“You need to go, Ashton. Right now. Or I’m going to let my stalker beat you up.”
Cade’s eyes widen. He grins slightly.
Ashton growls to smirking Cade as he angrily stomps to the door, “My dad can get your dad fired!” he threatens, then he turns back to me, “And he can fire your mom too, Julie.”
“Yeah, that’s the way to win me back, Ashton,” I say flatly as I wipe away tears, “—threaten to fire my mom.”
He swallows. Then says softly, “I won’t do that—you know I won’t.” Then he glares at Cade, “But your dad will be destroyed.”
Cade’s smirk grows. “You better run rich boy, or I’m going to destroy you.”
A tiny noise comes from Ashton’s throat and he takes off. (He’s not the bravest boy known to man.) (Just the richest.) Well, in our town.
Cade’s eyes land back on Darleen. “I’m not too pleased with you either,” he tells her, I guess indicating he might destroy her too.
She seems to take it that way. She yelps and instantly lurches out of the room, speeding down the hallway like lightning.
Right as she bolts away, Jake Edwards from Cade’s hockey team comes sauntering to the open bathroom door to see what’s going on in here.
“What’s up with your maid?” Jake asks Cade curiously. “She looked upset.”
“She’s psycho,” Cade informs him.
“Just the way I like my women,” Jake announces with a smile and goes chasing after her.
And then there is just me and my stalker.
(Who I adore.)
(Consciously, and subconsciously.)
He smiles like he knows it. He comes over to me and gently helps me to my feet. “You done throwing up?” he asks.
“For now,” I tell him.
“So, to the hospital or your house?” he asks.
“Which sounds like a better come-on?” I ask him.
He smiles huge. “I like that answer.”
Then my stalker kisses me.
Fireworks burst through me—for a very, very long time.
Then sweetly he takes me to the hospital—where we had our first date—you know, back when he snuggled with my hand.
It had been love right from that moment on.
For both of us.
Just took a little poison for us to see that.
… and a whole lot of stalking.
CHAPTER 32
***EPILOGUE***
It’s been over a year now that Cade and I have been together. We both work at this sandwich shop that Hank and my mom now own. They got married by the way—sweet Hank and my mom. I guess when Hank’s car was in my driveway that night, he was working up the nerve to ask my mom to marry him.
When she decided she would tell him yes, she told me, “Julie, I was so wrapped up in my grief over your dad’s death, I wasn’t able to give my heart fully to Hank. But he deserved a full heart, and I’m ready to give it to him. I am. I never expected this—to fall in love again so soon, or to fall in love with a man like Hank—he’s so different from your father. But love is full of the unexpected. It comes unexpectedly, from unexpected people.”
I took her words to heart and when Cade asked me to be his girlfriend, I was overjoyed and said yes in a heartbeat. No, I hadn’t expected to fall in love with a guy like Cade Cole. But then again, he is everything I dreamed about in a guy. Everything. He’s sweet and fiercely devoted, and makes my heart pound wild.
Of course before talking to my mom about Hank and actually taking the leap, I had been worried about actually really truly getting together with Cade. For MANY reasons. One being because of Ashton’s threat about “destroying” Cade’s dad.
The night of the play-fiasco, Cade had grinned in the hospital when I told him my worry. He chuckled, “That’s why you won’t go for me?”
I never said I wouldn’t “go” for him … well, not since I learned he sweetly followed me home every night from play rehearsals—and I was officially broken-up with Ashton.
Still, I was nervous. I mean, come on, this was Cade Cole. Cade Cole! So, when he asked, “That’s why you won’t go for me?” I nervously answered, “It’s not ‘the’ reason. But it’s a reason.”
Cade grinned, “Well, if wad Ashton can destroy my dad’s life—let him. My dad destroyed my mom’s life. That’s why I live with my brother. My mom lives in some weird commune right now—afraid of everyone, because of my dad. So I’d love a little destruction in his life. If Ashton can do that for me, I can only thank the guy. So don’t let the fear of what Ashton can or can’t do to my dad keep us apart.”
