Fall For Me
By
Alexis Noelle
Copyright
Copyright © 2015 Ashley Piscitelli
Cover image by K Keeton Designs
Cover Art created by Cover Me Darling
Formatted by Brenda Wright, Formatting Done Wright
All rights Reserved. No parts of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter without written permission from the author, except for inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, establishments, organizations, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously to give a sense of authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be given away to another person except when loaned out per Amazon lending program. If you’re reading this and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then it was pirated illegally. Please purchase a copy of your own and respect the hard work of this author.
Dedication
I would like to dedicate this book to my husband, Anthony. He has stuck by me through thick and thin. I love you! I would also like to thank my best friends. Thank you girls for listening to me talk on and on about this and giving me feedback.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank all of my friends and family who helped me with this book. I couldn’t have done it without any of you. “Playing With Fire” started one night a year ago from a dream I kept having.
Thank you to my friends who read the book and gave me the feedback that I needed to hear. Thank you for always encouraging me and believing in me.
I would also like to thank the bloggers who read and gave me advice on the book. I really needed to hear what you said, even if I didn’t like it at times.
Thank you to my brother-in-law and future doctor, Michael Piscitelli. I know many of my hypothetical medical questions and injuries were a pain, but I appreciate all the help you gave me.
Thank you to my wifey Rachael Duncan or all her help! I couldn’t have done it without you!
Lastly, I want to thank anyone who read this book. I am an avid reader myself so I know how much word of mouth helps.
Prologue
November 23rd 1996
When was Mommy getting home? She went out to get me my princess cake when we woke up. Now the sun is going down. Daddy sent me to my room a long time ago. I’m hungry. Daddy said not to go downstairs, but I’m hungry.
I walk downstairs and Daddy is sitting in the living room. He is drinking the stuff that make his breath smell really bad. “Daddy, I’m hungry.”
He doesn’t even look at me. “I don’t care.”
Why doesn’t he care? Should I ask him when Mommy is getting home? I just want my Mommy. She will get me something to eat. “When is Mommy getting home?”
This time he looked at me. He seemed so mad. “She’s never coming home again and it’s all your fault. She’s dead because of you.” How is she dead? She just went to the store to get me a cake. Why was she never coming home? What did I do? “Get out, Madison!”
I run into the kitchen, hide under the table and cry. I want my mommy. When she comes home, she will make it all better. She will get me dinner and we will eat my princess cake together.
Chapter One
Madison
It is the first day of my first semester in college and I am a bundle of nerves. I’ve already been on campus for a week, since I applied for early arrival. Thank God they let me do that because if not, I don’t know where I would have gone.
My mother died when I was four and my father became an alcoholic. The state took me from him when I was seven and I’ve been in six different foster homes since. The last one I was at was by far the best, but only because my foster father paid me no attention. I liked it better that way. I was never popular in school because I was always moving and everyone seemed to know my background.
It sucked being the outcast, the girl who never had a family. I don’t remember much from before my mother died. Sometimes I have flashbacks of what life used to be like with my dad, but those were not things I wanted to remember.
The only person I had in my life right now was my boyfriend, Chris. We met when I started my new high school junior year and had been together ever since. He decided to go to Duke University, which was the main reason I chose this school. That and I’d received a scholarship here. Keeping my grades up when I was moving all the time was hard, but I was determined to get where I am now.
Chris was one of the hottest guys in our high school and I couldn’t believe he’d wanted to date me, and neither could half the female population in the school. He was at least a foot taller than me and had the kind of hair that was styled to preppy perfection. His eyes were a dark chestnut brown and he dressed like a Hollister model.
Out of the five classes I was enrolled in, we had one together. He was a business major and I decided to major in psychology. I wanted to either be a social worker, or work with kids in some other aspect. I felt like if someone had really cared about me, maybe my life would have been different. Maybe I would have been different. If I could make a difference in one child’s life, then maybe I’d save them from becoming like me.
I looked around. I was completely lost and I was already running late for my first class. I took my schedule out of my purse to look at the building name again and, the next thing I knew, I was on the ground, lying on top of some guy.
Wait! What? What the hell just happened?! I looked up at the brick wall I’d landed on and forgot how to breathe for a minute. Staring back at me were the bluest eyes I’d ever seen, not to mention that he was gorgeous. He was just looking at me, giving me a sexy smile. He was wearing a USC shirt, which I found funny because that wasn’t the school we were at. He was smiling at me and that was when I saw the dimples. I personally think it’s unfair that a guy could be this good looking.
“Hey, nice running into you,” the Greek god said.
Damn, his voice was just as sexy as the rest of him. I’d never met someone who made my insides clench from just a look and a short sentence. That was when I realized I was still lying on top of him, and I hadn’t even said a word. Oh my god, he was going to think I was some crazy person!
