Intertwined Hearts Series (4 book collection): (Intertwined Hearts, An Exceptional Twist, Tangled Paths & Grafted Vines)

by Kimi Flores

  Concern draped across her face, and she placed her hand on top of mine. “Oh, mujer, that’s how they get you. They find your weakness and use it to their advantage. Believe me. I know what I’m talking about.”

  I took a swig of my wine, then sat back in my chair. “I don’t know, Dani. I’m sure he felt it, too. The first time we made love was amazing, and then something changed. He just—shut himself off. I saw it.” I leaned against the table, exhausted and sad. “I know I should’ve made him stop, but it was like he was trying to correct his mistake. By the end of the night, I felt like another one of his cheap whores.”

  Horrified, she asked, “Did he force you to keep going?”

  I frowned. “What? No.” Strangely, even though he hurt me, he’d made me feel safe. Even if just for a little while. I shook my head, eyes on my lap. “Nothing like that.”

  She smirked, nodding in understanding. “I’ve thought the same thing. ‘Maybe this is the one, maybe he really cares, he’s so sweet and attentive’. But in the end, they all come for one thing and one thing only. Once they get it, they’re gone for good. Oh, there are those that try to call a few weeks later, thinking you’re stupid and forgot what they did to you, but most of the time it’s too late for a second go around.”

  I wondered what Dani meant by ‘most of the time’. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head, “Bottom line is that he’s back in town. I’ll have to deal with this later, but for tonight,” I picked up my drink as my sister followed, both clinking glasses, “Here’s to an asshole-free evening.”

  After taking a sip and another bite of food, I glanced across the room. A bunch of men sat in a booth on the other end of the restaurant, eating pizza and laughing loudly. I didn’t think much of it, until my gaze locked with familiar blue eyes, and everything else around me became a blur.

  Benjamin McKendrick, my high school crush. And man, did I have a crush on him. I wrote his name over and over on my school folders. I Benjamin McKendrick, Mrs. Benjamin McKendrick, Leah McKendrick, Mrs. Leah McKendrick. I’d drawn too many hearts to count around that boy’s name, and scribbled it as many different ways as I could think of. When we were teens, I mentally planned our wedding, down to every detail. Damn, I’d been pathetic when it came to him.

  Resting his jaw on the crook of his thumb and index finger, his beautiful blues narrowed, taking me in.

  Dani followed my entranced gaze. “Hermana, isn't that Benjamin McKendrick?” She moved her head side to side, pursing her lips. “That boy is checking you out like he’d rather have you for dinner than that big ass pizza.”

  My pulse started to race as I bit my bottom lip under his scrutiny. I couldn’t stop staring. “Uh huh,” was all I said.

  He got up from the table, excusing himself, and I watched him approach. The sandy blonde locks he had in high school still framed his face and made me want to run my fingers through them. Even after all these years, his good looks and charming smile had an instant effect on me.

  “Leah Valdez?” He asked with a huge grin.

  He remembers me. My whole name, I thought dreamily. It was odd because we’d traveled in different social circles.

  Completely lost in his baby blues, I attempted to keep my cool. Somehow I still felt the same nervous flutter in my belly that I’d felt in high school. “Yes. Oh hey, Benjamin. How’ve you been?” I was going for casual but felt like a giggling teenage dork.

  Dani was trying to contain her smile, and I shot a look her way.

  “I'm fantastic. Wow, it’s so good to see you. Been a long time, huh? Do you mind if I join you ladies for a bit?” He extended his hand. “Daniella, right?”

  Dani shook his hand, and I wondered if they were as soft as Stefen’s.

  Wait, what?

  “Yeah, well I go by Dani now.” Dani motioned to an empty chair between us. “Please, have a seat. I was just heading to the bathroom, so I'll be right back.” Dani got up, completely avoiding my stare down.

  I was well aware of this trick. Before they were even dating, I’d done the same thing to Abby when Caleb came over to our table, while out to dinner one evening.

  Scooting his chair closer toward me, Benjamin asked, “What’ve you been up to, Leah? I haven't seen you since that one time at the movies the summer after graduation. Did you ever open that flower shop you talked about?”

