by Moose, S.
Easy Fall
S. Moose
Contents
Easy Fall
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Epilogue
The Boudreaux Universe
About the Author
Also by S. Moose
Acknowledgments
Easy Fall
A Boudreaux Universe Novel
By S. Moose
EASY FALL
A Boudreaux Universe Novel
S. Moose
Copyright © 2020 by S. Moose
All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. All characters and storylines are the property of the author and your support and respect are appreciated. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Cover Design: Designs by Dana
Cover photo: Sara Eirew Photography
Published by Lady Boss Press, Inc.
To my Marine.
I wouldn’t change the road of my past knowing it would lead me to you.
Ps. Thank you for your service.
Chapter 1
Mallory
Nerves run through my body as I scramble to finish applying the sheer red lipstick over my lips. My palms are sweating, and I’m sure if I weren’t sitting, my knees would be weak. The Uber driver pulls the car near the valet stand.
“Thanks for the lift,” I murmur before taking the offered hand of the gentleman who just opened my door. “Thank you,” I say again. Taking a deep breath, I square my shoulders and take one step and then another that leads me toward the restaurant.
My eyes are on the entrance door, and I should be running up the steps to where I want to be. The only problem is, I’m scared, and it’s holding me back. So many thoughts are going through my mind.
What if he’s not going to ask me?
What if he asks me to move in with him, then later down the road, he proposes?
What if he wants to break up?
What if he tells me he’s into men?
What if he asks me if I’d be open to a threesome with a woman from his office?
These questions are in my mind because I’ve been in all but one scenario. It’s hilarious at this point. I have to laugh because it’s better than the alternative.
Before Calvin, love wasn’t on my side. I shed too many tears for so long and just wished I found my Prince Charming or at least was in a relationship that wasn’t doomed to end with me crying my eyes out. Love was always around me, but it never worked out for me. I’ve been hurt more times than I can count. No matter how many times I gave my heart away, love never worked out for me. When I was a little girl, I always imagined finding someone who’d love me. Someone who would love just as fiercely as I did. He’d make all my dreams come true, and I’d take care of him. We’d have the fairy-tale ending most women dreamed about. I’d be a mother like my very own, and we’d dance in the living room by the fireplace when our kids were asleep. I’d never go a day without knowing how much he loved and appreciated me, and he would feel the same.
My heart begins to race as my anxiety peaks, causing me to quickly turn around and walk away from the door. My thoughts are swimming with voices of fear and assumptions. I remind myself how much I love Calvin and that this is what I want. Life is all about taking chances and remembering if you don’t try, then you’ll never know. After so many failed relationships, I finally found someone who understands me and wants to be with me. We work well together. Things between us are better than ever before.
Calvin’s an amazing man and has a great career. He’s funny—well, sometimes—and has good morals.
Well, sometimes.
We have fun together and knew each other before we started dating. Our friendship foundation was strong, and I trusted him.
He’s sweet and takes care of me. Even though we don’t live together, he comes over most mornings to bring me a latte, and we have breakfast together. Sometimes I cook for him, and sometimes he’ll bring breakfast from our favorite place. Throughout the day, he’ll let me know he’s thinking of me and he can’t wait to see me. Every Friday, we have happy hour with our friends, and every weekend, if he’s not too busy with work, I spend it with him at his apartment.
I know he loves me, and I love him. We have vacation plans this year, including attending a popular music festival together. Calvin’s genuine and opens up to me about so much from his past and why he needs to be successful.
It was only him and his mother growing up. His father passed away when he was six years old. She never remarried because she knew she’d never love again. It was hard for them, but she continued working as a teacher, and Calvin worked hard throughout school to get scholarships and grants so when it was time, he attended Harvard Law and graduated a year early. He aced the bar exam and was soon the youngest in his firm to handle top criminal cases.
Last week, a friend of ours joked about when Calvin was going to propose. He smiled and kept quiet. The past few weeks, he’s acted nervous and a little on edge. I’ve caught him a few times on his phone, talking in a hushed tone, and when he saw me, he quickly ended the call and never brought up what he was talking about.
A light bulb shines brightly in my mind, and I just know he’s going to ask me to marry him. That’s why he’s been secretive and on edge. He’s been talking about taking the next steps into our future, and this is supposed to happen. I’m going to walk into the restaurant, see him, and wait for the proposal. I’m going to say yes, and we’re going to tell our family and friends.