I scrambled off of him and stood up, trying to straighten my sundress. I looked down at the ground. My purse, books, everything else were now scattered all over the sidewalk. This was just wonderful. I started to pick up all the discarded items and looked up to notice the Greek god still staring at me.
I know I probably looked ridiculous, but what was he staring at? He smiled and then bent down to help me pick up the rest of my stuff. I took this opportunity to really look at him. He had dark brown hair, just long enough to run your fingers through. He had to be about six feet tall and had a body that Hercules himself would be jealous of. He handed me my stuff and I gave him a smile.
I started to walk away when he yelled, “You know Branson Hall is this way, right?” When I turned around, he was pointing behind him. How did he know what building I was going to? “Are you okay? Do you need the special services building?”
Special services? Oh my god, he thinks I am disabled? Well, considering I’d been with him for five minutes not saying a word and just staring like an idiot, what did I expect? “I don’t need special services, but I was trying to find Branson Hall. How did you know that?” There, I actually spoke. It was a miracle I could, at this point.
“I saw your roster on the ground. I’m actually going to the same class if you wanna go together. My name is Carter, by the way.”
“Hi, I’m Madison and that would be great.
If it isn’t obvious, I really have no idea where I’m going.”
“Sure, no problem, come on. You know we’re late, right?” He turned and looked at me with a playful smile. “You wouldn’t want to play hooky, would you?”
Play hooky with him? On the first day of class? No way in hell. This guy was obviously very different from me. “No, I came to school to go to class, not skip with the first guy I run into.” Literally. I saw a couple different emotions cross his face…confusion and maybe a little excitement?
“Okay, okay, I was just asking, Maddy.” What did he just call me? No one ever called me anything other than Madison. I really liked the way it sounded coming from him. What was I doing? I had a boyfriend! “So, I’m guessing you’re a freshman. Do you live on campus?”
“Yes, it’s my first day of class but I guess that’s obvious.” I hadn’t met my roommate yet. Her name was Nicole and she was supposed to show up today. I wondered if our dorms were close to each other. I wondered what his room looked like. No! Madison, what are you doing?! “So, do you live on campus too?”
“No, I rent the first floor of a house off campus and I live by myself.” He had a house? That had to be great, being able to come and go as you wanted and being independent. My foster father had told me this summer that I had till the beginning of September to move out. Which was ironic considering my birthday wasn’t until November 23rd and he was still collecting checks. However, today was a new day and I decided I wasn’t going to let it get to me. Carter interrupted my thoughts. “So, what’s your major?”
“Um, it’s psychology.”
“That’s cool. What do you want to do?”
Why was he so interested? I never really had any guys pay me attention. The only guy who ever noticed me was Chris. “I want to work with kids in some aspect. I don’t know how yet. Maybe be a social worker.”
Chris’ mother told me I was foolish for wanting to waste my degree in social work. She said I should just become a licensed psychologist, like her doctor. Truthfully, if I had to sit there all day and listen to all these snobby country club women whine about not getting the newest designer handbag, I think I’d be the one who needed therapy.
“I think that’s great. I’ve always admired people who work with kids. My mother was a teacher.”
“What does she do now?”
“Nothing, she died when I was ten.” His tone becomes flat, and I can tell this isn’t something that he wants to talk about.
Oh God, there I go sticking my foot in my mouth. How the hell was I supposed to respond to that? I hated when I told people my mom died and they’d say “I’m sorry” and give me a pity look, so I was sure as hell not going to do that. “Well, I’m sure she’d be proud of you today, going to college and everything. What’s your major?”
His head snapped up and he looked at me like he was confused. Did I say the wrong thing? “Uh…it’s uh…architecture.”
We walked up to one of the buildings that looked like a huge castle. I guessed this was Branson Hall. I followed Carter to our class, but he didn’t say anything else. I must have scared him off. Maybe I came off too cold when he mentioned his mom?
“Well, here we are.” He opened the door and held it for me while I walked in. Luckily, the door was at the back of the classroom so it was easier to sneak in unnoticed. The class wasn’t even that full and there were tons of open seats. I found myself hoping Carter would sit next to me. I picked a seat somewhere in the middle and sat down. As I was unpacking my books, I looked to my right and he’d sat down next to me.
The teacher did most of the boring “first day of class” activities, going over the syllabus and making the students participate in icebreakers. It went by fast and before I knew it, we were being dismissed. Great, now I had to try not to get lost again. I was walking down the hallway trying to find my roster, when I felt someone come up beside me.
“Hey, I realized I still had this in my pocket. I must’ve forgotten to hand it to you.” Carter held out my roster for me. “We have the next two classes together, if you wanna go with me. I have a break after that so I can even show you where the cafeteria is.” He shot me one of those heart-melting smiles, and I couldn’t say no.
“That sounds good, but I already know where the cafeteria is. I’ve been living on campus for a week now.”