  Dumbfounded, I couldn't believe he remembered. One scalding hot day that summer, Dani, her friend Rosa and I, sat a couple of rows behind him and his friends in the theater.

  I remembered giggling nervously during the entire movie, catching his attention and smiling a few times. He’d caught up to me afterward and said that he was staying in Alhambra to go to UCLA, which was only about fifteen minutes south. That’s when I told him about my plans to go to Berkley to get my business degree, and then open a flower shop one day. It sounded like a faraway dream at the time.

  I’d made it a reality, I realized. I made my own dreams come true. Huh—

  “Uh, yeah. Good memory.” I smiled at him, running a hand through my wavy hair. “I did open my flower shop. I live in a loft above my store in Santa Barbara, close to my best friend.” Anytime I talked about my business, I felt myself beaming proudly.

  “That’s so awesome, Leah. How long are you in town?” He rested his elbows on the arms of the chair, showing off his large biceps. Wow, he didn’t have those in high school.

  Disappointed now, I tightened my mouth. “Just this week. I have to prepare for a wedding I’m working on Saturday.”

  The guy who starred in my teenage dreams finally asked the question I’d hoped to hear all those years ago, and I wasn’t even going to be here that long.

  He grinned and clapped his hands together. “Perfect timing, then. I'd love to see you before you go back. Can I get your number and maybe take you out tomorrow night?”

  “I’d like that.” I was a bundle of nerves as I rambled off my cell number.

  He programmed it into his phone, shaking his head as he slipped it back in his pocket. “I can’t believe I finally got your number.”

  Finally? As in he’d wanted it before now?

  I wanted to ask what he meant, but his stocky, dark-haired friend approached the table. “Hey, buddy, I’m about to head out. Do you still want a lift into work?”

  Benjamin’s face fell a little. “Yeah, thanks,” he told his friend. “I just need a minute. I’ll meet you out front.”

  His friend walked away, and Benjamin sighed as he looked back at me. “Sorry I have to go so soon. I'm doing my residency at UCLA Medical Center and start in an hour.” He began to get up, then seemed to realize something. “Oh, and I go by Ben now.”

  Unable to hide my girlish smile, I held in a giggle, then suddenly remembered how much fun I’d made of Abby when she was first around Caleb.

  Could Ben be my Caleb? Hello, just seeing him for the first time in years, Leah. Tone it down.

  “Okay. Ben,” I said smoothly. “I look forward to hearing from you.”

  Giving me a mischievous grin, he pulled his cell out of his pocket. A second later, I heard my own phone ringing, and I knew it was him.

  Was that something that all guys did to make sure you didn't give them a fake number? Or is Stefen the only guy that did it for that reason?

  The moment his smile faded, I realized my irritation was showing.

  “Too soon?” he asked, unsure.

  “No, it’s fine.” I smiled in an effort to fix it.

  His party started to head toward the front door, which caught his attention. “I'll call you tomorrow afternoon, then. It was great seeing you. Really great.” Ben got up, winked, then strolled out of the restaurant.

  Dani magically appeared out of nowhere. “Whew. Sorry, there was this huge line,” she lied, taking a giant sip of what was left of her wine.

  “I can't believe you left like that.” I stuck my chin out and forced a laugh.

  Dani rested her bent elbows on the table and tapped her fingertips together
. “What-ever. I saw you guys staring into each other's eyes, and then you gave him your number.” She fluttered her eyelashes in an overdramatic way.

  Reaching over the table, I laughed and smacked her shoulder.

  “I can't believe it.” I shook my head in astonishment. “Not only did he remember me, but he also brought up that time we ran into each other at the movies eight years ago. Asked about my flower shop and everything. He’s going to call tomorrow, so we can go out. Can you imagine? The guy I crushed on almost all four years of high school asked me out. He’s even hotter now, all grown up.” I rested my cheek on my intertwined hands, looking off into space.

  “Agreed, he was a good looking boy, but sure grew up to be a supa fine man.” Dani’s loud tone would have been embarrassing if I wasn’t in my own dreamy state. Smirking, she took a bite of what was probably now cold food. “So I take it you’ve already forgotten all about Stefen?”

