?”
“No, when did I say that? I think I remember you saying that to me.”
“Ryan, of course you’ve said that. You say it all the time to me.”
“You have a very selective memory, Kat. But okay, what do you want?”
“Just hear me out with an open mind, first, okay?” Ryan nodded hesitantly, worried what she was about to say. “I want you to come with me to the resort. You know, as my new boyfriend.”
Ryan laughed. He couldn’t help it. His friend was going nuts through the years. “I know you’ve lost your mind now.”
“Why not?” she whined.
“I’m not going to this boring retreat and pretend to be your boyfriend, Kat. It’s not going to happen.”
“Why not? I would do it for you.”
“No, you wouldn’t.”
“Yes, I would! If I knew you were desperate, I would do it. Why wouldn’t I do that for my best friend? Like best friends are supposed to be there for each other. Through thick and thin. And you said to go with a hot boyfriend. You’re the perfect hottie! Everywhere we go, the girls drool all over you.”
“It’s not going to work, so you might as well stop. Besides, everybody at your job knows me, including Jeff. And let’s not forget, I have a girlfriend.”
“It’s just for three days. Sarah doesn’t have to know. Just make something up. Or just tell her the truth if you’d like. As far as my work goes, I’ll just tell everybody we realized that we had feelings for one another all this time.”
“I would not tell Sarah anything, Kat. You really think she would support the idea? She’s already jealous of you.”
“Yeah, why does she hate me so much? How long have you been dating her? Two months now? Isn’t that your time limit with girls?”
Ryan couldn’t help but laugh. It completely sucked that Kat knew him so well. But he wasn’t tired of Sarah yet, and he certainly didn’t want to break up with her just to be a “pretend” boyfriend for Kat.
“What’s in it for me?” he finally asked.
“My company isn’t enough?”
“Nope, I can get that anytime. If I went along with this stupid idea of yours, I’d have to deal with your uptight colleagues for three whole days. If that’s not torture, I don’t know what is.”
“Fine, I’ll give you that. What do you want?”
Ryan rubbed his chin, narrowing his eyes. “Let me think about this. I’m going to make sure this is well worth it for me.”
“I’ll tell you what, Ryan. You don’t even have to tell me right now. You do this huge favor for me, and I’ll do whatever you ask of me.”
A sly smile began to form on Ryan’s face as his eyes danced in mischief. “I like the sound of that. Hope you know what you’re getting into.”
Okay, that’s Chapter One. I will post the second chapter next week. If you absolutely can’t wait and need to read this one and other stories, you can get Loving You Hurts So Good on Amazon. It’s also free on Kindle Unlimited. Just click here.
Jalpa Williby 