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Without a Doubt
Copyright © 2015 by Lindsay Paige
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products, bands, and/or restaurants referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
License Notes
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Title Page
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Playlist
Bonus Scenes
Acknowledgements
About the Author
One Year Earlier
MY HEART SINKS, so heavy with heartache and confusion that I can feel it ripping from my chest, and then falling to the ground before being soaked up like rain until it reaches the deepest depths of the earth. Kelly's eyes are glassy, betraying the words she's telling me.
“I don't understand,” I say again.
She takes a deep breath. “Emerson, I think this will be good for us. You're going off to college; I'm staying here at the community college, and it only makes sense that we take a break and see other people.”
“But I love you, and this doesn't make any sense to me at all.” I shake my head at the absurdity of it. We were best friends first. We decided to take the plunge our junior year as a couple and I love her more than anything. She's my entire world and the thought of going on without her makes me want to fall to my knees in pain. Why she suddenly wants us to take a break is beyond me.
Kelly wraps her arms around my waist. She's sitting on the tailgate of my truck, and I'm standing in front of her, between her knees. “You said you would do anything for me,” she tells me with a pointed look, daring me to retract my words.
I sigh with defeat. She's backed me into a corner. Kelly's as stubborn as they come and once she makes up her mind, there's no changing it. “You're sure you want this? All I want is you, but if you want me to do this, then I reckon I will. If you're sure.” Please, please, please, say no. All I want is for her to change her mind.
She nods. “I'm positive, Emerson.”
My heart disintegrates. “How long do you want this break?” I ask, my voice surprisingly calm and understanding, two emotions that are far from what I'm actually feeling. I want to clench my fists, shout, and drop to my knees to beg her to change her mind. I'd do anything, if only she wasn't so determined to make this happen.
“Two years, at least.” Two whole years? I'll never last that length of time without her. “We can do more growing up, learn who we are without the other, and learn if we're really meant to be.”
We are. I know we are. Without a doubt, Kelly Price is the love of my life. Before I can complain about how long she wants me to be without her, she speaks again.
“You'll see other people, won't you?” There's so much hope in her voice and it confuses me. “Otherwise, it's pointless.”
I lean forward to rest my forehead against hers. The breeze blows, and I inhale that floral fragrance she's always wearing. “You're killing me, Kelly,” I whisper, my composure getting harder and harder to maintain.
She remains silent, knowing exactly what she's doing. I just don't know why. Instead of telling me that we don't have to do this, she tilts her head back to let her lips meet mine. Kelly distracts me with her mouth as her hands begin to roam, and she uses her body to her advantage. I can't help but feel like this is a permanent goodbye and not a temporary one. But this is what she wants, what she's asked of me, and I'll give it to her because I love her more than life itself.
Time will pass, and in two years, I'll be back here. Kelly will be mine again and we'll have to catch up on lost time. I know we're young, but I've never been more sure about anything than I am about the fact that the rest of my life will be spent with this girl. All I have to do is give her this one thing.
Present Day
FIRST DAY OF classes always suck if you ask me. They're boring as most teachers go over their repetitive syllabi, highlighting information pertaining to the class, but generally expecting us to read it more thoroughly later. Afterward, they attempt to start lectures no one wants to be forced to listen to just yet. The icing on the cake to this boring day though is when I see a girl pacing by my truck. She has shoulder-length curly black hair and she's wearing a white tank top, shorts which show a lot of leg and a perfect ass, and flip-flops.
I stop twirling my keys on my finger to press the unlock button. She jumps at the sound and the headlights flashing once. Then, she turns around to face me.
Wow.
She's hot. Her bright, light blue eyes are a contrast to her tan skin and dark hair. Her curves lead to hips you want to grab and cleavage peeks from the top of her shirt.
“Is this your truck?” I'm surprised she sounds so nervous, but it's immediately followed by suspicion.
“Yeah, why?” I glance at my truck. At first, I see nothing wrong. Then, I see a car on the other side of the lane directly in the spot behind me in the last row with a damaged front. Oh, no. No, no, no. Not my truck. My feet start moving until I'm at the rear. “You rear-ended me? In a parking space! How the hell did you manage that?” I lift my head, looking at where she's standing next to me. There's some damage to my truck, but not too much, especially in comparison to her car.
“I'd rather not say because it's ridiculously embarrassing,” she admits. When I stare at her, waiting for her to say more, she props her hands on her hips, adding a fiery sass. “At least I stuck around to tell you! Are you going to complain about your poor truck or give me some contact and insurance information?”
