Bentley suddenly started laughing, bringing everyone’s attention to him. He just shook his head and waved his hand at everyone as he continued to chortle, his shoulders shaking.
“You’ve got to be pulling my leg,” Grayson said, staring hard at Jax. “There is no way you really think that.”
Jax shrugged again. “Believe it or don’t, that’s how I feel.”
The two of them continued to argue and Bailey steadily realized that Jax was toying with Grayson, who was by far the most hot-headed of the guys in the band. He was passionate about everything and always seemed ready to fight about something.
Where Grayson’s shoulders were tense, hunched around his ears, as he leaned forward to talk to Jax, Jax was the complete opposite. His legs were spread wide and he had an arm slung over the back of his chair as he relaxed back, Karlie perched on his knee much like Bailey was on Harry’s.
Jax would clear his throat every so often and shift in his chair and she’d see his lip twitch, a sure sign he wasn’t serious.
She tuned the two of them out and looked around at the people sitting with them. This band had quickly become her family. Though she talked to her parents, she wasn’t close to them anymore and felt little need to visit them at holidays or school breaks.
Now that she was dating Harry, the band had opened their arms to her and she felt like she belonged. As much as she didn’t think she needed this, she did. She needed the camaraderie that the group brought and the steadiness of Harry in her life.
Looking back, she couldn’t believe she fought her feelings for Harry for so long. In the short time they’d been together, she’d been shown more love than she thought possible from one person. He showed her every day how much she meant to him and she endeavored to do the same. Though she struggled at the start, working to overcome her normal reactions to things, it had been worth it to go all-in on their relationship.
“Hey, what’s got you thinking so hard over there?” Karlie whispered from her right.
She looked at her best friend and smiled. “Nothing really.”
Karlie raised a brow. “Really? I’d say it’s something. You’re staring pretty hardcore at the flames there.”
Bailey chuckled. “I don’t know how to say it really. I just feel…content, ya know?”
Karlie smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I do know.”
She glanced at Jax, who shot her a quick smile before turning back to his argument with Grayson.
“That’s how I feel with Jax and his family. Like…this is right, this is how it’s supposed to be.”
Bailey nodded. “Exactly. That’s how I feel also. I just…I can’t believe that this is how I feel.”
Karlie laughed. “Look at you, all grown up and everything.”
Bailey joined in her laughter. “No kidding. I never thought I’d see the day, honestly.”
Karlie sobered instantly. “I know what you mean. But you just had to work through all your stuff and you had to do it on your own time.”
Bailey nodded. “I just feel like my time was a bit too long.”
A touch on her shoulder drew her attention to Harry, who was now stroking the skin on her neck. “You might feel like it took a long time, but I’d say the timing was just right. I got you, didn’t I?”
Bailey smiled and leaned down to kiss him. “You’re right, of course. I always say you’re the smarter one and I’m just a dumb jock,” she joked.
He pinched her neck before brushing his fingers over it. “Just because you took a little longer doesn’t mean anything.”
He pulled her to him for another kiss, this one deeper than the last.
“Are y’all about to bump uglies like you did at the last get-together we had?” Grayson asked, breaking into the little bubble she and Harry had created.
Her eyes widened and she sat up straight, her face heating. Jax guffawed next to her and even Karlie giggled. Soon, the entire group was laughing and the tension was broken. As she looked around at everyone, she nodded. This was it. This was her life, and she was happier for it.
Veronica
Veronica moved gingerly around her apartment, trying not to jostle her ribs too much. She grimaced as she reached up for a glass to fill with water.
She clutched her side as a sharp pain radiated down the left side of her body. She winced and pulled her arms close to her body, willing it to subside.
Once she felt able, she turned the faucet on and filled her cup with water. Carefully setting the glass on the counter, she opened up a bottle of pain pills and shook three out. She quickly swallowed them and chased them with the water, luxuriating in the cool, refreshing feeling of it sliding down her throat.
She slumped against her counter, trying to figure out when her life got to this point. She lived in a shitty apartment in Greenville by herself. Her most recent boyfriend wanted her to move in with him but she refused because of her schedule with the band.
Boyfriend hadn’t liked it when she refused, which is why she was clutching her side as she waited for the pain pills to kick in. Somehow, this always happened to her. She found guys that seemed great on the surface, but it was only after they got behind closed doors that she discovered the true face of the men she saw.
She was tired, so tired, of the constant cycle she was in. Tired enough that she was moving out of this apartment, changing her number, and moving closer to Gunner Falls so she could spend more time with the band.
Boyfriend didn’t know this though. She was packing her car tonight and leaving. Part of her deal with the landlord was that he would dispose of the furniture for her and he wouldn’t charge her the fee for breaking her lease early. She considered it a win, even if she would have to live out of a motel for a while until she could find some more furniture and build up enough of a cushion to afford the down payment on another place.
At least she had a job—she worked remotely and could work from anywhere with wifi—and the clothes on her back. That was all that mattered.
The pain in her side finally eased and she was able to stand up straight again. She placed her glass on the counter and walked to her room, checking once more that her suitcases were fully packed and the few other things she was taking with her were in boxes. She peeked out her front window, which overlooked the parking lot, to see that it was finally growing dark.
