Sound of Heartache ( Sound of Book 2)

by Roy, Chelsea

  The reception was held right there on the beach, and as the hour grew later, stars began twinkling in the sky. Regan and Ellie were talking animatedly with Aimee. The three women had become close friends after the San Francisco trip. Regan had helped Aimee find a job with a pediatric practice in San Diego that was actually relatively close to their home in Point Loma. After Brent’s proposal at Thanksgiving, Aimee had given a month’s notice to her position in Las Vegas and she and Brenna had moved in with Brent just several days before Christmas. His home in Point Loma was spacious and comfortable and not too far from the water. And for Brenna, the schools were good and she was near to a dance studio, which she’d immediately joined.

  A fourth woman stood talking with Regan, Ellie, and his wife. He didn’t know much about her other than she owned something called a “cupcakery” and her name was Jesse. Apparently the three women had met her when they ordered the wedding cake that had just been to be cut into. Jesse had agreed to come to the wedding to cut and serve the cake to their guests, but Brent was pretty sure the women had used it as an excuse to have the petite, curvy woman attend the wedding.

  “Are you the goddess responsible for the creation of this mountain of chocolatey goodness?” Eric asked, approaching the four women. He held a plate of the wedding cake and it was half gone. When the unsuspecting Jesse nodded her head, Eric feel to his knees at her feet kissing the back of her hand. Brent rolled his eyes at Eric’s behavior. Poor Jesse was in for it and her eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared down at Eric.

  “Eric, leave Jesse alone. She’s Aimee’s friend, you idiot. End of story.” Except it wasn’t. Brent knew Aimee felt fiercely protective toward Jesse because, according to Aimee, Jesse’s life had been shit before moving to San Diego.

  “You must agree to run away with me. Let me be your muse. Say you’ll bake for me. All day. Every day,” Eric begged loudly. By this point everyone was watching Jesse for her reaction to Eric’s antics. Even in the dim lighting, he could see that Jesse’s ears were tinted red, but a shy smile had crept across her face.

  “Tell you what big boy,” she finally said, “I own a bakery off Broadway, downtown. You can come by as often as you want and I’ll give you a cupcake each time you do.”

  “Make him pay double!” Jack called out from his table. “He can afford it!” Jesse just smiled wider and shook her head. Her choppy blond hair swung freely by her chin. Brent was way off the market, but Jesse was a cute little thing.

  “If he appreciates my baking enough to get on his knees, he can have them for free!” She called back. Eric made a show of taking both her hands in his and planting noisy kisses along the backs of her fingers. Jesse’s face glowed bright red but she looked pleased at the attention even as the other women slowly drifted away, wisely knowing if they stayed, they would get caught up in Eric’s shenanigans.

  “Eric is shameless when food is involved,” his bride commented loudly. Brent walked over to her and took her into the shelter of his arms. He would never get tired of how good it felt to have her there.

  “Uncle Eric, mama says you’re shameless!” Brenna called out, as if he hadn’t heard. The small crowd laughed and Brent’s arms tightened around Aimee.

  “Wife, have I told you how much I love you?” He asked her. She smiled at him and looped her arms around his neck. Her dark hair was wound up in messy curls and Brent couldn’t wait to bury his hands in them and pluck out all the bobby pins.

  “It’s been at least ten minutes since you said it last, my husband,” she whispered into his ear, and then licked gently along the outer shell. He shuddered and pulled her a little closer. He loved hearing her call him that.

  “Much too long,” he growled and then dipped her back, sweeping her mouth in a rough kiss.

  “Oh for God’s sake! There are kids here!” Jacob heckled at them, his stupidly muscled arm draped over the back of Jack’s chair. He could feel Aimee’s arm lift away from his neck briefly and he broke off the kiss. He pulled their bodies back into an upright position.

  “Did you just shoot him the finger?” He asked, disbelievingly. She waggled her perfectly arched eyebrows at him, and he knew she had. He laughed and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. Only his Aimee would flip someone off on her wedding day and look elegant while doing so.

