by Pamela Ann
Pieces Of You & Me
(Book 1 0f 2)
Pamela Ann
Pieces Of You & Me
Copyright © 2014 by Pamela Ann
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without a written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Edited by
Kristin & Alizon
Book Cover by
Mellissa Gill
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
― Albert Einstein
Prologue
Back in third grade…
There were ten kids invited for Edith’s, my best friend, summer party.
After three hours of fun games, swimming, eating and other festivities, all eleven of us gathered in Edith’s bedroom to play spin the bottle.
I was having fun laughing at the others’ dares up until it was my turn, pairing me with Greyson Edwards—the new boy that had transferred into our school and everyone had been crushing hard on.
“Ooohh, Olivia’s going to have her first kiiiiisss,” everyone teased while I blushed hot red, looking away from Greyson as I slowly got up and hid inside the closet, which had been marked as the kissing closet.
The small area was dark and chilly, but it smelled comforting—like lavender.
I sat on the carpeted flooring, waiting for him to come. I could hear some shuffling then I saw his face—blushing as hard as I was—before he went inside the closet with me. He closed the door behind him, and then sat right next to me, silent.
Weren’t boys supposed to be initiating the kiss?
“Umm, should we get this over with? I don’t want them waiting.” I could see the outline of his face, his beautiful eyes that struck me speechless.
I love his eyes, I thought as our gazes connected.
“Are you sure it’s okay?” he asked nicely. I could hear his voice shake a little.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t like you.” Everyone liked him, girls most especially.
He turned to face me, smiling. "Can I make you mine? My girlfriend?"
My heart sped up—but wait, his girlfriend? "Didn't Marie ask you to be her boyfriend last week?" I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. Besides, it was rude to steal boyfriends. That was the rule.
He shook his head, still smiling at me. "I told her I'd think about it, but I'll drop any girl for you,” he said eagerly.
“You would?” Wow. He must like me a lot then.
He nodded. “Yeah, because you're the prettiest and your laugh makes me smile."
I bit the bottom part of my lip, smiling shyly at him. "Okay, I think you're cute, too. I guess you can be my boyfriend." I really liked him a lot.
He reached for my hand before gazing into my eyes. "Cool. Can I kiss you now?"
I gave a quick nod. “Yes, you may.”
Our kiss was quick and sweet. After we parted, it was as if I looked at him differently. My stomach was flip-flopping crazily and I wanted more of his sweet kisses.
“You’re mine now, Olivia Taylor.”
And he was mine.
Glancing down at my lucky charm bracelet that I’d made last week, I pulled it off my wrist and handed it to him. “Here, keep it safe. I’ll always come back to you.”
"Are we forever, Liv?"
"Forever, Grey," I promised.
Chapter 1
Liv
Hi Sweetie!
Can’t wait to see you in a couple of days! How are things holding up with Liam? I’m sure you two lovebirds will work it out just fine. He can always come and visit you, you know.
Spend as much time as you can with your dad. You won’t see him for another year, sweetie. Try not to be too hard on him. He loves you dearly.
By the way, remember that guy I mentioned I met a week after you left? Well, I want you to be the first to know, I’m engaged!!! What a nice surprise, right? I’ll tell you all about it when you get here.
I love you,
Mom
P.S. No, I haven’t lost my mind, hun. I’m in love :)
When Mom mentioned “surprise”, I never would have thought I’d get the surprise of a lifetime.
As expected, Mom was at the airport waiting on me with a huge grin on her face after I had spent my entire summer in Sydney with my father. He moved out there after he and Mom got divorced two years ago. Bizarre really, ‘cause I left my summer to spend winter with him.
It wasn’t all that bad after I started dating Liam Hollingsworth, who was a freshman at the University of Sydney. We promised to try and work things out, but as much as I liked him, I was also aware that long distance relationships were hard work. So we had decided to see how it’d be for a while; we were basically measuring the difficulty ahead of us or to see if it was even worth trying.
So I was unofficially single, if that made sense at all.
Mom didn’t unfold her secret until we were all alone. This whole bomb landed on me the second we got onto the freeway.
“Okay, I don’t want to keep you waiting ‘cause I know you might be dying to know who the man is, just don’t freak out, okay?” My mom glanced at me sideways before looking out to the road ahead with a large, beaming smile playing across her face.
Well, if her smiles were always this huge, then I didn’t care if she married a preacher. Okay, maybe a little, but seriously, watching her now—seeing how happy she was—made me realize how lonely she might’ve been the last two years. It was drastic for her to get engaged with someone so quickly, but if it was what she wanted, then who was I to come in-between her and her Prince Charming? Well, here’s hoping that he was the one after all. Hell, I have yet to meet him.
“Seriously, who is your mystery man? You’re killing me, smalls.” Pulling out my strawberry lip salve, I popped the tin open before I glided my pinky over it and applied some to my lips.
