Hopeful Leigh (Literal Leigh Romance Diaries Book 3)

by Melanie James

  She recalled her teenage years, some of Adam's friends used to tease her and make fun of her, but not Jake. Never Jake. He always came to her rescue. If she could count on anyone over the years, it was her Jake.

  Jenny wondered where things went wrong between them, but deep down she knew. She just didn't understand his reaction to her, or the situation that they ended up in. She had no doubt that Jake wanted her just as badly as she wanted him. So how did we end up like this?

  2 months prior

  "I can't wait to let my hair down and blow off some steam." Jenny said to her roommates, who were busy primping for their night out.

  Finals had kicked her ass. Luckily, she only had one semester left, and she would graduate from college. She would be on her way, with a life and career of her own. She had always dreamed of being a teacher. A sweet memory from her childhood, inspired her to follow through with that dream. Before her parents died, she would play dress up and summon her family into her room. They would sit on the floor in front of her small chalkboard, while she carefully taught the subjects she had learned in school the previous day. Jenny smiled at the memory. Now, she was so close to making that dream a reality, she could taste it.

  Jenny had to let go of the exam induced stress from the last two weeks, and a girls night out was just the way to do it. Her body was tight and tense, her mind ready to explode from being crammed full of information. She felt like she needed a reset button for her brain to dump all of the course material in one fell swoop.

  Jenny was thankful for the amazing group of friends she met over the course of her time in college. The four girls were all in the same teaching program, and had all started at the same time. Sharing an apartment was a quick decision made for convenience, but it cemented a bond between them. No longer just classmates, they were practically sisters. The tiny apartment was not far from where she had lived with Adam. Jenny could have stayed with her big brother to save money, but she desperately wanted to be out on her own. It wasn't that she didn't love Adam, she did. And with all of her heart. He was a great big brother, but she just didn't want to live with him anymore. She wanted her own life on her own terms.

  Jenny and her three best friends set out on the ultimate adventure when they decided to squeeze into the microscopic two bedroom, one bath apartment. And just like sisters living together, it could be a real challenge to maintain a semblance of patience. Or sanity.

  "Would you hurry your skinny ass up in there? The rest of us need to get ready too!" Zoe shouted to Becca, who always took forever to get ready.

  The bathroom door suddenly flung open. "Seriously, I've been in here ten minutes. Some of us were not blessed with shiny, soft natural curls, and amazing good looks. Those of us less fortunate have to work hard in order to achieve this quality of beauty." Becca said, before slamming the door.

  "I think she starts the clock over each time she comes out here to bitch." Lizzy rolled her eyes at the standard roommate drama. Why they ever thought that four twenty-two year old females could peacefully exist in a two bedroom, one bath apartment was beyond her. It wasn't so bad, until they all had to be somewhere at the same time, then it was a rush for the shower before the hot water ran out. Running out of hot water in the middle of shampooing was not fun, no matter who you were.

  One hour and fifty two minutes later, they finally headed out. They walked arm in arm a few short blocks to the club, laughing and squealing in delight as their heels clicked in unison against the frozen pavement. Jenny opted to walk, because she would never drink and drive, and her best friends respected her wishes. It wasn't just because her brother was a cop, but because her parents had been brutally ripped from her life, by a drunk driver. She never understood what caused someone to get liquored up, and then get behind the wheel of a car. The damage done was irreparable. She was forced to live with it every day of her life. There wasn’t a day that passed where she didn’t think about her parents, and the empty space that remained where they should still be.

  Jenny could hear the bass thumping from the music as they descended on the club. Her nose was assaulted with the smell of stale beer, cigarettes, and women who marinated in cheap perfume. A multitude of lights danced over the patrons, spotlighting the public forum of foreplay. These types of clubs always felt like meat markets to her, and she usually avoided them, for that very reason. She had zero interest in lame pick-up lines, games, and one night stands. Jenny was there to let off some steam and enjoy the night with her friends, nothing more.

  As they worked their way through the throngs of gyrating patrons, Jenny started to lose patience. If one more guy grabbed her ass, she was likely to turn around and deck them. Her first order of business, acquire a drink. She needed to loosen up, shed the finals induced anxiety, and let go for a night.

  Her small group worked their way to the bar, to kick off their celebration. They quickly ordered their drinks and headed for a table in the corner. It was private and secluded, just the way they liked it. Jenny was glad none of her roommates were on the prowl, tonight. It didn't mean they wouldn't date, but all had sworn off serious relationships, until after college.

  The girls had refused to make a commitment to anyone, when their lives were far from settled. To do anything other than that, wouldn't be fair to either party. She felt bad for the girls who jumped from one relationship to the next, for fear of being alone. Jenny certainly understood their reasoning. After all, she knew all too well about the fear of being left alone in life. Thanks to the memories of her parents, she also knew what real love could be, what it should be. Jenny was a firm believer that it was better to be single than saddled with a bad and unhealthy relationship. She had watched too many friends fall victim to the never ending cycle.

  As the night passed, the girls laughed and danced as they fended off unwanted advances with ease. Jenny was happy and the smile on her face could not be denied. She let go and laughed with her friends.

  Jenny danced with a freedom that she hadn't felt in a long time. She twisted and turned to the music, shaking her head, hips, and ass. She was laughing with abandon when she felt a hard body slide in behind her. Solid, thick arms held her in a punishing grip. She tried in vain to pry herself from the man that was holding her so tightly, she was sure to bruise.

  "Let me go!" She hissed.

  "You shake your ass and tease like that, sweet thing—you better be prepared to follow through."

  She shook with anger. What gave this stranger the right to put his hands on her, and demand anything? She struggled, trying to break free from him, but his grip was impenetrable. He meant business, and it was a business that she wanted none of. She felt a panic snake its ugly head through her body. There were people all around her, but they were caught up in their own alcohol induced haze. They didn't seem to notice what was going on around them as the stranger pulled her away from her friends. She didn't want to go anywhere with the creep.

  Zoe saw the look of panic on Jenny's face as she tried to fight of the brute that was dragging her away from the group. "Get your hands off of her, asshole!"

  "Stay out of this bitch!" He roared at Zoe, pushing her away.

  Jenny was stunned. She started to slam her elbows again him. She kicked at his shins. She had to get away from him, or the situation would head from bad to worse as soon as he got her alone. Obviously, this guy had never learned the meaning of the word “no” and it appeared, he wasn’t going to learn anytime soon.

  The savage stranger grabbed her by the hair, twisting her face to his, and planting a demanding kiss on her lips. He was so much bigger than her. He effortlessly held her in a crushing embrace. His breath wreaked of a garlic loaded dinner, booze, and cigarettes. The smell alone made her want to vomit in his mouth. She grabbed at his hair, yanking with all of her might to release his punishing assault on her mouth, but it did no good. The harder she fought, the more excited he became. She went for his eyes, trying to gouge them out with her fingers. She knew it was extreme, but she tried
everything else and failed. He kept trying to drag her to the door, and she did not want to go. She pressed harder and he finally relented with a scream.

  "You fucking whore!" The rage rolled off of him in waves. His hand curled into a fist as Jenny fought harder to break free. She had just started to think she was in serious shit, when confusion swept over the scene. The man was torn away from her, his body flung to the ground.

  Zoe quickly grabbed Jenny and pulled her away from the scuffle. Jenny was terrified by what had happened. She didn't understand it. One minute she was dancing with her friends, the next minute she was accosted by a feral drunk, with brutal force. She knew she did nothing to lead him on. She had never seen the guy before.