It’s all going to work out. I know it.
All my dreams are going to come true tonight.
Standing outside the restaurant door, I take a breather, smoothing out my red satin dress and blinking a few times before stepping inside. Running my fingers down my long brown hair, I look around and see Calvin sitting at a table by the window.
He knows that’s our spot.
I love sitting by the window. There’s something about enjoying dinner with your loved one and, during that moment of comfortable silence, looking outside and seeing the world next to you. There’s a sense of calm. It’s hard to describe.
“You got this, girl,” I tell myself and take another deep breath before walking in.
Chapter 2
Mallory
Butterflies flutter around my belly when I look at him, and our eyes connect. He’s handsome with his clean-cut dark brown hair, light brown eyes, and a boyish grin. He stands from the table as I approach and kisses my cheek, before pulling out my chair and gently pushing it in.
“How are you? You look beautiful by the way,” he says with a soft smile.
<
br /> “Thank you. I’m good. How was court?”
Calvin’s been working on the same trial for the past six months, and I know it’s starting to get to him. The trial is hard on him. It involves prosecuting an alleged murderer. He brings it home with him and sometimes will stay up nights at a time, going through the interviews and facts, so he’s prepared for the next day in court. He’s young to be a prosecutor, but he’s worked his way up to partner at his law firm.
“Lousy. I don’t want to talk about work. I want to talk about us and where we’re heading.”
The butterflies are back. It’s coming. Mentally, I tell myself to take a deep breath and smile because this is what I want. If the tarot cards and my intuition are right, then the future is being set for me. For us.
“What about?”
The boyish grin I love so much is gone, and he can’t look at me. He’s playing with his napkin, and he can’t stop drinking his water.
Our server comes to the table, but Calvin waves him off, and I’m left a bit confused and unsettled.
“Calvin?”
He clears his throat. “So, I want to talk to you about something, Mallory. It’s something I’ve been thinking about, and I’m not sure how to say it. There are so many words going through my head.” He lets out an uneasy laugh and wipes the sweat off his forehead with the cloth napkin. “Don’t get me wrong. I love you, and I love everything we’re doing. You’re an amazing woman and you deserve everything in this world. It’s just, you know, things in life sometimes don’t go down the path you think. Sometimes things happen, and life serves you a purpose on a silver platter.”
My pulse quickens. This is it. Everything I’ve been waiting for is finally coming to light. After all the heartbreak and pain, it’s going to happen.
“This is going to come as a shock to you. I know you’re going to be surprised, and I hope you understand. I’m only doing this before I love you.”
“Yes! Calvin, sweetheart, yes. All the yeses in the world!”
“Y-Yes?”
“Yes.”
His eyes flicker from side to side before meeting mine again, and I see how he’s looking strangely at me. “I’m not following. Why are you saying yes?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you.” I laugh and reach across the table for his hand. “I know I should’ve waited until you asked, but I couldn’t hold it in. I can’t wait to spend my life with you. Our love story is only beginning. I saw the most beautiful wedding dress tonight when I was getting ready. It was a sign.”
“You what?”
I pull out my phone. “My parents are going to be thrilled. They love you so much. Oh, Calvin.” I place my hand on my chest over my heart. “This is the best night ever.”
“I’m not asking to marry you. I’m breaking up with you,” he blurts out.
Shock renders me still. “Y-You’re what? Can you please repeat that? I don’t think I heard you correctly.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Mallory. Things, well, you know. You do too much for me. I’m a man, but you treat me like I’m your kid or something. This isn’t something I want for the rest of my life.”
“What?” My pulse slows, and I feel my world starting to crumble. This isn’t happening. I try to think about the past few months. “I don’t treat you like a kid. I love you, Calvin. I take care of you. That’s what people do when they’re in love.”
“Mallory, you’re not understanding me. You emasculate me. I don’t need you to take care of every little thing. You love me way too much. You care about me too much, and I don’t think I can handle how intense you are.”
Things were good.
We were happy.
“We don’t have a future together.”
His expression is emotionless. His monotone voice means he’s doesn’t care about what he’s doing to me.
To us.
Tears fill my eyes as I sit in front of the man I love. Setting down my cell phone, I look out the window so he doesn’t see me. This can’t be happening. I know the signs of a breakup. I know the signs when your boyfriend falls out of love with you.
I know the signs all too well.
“Why are you doing this?” I slowly ask him. “I mean I understand why, but there seems to be more behind this break up.”
