New Love: Blue Valley High — Senior Year (The Blue Valley Series Book 2)
Page 1
Contents
New Love Playlist
Blurb
To The Reader
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
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty One
Chapter Thirty Two
Chapter Thirty Three
Chapter Thirty Four
Chapter Thirty Five
Chapter Thirty Six
Chapter Thirty Seven
Chapter Thirty Eight
Chapter Thirty Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty One
Chapter Forty Two
Chapter Forty Three
Chapter Forty Four
Chapter Forty Five
Chapter Forty Six
Chapter Forty Seven
Chapter Forty Eight
Chapter Forty Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty One
Chapter Fifty Two
Chapter Fifty Three
Books by MJ Fields
About the Author
Thank you
Copyright © 2021 by MJ Fields
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imaginations. Any resemblance to actual persons, things, living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.
New Love Playlist
You - Candlebox
Faithfully - Journey
Open Arms - Journey
Far Behind - Candlebox
Something To Believe In - Poison
I Swear - John Michael Montgomery
The Sign - Ace of Base
Baby, I Love Your Way - Big Mountain
I Can See Clearly Now - Jimmy Cliff
Found Out About You - Gin Blossoms
Fase Into You - Mazzy Gray
Loser - Beck
Lightning Crashes - Live
All Over You - Live
Plush - Stone Temple Pilots
Yellow Ledbetter - Pearl Jam
Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms
The Heart Won’t Lie - Reba McEntire, Vince Gill
Love and Affection - Nelson
I Touch Myself - Divinyls
Thank You - Led Zeppelin
Close My Eyes Forever - Lita Ford, Ozzy Osbourne
No Rain - Blind Melon
Two Princes - Spin Doctors
Under The Bridge - Red Hot Chilly Peppers
Come As You Are - Nirvana
Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden
The Sound of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel
Iris - Live
Selling Drama - Live
Say It Ain’t So - Weezer
Low - Cracker
Runaway Train - Soul Asylum
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John, Kiki Dee
Daniel - Elton John
Crocodile Rock - Elton John
Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton
Last Kiss - Pearl Jam
Poison - Alice Cooper
How Do You Like It - Keith Sweat
All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow
Closer - Nine Inch Nails
I Need Your Love - Boston
I Remember You - Skid Row
90’s Girl - Black Girl
Shine - Collective Soul
Stay - Lisa Loeb
Don’t Turn Around - Ace of Base
It’s Tricky - Run—D.M.C
The Humpty Dance - Digital Underground
Cotten - Eyed Joe - The Chieftains
Tootsee Roll - 69 Boyz
Blurb
The Blue Valley series is not your typical love story. It is a journey through one’s past … maybe even a story resembling someone close to you.
It’s our story.
A walk through hell ended in defeat when Lucas and Tessa decided it’s best to remain friends. A decision made for the betterment of all.
But is it possible to walk away when they share a love as deep as theirs?
Can they remain friends as Lucas tries to be the man, he realized he wants to become when he fell in love with Tessa, and Tessa goes through loss, life, and new love?
This is love, not a fairy tale.
Warning: Highly Emotional!
This book contains volatile characters in real-life situations that may be triggers to some readers.
PLEASE NOTE: this series was previously released as The Love series (MJ's very first works) and has been through a complete rewrite, which consists of a change from narrative to first person/ dual POV and forty thousand words worth of new content.
To The Reader
PLEASE NOTE:
this series was previously released as The Love series (MJ's very first works) and has been through a complete rewrite, which consists of a change from narrative to first person/ dual POV and forty thousand words worth of new content.
Warning: Highly Emotional!
This book contains volatile characters in real-life situations that may be triggers to some readers.
Chapter One
Arriving home from play practice, I first head to the hot tub, turning it on so it heats up. Then, when I open the back door leading to the mud room, and before I even step in, Chewy, my yellow lab, meets me at the door, wagging his tail with his yellow tennis ball in his mouth. I reach down and give him a behind-the-ear scratch, and he drops the ball at my feet.
“Already? I just got home, and it’s dark.” I laugh as I pick it up, step outside, with him hot on my heels, and throw it in the back lawn. He flies past me, kicking up grass, and then he returns quickly, tail wagging even faster as he drops the ball again.
