Choices (New Beginnings #1)

by Michelle Lynn

  Choices

  A New Beginnings Novel

  By

  Michelle Lynn

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2016 by Michelle Lynn

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Printed in the United States of America

  Cover by Rachel Bostwick

  For the caretakers - anyone who goes out of their way to be there for someone with a disability. We appreciate it. You are a blessing. This book would not have been possible without the caretakers in my life.

  Also by Michelle Lynn:

  Dawn of Rebellion

  Day of Reckoning

  Eve of Tomorrow

  One

  "Happy Birthday!"

  Michaela pulled the phone away from her face and groaned. "What time is it?"

  "11:50," her brother answered, a little too loudly in her opinion.

  "And you're calling me why?"

  "I do every year," he said, sounding slightly offended that she didn't remember.

  "Right." She rubbed her eyes and yawned. "I thought you were coming home today. I was waiting for you."

  "Sorry, sis. I had something I had to do."

  "Okay," she paused. "Well, when will you be here?"

  "Sooner than you think." She didn't get the chance to ask what he meant before he hung up.

  "Thanks a lot, bro." She sighed and put her phone back on the bedside table. She closed her eyes, but before she could fall asleep there was a knock on her bedroom door.

  "Trying to sleep in here!" she called. Didn't everyone get how cranky she would be without her sleep? She couldn't imagine who would be up at midnight on a Monday - besides her brother. Apparently no one, because that's who opened the door.

  "Chris!" Michaela bolted out of bed, suddenly awake, and threw her arms around him.

  "Hey, Mic," he laughed. "Good to see you too."

  "I was so mad at you when you didn't get here when you promised." She released him and punched him in the shoulder. "I thought you were going to miss it." She took a step back and examined him. His wavy auburn hair was the same color as hers, and it was perfectly styled as usual. Chris never went anywhere without looking his best, although he’d changed his usual suit for a pair of running shorts.

  The hair wasn't where the similarities between the two of them stopped. Looking into Chris's large brown eyes was like looking into her own. People might think they were twins if it wasn't for the age difference. Chris had five years on Michaela, but that didn't mean they weren't close. Growing up, they’d needed each other in order to survive in a world where social status, reputation, and money meant more than your own kids.

  "Never," he said, grinning. "I wouldn't leave you to face the wolves alone."

  Michaela's birthday was always a big deal around their house, but Chris was the only one who ever made it about her. Their mom and dad used it as an excuse to throw their annual end-of-summer party for clients and social climbers alike. Michaela wouldn't even know many of the people there.

  "Well, I'm glad you're here." She mirrored his grin.

  "We do have traditions we need to uphold."

  "The beach?" Michaela asked.

  "Throw your running shorts on," he said, "we only have a few minutes to get there."

  For as long as she could remember, the two of them had celebrated her birthday on the beach at midnight. He always wanted to be the first to wish her a happy birthday. It helped her forget about everything else - at least for a little while.

  Not wanting to wake anyone up, they crept through the house silently.

  "Race you!" Michaela yelled as soon as they were outside. She had a head start but Chris was faster so they reached the beach access at the same time. It wasn't far.

  They slowed slightly as the firm ground gave way to shifting sand and the air grew heavy with the smell of the ocean and the salt spray that accompanied the stiff breeze.

  They had the beach to themselves since it was the middle of the night, and that's how they liked it. The full moon lit their path so they wouldn't lose their footing, and the only sounds to break the silence were the waves crashing upon the shore and brother and sister gasping for breath.

  "Later, Mic!" Chris sped up, but Michaela matched him stride for stride. She could tell that his job as a corporate lawyer wasn't giving him much time to run. She had had plenty of time for it in college and even more in the months since graduation.

  She was just hitting her groove as her brother was struggling beside her.

  "Fine!" he gasped. "I give." He stopped abruptly and sat on the sand with his head between his knees, breathing heavily.

  "Must be the old age." She patted him on the back before sitting beside him.

  "Yeah. Yeah." He swatted her hand away and laughed. "Thought I'd go easy on you for your birthday."

  "You’ve never once gone easy on me."

  "First time for everything," he said.

  "Want a rematch then?" she asked innocently.

  "No."

  As Chris sat there panting, Michaela got up, walked to the edge of the water, and splashed her face and arms. The night was hot and sticky, as Connecticut usually was in late August.

  "I really am glad you're here," she said, turning back.

  "It's good to be home," he responded.

  "Is it?" She couldn't keep the surprise from her voice. As far as she knew, Chris never liked being here. Neither did she, for that matter.

  "Well, it's good to see you."

  She knew what he meant. Their house was anything but warm. Their parents loved to brag to their country club friends about their son, the lawyer. They just didn't spend enough time with him to know anything else about him.

  Michaela hadn't seen Chris since Easter. She knew he felt terrible about missing her college graduation, but he couldn't get time off and she’d told him it didn't matter since she'd be in the city with him soon.

  "So, what's new?" Michaela asked, wanting to steer the conversation away from their home life.

