The Philadelphia Series: The Complete Collection Boxed Set

by Taryn Plendl

  “No, I’m going away. I’m going to see my mom for a few days. I just didn’t want you to worry. Please don’t tell Trevor where I am, okay?” I insisted.

  “Okay, honey, text me and let me know when you get there. And Ava, I’m sorry.”

  “Me too, Talia, me too.” I hung up and groaned when I heard another text come through.

  ***

  “Thanks, Mom,” I said as I took a drink from the coffee that she sat in front of me.

  “Ava, do you want to talk about it?” My mom had been great the last couple of days. She didn’t push me, and she didn’t hover.

  I had sent an email to Mr. Jameson and told him I had a personal emergency that I needed to go out of town for. There were several things I could work on from my laptop, and he seemed highly understanding. I’m not sure that would be the case if he knew what those personal issues were. I was going to have to figure out what to do about work when I got back, but I couldn’t imagine working with Trevor right now. I was too hurt.

  “Oh Mom, it turns out my knight in shining armor was just some liar in tinfoil,” I groaned.

  “Honey, please don’t let this harden your heart from moving on. You have so much love to give. I hate the thought of you shutting everyone out.” She put her hand on my arm.

  “Mom, I may not have anyone lying next to me, but at least I won’t have anyone lying to me either.” I stood up. “I think I’m going to take a walk on the beach. I need to clear my thoughts.” I kissed my mom on the cheek before I walked out the back door.

  There was a soft breeze blowing. It felt great as I moved through the sand. I slipped off my sandals and dragged my toes through the warm sand. The waves were rolling in, almost methodically. It was peaceful. I sank down into the sand and pulled my knees to my chest, draping my sundress over them and hugging them. I let my head drop and rested it on my knees, listening to the water as I cried another bout of tears that I thought would never stop coming.

  Chapter 15

  Trevor

  “Okay Trevor, Tom told me you insisted on seeing me, so this better be good.” The pint-sized blonde walked through my door with her hands firmly planted on her sides.

  “Talia, I need to explain ...” I started.

  “Trevor, where is the laundry soap?” I turned around at Rachel’s voice. “Oh, I’m sorry; I didn’t know you had company.”

  “So it’s true?” Talia shook her head in disbelief.

  “What’s true?” I asked.

  “There is another woman. I almost didn’t believe Ava when she told me, but here she is, right in front of me.” Talia looked at Rachel.

  “Talia, I want to introduce you to someone who is very special to me.” I motioned for Rachel to come closer.

  “Don’t, Trevor. I have no desire to meet your …”

  “Sister,” Rachel and I said at the same time.

  “Wait, your what?” Talia questioned.

  “Sister. This is my little sister, Rachel.” I smiled at Talia’s shocked face.

  “Holy shit!” she shouted.

  “Yeah, exactly. Now please help me find Ava,” I pleaded.

  I watched as Talia ran her hands through her hair. She pulled her phone out of her purse and dialed. It went straight to voice mail. Ava’s phone had been turned off for the last two days, but that hadn’t stopped me from trying.

  “Ava. Call me now. We need to talk.” Talia hung up the phone and stuck her hand out to Rachel. “It’s nice to meet you Rachel. I’m sorry for the bitch treatment.” She smiled.

  “It’s okay. I would’ve done the same thing for my best friend. This has been a rough couple of days. Trevor has been a complete mess! If I’d have known the issues my visiting would cause, I would have never come.” She smiled sadly. I knew she felt horrible, but it wasn’t her fault. It was just a giant misunderstanding.

  “It’s not your fault, Rachel. Ava has been through some shit, and when she saw you two together, she just assumed the worst.” She turned to me. “I’ve never seen her this bad—ever. She loves you, Trevor. You know that, don’t you? You better go get her.”

  “Just tell me where she is, and I will,” I assured her.

