Table of Contents
Title Page
Other Books by Isabelle Richards
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Epilogue
Love To Love You
Acknowledgements
Other Books by Isabelle Richards
When Fates Collide Series
When Fates Collide
When Fate Isn’t Enough
When Fates Align
When Fates Unite Novella – Coming February 2016
Love/Hate Series
Hate To Love You
Love To Hate You
Love To Love You Novella- Coming December 16,2015
Copyright © 2015 Isabelle Richards
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or publisher.
The following book contains mature themes, strong language, and sexual content. It is intended for mature audiences only.
Editor: Cassie Cox
Cover Design: Regina Wamba
Cover Models: Joshua Gawrysiak and Chelsea Lawrence
Dedication
To Hunter, my biggest cheerleader
Chapter One
Chase
Some days you can feel trouble in the air. The bad juju is palpable. The one and only time I’ve been injured playing football was when I was eleven, and I knew from the moment I stepped onto the field that something bad was going down. I could sense it. It sounds insane, but athletes are a superstitious bunch. Logic isn’t required. And I was right—I ended up getting a concussion and three broken ribs that day.
When I left the hotel room this afternoon, I had the same feeling in my gut. There’s a bad moon arising. Something wicked this way comes. All that cliché jargon. I’d like to chock it up to nerves, but I know it’s more than that. I just can’t shake the feeling that coming to Phoenix was a mistake. We never should have left the Bahamas.
Following our holiday tradition, my family had spent the holidays with the Aldrichs at their house in the Bahamas. The trip was bittersweet. With Aiden’s heart growing weaker every day, we knew this was probably his last New Year’s. Our grief over her father’s s illness had brought Arianna and I back together. Not wanting to repeat the mistakes of our past, we were honest with our families about our relationship. While I hadn’t exactly expected Aiden to pull out a shotgun and threaten to shoot off my manhood, I hadn’t expected him to be so supportive. Everyone was thrilled by the news. Apparently they had been placing bets as to how long it would take for us to get together. For the first time ever, Ari and I could just be us with our families, and it was perfect.
Everything was just as it should be—for a split second. Then Aiden started having trouble breathing. He had seemed healthy for the majority of the trip, but once he started coughing, he went downhill fast. We should have stayed in the Bahamas for a few more days so he could rest, but he refused to cancel our plans to travel to Phoenix to watch Stanford in the BCS Championship game.
We’re using the game as an excuse to throw a reunion for all of the players and coaches from the years Aiden coached at Stanford. They think they’re coming for a party and to watch the game in a luxury box. Since Aiden insists his cardiomyopathy remain top secret, they have no idea this is all a ruse so he can say good-bye. Getting to see his players and friends one more time means the world to him, so he’s risking what little time he has left to carry out this farewell tour.
But I can feel in my bones that tonight is going to be a disaster. Getting ready is one calamity after another. I drop a cufflink down the drain, and maintenance has to come fish it out. Two buttons pop off my shirt, and I have to sew them back on (two semesters of home ec finally paying off). My wallet goes MIA, and it takes me an hour to find it. I’m so late I end up missing the limo carrying the rest of the family. Aiden and Arianna are due to arrive at the party an hour later than everyone else. I could catch a ride with them, but Mom wants me at the club ASAP. It’s never good to be on Mama Bear’s bad side. Thankfully, the limo company promises to send me a Town Car.
While en route from the hotel to the club, Mom calls me. There’s been a mix-up. My Town Car was supposed to go to the airport to pick up Freddie Fisher, Aid’s assistant coach from when he was at Stanford. Freddie’s slated to give a toast and narrate the slide show, so he needs to be there. I tap the driver on the shoulder and tell him to flip a bitch and make tracks to the airport.
When I get to Sky Harbor, Freddie isn’t picking up his cell phone. Mom doesn’t have his flight information on her, but she’s fairly certain he was coming from Cleveland. The driver drops me off at arrivals, and I tell him to circle the airport. The doors open, and a blast of A/C hits me as I enter the airport. I see people everywhere—lines thirty to forty people deep at every airline counter. This could take a while.
Apparently a massive snow storm is blanketing the country from Chicago to Maine, and hundreds of flights have been canceled. Of course the airlines can’t release any information about specific passengers, even to quarterbacks that flash million-dollar smolders.