  "I got a new place," he answered.

  "That's great," she said. "I mean, I never saw the old place, so I wouldn't know the difference, but that's cool. Why'd you move?"

  "The old apartment was a studio, this one is a two-bedroom."

  "You going to have a roommate?"

  "I was hoping for a certain Columbia student who's supposed to move into the dorms in a few days." He looked sideways at her and she screamed.

  "Are you serious?"

  "Yep."

  "That'd be perfect! I was so not looking forward to living in dorms again. This is the best birthday present!"

  "Actually, your present is that you're coming into the city with me tomorrow. I figured you'd be dying to get out of here. You said you're pretty much packed so we can load your stuff up today."

  She lunged at him and tackled him to the sand in a hug. "I needed this so bad!"

  "I thought so."

  This was perfect. Her mom had been driving her nuts. Between going to the club and all the charity dinners, she was sick of these people.

  "How's Ethan?" Chris asked in a more serious tone. He didn't like Ethan. Her parents, however, were ready to change her name to Mrs. Michaela Walker already.

  Ethan and Michaela had been dating since freshman year of high school. Their mothers were best friends and she was pretty sure they already had their
wedding planned. Their families had been vacationing together since they were kids. Some people thought they were meant to be. Most of the time, Michaela thought so too. She assumed they'd end up married one day, but she knew she wasn't ready for that yet. Not even close. Ethan was in med school and she was going to law school, so they were going to have to do long distance for a little while. He was at Harvard and she hadn't gotten into Harvard Law. Plus, she wanted to be in the city.

  "Oh, you know," she said finally, "he thrives on all this stuff around here."

  "I'll bet he does."

  "Chris, he's not as bad as you think he is."

  "I've known him just as long as you have, Mic. Guy is a grade-A ass."

  "Just stop ... please," she pleaded. She hated being torn between the two of them. Chris was her brother, but she loved Ethan.

  "I just don't want you to get hurt."

  "I know," she sighed. "He’d never hurt me."

  They stayed on the beach for hours, waiting for the sun to rise. After watching the colors stretch across the sky for a while, Michaela reluctantly stood and reached a hand down to her brother. "We should go."

  "Yeah, I'm starving." He took her hand and got to his feet. "We need to make it back to the house in time to get a bit of sleep before Mom goes full party mode and gets angry we aren't there."

  "Come on, I'll race you." She took off sprinting again.

  ###

  "Michaela, Christopher, where have you been?" their mom, the one and only Catherine Matthews, demanded when they finally made an appearance hours later.

  "Good to see you too, Mom." Chris said, kissing her cheek and then walking by without answering her question. She didn't miss a beat as she turned to Michaela.

  "Are you two prepared for tonight?" their father asked as he entered the room.

  "David," their mom said. "Good, you're home. I was worried you wouldn't make it in time."

  He set his briefcase on the chair and crossed the space to stand in front of them. He’d been in the city on business for a few days. "I have a lot of important clients coming today. You need to be on your best behavior." He directed this to his son. Chris used to be in the habit of drinking too much at these things and getting into trouble. He’d changed since finishing law school, though. But Michaela knew her father wouldn't have noticed that. He was the kind of dad that only noticed his kids when they did something wrong.

  "We have a party in only a few hours," their mother interrupted, turning back towards Michaela. "Go take a shower," she ordered. "You have a hair appointment in one hour and you look like some beach rat."

  "Happy birthday to me," Michaela grumbled, passing Chris on the stairs. He gave her a sympathetic smile, knowing what this day would entail.

  Chris packed Michaela's stuff into his car while she got ready for the party. She was pretty sure that the thought of leaving tomorrow would be the only thing to get her through the night.

  Michaela put on the dress her mom had laid on the bed and stepped in front of the mirror. She had to admit that her mom was right. The dress looked good. It fit her small frame perfectly, and was just short enough to show off her long legs. Her back was mostly bare, and shiny auburn ringlets flowed down it gracefully. The professionals had been set on her. It was all just so ... perfect. It was what was expected of her - of a Matthews. She was supposed to set the example of what a lady should look and act like. That's what her mom always told her. Sometimes she wished she could just be a girl rather than a lady. She sighed, stepped away, and slipped on a pair of heels. There was still an hour to go but she needed a drink so she headed outside.

  The back lawn had been transformed. Tables lined the grass, with their white table cloths and beautiful floral centerpieces. A dance floor was set up on the far end, near the bar. That's where Michaela went, but she wasn't the first one there. Chris sat talking to the man behind the bar. He flashed his best grin and the bartender returned it, laughing at something he said.

  "Hey," Michaela said, joining them.

  "Wow, you look great!" Chris whistled.

  "Thanks."

  "Need a drink?"

  "Hell yes," she said, taking a seat.

  "Carlos." Chris turned back to the bartender. "This is my sister. She's turning twenty-three today and will be needing a lot of drinks."

  "What can I get you?" Carlos asked.