I swallowed. “How about the fact you date wild girls?”
His jaw muscles flickered. “Give me a reason to stop.”
“And you’ll stop?”
His eyebrows went up. “Try me.”
That was over a year ago.
We’ll be going to college together soon. (Yay!)
Boy, I’m glad I gave him a try!!
Best chance I ever took. (Dreamy sigh.)
The Red Palm lady seems to be right—my true love starts with a ‘C.’
And ends with happily ever after.
**********
Update: Keep reading. There is another story after the following book info.
Note about the story you just read: “The Red Palm” is also in the author’s novel, The Stranger Inside. The romantic short story that leads into The Stranger Inside is included in this book you are reading. It is after the first chapters of the author’s novel, Jane’s Air.
More in-depth note about this book: The other story included in this book is called Jeremy’s Kiss. (Jeremy’s Kiss is also included as a bonus in the author’s book, High School Boys, but this version is longer.)
Note about the story you just read: The first chapter is quite a bit identical to the first chapter in the author’s novel The Stranger Inside, but after that opening chapter The Stranger Inside is totally different. That novel goes a completely different way. The kissing-confusion isn’t due to a medication mix-up … but something else. (The novel is kind of scary. Sort of. Maybe.) (Yet it is a romantic story.) Included in this book you are reading is the prequel to The Stranger Inside. It is called Jeremy’s Kiss. It’s an hour read.
Also included in this book are the first fifteen chapters of the author’s newest novel, Jane’s Air.
Note: the author’s three newest books are: Jane’s Air; When You Noticed Me; and Please Love Me Back. They are each a dollar right now. Or you can read them for free if you have unlimited. (All of the author’s books are available in the unlimited program.) If you don’t have unlimited you can just buy them the regular way.
Summary of WHEN YOU NOTICED ME:
I had secretly loved him forever. Then in high school, he finally noticed me. He only kissed me to save me from an embarrassing moment. But that kiss changed everything. (Everything!) Now I catch his gaze lingering on me, and he seems to lose his breath when I’m near. But the problem?—I’m dating his best friend. I want to date HIM, but that can never be … right? Right?!
Summary of PLEASE LOVE ME BACK:
Seventeen year-old Shane Shade has it bad for his enemy’s sweet girlfriend, Bethany. Maaaan.
**BETHANY: Shane Shade? He’s known as “The Shade” to his hockey teammates. But to me he’s known as the guy that beats up my boyfriend. Okay, not going to lie: He’s hot. But dangerous—on the ice and to my heart.
So why can’t I stop thinking about him? Why?? Okay, okay I guess it’s because he’s helped me out a couple of thousand times. (Secretly, he’s astonishingly sweet.) But he’s trouble. Even he admits that. So, again I ask—WHY can’t I stop thinking about him? Why?!
(Please Love Me Back is available now.)
Right now the book is only a dollar. Or you can read it for free if you have Unlimited.
The author’s other new book is: Jane’s Air.
Summary of Jane’s Air:
Seventeen year-old Jane becomes an orphan and is pawned o
ff by her aunt to work (and live) at the home (slash mansion) of the most handsome boy at Jane’s high school—Hunter Rochester. Hunter takes Jane’s breath away. But the handsome flirt is a mystery to Jane. Why did he persuade his mother to hire Jane to care for his little brother? And what other secrets is he keeping? (Jane has a secret of her own: she’s fallen hard for mysterious Hunter Rochester.)
Jane’s Air is available now. Below are the first chapters of the book.
Jane’s Air Chapter One:
I go into my bedroom and—whoa! There’s Hunter Rochester.
I’d just heard he was dead, so seeing him in my room (which he broke into, by the way) doesn’t have the same impact on me that it normally would … you know, since I’d thought he was dead.
… yet here he is, standing in my room!
Quite alive, I might add.
I blink and blink at the beautiful boy, a strangled noise escaping my astonished lips. All I can do is stare. Because—because he’s not dead!