He looked surprised, which didn’t shock me. I was one of only a handful of students who chose to come early. Although, for me, it wasn’t really a choice. More like a necessity.
Even Chris had gone on vacation the week before school had started. I’d secretly hoped he’d ask me to come with him, but he’d mentioned it was mostly family and he wanted to be free to have a good time and not babysit me. I felt like such a burden to him sometimes.
“Okay, then let’s go. You’re mine for the morning.” For a second, I wished Chris would say things like this to me. I mean Chris liked me enough, but I just didn’t feel like he really cared. He told me he loved me before but, the truth was, I never really believed him.
However, he was all I had and I needed to make it work. I knew he didn’t treat me that great, but it was better than being alone. Chris was really jealous and hated it when I even so much as looked at another guy, so I knew what I was doing with Carter wasn’t very smart.
Chapter Two
Carter
I didn’t know what it was about this girl but, from the minute she ran me over, I couldn’t get enough of her. She seemed so real, so honest; she wasn’t like the other girls here, the ones who you can tell just agree with everything you say in the hopes you’ll want them., Not to mention, she was gorgeous, which I don’t think she even realized. Her hair was this beautiful shade of light brown, and her eyes were a stunning hazel color. She had a nice body and was tall enough that I knew she’d fit perfectly against me. What the hell was I thinking?
When I told her about my mom, I braced myself for the normal “I’m so sorry” sympathatic look and the awkward silence. But she didn’t give me anything like that. She addressed it and moved on, which only made me want to get to know her more. She had a story and I was dying to find out what it was. She seemed so guarded and I have a feeling she doesn’t let many people in. We had the same morning schedule this semester and I was going to take full advantage of getting to know her.
“So, where are you from?” I wanted to play twenty questions with her and find out everything. I never got like this over girls, never even had a relationship past a couple of dates with a girl.
“Um…I moved around a lot.” There was something she wasn’t telling me, and I didn’t think she was going to at this point. She seemed to be hesitant to talk about her past. “Where are you from?”
“I was born in California, but my family moved to North Carolina when I started my freshman year of high school. My father went to USC and wanted me to go there too, but I wanted to stay close to home.” She just smiles and lets out a little laugh. “What’s so funny?”
“I was trying to figure out why you had a USC shirt on at Duke.”
I smile at her as I whisper in her ear, “Well, if you must know, USC sent me here as a spy. It’s very hush-hush, though.”
There was that giggle again. “Oh, really, and what are you supposed to be finding out?”
“I was supposed to see if the girls at Duke University are better than the ones at USC and, after this morning, I think my mission is over.”
Wow, that was pathetic. Even I was embarrassed at that answer. I glance over at her and I can see her blushing a little under her light brown hair. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as I thought.
“That was the most ridiculous line I’ve ever heard,” she said. Okay, it was as bad as I thought. We walk up to our next class and I wish we didn’t have to go in. I was enjoying talking to her and getting to know her.
After our third class, we walk over to the cafeteria. “Do you wanna eat together?” I can see her hesitate. I hope my bad line earlier didn’t scare her off.
&nbs
p; “Um…yea, I guess so.”
We walked through the buffet line and got our food. I was glad to see she had food on her plate and not just an apple and a piece of lettuce. I couldn’t stand it when girls refused to eat. There was nothing sexy about a stick.
I saw my two best friends at a table and they were trying to wave me over. Shawn, Jason and I had been inseparable since the first day of high school. We were always together and we always had each other’s back. It was as much of a family as my dad, brother, sister and I were.
Shawn had said that any great group needed a nickname so he started referring to us as the “Three Musketeers.” Jason and I thought it was ridiculous, but we went along with it. We were all so different, but I think that is why we were all so close. Shawn is definitely the brain of the group. I swear he never even needed to study for tests. To say the least, I was jealous of him.
Jason is the asshole. He’d tell you how he felt whether you wanted to hear it or not. He didn’t take shit from anyone and wasn’t scared of confrontation. They looked at me like I was crazy when they saw Maddy walking over with me. “Guys, this is Madison. Madison this is Shawn and Jason.”
We all sat and talked while we ate, and she seemed like she was starting to get comfortable. The guys said they needed to go to their next class, and it was just Maddy and me. We were sitting there enjoying spending time with each other when I saw Chris Johnson coming our way. I hated that guy so much. He was a pompous ass who thought daddy’s money could get him anything he wanted. I had a few run-ins with him last year at different parties. He treated girls like shit. When he saw me, he smirked and kept on coming.
My whole body tensed. He better not try to mess with Maddy because I’ll lay him out right here. Jesus, where did that come from? I’ve only known this girl for about three hours and I’m ready to knock someone out for her. He walks up behind Maddy and puts his hand on her shoulder. Did they know each other? As she turns around I see a look of disappointment flash across her face. What the hell was going on?
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