“It’s Brett Edwards,” she said with a pained, crossing on sour, face.
I dropped my lip salve along with my jaws. “You’re kidding, right?” Please, please, please, tell me that you are. I was praying to the gods—or whoever was listening—to help me salvage my senior year in high school.
Mom exhaled a long sigh—a big indicator that she was darn serious. “This was why I never mentioned it to you because I was afraid of this; that you might change your mind and never come back here, Liv.”
She was imagining the extremes. Come on, really? It was no big deal. I was a grown up; I could deal with this. “But Brett, mom? Really?” That did not come out right. Personally, I had no problems with Brett, his only child on the other hand, Greyson… Ugh. Kill me now.
He was your typical asshole… Thinking about him was a waste of energy. Enough said.
Mom reached out and gave my arm a tight squeeze. “He’s amazing, Liv. He treats me like a queen. Not only that, but he makes me feel wonderful. I did promise you that I wouldn’t marry again until I found my Mr. Darcy. Well, I believe with my whole heart that he is, Liv. He loves me. Well, he’s been in love with me for decades. That’s why he never got married.”
That got my attention. Pride and Prejudice was our all time favorite film. For her to mention Mr. Darcy, it was major deal. “What do you mean? How long have you known him?”
“Since high school and then college, but he left to live in Chicago after we graduated. As you know, I was dating your dad since I was seventeen, so he never stood a chance.”
My mom’s story was disheartening, but at the same time, inspiring. I had to suppose if Mom and Brett would be happily married and in love, my feelings about Greyson would have to be set aside. I had nothing against true love.
“I also forgot to mention it to you, hun, but we moved in with them. Greyson lives in the pool house, so you’re in the clear. I promise.” My mom rushed to add in that teeny, bitty piece of information.
Inhale, exhale, Olivia. The world wasn’t ending. This was my chance to give Mom her happiness, so I dared not ruin this for her. Living with the Edwards—of course! Brett and Mom were now engaged.
“I need a moment to digest this tidal wave of crap, Mom.”
“I’m so sorry to do this to you, Liv. I wanted to warn you, but I was scared you might not come back home.”
“You’re being silly. Of course I’d come back, but I would’ve appreciated a little adjusting time, you know? This is a lot to take in, Mom. The crazy, major, upheaval kind, but if you’re happy, then I’m happy. That’s all I want.”
My mom looked misty-eyed before she gave me a grateful smile. “Thank you, sweetie.” She sniffed, wiping the sides of her eyes. “This means a lot to me. I expected screaming or even an attempt to get out of it, so thank you for not putting me through that. You’re the best daughter a mom could wish for.”
She always gave me too much credit; however she was my mom, right? They always tended to do that, even if their kids were horrendous. “Thank me after a week and I haven’t scratched Greyson’s eyes out.”
“He’s a good kid, Liv. Just give him a chance. Trust me.”
Yep, that was what my mother said.
But, not a chance in hell I’d give that douche a chance. I didn’t trust him. All he ever did was make snide remarks whenever he was anywhere near my vicinity.
This belief was reinstated that very same night after Brett and Mom chatted up with me for a couple hours after dinner; talking about Liam, my undecided college plan, my goals and so forth. As Mom assured me earlier, Brett was a good man—a man who thought the world of my mother. It was icky and amazing at the same time when they were next to each other.
They wore the look of being in love pretty well. It was funny how second chances worked. Even though they married other people in the beginning, when fate intervened, these two were done for. What person would have enough strength to fight what you were fated for? I was sure my mom fought it at first, but in the end, she folded… just like the rest of us. We were, after all, just human.
I was truly overwhelmed with all these “new additions” in our lives. However, my mother was truly radiating a happy glow, and I, too, felt somewhat happy that she found someone to cherish her…
But—and yes, there was always a huge but—this didn’t feel like home to me. Somehow, I felt like I was walking into someone else’s life and I felt bereft. I was jet-lagged and the last thing I wanted was to unpack in a new bedroom that I didn’t have any attachment to. Though the room was nice, overlooking the vast garden and swimming pool, it was still strange to me.
It was sad to think that the house I grew up in—my childhood home—was sold after my parents divorced. Mom and I had moved into a leased townhome, but we didn’t stay there for that long for me to feel sentimental about the place.
Mom had done all of the moving while I was gone, so all of our things were in Brett’s home when I got here. It was all too drastically fast and I needed a moment to breathe, to take it all in.
It was going to take a lot of time getting used to; however, I was willing to try for my mom. Besides, this was my senior year—my last year in high school—and no man was going to ruin it for me. Even if his name was Greyson Edwards.
Liam was probably expecting my call, so was my father, but I didn’t feel like talking and explaining my odd situation to anyone. Not yet anyway. So, since it was a warm night, I decided to have a quick dip in the pool.
It was almost midnight, so instead of diving in head first, I had to resort to using the steps, careful not to disturb anyone.
