"See you later," was all he said, and then he left me at the entrance doors.
I shouldn't have cared that he didn't give me a hug or anything, but I haven't been hugged in a year and sometimes I miss it, the connection, the contact, knowing that someone loves you.
"So the bed's supersoft." Nikki plops down on the twin bed and gives a little bounce, crossing her legs.
I drop the bag on the floor of the closet-sized room and stand in front of her, staring down at the filthy mattress. "Oh yeah?"
She seductively grins at me. "Definitely." Then she reaches up and snatches the front of my shirt, tugging me down to her mouth.
Her lips are dry and taste like weed, but I close my eyes and kiss her back, shutting myself down as I lean over her and we collapse against the bed. I know it's wrong. Neither of us really gives a shit about the other. There's no meaning to it. It's as pointless as existing and equally as insignificant. But that's exactly what I deserve, and the moment that I do feel meaning--the moment I feel the slightest bit of contentment and happiness with another woman--is the moment I break my promise to Lexi.
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THE SECRET OF ELLA AND MICHA
A rule-breaker with a fiery attitude, Ella always wore her heart on her sleeve. Then she left everything behind to go to college, where she transformed into someone who follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. Now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home. But once there, Ella fears that everything she's worked so hard to bury might resurface--especially with Micha living right next door.
Smart, sexy, and confident, Micha can get under Ella's skin like no one else. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. If he tries to tempt the old Ella to return, he will be impossible to resist. But what Ella doesn't realize is that when she left, she took a piece of Micha's heart with her. Now he's determined to win back the girl he lost, no matter what it takes.
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THE FOREVER OF ELLA AND MICHA
Ella is back at school, trying to focus on her future and forget the darkness of her past. Still, her ongoing family drama is making it harder and harder to get through the days. All she really wants is Micha, but no way will she let her problems get in the way of his dreams.
Micha is busy touring the country with his band, seemingly getting everything he's ever wanted. But deep down he knows something is missing. Being away from Ella is harder than he'd expected. And while he longs to have her with him, he won't ask her to leave college just to be at his side.
When Ella and Micha are together, anything seems possible... but lately those shared moments aren't so easy to find. When a new tragedy shakes their already fragile world, one of them will make a dramatic choice that could break them apart forever...
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On the surface, Lila Summers is flawless: good looks, expensive clothes, and a big, beautiful smile. But a dark past and even darker secrets are threatening to bubble over her perfect facade. She'll do anything to keep the emptiness inside hidden--which leads her into situations that always end badly. Whenever she hits bottom, there's only one person who's there to pull her out: Ethan Gregory.
Ethan set the rules a long time ago: he and Lila are just friends. He doesn't do relationships. Although his tattooed, bad-boy exterior is a far cry from Lila's pretty-princess image, Ethan can't deny they have a deeper connection than he's used to. If he's not careful, he could be in serious danger of becoming attached--and he's learned the hard way that attachment only leads to heartbreak.
When Lila falls further than she ever has before, can Ethan continue to help as a friend? Or is he also getting close to falling... for her?
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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Temptation of Lila and Ethan comes a story of change, hope, and unbreakable vows.
The day Ella has waited for is just around the corner. It's the day she'll marry Micha, the love of her life, the light that guided her out of the darkness. It looks like it will be the perfect Christmas--until an unexpected package arrives with a harsh reminder of Ella's past. Suddenly Ella doesn't feel as confident about her future. Can she really have a "happily ever after" if she's never even seen one?
Micha will stand by Ella no matter what she's going through--though he worries that she might leave him standing at the altar again. When he's offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to tour with his favorite bands for three months, Micha knows he can't leave Ella behind. But can he ask her to uproot her life to join him on the road?
Now Ella and Micha must find a way to balance their fears, their dreams, and their love... if they ever want to hear wedding bells.
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Ethan has no doubts about his feelings for Lila. His life with her gets better every day--and that's the scary part. How can he walk into a future where he has everything to lose? With Lila, his whole heart is on the line for the very first time. But if Ethan can't give her the promise she needs, his greatest fear might come true: he'll lose Lila for good.
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For Kayden, suffering in silence was the only way to survive. If he was lucky, he could keep his head down, do as he was told, and make it through the day. But one night it seemed that his luck--and his life--might finally end... until an angel named Callie appeared just in time to rescue him.
Callie has never believed in luck. Not since her twelfth birthday when everything was taken from her. After the worst was over, she locked up her feelings and vowed never to tell anyone what happened. Now, six years later, she continues to struggle with the painful secret that threatens to consume her.
When fate lands Kayden and Callie at the same college, Kayden is determined to get to know the beautiful girl who changed his destiny. Quiet and reserved, Callie still fears letting anyone else into her world. But Kayden is certain that Callie has come back into his life for a reason. And the more he tries to be a part of her life, the more he realizes that, this time, it's Callie who needs to be saved...
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THE REDEMPTION OF CALLIE & KAYDEN
The dark secret Kayden has kept hidden for years is finally out. Worse, he's facing charges for battery. The only way to clear his name is for Callie to speak up--something he'll never ask her to do. Instead, he'll do whatever he must to protect her... even if it means letting go of the only girl he's ever loved.
Callie knows Kayden is going back to his dark place and desperately wants to save him. But that means facing her greatest fear and admitting her own painful secrets aloud. The thought of breaking her silence terrifies her--but not as much as the thought of losing Kayden forever.
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Then Violet meets Luke. The two clash instantly, yet they can't seem to stay away from each other. Although they fight it, they both start to open up and feel things they've never felt before. They discover just how similar they are. But they also discover something else: the past always catches up with you...
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BREAKING NOVA
Nova Reed used to have dreams--of becoming a famous drummer, of marrying her true love. But all of that was taken away in an instant. Now she's getting by as best she can, though sometimes that means doing things the old Nova would never do. Things that are slowly eating away at her spirit. Every day blends into the next... until she meets Quinton Carter. His intense, honey-brown eyes instantly draw her in, and he looks just about as broken as she feels inside.
Quinton once got a second chance at life--but he doesn't want it. His tattoos are a constant reminder of what he's done, what he's lost. He's sworn to never allow happiness into his life... but then beautiful, sweet Nova makes him smile. He knows he's too damaged to get close to her, yet she's the only one who can make him feel alive again. Quinton will have to decide: does he deserve to start over? Or should he pay for his past forever?
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Nova has haunted his dreams for nearly a year--but Quinton never thought a sweet, kind person like her would care enough about a person like him. To Quinton, a dark, dangerous life is exactly what he deserves. And Nova has no place in it. But Nova has followed him to Las Vegas, and now he must do whatever it takes to keep her away, to maintain his self-imposed punishment for the unforgivable things he's done. But there's one flaw in his plan: Nova isn't going anywhere...
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Prologue
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
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Jessica Sorensen
Acclaim for Jessica Sorensen
A Preview of Breaking Nova
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Copyright
Copyright
Published by Sphere
ISBN: 978-0-7515-5536-3
All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Copyright (c) 2014 by Jessica Sorensen The moral right of the author has been asserted.
Excerpt from Breaking Nova copyright (c) 2013 by Jessica Sorensen Cover design by Brigid Pearson Cover photograph by Regina Wamba Cover copyright (c) 2014 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
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Nova and Quinton: No Regrets Page 26