Hunter grins weekly at my stunned expression. “Surprise,” he murmurs.
Surprise?!
Yeah, you could say that. After I heard he was dead, I’d run up to my room sobbing and full of agony that I hadn’t spoken a civil word to him all this year. That he left this world thinking I hated him. Which, okay, I thought I did … until I heard he was dead. Then all my warm feelings for him that I had kept buried deep, deep inside me had risen to the surface and exploded in my shattered heart, crushing me with unbearable pain.
So now, wondrously seeing him (alive!!) my first impulse was to run to him and throw my enraptured arms around the gorgeous boy that I’d once loved with all my heart. Hug him tight, and forget that we are now total enemies.
Seriously.
Attack him with a hug—that was my first impulse. It was violent and intense.
But now that I’m over the shock—that he’s alive—the rest of the situation (reality) crashes down on me.
The dude has broken into my room. He obviously climbed in through my window while I was downstairs, getting the news from his friend that he was dead. Now he’s staring at me, his gorgeous long-lashed eyes glued to me like they always are these days. It’s unnerving. And I don’t get it. And it really sucks that it gets me weak in the knees.
I growl. “I thought you were dead.”
He winces slightly.
But a tiny grin quirks at the corner of his delectable lips as he says, “You have to admit though Jane, you still have feelings for me,” he says softly. “I mean, you were crying—” he raises his eyebrows, “—pretty hard, I take it from that mess on your sleeve.”
I glance down at my sleeve and wince. It’s covered with snot and tears. Groan.
I flush a bit since it is kind of proof I wasn’t dancing a jig at the thought he was dead. It’s annoying.
I shrug and try to act chill. However, it’s harder than you’d think, since my heart is still so full of inexpressible joy because he’s not gone from this earth that I can barely breathe. Let alone speak. Or be chill.
Still, I go for chill anyway … because that’s just me, and Hunter and I have a hostile past. And I’m embarrassed that he caught me not dancing a jig at the thought of his demise.
I mutter sardonically, “I’m glad you’re not dead … but I can’t honestly say I’m glad you’re alive.”
He tilts his head. “So … you’re saying you wish I was a zombie?” His gorgeous eyes twinkle as he says it (since he knows I’m thrilled he’s not dead). Ugh!
I roll my eyes. Without mustering much heart in it, I go for hostile/bitter, with—I admit—a large dollop of immaturity thrown in, “No, I was wishing to never see your face again, actually.”
This only makes his smirk grow. “Yet you were glad to see it a second ago.”
I grit my teeth. “What makes you say that?”
He shrugs, his amused grin twitching. “The fact you didn’t punch it when you saw it in your room.”
Yeah, okay, the unexpected sight of his face in my room had not made me want to punch it—at the time. Yet now I’d love to punch it. Smack that grin right off his face. (Too bad it’s absolutely adorable and has my heart yearning.) (Grrr!)
Wishing I felt as mad as I know I should, I grumble, “You know it’s against the law to break into a person’s room—even if you’re a zombie.”
“Right. I know. That’s why I had Jake tell you I was dead, so you could realize you didn’t really, truly, actually want me dead—though I know you were under the misimpression that you did.”
I grumble, “It wasn’t a misimpression.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Your sleeve says otherwise.”
I look up at the ceiling with a groan, then ground out through gritted teeth, “What do you want?—why are you here?”
I still have to hold on to the wall for support. When I first heard he was dead, I’d had to do that to keep from collapsing as a jab of pain in my heart so intense I thought I was going to topple over sliced through me. Then I’d had to hold onto the wall again when I’d found him in my room—alive. Now I have to hold it because he’s in my room, as gorgeous as ever, his eyes on me quite delighted that I haven’t thrown him out yet.
Though man, his eyes are full of something else as well. They keep stalling on my lips, then my eyes; his hungry gaze going back and forth between them as though he can’t decide which to focus on, but wants them both, big time bad. It has me wobbly. And yes, needing to hold on to the wall to keep from doing a face-plant.