Shaking my head, I slide by her to open my door and climb inside. I reach across to pull out my insurance card from the glove box.
“Here.”
I look back at the girl to see she's holding a pen and a sheet of paper. After taking it from her, I quickly write down all my information and
tear off the top half. I hand her back the bottom half and the pen, so she can do the same, just in case.
“Is your truck too good for me to use as a table?” she smarts off.
“Go ahead.”
She doesn't though. Instead, she props her foot on my tire and uses her thigh. Why did she have to be so hot and why did she have to run into my truck? Once she's done, she hands over the paper and holds her hand out for mine. I glance down to see her girly handwriting.
“So, Eva,” I say her name. “How'd you rear-end me?”
“The how doesn't matter. It only matters that I did. Can you give me your info now?”
For some reason, I feel like I'm playing with fire and doing so a bit eagerly. “Tell me and you can have it.”
Her eyebrows rise with surprise. “Seriously?” I nod, and she sighs. “I may have left my windows cracked, and I may have freaked out when I felt an insect on my leg and accidentally pressed the gas to slam right into the back of your truck.” She glances down at the ground before looking back up at me, thoroughly embarrassed.
A laugh shakes my torso, the hilarity of what caused her to hit my truck sending me into a fit of laughter for a good minute. All the while, she watches me with narrowed eyes and a firm, flat mouth. She reaches out to snatch my paper from me. After looking down at it, she turns her icy eyes on me.
“You're an ass, Emerson.” Eva turns to storm back to her car.
“Wait!” I call out and stand next to my truck.
She turns, folding her arms over her chest. “What?” she asks with exasperation and annoyance.
With a lazy smile, I ask, “Are you hungry?” Eva tilts her head in confusion. “Do you want to go eat supper with me? I'll drive.” My chuckle can't be helped. Eva's hot, I'm hungry, and she's caught my interest with her hilarious mishap. Even though I have her cell phone number, this feels like my one and only chance.
“Is this some twisted way for you to laugh at me some more?”
“Nope. Are you coming or what?”
A car heads our way and since she's standing in the middle of the lane, she crosses back over, but she doesn't come any closer. “'Are you coming or what?'” she mocks. “Is that how you flirt?”
I grin, shaking my head. It's a bit of a risk, but I decide to take it. Closing the distance between us, I take her hand in mine and lead her to the passenger side of the truck, opening the door for her.
“I don't have my purse,” she objects.
“You don't need it.”
“I don't know you,” she tries again. “What if I want to take your picture and send your name and info to my best friend and my cousin in case I'm found murdered? You have motive.” She thumbs back to my mildly damaged truck bed.
“Then take the picture, send your text, and get in.”
She surprises me when she actually does it. Satisfied, she pulls herself into the passenger seat and I shut the door behind her. It's not until I've pulled onto the road that she speaks.
“I'm sorry about hitting your truck. I just realized I never apologized.”
“I'm sorry for why you did.” I chuckle again. “It's better than because you weren't paying attention, texting, or were drunk though.”
“Good point. You're not allowed to share that story with anyone either. For my sake,” she adds when I glance over at her. “Please?” she asks hopefully.
“I don't know if I can do that. If it comes up, I have to tell.”
Eva groans. “Where are you taking me anyway?”
“Smitty's. Ever been there?” Smitty's is the best place to go for BBQ sandwiches. My dorm-mate from freshman year introduced me to it and I come once every two weeks at least.
“No, but I've heard of it.” Her phone beeps and she checks it, laughing softly to herself. “My cousin thinks I'll be safe with you. Apparently, he knows you.”
“Who's your cousin?” I ask as I pull into the restaurant parking lot.
“Glen Harvey.”
When my truck is in park, I turn the key to shut off the engine. “Glen Harvey is your cousin?” He was my dorm-mate from last year. How was I around him for so long and had never met her? Not that I would have been in the mood to want to take her out to supper then, but still.
“That's what I said. How do you know him?”
“We were in the same dorm together last year.”
Her eyes widen. “You're that Emerson?”
“I guess. Why? What did he say about me?”
Instead of telling me, she says, “Are we going to get out of the truck or not?”
So, we make our way inside. We order sweet teas, and I watch her look over the menu since I always get the same thing. As usual, a slight twinge of weirdness at going out with a girl other than Kelly hits me. It's been a year, and I haven't spoken to her once. I've tried calling and texting, but she's never answered back. Whenever I've gone home, she's been conveniently off visiting family somewhere. I snagged a job my second semester here, which led me to renting an apartment over the summer, so I didn't go home then.