My thoughts were occupied with emailing Liam or not as I approached the azure pool that was lightly illuminated. A soft moan escaped when my body sunk into the cool, refreshing water. I was smiling, floating as I stared at the twinkling stars when I heard the first thump, thump sound.
“Harder, Grey!” a woman’s voice demanded, coming from the pool house. Then the loud sound went erratic, jackhammer loud. “Shit!” the woman screamed.
What the hell! Could they get any louder?
Greyson was having sex and he didn’t care if anyone was around to hear it. He simply did his own business just because he could. He was a total douchebag.
The last leg—the finale—was even worse. I thought the woman was being cut open and gutted. I was cringing and gasping as she rode out her orgasm. I stared at the lightly lit pool house, seriously wondering if she was okay.
Five minutes later, I was still struck appalled and in deep shock. I watched, paralyzed, as Greyson and his latest girlfriend emerged from the door. He was escorting her out while she kept her hand glued to his ass.
The second they disappeared, I swam back to shallow water and stepped out of the pool. Deep in thought, I squeezed the water out of my hair, sighing. I was walking towards the table where I had left my towel when he spoke behind me. "Were we loud? Sorry. I didn't know we had an audience. If I did, I would've made a better show of it."
Funny, he didn’t sound a bit sorry at all. “Don’t bother,” I gritted out, loathing his cockiness.
He laughed like he was being tickled.
Fucker. I rolled my eyes and continued ignoring him.
However, even with my indifference, the idiot remained.
“So, how was Australia? I heard that you slept your way around all summer long. I’m curious; do you prefer American or Aussie dicks? Or are they all the same? A dick is a dick, right?” I heard him snort, which angered me even more.
“Yes, they’re all juicy, Grey.”
“Mine is oozing, Liv. Keep that in mind, will ya? Might come handy to you if you need to get a workout done.”
I spun around and glared at his grinning face. “Dream on, Greyson.”
“Always, Liv.” He started walking backwards, still facing me as he tapped his chest a few times. “Sweet dreams, Pooh.”
Pooh. Winnie the Pooh had been my favorite… back in third grade, and apparently, Greyson remembered that little tidbit. I didn’t need another reason to stay and banter with him. I left the pool area in a flash, needing to erase that mocking laugh that irritated me to no end.
That night, my dreams weren’t sweet. In fact, they were nightmares of Winnie the Pooh.
The terror of the douchebaggery had begun.
Chapter 2
Grey
Pooh.
I hated Winnie the Pooh with a passion because of one person. Olivia.
She looked so angelic coming out of the pool… like a beauty that never got old to look at. Every guy in school wanted her. I did, too, but I’d rather get hit by an eighteen-wheeler than admit that. Fuck that.
When it came to her, I got all hot and cold. Literally. My body’s reaction to her added more to my contempt where she was concerned. I wanted her so bad that my body burned for hers. On the other hand, she was such a bitch that those burning feelings would freeze at a single word from her.
I knew she was beautiful. Hell, sometimes I got so awestruck that I forgot why I hated her to begin with. I remembered gasping when I first saw her in our third grade class.
She knew how she affected men, and she used that to her benefit. She toyed with men, parading them in front of me. The only thing I could be grateful for was that none of my guy friends took the chance on asking her out, nor did she seek them out, knowing how I’d react.
/>
Everyone that went to school knew about our extreme dislike to each other.
Olivia Taylor…
Had been…
My first crush.
My first kiss.
My first love.
My first heartbreak.
Things fell apart during fourth grade and it hadn’t stopped since. I remembered that the hate had started when I received her letter. It was how she broke up with me.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
When I flush the toilet, I think of you.
To this day, I hated roses—or anything red or blue. The letter was, of course, burned with a match light in my backyard. Everything I felt for her then had gone to ashes.
It started little at first. A little teasing here and there, or a snide remark whenever she passed by, then it got to spitting showdowns. Summers without her here were pretty quiet.
Now my disruption was back, living in my own home. Wonder what kind of gimmick she’d ploy to rile me up.
I didn’t have to do anything, not really. I knew for a fact that having me breathe the same air as her already made her furious. All I had to do was keep my smug, cocky, sexy smile in place and it was a surefire way to drive her crazy.
Easy.
***
The following morning, I was in the kitchen chugging a glass of orange juice when she strolled in, wearing tiny sleep shorts and a tiny, sleeveless shirt that showed off her flat stomach. Olivia gave the word morning wood a new meaning. She was so hot that I almost spat out the juice, but instead, I choked on it, making me cough loudly.
“If you stopped checking me out, you could’ve saved yourself the woody.” Olivia tsk-tsked me before grabbing an apple from the fruit basket and sexily biting into it.
Damn, but she was fine. I wished more than anything that she would turn ugly, yet damn, she only seemed to get better. My secret desire for her was raging right along with my morning issue; not from any romantic sense, but in a purely one-off, sexual conquest kind of way.