“I need to be honest.”
“Please do.”
He clears his throat. “You’re too much. That’s what it is. Our relationship is too intense, and I can’t handle everything you do for me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy when you cook me breakfast or show up in the office with lunch. I love date nights with you and how you take the time to make the reservations and make sure they know I have a nut allergy. The fact you and my mom get along so well means a lot to me. Those are the things I love about you. You’re caring, and you have a heart of gold. Then you do these other things that are on another level. Like the night you took my phone and made a stupid mushy post about us. I’m not like that on social media. That’s all you. Or when you showed up to my guys’ night at the bar. What was that? Then there’s the fact you plan out everything we do. You don’t know when to slow down and enjoy life. You plan out everything. And since we’re being honest, things haven’t been great between us sexually either.”
This isn’t real life. There’s no way someone can be as cruel and heartless as the man sitting across from me. I close my eyes to regain my vision. It feels like a bad dream. None of this feels real.
I want to open my eyes and see two glasses of champagne on the table with Calvin bending down on one knee, holding a ring out before him and asking me to be his wife.
It doesn’t happen.
I’m not in a nightmare. This is real life. All I see is Calvin looking at me, waiting for me to say something.
“You’re breaking up with me because you think I’m too intense and our sex life hasn’t been the greatest.” A hurricane of anger spews out of me. “Really? Is that so? You think you’re so good? Sorry to burst your bubble, but I fake it every time. You aren’t that big, and you have no idea how to use it.” I speak in a loud voice, and the party of women next to us raises their glasses and cheers for me. “And another thing, I’m not sorry for taking care of you and trying to plan our life together. That night I crashed your guys’ night, Simon texted me and said you were getting too drunk, so I wanted to be there in case you needed me to take you home. I was trying to be helpful. I apologized about that post over and over again, and I never did it again.” I point at him, then at myself. “I’m better than this, and I deserve to be happy. Thank you for making me realize that you’re not the one for me. I’m so glad this wasn’t a proposal.”
Calvin looks around the restaurant nervously. “Please lower your voice. Let’s order something and eat. We can talk later or something.”
“Order something to eat?” I loudly repeat. “Talk later? No. We’re going to talk now since you’re the one who decided it was best to break up with me here in the middle of a very public restaurant.”
His attempt to soothe me over isn’t working. He’s looking at our audience, and his face is becoming pale. All eyes are on us.
“I’m sorry.”
I’m humiliated. There are no words to describe how I’m feeling. I fumble over my words. “You’re sorry? I gave you all of me, Calvin. I let you all the way in. You told me I was your world and I made everything better. I thought we were doing well. Last week, you told me I have your heart and to always take care of it.” I hold back the tears. “You gave me your heart, and I gave you mine. I trusted you with everything. This is beyond cruel. I’m done, and I don’t want to speak to you ever again.”
“I know, and I understand how upset you are.”
“You understand? I don’t think so. You have no idea what it’s like to be me. To give your heart and soul to someone and have it ripped to shreds. You don’t understand, so don’t pretend you do.”
A woman comes to our table and leans down to hug me. “You don’t need him, sugar. Don’t let that boy m
ake you cry. You stay strong and hold your head high.” She releases me and holds my hand before looking at Calvin. “You need to grow up. What man takes his girlfriend out to a nice dinner only to break up with her? Pathetic.”
When she leaves, I clear my throat and suck in a breath. “You didn’t need to take me out to break up with me.” I remain calm. She’s right. He won’t make me cry. I will not cry over this breakup. “This could have been done in a private setting.”
Everything happens for a reason.
“It’s been two years, and I wanted to get this out of the way before we take our relationship further.”
“I see.”
Tossing the cloth napkin on the table, I get up from the table, turn on my heels and walk out of the restaurant to the sound of explosive applause.
Chapter 3
Justin
“Justin, my man. Good to see you out. What’s going on?” Jerry Vaughn claps me on the back. “I didn’t think you’d be free to come from around the bar and hang out. Glad you’re here.”
“And miss out on your party? Hell, man, you know I’m here for you.”
“Good. What’s new?”
I take a swig of my beer before answering. “Going well. Business is better than ever. Every Friday, Eli Boudreaux holds a company happy hour event, and it’s the biggest moneymaker of the week. Without him and his generosity …” I push out a breath. “I have no idea how I’d keep the bar standing, and you know I can’t lose it.”