  “Stefen who?”

  We both snickered, tapping our wine glasses together once more.

  ⁂

  Stefen

  In spite of my physical pain, I was grateful to be in a bed at Caleb and Abby's house. It’d been a rough day of traveling and getting settled in, but I’d do it all over again to get away from my parents. Not that I’d actually spent any time with them.

  Abby strolled into the bedroom. “Time for your medication.” She shook a bottle of pills in her hand. “How are you feeling?”

  “I think I over did it the last couple of days. Everything is sore.” Wincing, I tried to push myself up with my uninjured arm.

  “Well, hopefully this will help.” She handed me a glass of water and prescribed meds, then in an instant she was covering her mouth. Quickly turning on her heels, she flew out of the room.

  She'd been getting sick to her stomach since I got here earlier, and I felt bad adding the extra burden of taking care of me. Despite the fact that I couldn't believe they were having a child so soon, I was happy for them.

  She reappeared looking a little green and apologized.

  “Why are you sorry?” I frowned. “I feel awful that you’re stuck with me while you’re feeling bad yourself.” I focused on the blanket that lay on top of me and pulled on a loose string.

  She placed her hand on top of mine. “Stefen, we’re happy you’re here and safe. Don't feel bad. This stage will pass. I’ll be fine before we know it.” Just then, her cell phone rang. She looked down to read the display. “Sorry, I need to take this. I haven't talked to Leah since she left town.”

  “No problem.” My frown deepened once she turned away.

  Leah had been on my mind non-stop, but I didn’t dare ask about her or where she’d gone. A lecture from Caleb was still around the corner. I was postponing it as long as possible.

  “Hey, how are you doing?” Abby seemed relieved. “You’re kidding me. You better not stay out there.” She disappeared into the hall. I hoped she wouldn't go far, though. I wanted to hear what was going on.

  “Oh, Leah, that’s awesome,” I heard from the hallway. “Isn't he the one you were in love with in high school?”

  In love? I practically fell out of bed as I stretched to hear Abby's whispered voice.

  “Where are you guys going? Oh, you love that place. That's the one in Pasadena, right? That sounds like so much fun. You have to call me tomorrow night and tell me every detail.”

  My heart hammered. This was bad. Shitty, awful news. Leah was going out with an old crush? I had no right to care, but I couldn’t help it. In my eyes, nobody would ever be good enough for her. Especially not me.

  “I'm serious, Leah. I know Alhambra was your home, but you can't stay there. Doesn’t matter if you are reconnecting with an old flame. You have to come back to me, here. This is your home now. I don't care if it sounds selfish. I need my best friend.”

  I narrowed my eyes, feeling every bit the eavesdropping old lady that I was acting like.

  So that's where she went. Back home. Back to where her family and high school love were.

  Great. Just fucking great.

  “Okay. Sweetie, don’t forget. Call me tomorrow and let me know how your date went. I miss you. Bye.” The deep sorrow in Abby's voice was obvious and, admittedly when I heard the word ‘date’, I too was a bit dejected.

  The door opened, and pain shot through me as I scrambled back onto the bed.

  “Sorry about that,” she said.

  “Don't worry about it. Everything okay?” I tried my damnedest to fake disinterest.

  Furrowing her brow, she seemed unsure about what she should share. “Yeah. I’m just worried about her. She needed some time away, so she went to her mom's house. Says she’ll be back at the end of the week, but—I don’t know. I noticed that she started withdrawing when we came back from our honeymoon, and I feel like she’s staying away. A lot.”

  The poignant look she gave me made me feel like crap. I should’ve fought my feelings from the beginning. I never should’ve let it go as far as it did. Because of my careless actions, I’d hurt others as well.

  “Anyway,” Abby swallowed, “now she might have more than one reason to stay out there for good.”

  For good? Surely, she couldn’t leave her store behind. She had a business here. A life here.

  Breathing in a sharp breath, I tried to hide my own panic. There was a big part of me that wanted to make things up to her. “But she has her shop. Who’s running it?”