Hunter rubs the back of his neck. “Look, I’m sorry to barge in here—”
“—break in here,” I correct.
“Right. Sorry. I felt I had to do it this way, though. I figured if you heard I was dead, things might go differently. If you had a moment to reflect on us—how we used to be, and you had a moment to remember you didn’t always hate me and want me dead—I mean, if you actually thought for a moment I was dead.”
He had already explained this prank. Loud and clear. So, I grit my teeth, “I still don’t understand why you’ve broken into my room.”
He nods slowly, like he was getting to that. “The police—Jane, they’re looking for me. They’re going to be checking with all my friends. Checking to see if they’ve seen me, or know where I am. All my friends, Jane. So, I figured the best place to hide would be here.” His eyebrows go up, “Not much chance they’ll look for me here.”
I swallow. “No. I guess they wouldn’t.”
Okay, I know I’ve professed how much I hate the guy. I mean, the dude is trouble—to a girl’s heart. But in trouble with the law? The news is rather shocking. I mean, it’s nothing compared to hearing that he was dead—and then seeing him alive. But still.
I stammer out, “The p—police?” I really can’t believe it. “They’re looking for you?”
He winces. Then slowly nods. “But it’s a mistake, Jane. I swear.”
He scrubs a hand over his face. “I just need a place to hide—to stay for a while. I’d like it to be here—with you.”
I groan, since his words kind of melt my heart a little. But that’s dumb, right? I mean, the dude has caused so much grief to my demented heart, it should jump out of my chest and throw him out the window. Yet all it seems to want to do is jump into his (manly) arms.
I narrow my eyes at him. “The last time we spoke you said I looked like the street.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Actually, what I said was, I didn’t want to run you over.”
“Oh, well that’s super romantic,” I mutter dryly. “So I guess it’s weird that I’m so shocked that of all the places you could hide in the entire world you chose to come here.”
“I know, right? You should have expected me—with roses and chocolates.” His jaw muscles flicker. “They’re in my car by the way.”
When I give him a withering look he says huskily, “Really.”
I blink. “What do you mean? You were on the lamb—from the police—but you thought, ‘Hey, while I�
�m hiding out at her house, I’m going to woo gullible Jane’?”
“I don’t think you’re gullible. But yeah. The rest—yeah.”
SECOND CHAPTER:
Okay, don’t for a moment believe that Hunter Rochester was going to “woo” me. The dude is a total player and the last time he even bothered talking to me was almost a month ago. And yeah, it was about me blending in with the street. (Grrr!) It happened as I passed him and his girlfriend (whose name I can’t speak aloud without puking, so pardon me if I never mention it.) We’ll just call her “skank.” That’s more descriptive anyway and no need for a toilet—so a win-win, really.
Anyway, him and Skank were coming towards me in the crowded school hallway. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like they were going to talk to me or anything. Nothing like that. They were just heading down the hallway in the opposite direction than me, going to class. But still, seeing them together made my insides shrivel, just like the sight of them together always did. A little piece of me died—every time.
“Be nice,” I heard him whisper to Skank as I passed them, which was almost as grueling as if I’d heard him say to her—“Punch her in the nose.” Which okay, probably would have hurt worse, I admit that. But still. Hearing him whisper that to her caused me immense pain for some reason.
So, I was caught up in that—wondering why such an insignificant scene would cause my heart so much grief and trauma, and if it always would. That thought was swimming around in my brain, dominating my focus, then suddenly—whoa!
I was pulled aside in the crowded hallway—by Hunter.
I blinked up at him in shock.
He hadn’t bothered to speak to me in over a year. Plus, only a moment ago he’d been with Skank, whispering to her, causing my heart angst and inexplicable grief by telling her to be “nice” to me, which really all he meant was she wasn’t to let any of her snide comments come out of her sneer directed towards me, which her comments always had a tendency to do whenever I was around. Apparently Hunter was aware I was ready to slug any more comments she NON-quietly ‘whispered’ about me.
But now here Hunter was—caging me against a row of lockers.
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