  ***

  The weather was beautiful in Clearwater. Talia had given me Ava’s mom’s address, and I wasted no time. I got on the next flight out; right after I told Mr. Jameson I needed to take a couple personal days. He must’ve had some idea that something was going on. He just smiled and told me to get it figured out by Monday and bring Ava back with me. I assured him that I would.

  I drove over the bridge to Clearwater Beach and followed the GPS to a cute yellow cottage right on the beach. I took a deep breath before stepping out of the rental car, and then I practically ran to the door and knocked. My heart was beating so fast when I heard footsteps. The door opened to a lovely middle-aged woman. Her soft brown eyes looked questioningly at me. They were the same lovely eyes Ava had, and I had no doubt this was her mom.

  “Mrs. Murphy, my name is Trevor. I’m in love with your daughter, and I need to talk to her.” Wow. That sounded desperate.

  She smiled softly at me and stepped to the side to let me in. “Trevor, she’s out on the beach. Be gentle with her, I’ve never seen her so hurt.”

  “I’m sorry. I promise to fix this.” I went through the back door without another word. I looked around, trying to see her. I walked out onto the sand farther, trying to decide which way to go, when my eyes landed on her.

  She was sitting hunched over on the sand with her head down on her knees, and my heart broke for her. I knew how I’d been feeling, but I imagined she felt ten times worse, thinking that I’d betrayed her. I walked toward her, stopping just behind her when I heard her soft sobs.

  “Ava?” She whipped her head around and stared at me, wide-eyed.

  It took her only a moment to school her features and stand up. “What are you doing here?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and pulling her shoulders back. I recognized the stance. It was the one she used when she was all business at work. Under different circumstances, I may have chuckled, but not now. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying, and her hair was wind-blown, but she was still the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

  “We need to talk. You wouldn’t return my calls.” I stepped toward her.

  “Stop, Trevor, there isn’t anything to say. I know what I saw. I just didn’t expect that from you.” She shook her head.

  “You’re wrong, Ava. It wasn’t like you think. That woman is ...” She put her hand up.

  “Don’t. I don’t want to know. Please, I can’t.” She turned and started to walk away from me. I walked up behind her, spun her around, grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her hard. When I pulled back, she was just staring at me, shocked.

  “Damn it woman! You need to hear me out!” I yelled. I was frustrated and desperate to be heard. She stood there silent, so I continued. “I know what you think you saw, but it wasn’t like that. That woman is my sister.” I saw the look on her face, and I couldn’t help but smile a little.

  “Your sister?” she gasped.

  “Yes, you silly woman—my sister, Rachel. She surprised me by coming for a visit. I haven’t seen her in almost six months. You must have walked around the corner and saw us right when I had seen her,” I explained.

  “Oh no.” She shook her head. “I thought ... I thought.” She covered her face.

  I pulled her to me. “I know what you thought, Ava. And God, there is no way I could ever do that to you. I love you so much! You are everything to me.” I buried my face in her neck, bathing my senses in her touch and smell.

  “What did you say?” she whispered.

  I pulled back and looked her in the eyes. “I love you, Ava. I’ve never felt like this before. When you left, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I need you so much. Please don’t leave me again,” I begged. I could feel tears rolling down my cheeks, but I didn’t care. I was so afraid of losing her.

  S
he smiled softly and pulled my face down to hers. She kissed me lightly at first and then more urgently. I kissed her back, absorbing her essence into my very soul. She pulled back first, panting as she watched me.

  “Your sister must hate me.” She put her head down.

  “On the contrary. She feels horrible. She could see how you might have assumed the worst, especially after Talia explained your situation with Kyle,” I explained.

  “Talia?” she questioned.

  “Yes. Tom convinced her to come talk to me finally. She burst in my home, ready to beat me down. My poor sister chose that moment to come ask for laundry soap. I thought Talia was going to come unglued!” I chuckled. “Finally we were able to explain it. She told me how to find you.” I smiled at Ava’s face.

  “I’m so sorry, Trevor. I’m so stupid. I’ve been fighting my feelings for you, so afraid of getting hurt. I love you, too. More that you can imagine, and it scares the shit out of me,” she confessed, laughing and crying at the same time.