  “Would you want me any other way?” She asked, and giggled slightly. Brent gave Aimee a thorough look. He remembered the first day he’d seen her in their shared Biology class, thinking how perfect she looked. He remembered the day they found out she was pregnant with Brenna and how scared they’d both been. He remembered the day Aimee’s mom had threatened him and taken Aimee away, devastating them. He remembered the day Aimee had come back to him to try to make things right. He remembered the day he knew he couldn’t live without her. In every memory, Aimee was perfect to him. He was completely, irrevocably in love with the woman standing before him.

  “No,” he finally said. “I couldn’t even begin to picture you any other way.”

  THE END

  Thank you for reading Sound of Heartache. I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading the second book in the series as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please take a moment to rate the book – it’s so easy to do – and it helps out authors tremendously! Without the support of our readers, we have nothing.

  Also, a big thanks to KBC for taking time away from your husband, your children, AND your full-time job to take the time to give me feedback on what I’ve put to paper. Your opinion is invaluable to me!

  If you haven’t read the book that kicked off the series, you’re missing out! Pick up Sound of Regret, the first book in the “Sound of” series, today. The third book in the series, Sound of Trouble, will be out in late 2015. And yes, it’s Jacob’s story! Keep reading for an excerpt of Jack and Ellie’s story.

  SOUND OF REGRET

  EXCERPT

  PROLOGUE

  Ellie Williams sat on the full-sized bed across from her roommate, Macy Greene. Macy had come into the living room and asked Ellie to come into in her room. Macy’s request puzzled Ellie just a little. Although they were roommates and casual friends, they didn’t spend a lot of time together. They definitely weren’t in the same social groups, Macy preferring what Ellie privately referred to as “snobs”. Their social differences hardly seemed to matter at the moment because Macy had just delivered news of the unimaginable kind.

  “Wait. You’re going to do what?” Ellie asked Macy, completely dumbfounded. Ellie was so stunned at Macy’s words that her surroundings faded into the background and she barely registered the bright sun streaming into the room or the warmth it created.

  “I’m ending it with Jack. I’m done.” Macy repeated the words slowly as if she was talking to someone who wasn’t all there. Ellie shook her head still not really comprehending.

  “But you love Jack. And he loves you. Christ, he proposed to you!” Ellie kept to herself the thought that Macy was just about the luckiest woman on the planet to have the attention of someone like Jack Tate. She watched in disbelief as Macy flung her silky black hair over her shoulders and shrugged casually. Ellie wasn’t a violent person, but her hand itched to slap the superior look off Macy’s pretty face.

  “Jack’s going nowhere,” Macy said bluntly. She left her bed, moving around the room. Her silky white shirt flowed perfectly over her skinny jeans. “The last thing I need in my life is some wannabe rocker who doesn’t amount to anything.” Macy’s words were cruel and disparaging and cut Ellie on Jack’s behalf. He was a talented musician, of that there was no doubt. But like anything in that field, success took time. Jack just hadn’t found his niche yet, but Ellie was certain he would and when it happened, Jack’s success would be monumental.

  Ellie suddenly clued in to what was going on in a big way. “You’ve found someone else,” She accused Macy softly. And was lividly pissed off when Macy grinned at her with no remorse.

  “Yeah, I have. He’s already in the MBA program and he’s got a gre
at future. His dad owns a huge financial investment company and he’s already got a six figure job lined up. I’m never going to have to worry about anything.” Ellie shook her head at just how shallow Macy was. She’d always known that Macy was into more materialistic things than she was but she never dreamed it went this far. She and Macy had roomed together for the past two years, almost directly after graduating high school. Ellie knew Macy’s plans for her life included having obscene amounts of money at her disposal.

  “That’s so damn shallow.” Ellie told her bluntly. Macy shrugged her shoulders again and Ellie wanted to strangle the girl for her lack of concern over what she was doing. In that moment, Ellie knew Macy didn’t care about Jack’s feelings at all. She watched as Macy pulled off the small diamond ring that graced her left hand ring finger and handed it to Ellie.

