The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories (131 page)

I didn’t say anything, only shrugged my shoulders.

“Well, I made the appointment for you. Tomorrow at 9 a.m. Surely you can be sober that early?”

“Dunno, Dad, Depends on how much I have tonight before I got to bed,” I smirked at him.

He stomped to my kitchen, and before I knew what was happening, came rumbling back in the room with a pitcher of water. I was too unsteady to fight him off and he drenched me in seconds. I shook the water off, clenching my fists. This wouldn’t be the first time I hit my dad, and if he kept this up, it wouldn’t be the last. I moved forward, but he bested me and pinned both my arms behind my back.

“Listen to me, Cade. You are twenty seven years old. It’s time to grow up. You’re going home with me, you’re going to sober up, and you’re going to be professional tomorrow at that meeting.” His fingers tightened around my upper arms, making me flinch in pain.

Derek Kelling was stronger than most men, his build one to rival a pro-wrestler. He stood at least four inches taller than I, at about 6 foot 5 inches. My younger brother, Cason, resembled him the most. Both possessed dark blonde hair and hazel eyes. Cason got his height, too. I think I looked more like my mother with brown hair and blue eyes. I regularly described my eyes as dull, though others in the past have disagreed. The dullness reflected my life. Nothing really mattered. I disappointed most everyone I met. I wasn’t even sure it was worth going on.

“Can you let me go,
Pops
?” I asked, venom dripping off my tongue. Being manhandled wasn’t a favorite pastime of mine. The current legal trouble I was in proved that.

“I’ll let your ass go to jail if you hit me, Cade,” he said as he loosened his grip. Stepping back, he crossed his arms and looked down at me. “Now, go get some clothes for tomorrow and let’s go. Your mother is probably wondering where I am.”

Gritting my teeth, I headed to the bedroom to find something suitable for the meeting. I kicked the large pile of laundry in the corner, looking for the navy slacks my mom bought me a couple of months ago. I slumped to my knees, rummaging through everything.

“Don’t you have any ounce of responsibility? You can’t even fold your laundry? Just come on, you can borrow something of mine.”

“It’ll be too big.”

“I doubt the attorney will mind. She’s going to be more worried about your attitude.”

Narrowing my eyes, I struggled to stand. “I’m sorry you hate me, but seriously, get over yourself. Not everyone thinks I’m this huge screw up. But just remember,
you
raised me, so it’s not all my fault.” I gripped the dresser, pulling myself horizontal. I moved to the bed, sitting for a moment. Most of the room was hazy, but I didn’t want him to know that. I tugged the phone charger from the wall and stuffed it in my pocket. I stood, threw my hands up, and said, “Lead the way.” He grunted in reply. He was to the door in seconds, not even looking back to see if I was following. I plucked the phone from the floor and followed him to his car.

This was going to be a blast, I could tell.

The ride to my parents’ home was awkward and uneventful. Pops didn’t talk to me at all, only stared straight ahead at the road. His face hard, looking like he was a statue. I twiddled my thumbs, mostly because I knew that’s the most he expected of me. The lights blurred by, inching us closer to our destination. I watched them pass, making myself dizzy. Drinking made me have a don’t-give-a-damn attitude, but at the moment, I wished I hadn’t had so much.

“Pops, might wanna pull over,” I stated before throwing my door open. The vomit came fast and hard. My stomach clenched over and over. He barely got the car stopped in time. He cursed beside me, hitting the steering wheel with his fist. When it finally stopped, I pulled my upper body back in, slamming the door. He glared at me, and I just shrugged. “Sorry. We can go now.” He huffed and drove on.

The road housing the home I grew up in came into view. The street lamps shone an eerie glow on the road, making it look like the shadows were jumping out at me. The long arms of the trees appeared to be grabbing at the car, ready to capture me away from the awaited hell I was driving into. The large, wooden log cabin came into view. The property was large, my parents didn’t half do anything, with large trees scattered throughout the fifteen acres of land. I glanced at the one holding my long forgotten tree house, remember the times I snuck girls up there when I was a teen. Over a few feet was the weeping willow I would run to every time I fought with my dad about something when I was little. It was there that I snuck my first drink of alcohol. Stole it right out from under his stuck up nose.