  Looking down at her hands, she whispered, “That's part of what scares me.” She looked up. “She just hired a new employee and has practically made it so she doesn't even need to go in anymore.”

  I was getting more flustered by the second. “And the kids she teaches?”

  Shit, did I say too much?

  “Knowing her, she’d probably drive once a week for the classes.” She smiled. “By the way, that was an amazing thing you did. She adores those kids, and they love spending time with her.”

  Oh good, she accepted the offer that nasty cougar gave her. I’d wondered about it since I agreed to pay, whether Leah took the proposal or not.

  “It was an honor to help out. It’s only money.” I shrugged.

  Abby chewed on her lip, her face pensive. I was starting to feel like the biggest piece of shit. This was all my fault.

  I tried to show her I identified. “I know what it’s like to not live close to your best friend. It hasn’t been easy for me to be so far from Caleb all these years.” I couldn’t believe I was about to say this. “I’m actually considering moving here permanently to be close to you guys.”

  Her eyes got watery. “Really?” she asked, excited. “That would be so great. I know Caleb misses you and Bri terribly. We would love it.” A few tears leaked down her cheeks. Not the reaction I thought I’d get.

  “I'm sorry, Abby. I didn't mean to make you cry.”

  “Don't worry about it.” She chuckled, sniffling. “It's these damn hormones. If I'm not throwing up, I'm bawling.”

  Gross. But I smiled. “You know, Caleb is really lucky to have you.”

  “No.” Her face was tender as she sat down at the edge of the bed. “I'm the lucky one. I never thought I'd find a man as wonderful as him. He amazes me every day.”

  The intimate but loving way she spoke about my cousin gave me a longing I’d never felt before. Maybe, someday, I could possibly see myself having that—someday.

  “Now if I could just find another exceptional guy here in Santa Barbara for Leah before her heart is stolen by the football quarterback, then my life would be complete.” She grinned and batted her eyes in a silly way. “And don’t worry. I’m not referring to you. She told me about what went down, and there will be no repeating that.”

  I winced. “What exactly did she tell you?” I was curious about Leah’s exact words, certain that she’d painted a not so pretty picture.

  She placed her palm on the covers. “You were there. You know what happened. I will say this. You’ve got charm, and I can’t bring
myself to hate you, but—” She pointed her finger at me. “If you even think about messing with her again, you’ll deal with me and my crazy prego hormones. Understand?”

  I tried not to laugh at her serious stance. She was so sweet. There was no way I could be afraid of her. What did frighten me was disappointing her again. Abby was one of those people that just brought the best out in a person, and I couldn’t fathom hurting her.

  “Got it.” I nodded once.

  “I’m letting you off easy because I know Caleb’s still planning on talking to you.” She brought her chin to her shoulder and smirked.

  Well, that happy little thought doesn’t make me smile. “Yeah, I figured.”

  She stood up. “Enough of all of this seriousness. I'm about to make dinner. I'll bring it in when I'm done, unless you feel up to joining us at the table. Caleb should be back from the store with Madison soon. In the meantime, relax.” She lovingly patted my blanket-covered leg.

  How is it that Abby can show me tender motherly love like this and my own mother has never even hugged me?

  “I'll probably just read for a while. I haven't finished Caleb's last book yet. Do you mind handing me my tablet?” I pointed to the chair where it was sitting.

  “It’s so good,” she gushed. “I think it's my favorite so far. He finished writing it after we started dating.” She handed the e-reader over.

  Reaching, I took it from her hand. “I noticed this one has a little more romance than his others. I'm sure you inspired that.”

  “Well let’s hope so, at least. Okay, see you in a bit.” She beamed, spinning around to start dinner.

  I tapped on my social media app. I been cyber-stalking Leah somewhat since her profile was open to the public. If we ever spoke again, I’d have to tell her how important it was to change the privacy settings on her page.

  She wasn’t big on updating her status, but other people in her life were and seemed to enjoy tagging her in their posts. ‘Dani’ had tagged her in a post that said they were out to dinner at a restaurant in Alhambra.