“Good boy, Chewy.” I pat his head. “You get five, and then we’re going in.”
I swear he understands because the next throw, he returns with less vigor because he loves being outside.
On the third throw, Lucas pulls into the driveway.
The butterflies stir up this time. It’s now a mixture of the good and the bad kind.
I know love is blind, but I seriously wish he wasn’t so insanely beautiful, and maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t be so attracted to the guy who broke me and is having a baby with someone else.
As he gets closer, he forces a smile and says, “Hello, Tessa.”
“Hey.”
He walks past me, without acknowledging Chewy, and into the house. As he passes, I inha
le his scent, and then I want to kick myself for doing so. Because of this, I decide to toss the ball a few more times, as a sort of penance.
About twenty minutes later, my arm is tired and, luckily, so is Chewy, so we head in.
Lucas is walking out of the bathroom when I turn the corner to go in, and we bump into each other.
“Sorry, bab—Tessa.”
I skate past him and into the bathroom, closing the door.
Changing out of my clothes and into a bathing suit that doesn’t show too much, I then wrap a towel around me and I head back out.
Lucas is sitting on the couch, hat off, hands rubbing his head.
“You okay?”
“Nope.” He shakes his head then looks up, eyebrows rising.
Looking over his face, I see his jaw is set and his green eyes look lost, as if searching for answers from me, answers I don’t have.
He shakes his head and smiles. His smile doesn’t reach his eyes, and if my eyes don’t see it, my heart knows he’s hurting.
Without a word, I turn and walk to the stairs, running up to grab a pair of his trunks. Then I run back down and toss them at him. “Suit up, grumpy. Relaxation time.”
He scowls. “Tessa, there is nothing relaxing about being in there with you.”
Over my shoulder, I tell him, “Suck it up and let’s go.”
I watch him walk out, navy trunks and a white towel draped over his shoulders. A saint through and through, but his body … fire. I grab my sunglasses and put them on so he won’t be able to read my eyes or see me looking at him, which is one of the many ways I’ve decided would help him get through this—to hide my feelings the best I can.
As he steps in, I ask, “So, what’s going on, Lucas?”
His brows furrow as he looks me over. “Honestly, Tessa, three hours ago, you sat out there in the field—”
“I fell and got hurt,” I say dryly.
Sitting back, he scowls. “Do you think I’m stupid?”
I smile. “Depends.”
“Are you drunk again?” he huffs.
I push my sunglasses atop my head swiftly. “Are you stoned?”
He points at them. “Tessa, you have on sunglasses. It’s dark, so I really don’t see why the question offends you.”
“I’ve drank three times in my life. How many times have you been stoned?”
His lips twitch up in the corner. “Sorry, bab—Tessa.”
I throw a towel at him. “Sit back and cover your face.”
He laughs. “What?”
“Cover your face. It’ll be less dist—” I shake my head and try again. “It will help you relax.”
He does as I ask, and I watch as his chest rises and falls with each breath. I stare at his full and delicious lips that I wish I could suck on, and as I wet my own, he lifts his towel.
Busted.
“Dammit, Tessa,” he says as he stands.
I jump up and block him. “I really do want to talk about what’s bugging you, Lucas.”
Lucas looks me up and down, his nostrils flaring as he clenches his jaw.
I reach up and touch his cheek, and he closes his eyes, pressing into my touch. I move my hand and palm his face, pushing him down. “Now, let’s chat.”
A deep chuckle leaves him, and I lean over to grab the two bottles of water that I brought out.
When I turn, he’s checking out my ass. I ignore it as I sit and ask, “So, besides all that, what’s going on?”
“I talked to the sheriff, who talked to the judge. He said I have to stay until Mom’s home. I argued, and he caved a little. I can go home on my nineteenth birthday.” Lucas looks away from me, so I don’t see the hurt in his eyes.
“You should stay for your birthday.” I nod. “You shouldn’t be alone.” Then I laugh, because that’s the day I chose as the one to have sex with him.
He tilts his head to the side. “Why does that amuse you?”
I pull down my shades. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to.”
“No, I want to know.”
“That was the date I picked.”
He looks at me, seriously confused.
I clarify, “The date.”
“You were really going to make me wait that long?” He laughs. “You wouldn’t have lasted.”