  I pushed the loose hair out of her face. “Ava, don’t be scared. I can’t promise you that I will never hurt you, but I can promise that I will never mean to. I love you with everything I am. Just give me a chance to prove that to you.”

  “I’m a handful, Trevor. You sure you’re up for the challenge?” She raised her eyebrows at me, making me laugh.

  “My sweet Ava, you’ve been a challenge from the moment I met you,” I laughed.

  Epilogue

  Ava

  “You two nailed it again.” Mr. Jameson grinned at Trevor and me from the doorway of our office.

  We had just finished our newest presentation for a hotel chain in the Philadelphia and Atlantic City, New Jersey area. It had been an account that several advertising firms had bid on. Trevor and I worked tirelessly on it, and it had paid off.

  “You do realize that you two can never break up. It would ruin me.” Mr. Jameson winked at us and walked away.

  I giggled at Trevor’s shocked face. I don’t think either of us had realized that he knew we were together. Granted, it wasn’t like we hid it exceptionally well, but we had tried to keep it professional at work, even though it killed us to not touch each other every chance we got.

  “Well Miss Murphy, do you want to round up the crew and go out tonight to celebrate?” Trevor leaned forward on his elbows and gave me that adorable half smile. His biceps flexed deliciously against his shirt.

  “I’m not sure I can dance with you anymore, Trevor,” I stated as I packed up my things for the day.

  “Why?” He almost looked hurt.

  I leaned forward and whispered, “Because every time you press up against me on the dance floor, we end up leaving early. Talia is accusing us of being an old married couple that can’t stay out past ten.” I giggled.

  “Well, let’s get out of here. I think we need a private dance before we go out then.” He winked at me as we stood up to leave.

  “And to think I thought I couldn’t dance.” I pressed my hands against his chest, smiling up at him, reveling in his beautiful green eyes.

  “Like I said before, you were just waiting for the right partner.”

  A Part of Me

  Book 2 in the Philadelphia series

  By Taryn Plendl

  Chapter 1

  Tom

  Teaching could be exhausting to begin with, but teaching health to ninth graders, well that could make you downright suicidal.

  I longed for the earlier days of explaining the food groups and nutrition from the beginning of the year. Even the alcohol, tobacco, and drugs lessons were a cakewalk compared to the reproductive system, which we would be covering until the end of the year. There was something about the words penis and vagina that made fifteen year olds completely digress.

  Six different classes, and I felt like I’d just spent the entire day talking to classes filled with my friend, Nick. I was beginning to think that he never made it past the novelty of this lesson either. Three more weeks of this. I really wasn’t sure I was going to make it either.

  I packed up my things for the day and headed across the parking lot to the field for practice. My JV soccer team was amazing this year. We had a lot of raw talent, and if they continued to play with the passion they had up to this point, I could almost guarantee that most of them would be moving up to Varsity next year.

  Soccer had always been my outlet. I loved the never-ending excitement and ever-changing game. It was exhilarating and unpredictable, and gave me a rush like nothing else. Both Nick and I had played at the college level while Trevor focused on martial arts. Now Trevor seemed to focus mostly on Ava. It was great to see him so happy. He and Nick were like brothers to me, and Ava was a perfect match for Trevor—she didn’t put up with his shit. We all needed a girl like that.

  Meeting Trevor and Nick my freshman year in college was a Godsend. My parents had died in the middle of that year in a plane crash. My dad had been piloting small planes for as long as I could remember. He was good—always cautious. In the end, though, it wasn’t enough. You can’t control mechanical failures; you can only try to get through them. I lost my whole family when that plane went down. I was the only child of two only children. Trevor and Nick were the only family I had now. The day their plane went down, I was hanging out at the apartment with Trevor and Nick. I don’t know what I would’ve done if they hadn’t been there when I got the call. I was in shock, and they both took over, doing what needed to be done and making sure I had what I needed. The days that followed were like walking through a dark, cold tunnel that seemed to go on forever. When my parents died, I quickly realized that friendship isn't about how long you've known someone—it’s about who came into your life and never left your side.