After making a dozen calls and developing a blinding migraine, I’m finally connected with Freddie’s daughter, Samantha. Sam and I hooked up once when I was on the outs with Ari. She insisted on breaking up with her boyfriend of four years before we did the deed, and I never called her afterward. It was a dick move, but I had been honest with her that it was a one-time deal. She puts me through twenty minutes of
ass-chewing before she finally lets me know Freddie caught a flight out that was routed through Dallas. The flight has landed here in Phoenix but is stuck on the tarmac. With all the cancelations and delays, there’s a traffic jam of planes, and his plane can’t get into a gate. .
An hour and a half later, Freddie and I hit the road. He needs to make a pit stop at the hotel to shower and change. Considering how late we are, I’d like to tell him to suck it up, but he sat on a plane with no A/C for an hour and a half. He’s soaked through with sweat and smells like a locker room. I try to give Mom an update, but neither she nor Pop pick up their cells. I sure hope they have a backup presenter lined up.
It’s almost midnight by the time we make it to the party. I don’t even have a chance to walk through the door before I’m pushed onto a charter bus to God only knows where. I missed the whole fucking party. I’ll get to see everyone at the game tomorrow, but I’d really wanted to be there tonight for Aiden.
All the players are corralled onto the bus, and it’s clear this night is just going to keep on getting better. Ari isn’t here, and no one seems to know where she is. Spencer is totally blitzed. Seems like tonight is going to be one babysitting job after another. If we make it to wherever the hell we’re going without him puking, we’ll be lucky. Everyone’s trying to talk to me, but I’m focused on trying to get details about Aiden from my best friend, the lush. I can’t ask anyone else about Aiden’s health, but Spence can barely string together a coherent sentence.
Shots get passed out, and Boomer stands. “Raise your glasses, boys. He’s not the first of us to go down in a blaze of holy matrimony, but I sure as hell didn’t expect him to get out of the game this early. Why someone would go from the king of the players to the king of carpool is beyond me. A toast to one of my best friends as we say good-bye to his manhood. To Chase!”
Say what? There’s a chorus of well wishes before everyone downs their shot.
Sliding past Spencer, I make my way to Boomer. “Dude, what the fuck are you talking about? What’s going on?”
He pats my back. “It’s your bachelor party, bro! Well, one of them anyway. I’m sure we’ll do something epic in Vegas before the big day.”
“Boom, I’m not getting married. Jenna and I called things off months ago. I have no fucking clue what you’re talking about.”
A look of panic and disbelief crosses his face. A split second later, he throws his head back and laughs while grabbing the bottle of Patrón. He pours another shot then points at me. “Nice try, Brennan. You had me there for a second! You won’t punk me! I got the invite last week. I’d like to take credit for this, but it was actually Jenna’s idea since we have all these guys together. This kind of reunion will never happen again.”
Jenna. Son of a bitch. I race back to my seat and try to snap Spencer into reality. “Jenna sent out wedding invites. I need you to get a hold of my sister and see what she knows about it.” I pull out my phone and call Jenna, but it goes to voice mail. “Jenna, it seems I’m on my way to my bachelor party. Do you know anything about this? Call me. Now.”
Spence taps my shoulder. “They’re on their way to the party. We can talk to them there.”
“Who?”
He closes his eyes and rests his head on the headrest. “Charlie and Ari.”
I smack his forehead. “Dude, pull your head out of your ass. You need to stop them. If Ari shows up before I straighten this all out, she’ll kill me. She’ll string my balls together and wear them as a necklace. Tell them to go back to the hotel.”
He struggles to pull his phone back out of his back pocket. He tips over into the aisle and slumps onto the floor.
I pick him up by the collar. “Pull it together! There’s some serious shit going down, and if my life gets fucked up because of this, I’m taking everyone on this bus down with me.”
He types on his phone. “Okay, okay. I’ll tell them not to come. Once the buttons stop moving.”
“Never mind, I’ll do it myself,” I say while I dig my phone out of my pocket. I’d like to call Ari, but I took her phone when we checked into the hotel so she’d get some rest. . There’s a brilliant plan that backfired. I text Charlie and beg her for help.
Mid-text, Jenna calls. “How’s the party, baby?” She sounds so innocent.
“What the fuck, Jenna?”
“Don’t get upset,” she replies. “Have a great time at the party, and we can talk about this when you get to the hotel.”
I’m in the goddamn Twilight Zone. She has lost her fucking mind. “You’re at the hotel?”
“Of course I am. I’m sure after a long night of strippers, you’re going to need some release. Didn’t want you looking elsewhere.”
I lean down in the seat and lower my voice, but she can’t miss the fury in my tone. “What the fuck are you talking about? We broke up. Which means no wedding! No bachelor party! What possessed you to send wedding invitations?”