  “What do I do with this?” Ellie asked her, confused.

  “I’m leaving now. Jack will take everything better coming from you anyway. He has a soft spot for you.” Macy’s eyes were knowing as they looked at Ellie. “Somehow I think you’ll find just the right way to tell him.” Ellie’s throat tightened as she wondered if Macy knew the depth of her feelings toward Jack. Ellie didn’t want to be the one to hurt Jack; not ever. She wanted to force Macy to confront Jack.

  “You’re a real bitch, you know that?” She told Macy with rare venom in her tone. Ellie was an easy-going person and seldom got angry at anyone. But this situation was surreal and Macy was unrepentant.

  “Sorry Ellie. You know I’ve got to look out for number one.” And with that, Macy grabbed an overflowing duffle that Ellie hadn’t noticed before and walked out of their small apartment without saying another word. Ellie’s shoulders sank as she realized Jack wasn’t the only one Macy was screwing over. She was throwing Ellie to the wolves while making her escape, leaving her to tell Jack the bad news and leaving her stuck with an apartment she couldn’t afford on her own.

  As Ellie sat on Macy’s bed wondering what in the hell she’d tell Jack when he came over, the afternoon lengthened into evening. She continued to sit there even as shadows fell across the floor. Her stomach churned with worry. She had a difficulty enough time communicating with Jack in normal circumstances because of how she felt about him. She had no idea how to handle breaking this kind of news to him. She was so out of her depth that she felt like she was sinking to the bottom of a vast ocean. It seemed like hours before she heard the front door open and footfalls move across the carpet. Ellie watched silently as Jack poked his head into the room. Ellie couldn’t stop her heart from turning over at the sight of his inky black hair and beautifully masculine face.

  “Hey, Els,” he said casually. “What the hell are you doing sitting in Macy’s room?” Jack looked around at the mess, seeming to notice everything with his vivid blue eyes. They finally settled on her. “And why are you in the dark?” His voice implied he was the tiniest bit worried about her state of mind.

  “Hey, Jack.” She responded finally, her voice flat. Jack eased into the room and sat down on the bed across from her. Ellie snorted inwardly. Ironically, he was sitting in the same spot Macy had been.

  “What’s up Ellie?” Jack said, his tone changing, softening. They’d known each other ever since high school and Jack knew her well enough to know when something was wrong. One thing Macy was right about; Ellie knew Jack had a soft spot for her. What Jack had never known, nor had anyone else except Ellie’s best friend Regan, was that Ellie had been crazy in love with Jack for as long as she’d known him.

  “Macy’s gone.” She told him softly, watching his face carefully.

  “I can see that, baby.” Jack told her calmly. “But I’m more worried about you right now.” Ellie’s heart squeezed at his use of an endearment and his concern for her, but that was precisely why she loved Jack. Ellie closed her eyes briefly and prayed for the courage to get through the next few minutes. She shook her head at him and could feel the weight of her hair brush softly across her shoulders.

  “No. She’s gone. Like, for good.” Ellie opened her eyes and reached out her hand toward Jack. When he automatically extended his own hand to hers, she dropped the engagement ring into his open palm.

  “What the fuck?” He asked, sounding completely confused.

  “I’m so sorry Jack.” Ellie’s voice cracked. “She just… left.” Ellie put her hand on Jack’s knee, the warmth of his body seeping through his jeans and heating her palm.

  “Who?” He demanded, his tone moving from confused to outright pissed. Ellie wasn’t surprised Jack wrapped his head around what was going on so quickly. He had always been astute, clearly much more so than herself.

  “Some guy in the MBA program. I don’t know. I don’t know him.” Ellie said miserably. Jack leapt up off the bed and started pacing around the room. Ellie watched as he shoved his fingers through his hair making it stand up into straight black spikes. When he eyeballed some of Macy’s perfume bottles left on her dresser, Ellie leapt up from the bed and stood in front of him.

  “Please. Please don’t. I’ll just have to clean up the mess.” She put her hand on Jack’s arm and he shook it off roughly.