“I thought it was a sweet date.” I shrug. “You would have helped me stick to it.”
“Sorry, bab—Tessa, I was just playing with you.”
“Okay, so that’s only a few weeks away, and your mom doesn’t get back for a few weeks after that, right?”
“Tessa, it’s a long time from now.”
“Lucas, it’s less than five weeks. It’ll fly. You’ll be busy. You get to visit your Mom on Sunday, right?”
He smiles briefly. “I do, don’t I?”
“Yes, you do, and then what are your plans for Thanksgiving?”
“I’m supposed to go to Jersey to see Dad and my sisters.”
I smile. “And that’s next week. See? You’ll be gone before you know it.”
As soon as the realization of that hits, my smile falls.
He looks at me for a minute, and I’m glad my eyes are hidden. Then he whispers, “I can’t see you sad for another day.”
“And I can’t see you go through this all alone.” I lean my head back. “We can make this work. Remember the rules from before about friendship?”
“Honestly, I don’t. I’m pretty sure we broke almost all of them,” he jokes.
“Well, we can’t anymore,” I say with a firm nod. “I need to be your friend, and I need you to be mine. Nothing less, nothing more.” Again, tears wet my eyes, and then I laugh. “Didn’t we sort of go through this earlier?”
“We did.”
“We’re both smart, right?” I ask.
“I guess we are.”
“And super competitive,” I say a bit louder.
“Absolutely.”
“And hot.” I giggle.
“No doubt, bab—Tessa.” He shakes his head, and we laugh.
“We got this, then?”
“Hug?” he asks.
“Hell no.”
“I love you,” he whispers then quickly adds, “My friend.”
“You, too, bud.”
We then sit quietly.
I see headlights and, seconds later, Ben and Alex head into the house. In a flash, both are heading toward us.
Ben sits next to me, smiling. “Hello, Tess.”
“Well, hello, Ben.”
“Did you check it out?” he whispers in my ear.
I know he’s referring to his ass, and I laugh. “No, not yet.”
He cups some water and runs it through his hair. “Alex, tell her what you got today.”
“I’d rather not.”
His face gives the rest away. I stand up and scowl. Then I step out and dry off as I stomp toward the house, because seriously, give the babies a chance.
“Ben, what the hell?” Alex grumbles.
“You get a doe, Alex?” I ask.
Alex shakes his head, and the look on his face tells me he got Bambi.
“Oh.”
I stay long enough that I don’t feel like I’m dissing Alex, but not enough time that I want to drown dipshit. In that time, I end up agreeing to hunt on both Saturday and Sunday.
When I walk in, Tessa has headphones on and is doing homework. However, a look over her shoulder and I realize she’s not doing homework; she’s reading some book about pregnancy.
She looks up and starts to shut the book.
I shake my head, and she pulls off her headphones. Immediately, she goes on the defense.
“I’m sorry. I should—”
I reach for the book as I sit next to her. “Sorry. May I?”
“Yeah, of course.”
She points to the page she was reading, “So, this says that, at twenty weeks, you can find out what the baby is. That’s not too far from now, Lucas. Do you want to know?”
“Honestly
, no. I know I should want to, but I don’t.”
“I want to know.” Tessa smiles at me then looks back at the book.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Actually, I am. I hope you have a boy. I hope he looks just like you and has a heart like yours.”
She flips back a few pages. “Your baby is fourteen weeks, I think, so that means she is past the most critical stage. You need to be sure she is taking folic acid, prenatal vitamins, and extra calcium. Your baby needs folic acid so that it grows and develops; it reduces the risks of birth defects. See this?” She points to the picture. “He has little legs, arms, and eyes. Isn’t that cool? I ordered you a couple books so you can give them to her, but you need to go the drug store before school and get her those vitamins. Actually, you should call her now and see if she has them. If she doesn’t, make sure she takes them every day. He’ll be much healthier and have a better shot in this crazy world if she takes care of him now.”
I feel sick to my stomach.
“You okay?” Tessa asks.
When I shake my head, she stands up, walks to the cupboard, and grabs a glass. Then she fills it with water and sets it in front of me.
“Drink, please.”
I shake my head as my mouth begins to fill with saliva. Then I hurry to the bathroom where I throw up.
“Oh, you’re sick?”