  "Just a beer," she said, glancing around. "Before my mom comes out and makes me drink wine or something."

  "I haven't brought the beer out here yet since the party doesn't start for another hour. I was just about to go grab one for Chris. Wait here." She nodded and he hurried off.

  When the bartender was gone, Michaela reached out and slapped her brother on the side of his head.

  "Hey!" he protested. "What was that for?"

  "You were flirting with him!"

  "Oh," Chris shrugged. He was a serial flirt.

  "You're the one who doesn't want Mom and Dad to know," she reminded him. "I still don't agree with that, by the way."

  "You know how they’d react," he said.

  "You're twenty-eight years old, for Christ's sake!"

  "They wouldn't be okay with it, and I don't want them in my business." They both shut up as Carlos came back. Michaela had been trying to convince Chris to come out to their parents for years. Everyone outside their hometown knew, but Michaela also knew when she'd overstepped her bounds.

  She thanked Carlos for the beer and went for a walk. The only place to escape all the madness around there was the beach, so that's where she was going when she heard her name.

  "Michaela!"

  "Ethan." She smiled at the sight of him.

  "Hey babe." He grabbed her waist and pulled her to him, planting a hard kiss on her lips.

  "Hi," she said when he pulled back.

  "Where are you going?" he asked.

  "Nowhere." He eyed the beer before taking it out of her hands, draining it, and throwing the bottle in the bushes.

  "Let's go talk in your room," he said. She followed him into the house and up the stairs. As soon as the door was shut, Ethan pushed her onto the bed and started kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly. He broke away just long enough to pull his shirt off over his head. She ran her hands over the smooth muscles in his back as he reached around her to unzip her dress.

  Michaela felt like she knew his body almost as well as she knew her own. They’d been together so long that she could anticipate every move he was going to make. So, when he finally got her dress off, she was ready for him.

  Michaela was working on the buckle of Ethan's belt when her bedroom door suddenly swung open. She pushed Ethan off of her and sat up, grabbing the bed sheet to cover herself.

  "Mom!" she yelled. "It's called knocking!"

  "Next time, lock the door, dear." Her mom wasn't nearly as distraught as she should have been. Times like these, Michaela actually wanted her to get upset. Instead, she just said, "the guests are arriving. I need you outside."

  Michaela and Ethan got dressed reluctantly and hurried after her.

  ###

  "I'll see you in a few." Ethan gave Michaela a kiss on the cheek and disappeared into the crowd.

  She walked through the party in a daze, saying hello and waving at random guests she may or may not have ever met before.

  "Happy Birthday," a shrill voice behind her said. She turned to see Meghan Henley, hands on hips and eyes narrowed like a cat. Meghan had what Michaela liked to call "resting bitch face". Basically, for the small amount of time that she wasn't actually being a bitch, she still looked like one. So, you never knew which Meghan you were going to get.

  "Hey, Meghan," Michaela said, trying to smile. They were friends in high school, but now they only saw each other when one of their families threw events.

  "It's so good to see you!" She rushed forward and gave Michaela a hug. Okay, so she got fake Meghan, not bitch Meghan. She’d take it.

  "How are you?" Michaela aske
d once Meghan released her. This set Meghan off on a monologue about her summer in the Hamptons. That was the nice thing about Meghan. You never had to say much because she did all the talking.

  "How's Ethan?" Meghan asked. "I was looking for him earlier." There was something in her voice that Michaela didn't trust.

  "He's fine," she replied after briefly scrutinizing the girl standing in front of her. Even though they were friends, Michaela had never liked Meghan. In high school, Meghan was the "it" girl and most people only knew Michaela's name because of who her parents were or because she was Ethan Walker's girlfriend.

  "I'll bet he is ...” Meghan said, "fine, that is." She walked off without a second glance, leaving Michaela stunned and slightly angry. That was the world she lived in.

  Michaela didn't really care how superficial that world was. She learned a long time ago just to shrug it off. She thought she'd get away from this life when she moved out and went to college, but there were people like that everywhere. She went to Brown because that's where her mother went. It was expected. She joined her mom's sorority. She even applied to her dad's law school, Columbia. She didn't have a say in any of it. Her brother went down the same path, but then he did get out. He created a home in New York. She was looking forward to doing the same. Once she finished Law School, she was hoping she could make her own life. With Ethan? She thought so, but she didn't know how she could escape the world she’d grown up in if he was still by her side. He'd never want to leave it all.

  The sad truth was that she didn't know if she even wanted to be a lawyer. She didn't know what she wanted to do, but she didn't think she'd ever get the chance to find out for herself.

  Michaela spent hours playing the hostess that night. She talked to so many people that her head started to hurt. Luckily, Chris showed up with a drink just when she needed it.

  "Want a break?" he asked, leading her away from the crowd.

  "God yes," she sighed. "My feet are killing me in these shoes, and if I have to talk to one more air-headed socialite or boring client of Dad's that can't keep their eyes off my boobs, I'm going to explode."