“Emerson!” Eva snaps, waving a hand in front of my face.
“Sorry,” I apologize. “What'd you say?”
“What do you usually get?” Eva repeats the question I'm assuming she asked when I was zoned out. “The BBQ sandwich?”
“Yeah, with cole slaw on it and a side of fries.”
She purses her lips and then lifts her head. “Vinegar-based or mayo-based cole slaw?”
“Mayo.”
“I think I'll get the same thing then.”
The waitress returns, so I order two sandwich combos. I wait until she walks away to bring up my earlier question again.
“What did Glen say about me?”
Eva shrugs. “Not much, really. He would just say when he was going to hang out with you.”
For some reason, I feel like she's not being entirely truthful, but I let it go. “What year are you?”
“Junior, and you're a sophomore, right?”
I nod. “Yeah. Was there an insect in the car or were you just imagining things?”
She slides her leg out into the aisle, keeping it close to my chair so it's out of the walkway. “It was a wasp.” On the inside of her calf, the wasp stung her twice by the looks of it. Her surrounding skin is bright red and I wonder how I missed it earlier. I reach down to gently stroke the soft skin around it. Eva sucks in a sharp intake of air.
“Well, now I feel bad about laughing,” I say softly, bringing my hand back as she moves her leg underneath our table.
“You should. It's okay though. I took some medicine to help and I'll put cream on the stings when I get back.” The waitress drops off our food. “Wow, that was fast.”
“They're speedy here.” My sandwich stays put while I watch Eva take her first bite.
“Mm,” she releases a small moan, her eyes closing. “This is delicious,” she adds as she opens them.
I grin. “I know.”
One sure fire way to tell how good the food is? How much talking goes on while it's being consumed? Eva and I don't talk at all while we eat. There's plenty of noises in here however. Besides the normal bustling of waitresses taking orders and bus boys cleaning up tables, there's a baby a few tables away. He keeps giggling and making loud baby noises while he intermittently plays with his food and eats.
“What's your major?” she finally asks once our plates grow empty.
“Engineering. Yours?”
“Well, I wanted to major in Veterinary Medicine and open my own practice one day because I love animals so much, but I don't do well with blood. Communications was my Plan B turned Plan A.”
“That's cool. What's your favorite animal?” I ask as the waitress drops off the bill. I go ahead and pull out my card, slipping it in the holder.
“Dogs and horses. I used to go horseback riding almost every weekend growing up, and we have the cutest golden retriever ever. Leaving her behind to come to college sucked. Did you have a pet?”
“
No. My mom claims she's allergic to all pets, so I never had one.”
Eva frowns. “That's tragic,” she says seriously and I laugh.
“A bit dramatic, don't you think?”
“No. Pets bring so much to our lives and I think it's tragic you didn't grow up experiencing it.”
The waitress returns my card. After I sign the receipt, I stand and tell Eva, “Then maybe I'll get a pet one day and my life won't be so tragic.”
She stands and smiles and we walk out to my truck. “Thanks for supper,” she says once we're on the road.
“You're welcome. So, how is it that we've never run into each other before?”
“I don't go to Glen's dorm room and I guess one of us was just never there when we could have been hanging out together. Although, I have to say I'm glad we hadn't yet because you seem to like the fact that I rear-ended you. That's weird, you know that, right, Emerson?” She turns off my A/C and then rolls her window halfway down with the press of a button. “One of the best parts of summer is being able to roll the window down when you're riding,” she explains.
The swoosh of incoming air causes her perfume to glide over my senses. It's not something fruity, flowery, or overwhelming. I'm not sure what it is, but it's gentle and sweet. I like it.
“What's weird is that you're in someone else's vehicle and taking control of the air. What's next? Turning on the radio to your type of music?” I'm only teasing, but I can't lie that I'm a bit surprised by her.
Eva just shrugs. A few minutes later when she does turn up the radio and switch stations, I chuckle and catch her trying not to smile. We finish the ride back to campus with a country tune blaring from my speakers, thanks to Eva's adjustment to the sound. My previous parking space across from her car is still empty, so I pull into it. She reaches out to turn the radio down.
“Again, thanks for supper, and I'm sorry about the whole car thing,” she says.
“You're welcome and don't worry about it. She's tough.” I pat the dash at my reference to my truck.
Eva busts out laughing, a sound I know I'll want to hear again. “It's a she? Does she have a name? I feel like I should be formally introduced,” she manages to get out between giggles.
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