  I dropped the bag of balls at the splintering wooden bench and started kicking them out to the team to pass around. It was Friday, so I planned on giving them a lighter day, considering they won their game yesterday. The day was beautiful now. The sun shone through the sparse clouds, bathing the field with the warmth of spring. The trees were blooming and the smell of freshly mowed grass floated through the air. It was going to be like pulling teeth to get these boys to focus today.

  I blew the loud whistle. “Run drills, switching at the whistle.” The boys scattered around the field like ants searching for food, giving me a sense of pride as I watched them.

  The vibrations radiating from my phone on the side of my hip startled me with an incoming call. I raised the phone to my ear, pausing to blow the whistle. “Hey, Nick. What’s up?”

  “Are you coming to the club tonight with us?”

  “I’m not sure. Will it just be the five of us?” Trevor and Ava had always included Ava’s best friend, Talia, as well as Nick and me. We had all become fast friends, and I had a great time with them, but I felt like I had been dragged through the mud today. I had half the mind to just go home and crash.

  “Just four. Talia is working the ER tonight,” he explained, pretty much solidifying my decision. I loved going to the clubs to begin with, but when Talia was there it took the fun to a whole new level. She was so witty and sarcastic, and she put Nick in his place repeatedly. It was awesome! She had a body that wouldn’t quit, and moving with her on the dance floor was like coming home. I could almost feel her against me, just thinking about it. If she wasn’t going to be there, I would probably just go home and relax for the night.

  “I think I might stay in tonight. I spent the day teaching the female reproductive system to a bunch of fourteen and fifteen year olds. My mind is really not functioning on adult levels at the moment,” I chuckled.

  “Nice!” Nick laughed. “I’m in the wrong field. The most exciting topic for me today was liabilities and expenses,” he groaned. “All right, no backing out tomorrow night, though. Go home and get some rest, Sleeping Beauty.” He hung up before I could respond. Asshole!

  After only an hour of practice, I let the team go. The clouds had rolled in, and it looked like it could downpour at
any minute. It amazed me how quickly the weather could change in the Mid Atlantic.

  Sure enough, I’d barely made it to the car before the sky opened up and blasted me with a cold spring rain. Laughing, I dove into the driver’s seat, sliding precariously on the leather as I shook the cold water off my head, leaving small splatters of water on the window and dash.

  Traffic was light, but still everyone was moving like cattle. It never failed that when the roads were wet, people in Philly automatically slowed down a minimum of fifteen miles per hour. Irritation filled my previously happy mood. If I was going to have to go slow anyway, I might as well take the back roads. I swerved on the off ramp and merged onto the two-lane highway, immediately enjoying the scenery much more. The trees were in full bloom with different colors and shapes. Everything almost glowed under the steady stream of the rain. It would be nice to just be inside tonight and listen to the rain beating rhythmically against the roof and windows.

  “Shit!” My arm knocked an old bottle of soda over as I reached to adjust the radio, sending it flying, where it was now exploding rapidly over the passenger seat. I grabbed a hold of it before it emptied the entire contents, shaking my head at the wet, sticky caramel colored mess that was rapidly soaking into my grey cloth seats. Nice job, Tom.

  I glanced up and sucked in a huge breath. It was almost like moving in slow motion. The white utility van seemed to come out of nowhere. I swerved to the right as it clipped the back end of my car, sending me into an uncontrollable spin across the wet blacktop. The jolt from the van, and the impact of the airbag, jarred my body to the core. The sound of metal on metal, crunching and grinding, echoed through the car. Tires screeching loudly filled my head and then suddenly it was quiet, and I felt weightless, floating. The next impact crushed my driver’s side door with a deafening blow as the window shattered, sending small fragments of glass throughout my car and all over me. The car rolled to the passenger side, finally coming to rest.