The car slid into the drive, and the garage opened instantly. I saw my mom standing just inside, her hand over her heart. A dramatic one, she was. She was petite and skinny, barely reaching my chest. I shot up in height when I was twelve and had towered over her ever since. She’d always held a soft spot for me. I don’t know if it was because I looked like her or because my father had always seemed to hate me. He claimed it was her fault I was such a screw up, because she babied me too much.

Like he knew anything.

She hurried to the door, opening it before I could get my hand to the handle. “Oh, Cade! I’ve missed you, honey.”

I stumbled out, grasping her in an awkward hug. She squeezed tightly, then leaned back to look into my eyes. Embarrassed by her knowing expression, I darted my eyes to the wall behind her. She placed her hand on my back, pushing me forward. My hand held the car for support. I could hear my father grumbling and mumbling on the other side, but I ignored it.

“Let’s get you something to eat,” she softly said, patting my shoulder.

I smiled at her and nodded. Maybe Pops was right and she did baby me. But he was wrong about it being her fault that I was a screw up. That was all on his shoulders.

I
paced my floor, wearing a hole in the creamy tan carpet. Daphne, my best friend since the age of seven, was on her way over to help me make sense of everything happening. Cade Kelling was my client. My first
major
client.

Cade Kelling.

My heart beat sped up, causing my breath to come out in short, raspy sounds. Waves of nausea flowed through me. I clutched my stomach and inhaled deeply. Breathing in and out. I stopped my pacing long enough to check my phone for any response from Daph. I’d texted her immediately after I learned I was on his case. Texting his name alone was enough for her to know that I needed her
ASAP.
She hadn’t sent anything back, so I hoped she was on the road.

I walked to the kitchen, my mind in a million different places. What would I wear? What would I say? What would
he
say? What if I made a mess of things? A fool of myself? I absent mindedly grabbed a glass, filling it with ice and water. I downed it, then another. I sipped the second a little slower, letting the coolness calm my nerves. The cup almost fell out of my hand when I heard the rapid knock at my door.

I rushed to the door, swinging it open with a fury. “Daphne,” I exclaimed, pulling her in for a hug.

“Oh, my gosh, Francesca. Cade? Really?” she asked, her brows turned down in confusion. Daphne was beautiful. Her long, dark hair fell in waves down her back. She was almost as tall as I, only much skinnier. Her big green eyes shone against the darkness of her skin and hair.

I nodded, fighting back the tears threatening to escape. “I know. I don’t know what to do,” I stuttered. Shutting the door, I slumped in the chair situated in the entrance. Resting my head in my hands, I looked at her for answers. Whenever there was a problem, Daphne was the first person I called. She was always there for me. We’d fought a few times, but we managed to find our way back to each other.

Seating herself on my couch, she pressed her lips into a firm line. Her I’m-confused-and-lost expression. “Francesca...have you talked to him since...?”

I shook my head. Biting my lip, I felt a single tear slide down my cheek. Sniffling, I lifted my finger to brush it away.

“Are you ok? You can always turn this down if it’s too much for you. Screw that stupid law firm. They haven’t treated you right since day one,” she rambled.

I knew she had a point, but a part of me, a big part of me, knew I had to do this. I needed closure. And I needed to prove myself to Mr. Phillips and the rest of the partners at my job. And Cade...well, I wanted to see him. I
needed
to see him. As much as it hurt, and as hard as it would be...tomorrow I would be seeing Cade for the first time in seven years. “I’ll be ok, Daphne. Will you stay here tonight? I need help getting ready tomorrow.”

“Of course! Sleepover, whoo hoo,” she yelled, trying to make me smile.

It worked. We spent the rest of the evening deciding on my outfit and calming my nerves.

###

S
ix a.m. met me with an uneasy night of rest, as usual. Only last night the dreams were of his face, his eyes, and his arms around my body. Just the sound of his name caused butterflies to come storming back into my stomach like an army on a rampage. I dressed in my best black suit. The pencil skirt showed off my curves while the jacket was snug enough to display my ample breasts. The fuchsia shirt I wore underneath complemented my light skin tone. After straightening my hair, and leaving it loose, I finally decided I looked good enough to face the day.

I slipped out of the bathroom to hear Daphne wolf-whistle at me. Rolling my eyes, I gave her a wicked grin. “Will I drive him crazy?”

“Absolute bonkers, dah-ling,” she said in her best British accent.