“Last time we talked, you said to pick a date that wasn’t during football season. You have the whole month of March off. It’s really the perfect time.”
She’s delusional. “That was before we broke up!” I pound the back of my head into the headrest. This cannot be happening. Two years of wishing and praying for Ari to come back, and it’s going to get fucked up because I was too kind to sever all ties with my ex.
She scoffs. “We both know you didn’t mean that.”
Once the bus arrives at the club, I spot a cab out front. “Stay where you are,” I tell her. “I’m coming over, and we are sorting this out.”
Spencer is slumped over in the seat next to me, so I slap the back of his head to get his attention. “Dude, shit is hitting the fan. Jenna’s here.”
He looks around the bus. “Where?”
“Not on the bus. In Phoenix, you dolt!”
“Why would Jenna be in Phoenix? I didn’t get her a ticket for the game tomorrow.”
If I strangle him, I think I’ll get off for temporary insanity. Twelve people on a jury would sympathize with my situation. “I’ll try to speak slowly so maybe you’ll get it this time. Listen very carefully. She sent out wedding invitations and helped Boomer plan a bachelor party.” I gesture toward the party going on around us. “She’s waiting for me at the hotel. I need to get back there and put an end to this insanity.”
He grasps my shoulder. “Man, Ari’s going to be pissed.”
“No shit, Sherlock! Thank you for finally catching up. I need your help managing my sister and Ari. Find them and tell them this situation is fucked up but not my fault.”
“Okay. I’m on it,” he says as his eyes roll back and his head crashes onto the seat. Spencer is always responsible and in control except the one night I need him to come to my rescue.
I bolt from the bus to the cab and pay him extra to run the yellow lights. I jump out of the cab before it comes to a complete stop in front of the hotel, and I run directly to Ari’s room. I pound and pound on her door, but she won’t answer. A hotel attendant taps my shoulder and politely asks me to return to my room. It seems guests have been complaining about a disruption. Probably Ari.
Crestfallen and defeated, I drag my feet back to my room. I don’t even bother with the lights; I just collapse on the bed. My head is pounding, and my stomach is growling. I can’t remember the last time I ate. None of that matters though. The clusterfuck that unfolded tonight is certain death for Ari and me. I can practically feel the connection between us being severed.
“Aww, you came back early because you missed me.”
I jump out of bed and throw on the lights. “What the fuck, Jenna? How did you get in here?”
She’s leaning against the wall wearing lingerie that could double as dental floss. “I’m your fiancée. Of course they let me in. Well, after I slipped the maid five hundred bucks.”
That’s probably coming out of my pocket. Nothing like funding my own demise.
Trailing her finger between her breasts then down her stomach, she look
s at me with eager eyes. I step toward her, and a seductive smirk spreads across her face. “I knew you missed me.”
I push past her and open the closet. After pulling a folded robe off the shelf, I throw it at her. “Put something on.” I point back and forth between us. “This is not happening.” I pace the room to stop myself from shaking her silly. “I don’t even know where to begin. What the hell were you thinking? Wedding invitations?”
Letting the robe fall to the floor, she sits on the bed with her hands folded in her lap, attempting to look sweet and innocent. Considering the trashy lingerie, she’s not pulling it off. “We were spending so much time arguing about the details I decided to stop fighting and take action. Now the wedding is all planned. All you have to do is show up.”
My gut tells me this is all a stunt to manipulate me, but the look in her eyes tells me it might be more. She might actually have convinced herself we’re still together.
Hoping I can reason with her, I kneel before her and find her brown eyes. “Listen to me. We are not getting married,” I say gently but firmly. “Our relationship is over. I was waiting till the end of the season to sort out the financial part of it, but if I have to do it now so that you understand, I will.”
She giggles and taps my nose with her finger. “Oh, silly boy. You’re just confused. We’re perfect for each other. If you weren’t so overwhelmed with football, you’d see that. It was really foolish of me to try to get you to help plan the wedding during the season. I see that now.”
Running my fingers through my hair, I sit back on my heels. “It wasn’t the stress of the season—it’s us. You and I are not compatible. We want different things, have different expectations. It took me a while to recognize that, and I’m sorry for that. I don’t want to hurt you, but we will never last. This has to end.”
She places her hand on my cheek, but I pull away. “Stop talking nonsense. We’re a perfect match. You’ve always said so. Up until a few months ago, you thought we were ideal for each other. This is just cold feet. I pushed too much about the wedding, and you’re having doubts. It’s perfectly normal. Now all the wedding planning pressure is off, and we can go back to being us.”
Love To Hate You Page 1