Second Chance Boyfriend(64)

Of course, there’s plenty I don’t know about Fable. She’s still a mystery to me. One I want to examine and take apart, learn every bit of her piece by piece.

“Yeah.” She leans in and presses her lips to the center of my chest. My heart skips a beat, as if it could literally feel her kiss. “I have all sorts of secret talents.”

“I’ll say,” I mutter, enthralled with the way she’s touching me. So easily, as if we’ve been together forever.

Laughing, she withdraws from me and starts toward my bedroom. “Maybe if you’re lucky you’ll discover more of my secret talents later tonight,” she calls from over her shoulder.

I frown. “What are you talking about?”

More laughter, the musical sound washes over me, filling me with happiness. “You’ll see.”

I’m left still pondering that remark hours after she left.



Fable



I feel good. Like the best I have in ages. Jen and I went out to dinner at some new place downtown where they serve the best appetizers ever. We laughed and laughed as we gushed over the delicious food, knowing Colin would absolutely kill us if he caught us in there.

We were coconspirators and that was fun. The only time I’ve ever felt truly part of a team is with Owen and somewhat with Drew. With Drew, our relationship is still so new, so fragile, I’m afraid sometimes to push too hard.

Tonight, I plan on pushing hard. Tonight, I feel free.

“So tell me more about your hunkalicious boyfriend.” Jen’s dark eyes are sparkling. We’re at one of the local college hangouts. It’s two stories, the bottom level a very casual restaurant/burger joint, the top level has a huge bar and dance floor. They don’t let anyone underage upstairs, which totally bums me out. I’m literally writhing where I sit in the booth, my body overtaken by the muted throbbing beat that comes from upstairs.

“What do you want to know?” I play coy on purpose, stirring my straw in my glass of soda. I sort of wish for harder stuff. Jen’s a little buzzed, I can see it in the flush in her face, the light in her eyes. I’m less than six months away from my twenty-first birthday and not that I’m a party girl or anything, but it’ll be nice to be able to booze it up whenever I want.

“How’d you meet?”

Such a simple question that requires a not so simple answer. “It’s sort of hard to explain.”

“He’s gorgeous, you know. And popular as hell, you little shit. You told me he was no one I knew. Everyone in town knows Drew Callahan.” Jen sips from her drink, her lips curved in a smirk. “Is he amazing in bed or what?”

Jen gets a little liquored up and she’s making all sorts of crazy statements. I don’t even know how to answer that. I’m used to girls accusing me of stealing their boyfriends, not of friends asking how my boyfriend is in bed.

“Your cheeks are red so I’m guessing the answer is unbelievable.” Jen shakes her head, a wistful expression on her face. “I miss sex.”

I’m slightly taken aback. I totally had it pegged that she and Colin were doing the nasty, as my brother so eloquently states it. “By that statement, I guess you’re not having it?”

“Nope.” Jen shakes her head. “I know what you’re thinking. I bet you assumed Colin and I are together.”

I still say nothing because yeah, I sure did think they were together.

“Well, we’re not. He’s just a friend.” She glances around, like someone’s lurking in the background and might hear us. “If I told you something, would you promise to keep it a secret?”

“Sure.” I swear I have a sign around my neck that says excellent secret keeper.

Jen leans across the table ominously and lowers her voice. “Colin was my older brother’s best friend.”

I frown. “Was?”

A pained expression crosses her face. “My brother died. In Iraq a few years ago.”

“Oh.” I reach across the table and give her hand a squeeze. “I’m so sorry.”

She shrugs, though the hurt is still in her gaze. “It was a few years ago, and everyone was completely devastated, especially Colin. Danny’s death…threw my family completely off. We all splintered apart and I ended up running away. I couldn’t go back home. There was just no way I could stay there with all that pain and misery surrounding me. So I ended up here. Working dead-end jobs, trying to keep my head above water.”

Sounded familiar. At least I’m not alone. I’m thankful for having Owen, and even my mom to a point. She’s awful but she hasn’t flat-out deserted us.

“I’m working one night a few months ago and Colin just…walks in. Like out of nowhere. Told me he’d been looking for me, he had a job lined up and a place to stay if I want it. I figured he worked for The District, you know? Was like the restaurant manager or whatever. When I realized he owned the place—that he owns multiple restaurants and he’s filthy rich, I couldn’t believe it. He’s done so much with his life.” The dreamy look on Jen’s face was unmistakable.