  “Fuck,” he said furiously. “She just left you too, then. High and dry with rent and all that bullshit, right?” Ellie nodded, knowing it was useless to lie to Jack.

  “Goddammit!” Jack shouted. Ellie flinched back. She came from a non-confrontational family and hated explosions like this. Her family talked through things calmly and rationally. Jack, on the other hand, was well-known for his outbursts. He had the soul of a tortured artist. The differences in their upbringing and his sometimes over-the-top attitude didn’t stop Ellie from loving him like crazy, though.

  “It’ll be okay Jack.” Ellie told him reassuringly. She reached out and squeezed his arm, then linked her hand into his. As they stood there in the deepening twilight holding hands, Ellie wasn’t so sure. Jack made no move to shake her off, but tension radiated off his body and hurt poured through the air.

  “For who, Ellie? For fucking who?” Jack asked her, his voice cracking. Jack finally broke their contact and turned away from her in an obvious attempt to compose himself. Ellie silently moved past him, walking down the hall and into the apartment’s small galley kitchen. She pulled down a bottle of Macy’s Johnny Walker Black Label sitting up on the top shelf. Macy kept it around “just in case”. Ellie poured two shots, figuring Macy wasn’t going to be drinking it anyway.

  When she turned around to deliver the drink to Jack, she found that he had come up directly behind her in the kitchen. She handed him the glass and tipped her rim to his.

  “To everything being okay,” she said. “For both of us.” Jack eyeballed her in the dark kitchen and watched as Ellie slammed the shot. He tossed his own down and swore.

  “Nothing like solving the world’s problems the old fashioned way,” He sneered. Ellie poured him another full shot, and a smaller one for herself. They slammed their shots again.

  “I hate this.” He admitted to her. Ellie leaned briefly against his shoulder and hugged his waist before letting him go again. She didn’t trust herself completely around him, but if anyone deserved to get shit-faced it was Jack. His fiancée had just done a colossal dump job on them both, but particularly on him. Ellie only lived with the girl. They hadn’t been planning to spend their lives together.

  Ellie poured another shot, and then another, and kept pouring as Jack slammed them back. They eventually moved out of the kitchen and onto the living room floor, sitting on the carpet with the nearly empty bottle and shot glasses between them. From the way Jack held himself, it was obvious he was drunk.

  “You know,” he slurred, “After my parents, I told myself I was never gonna get hitched. But with Macy I thought it was all okay. Shows me. So stupid.”

  Ellie knew the story of his childhood and silently agreed that asking Macy to marry him was a huge leap of faith for him. Ellie pushed the bottle and the shot glasses out of the way and wrapped her arm
s around Jack’s waist. She leaned into him, pressing her face into his chest. She felt Jack stiffen briefly in her arms, but then he relaxed into the embrace. His face tilted down into her hair and he brought up a hand into her thick blonde strands, anchoring her body to his.

  “We’re both better off without her. If this is the kind of person she is, we don’t need that.” Ellie’s words were soft, intended to placate and sooth. Her eyes slid closed and she breathed him in. She felt so damn guilty about the fact she was enjoying the opportunity to be near him that she almost couldn’t stand herself. She was twisting this situation around to benefit herself and acting on her impulses was just wrong. She knew she was taking horrible advantage of the situation, but this was her one chance to give into her feelings for Jack without him really remembering it.

  Jack leaned his head back and Ellie knew he was staring at her. She opened her eyes and looked into eyes that were a deep, angry blue.

  “Who takes care of you Ellie? While you’re running around taking care of everyone else, who makes sure you’re okay?” She lifted her slight shoulders in a shrug and didn’t answer him. Not wanting him to see the naked desire on her face, she buried into his chest again. She began to rub his back, her hands moving over the t-shirt covered skin slowly. She felt his fingers sift through the thick strands of her hair. She shifted her body so that she was straddling his lap, facing him. She was much shorter than him, but in this position their faces were almost level. It also meant that her breasts were pressed tight against his muscular chest. Her nipples hardened painfully at the contact.