Giggling, I gathered my briefcase and swung my bag over my shoulder. “Breakfast?”

“Pancakes?”

“Of course. It’s a big day. Big days require pancakes.”

She smiled big, holding her arm out for me to take. I linked us together and we struggled out the door, laughing the whole way.

Daphne drove us to the local pancake place, Lola’s House. As she drove, my mind couldn’t help but drift back to the first time I met Cade....

9 years prior-September

At sixteen years old, I was insecure and quiet. I didn’t make friends very well. Girls were mean to me, though at the time I didn’t know why. Every day at school I read between classes, at lunch, and after while I waited for my second bus. The school bus dropped me off at the bus stop. Pathetic, huh?

It was a hot September day that changed my life forever. Nothing about me would be the same. Ever. I walked to the bench, oblivious to my surroundings. My nose was stuck in my current romance novel. I followed along as the girl fell in love with her best friend (the bad boy), wishing life was really that way. I didn’t even notice when he walked by me.

Or when he stopped a few yards from me, and came back in my direction to take a seat beside me.

“Hey. Do you want a cracker?” he velvet voice asked me.

I didn’t look up, I wasn’t sure if he was even talking to me. Why would an attractive senior be talking to me?

“Hey, I’m talking to you,” he said, a chuckle in his voice.

I slowly lifted my head, peering at him from under my long lashes. His dark brown hair swept across his forehead and his deep blue eyes made me gasp. He wore the ultimate laid back style, a white t-shirt and jeans. All he needed was a black leather jacket and he would be the bad boy from my book. The smile on his face was breathtaking, and I found myself unable to speak.

“Hi, I’m Cade,” he said, a huge grin on his handsome face.

“Hi, I’m Francesca.”

“Why are you always sitting here alone, Francesca?” he asked, placing his hand on my knee.

Shivers went up my spine while butterflies flew rampant in my stomach. A hot senior guy had his hand on my knee. My eyes looked at it, wondering what was happening. Was the world ending? Was this a prank?

“I like to read,” I stated lamely.

Laughing, he replied, “I can see that. You didn’t hear me ask if you wanted a cracker.” He held out a pack of those orange peanut butter and cheese crackers. I always thought they were disgusting, but I considered taking one in that moment.

“No, thanks,” I said, shaking my head. I gave him a warm smile.

“Ok,” he said. Before he could say more, my bus pulled up. Right on time, of all days.

“That’s my bus,” I told him.

“Ok,” he said, finally lifting his hand from my leg. “Do you mind if I come back sometime?” he asked, a twinkle in his eyes. Standing, he held a hand out to assist me.

“Not at all,” I said, giving him a genuine smile. He seemed nice. New friends weren’t a bad thing.

He walked me to the bus. “Ok, good. Maybe I’ll see you around school sometime. You should say hi.” He sauntered off, looking back long enough to wave.

I barely made it up the stairs. I stared after him until I couldn’t see him anymore. I couldn’t stop the smile from filling my whole face.

Present Day

“Francesca, are you listening to me?” Daphne practically yelled at me. The shrill of her voice brought me out of my daydream of remembrance.

“Oh, sorry. I was thinking...” I admitted. I felt bad for tuning her out so easily, though it wasn’t purposely.

“Oh, I wonder what you were thinking about. Or should I say who?” she said accusingly. Her voice sounded scolding, while her eyes showed sympathy.

Guiltily, I looked down. “I can’t help it,” I whispered.

She nodded and turned the edge of one corner of her mouth. “I know, sweetie. I know. We’re here and after breakfast, everything will be better.” She gave me a huge smile and I caught her enthusiasm. I wasn’t the same girl I was back then. Today would be fine.

I thought.

I hoped.

I managed to choke down a single pancake. Daphne kept giving me a knowing, accusing look, so I had to ignore her for most of the meal. My stomach was in knots, palms sweating, and head began to ache the closer the hand inched toward the nine o’clock hour.

D
erek Kelling was the most famous architect in the area, designing everything from the new hospital to the restroom area at the park. He loved being famous, having people gush over his designs and compliment him just to say they’d talk to him. He went to social gatherings with a cocky grin on his face and a strut to his walk. He exuded over confidence in every aspect of his life. Unfortunately, he failed to ever grasp parenthood.