by Len Webster
Lori knew the truth, but it didn’t comfort her. A trip into the city had helped. Her brother comforted her while she tried to remain calm. Will had even taken her shopping and sat by while she got her nails done. She knew her brother had better things to do than to babysit her, but she had never needed her older brother more in her life. He was the first person she called after Casey and her teammates went MIA on her.
Just as she was about to turn away from her laptop to shower and head to the gym to get her mind off her suspension, her phone began to beep excessively. She picked it up and unlocked it to find several messages from her teammates, random numbers, and group chats she had been added to. Curious, she opened the link that was on every single message she had received.
It was a video.
Pressing play, a room she recognized consumed the screen.
The door opened and her entire heart stopped mid-beat at the sight of her and Casey together.
“No,” she breathed in horror, watching her and Casey kiss.
“Lori,” he moaned as hoarsely as he had in that moment.
“No, no, no,” she begged as tears ran down her face.
There was no way it was true.
It couldn’t exist.
She hadn’t consented to being filmed.
She had defended her name and image, but the video was real.
As real as her whispered, “Casey, I want you.”
As real as the look of desire and want on her face.
“Please,” she moaned. “Casey …”
And then she watched her life explode before her very eyes as she and Casey removed their clothes, falling on the bed until he entered her, Lori letting out a moan of pleasure.
It was real.
Lori Lawrence had a sex tape.
A sex tape she had never wanted or consented to.
As she dropped her phone, she glanced up to find the Facebook group flooded with posts of the sex tape.
Every post called her a whore.
Every post labeled her a slut.
But every post contained what a hero the star quarterback was for getting a cheerleader in his bed.
Lori’s reputation was ruined.
How was she supposed to return to LSU now?
How was she going to survive two more years of college?
Then her phone rang, Miss Kylie’s name flashing on the screen.
Her hands shook as she answered the call.
Her heart broke into pieces as Miss Kylie uttered, “I’m sorry, Lori.”
Her life was over the moment she added, “You’re no longer an LSU cheerleader.”
It was over.
Her dreams.
Her reputation.
Her career as a cheerleader.
It was all over.
And there was only one person she could call as she dialed his number.
A sob escaped her as he answered. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to do, Will. I shouldn’t be calling you …”
“Hey. Lori, you’re my little sister. I would do anything for you.”
A sob escaped her.
“You know that, right?” Will asked.
Lori knew he would. He had been her source of strength since she had been suspended from the team. “I know,” she said. “My life is over. I’m off the team. The sex tape is out. Oh, my God. What am I supposed to do now? Oh, God. It’s everywhere. Will, I need you to come home. Please.”
Her brother comforted her.
Reassured her.
But she didn’t feel any of it.
She was numb.
So numb as he promised, “I’m taking the first train back to New York to you.”
THE RUNNING BACK
COMING THIS FALL.
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Want more angst?
Meet AJ & Evan in
The Science of Unrequited Series.
Atomic number: 8
Name of chemical element: Oxygen
Symbol: O
Every theory has a test subject … even between best friends.
The pact: Stanford.
The betrayal: AJ attending Duke.
The reason: She did something stupid like fall in love with Evan.
The problem: Evan’s not ready to let this betrayal go so easily.
The solution: Find AJ and fix them.
"The Theory of Unrequited is an angsty, turbulent story and I cannot wait for the next one!" - L.J. Shen, USA Today Bestselling author.
Follow AJ and Evan as they navigate their friendship, college, life, and love on opposite sides of the country.
Start the journey of unrequited in The Theory of Unrequited.
Acknowledgements
The Better Man’s title was inspired by Little Big Town’s Better Man. It represented what Savannah wanted in Walter and what she found in Will. I will never stop being thankful to Taylor Swift for writing a song that represented Savannah and her journey.
The moment I wrote Savannah Peters’ name in The Theory of Unrequited, I wanted to write her. I wanted to write her story about moving on from the love and life she thought she had to endure. The life she thought she deserved. William Lawrence never saved he. He showed her what she deserved, and Savannah fought for him and their love. Sometimes we have to let go of what we think we should settle for. And I hope Savannah and Will’s story inspire you to go fight for what you truly love and desire. Don’t let it be too late because it never is.
Go find that better you deserve.
Now that The Better Man is out in the world, I feel like my heart has found some sort of peace. I have loved writing Savannah and Will. They were with me during a hard time in my life. They helped me see the brighter part of love once again.
And also, Will was always the better man!