It was almost time.
She was frightened this time. She knew if she didn’t figure something out quickly, her boyfriend would most likely kill her. His beating from the night before proved that. It was the first time she’d ever been beaten like that. But it would be the last.
She didn’t care if he came apologizing and begging on his knees. She wouldn’t be coming back. A small frisson of fear worked its way through her body as she saw a car drive past, seeming to slow down outside her building before continuing on. There was no way her boyfriend knew she was fleeing. None. Everything had been handled in-person and she was getting copies of her paperwork when she turned her key in to the super.
She licked her lips, finding them suddenly dry. To expedite the process of packing her car, she had dragged everything to the front door. She then quickly boxed up the last of the things from her kitchen—the glass from earlier and a few plates and silverware she’d been using.
By this time, it was dark outside. She peeked out the curtains again, studying the well-lit parking lot. The apartments themselves might be shitty, but at least the parking lot was well lit. Too many complaints of vandalized cars and stolen items made management fix that, at least.
She scanned each car, trying to identify who it belonged to before determining that she was safe. She worked as quickly as she could to get everything down to her car, constantly checking over her shoulder. Each sound made her jump regardless of what it was.
Once everything was in her car, she did a quick walk-through, checking that she wasn’t leaving anything behind that was valuable or that would lead to her. She bagged her trash and took one last look around the pla
ce, saying goodbye and good riddance to this part of her life.
She threw her trash in the dumpster beside her building and walked to her car, getting inside and immediately locking the door. Now that the time was almost here, she was shaking, her nerves getting the best of her.
She started her car and backed out, making her way to the front of the complex. She parked in a darkened corner of the lot outside the management building and walked inside. Joe, the super, was sitting behind the desk and smiled when he looked up. He was always nice to her and she appreciated everything he’d done for her since she’d lived there. He'd made it slightly more bearable.
“Here’s the key,” she said, placing it on the desk in front of him.
“Great! Let me grab the paperwork.” She tried not to fidget too much while she waited for him to gather the last of the paperwork for her to sign. “Here we are. I just need you to sign a few things and then you can be on your way.” He showed her where to sign before making copies and stapling them together for her. “Here you are. I’ve got your new number noted just in case something happens. I’ll take care of your furniture, like you requested.” He paused and looked at her earnestly before saying, “You be careful, okay?”
She smiled at him, emotion clogging her throat. “I will.”
He nodded and turned around, allowing her to escape back outside. She had just gotten into her car and locked the door when she saw a familiar black car cruise by. Her eyes widened and she held her breath as it went past.
Her boyfriend. Her heartbeat sped up as she watched him until he was no longer in sight. She needed to get out of there and fast. He would soon discover that she wasn’t home, which wouldn’t be a huge deal except that she hadn’t told him she wouldn’t be home.
That meant he’d probably hang around and possibly call her old number. She quickly pulled out her phone and popped the SIM card out, breaking it in half before popping her new card in. Everyone important already had her new number, so she didn’t have to worry about that.
When she was certain it was safe, she turned her car on and quickly drove to the entrance, pausing briefly to make sure there was no traffic before pulling out.
She continued to glance in her rearview mirror, certain she’d see familiar lights following her until she passed the “Now Leaving Greenville” sign. Once past it, and well on her way to Gunner Falls, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She was free.
Playlist
“Listen to the Music” by The Doobie Brothers
“Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen
“Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Paradise City” by Guns N’ Roses
“Layla” by Derek and the Dominos
“Light My Fire” by The Doors
“Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream
“Carry on Wayward Son” by Kansas
“American Woman” by The Guess Who
“The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac
“Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who
“Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison
“White Room” by Cream
“More Than a Feeling” by Boston
“All My Love” by Led Zeppelin
Bonus Tracks
“Wagon Wheel” by Darius Rucker
“Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show
Click the cover to pre-order your copy of Veronica.
Acknowledgments
There are too many people to thank, as always. A huge shout out to my critique partners and writing buddies. Y’all deal with way more than you should from me some days. Without your help, I would definitely not have as good a story as I do.
The same goes for my editor, Kristen. You put up with a lot of stuff from me when you get that file to edit, so I don’t know why you still put up with me! I’m glad you do though.
To my readers, thank you for sticking with me and continuing to read. It means a lot to know people enjoy my stories and look forward to the books in the series as they come out.
About the Author
A.M. Williams is just a simple girl from the south that found herself living abroad. When she’s not annoying her cat or reading, she’s spending time with her husband and traveling as much as possible. She has a serious case of wanderlust and wants to go as many places as possible while she can. She loves Cheerwine, sweet tea, and North Carolina (eastern style) BBQ as well as those crystal clear waters on the North Carolina coast.
Follow or like A.M. Williams on the following platforms:
Website: https://authoramwilliams.com
Newsletter Sign-up: https://authoramwilliams.com/newsletter
Also by A.M. Williams
Standalones
Graceful Matchmaking
Short Stop to Love
Southern Sands Series
Jax
Harry
Veronica (coming January 2019)
Harry (Southern Sands Book 2) Page 20