First and always, to my wonderful family who have supported me through it all. I wouldn’t be so fortunate to publish SIXTEEN books without them.
To my sweet dogs who are always by my side, my life is better with you both in it.
Thank you to my best friend, Jaycee Ford, for always pushing me to publish and to never give up. Your friendship means so much to me!
My incredible editor, Jenny Sims, thank you for always putting in so much love in my books. And thank you for making them American when they need to be!
To my cover designer, Najla Qamber Designs … NAJLA, YOU GOT IT SO RIGHT! The Better Man’s cover is glorious and beautiful. I am so lucky to have you as my cover designer.
Thank you to Regina Wamba for the incredible image! I have the perfect Will because of your art.
A massive THANK YOU to Staci Hart who brought this cover to life! We had it right but with Staci, we had perfection! From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Staci. I’m so honoured to have you as a friend. You are someone I look up to.
To Nikki Sloane, thank you for all your advice and support! You are such an incredible author and I’m lucky to have a friend like you.
To Leslie Webster, my interior designer for The Better Man, thank you for always looking over my books. For always fine tuning and giving the little details the attention they deserve. Thank you for always being patient with me. You truly are an incredible brother.
To my beta readers, Jen, Leeann, Ella, and Nadine. Thank you, ladies, for all your feedback. And words can’t express my undying gratitude to Nadine for the incredible feedback that really brought The Better Man to that next level.
Thank you to Jen at Wildfire Marketing Solutions for all her hard work in getting Savannah and Will out there! I would be so lost without you, Jen!
To the women who always push me, support me, love me, and are always kind to me. I am so lucky to be in a community that has women like Fiona Cole, Veronica Larsen, RC Boldt, C.L Matthews, TL Smith, and so many more incredible women in.
The incredible and
devoted bloggers, thank you all so much for your hard work and sharing not just The Better Man, but for continuously supporting authors and their work. You’re all truly amazing.
My sweet readers, thank you. In my darkest days, you have always been my light. I’ve had an impossibly tough year of my life, and though it’s been hard, you’ve always ensured that I am never alone. Thank you for your love. I will continue to earn it and be deserving of it. Thank you for supporting me through these past almost eight years and through sixteen books. My love for you all is endless.
My Lenatics, thank you. You all let me be me. And you all don’t know what that means to me. Thank you for listening, for loving me for me, and for being there when I’ve lost myself. I owe you all so much. Thank you.
And to you. ALWAYS YOU.
Thank you for buying and reading The Better Man. Thank you so much for allowing Savannah and Will to be with you. I am so appreciative of your time, your love, and your support.
Until our next adventure together in The Running Back.
Love,
Len
PS. Walter might redeem himself … someday.
Also By Len Webster
The First Touch of Sunlight
The Wait For You
Damn You, Whiskey: a short story
The Sometimes Moments Collection
Sometimes Moments (Sometimes Moments #1)
Sometimes, Forever (Sometimes Moments #2)
Sometimes. Honestly? Always. (Sometimes Moments #3) Coming Soon
Thirty-Eight Series
Thirty-Eight Days (Thirty-Eight #1)
Thirty-Eight Reasons (Thirty-Eight #2)
What We’ll Leave Behind (Thirty-Eight #2.5)
What You Left Behind (Thirty-Eight #3)
All We Have (Thirty-Eight #4)
With The First Goodbye (Thirty-Eight #5)
With The Last Goodbye (Thirty-Eight #6)
The Science of Unrequited: The Story of AJ & Evan
The Theory of Unrequited (The Science of Unrequited #1)
The Solution to Unrequited (The Science of Unrequited #2)
The Results of Unrequited (The Science of Unrequited #3)
The Dissolution of Unrequited (The Science of Unrequited #4)
The Lawrences
The Better Man: a standalone
The Running Back: Coming soon
About the Author
Avid English Breakfast tea sipper and romance author, Len Webster spends most of her days writing, saying good morning to her dogs with kisses or trying to explain how the internet renamed her to Leonard Webster.
The cities of the world might have inspired her, but her entire being is content and at home in a gorgeous, small pinned dot on the map of Melbourne, Australia where every beat, crack, and scar of her heart has influenced the way she tells her stories.
Away from the tea leaves and written words, Len can be found immersed in the food and culture of brand new cities on #TheLenFoodTour or forgetting that her framed Bachelor of Business and Commerce from Monash University still awaits its place on the hook on her wall—sorry, Mum!
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