Twisted Fate (Twisted Fate Series Book 1) Read online

  She squeezes my hand as if I’m her lifeline. I stare into her eyes and force a smile. A sudden calmness comes over me. And I know the panic is subsiding. That’s the way it goes. It grabs a hold, shakes the shit out of me, and then it’s gone. Never know when it’s coming, but at least, I have some security knowing it always leaves. At least for a while.

  The panic attacks started a couple of months after we moved from Houston. My parents took me to counseling for a while. It helped a lot. Eventually, I learned to control it so it no longer controlled me. But over the last six months, it has come back with a vengeance. The return of my anxiety attacks is a sign that it’s time for me to go. To find my way in this world, make my own decisions, and leave the security of my parent’s sheltered world.

  “I know he’s busy. I’m really sorry I freaked out, but I’m okay now. And we really need to get on the road. Layla’s parents are supposed to meet us at the interstate, and I don’t want them to have to wait.” Her parents didn’t want her to be without a car, so they decided to follow us to Houston and then fly back.

  “You ready, friend?” Layla’s voice pulls me away from my thoughts.

  My mom releases my hand before leaning in and kissing my cheek. Still no tears. I’m proud of her.

  “Are you kidding? I’ve been ready.” I step away from my mom moving closer toward my car.

  “I love you, Mom. Please tell Dad the same.”

  “Love you, too. Call me when you stop for the night.”

  “Will do.” She walks toward the house without another word.

  We climb into the front seat of my car and latch our seatbelts. I shove my key in the ignition and turn it right. My car roars to life—ready to take me far away from here.

  But not before Layla clears her throat and asks, “How long have they been back?”

  I knew the questions were coming, but I’m not ready to go there. Not today. Today is the happiest day of my life. I’ll avoid the questions, and when that’s no longer an option—I’ll lie.

  “Who?”

  “It’s no who, Jovie. Don’t play dumb. You know exactly what I’m talking about.” Her voice is both stern and soothing.

  “The anxiety isn’t back. Okay? What you witnessed is the first attack I’ve had in years. I think it’s kind of normal to have anxiety about going to college and making your own way. Don’t you?” I grip the steering wheel a little tighter as I throw the gearshift in reverse.

  “Yeah. Whatever, Jovie. But I’ll be watching you, and if this panic thing is anything like it was when we were kids, you’re getting help. I’m not gonna just stand by and watch my best friend relive her past. Remember, no yesterdays. Only tomorrows—full of parties, boys, and firsts.”

  “Firsts?”

  “Yeah. Our list, or should I say, your list because we both know my life has been a little less sheltered than yours has. So my list is neither as long nor as important as yours.”

  “The list.” I smile.

  Layla continues, “I think I’m more excited about the list than you are… I can hardly wait for your first party, first drunken night, first public make out session, and for you to get that tattoo you’re always talking about.”

  “We have plenty of time for all of that. Plus, I bet there are a lot of firsts that my sheltered ass doesn’t even know exist.”

  “You’re right about that.” She giggles.

  Hopefully, we have left the subject of my returning panic attacks. I’ll just have to be really careful not to let her see me have another one. I pull away from my house, and my eyes stay focused on what’s ahead of me.

  “Houston bound!” I let out a scream as we head toward the interstate.

  Chapter 3

  Eight Years Earlier

  Jack

  “In closing, I will leave you with this thought—remember each and every one of you will eventually learn to accept the reality of your loss and work through the pain and grief. It may take some a little longer on this journey, but I promise, it will get better with time.”

  Annie reaches for my hand and wraps her fingers around mine. I give her a gentle squeeze as I lower my head. I hate this for her. A grief support group is not somewhere you want to find yourself at nineteen years old. It would be hard enough to lose one parent, but to lose both in one instant is the absolute worst.

  “If anybody needs a minute or two alone with me—for questions—I’ll be here. And for the rest of you, I’ll see you next week.”

  Annie leans over and whispers, “I’m gonna stay and talk to Sally for a while. You can go. Bennett’s gonna pick me up in twenty minutes.”

  “Are you sure? Because I’ll wait until he gets here. I don’t want you to be alone.”

  “Jack, look around. There are people everywhere. I’m not alone. I love you and am so thankful you came here with me tonight, but I’m okay. I promise.” Her gaze moves around the room. She’s looking for Sally, the grief counselor who leads the group. Sally has become an important person in her life over the last few weeks. I’m glad she has someone to talk to because the reality is I suck at this shit. Even though Annie’s my best friend, and has been since I can remember, it doesn’t mean I can hash out this death thing with her. I’m not built for that kind of conversation, but it doesn’t mean I don’t listen to her when she needs me. I just don’t know what to say or how to act. Plus she has Bennett. They have been dating for a few months, and he seems to be a lot more sensitive to all of the emotional shit. At least, more than I am. So I’m glad she has him, too. I still love her… We’re family, and I will always do whatever is needed to help her through this difficult time in her life.

  I release her hand, and we both stand. She wraps her arms around my waist giving me a hug. Then she buries her face into my neck as she mumbles, “You go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “If you change your mind, text me and I’ll come back.” She releases her hold from around my waist and nods. I smile, knowing she doesn’t have the strength to return it, but hey, she needs all the encouragement I can give her.

  I turn and head for the door. As I step out of the room, I notice there are dozens of people spilling out into the hallway. St. Luke’s United Methodist Church is a Thursday night hangout for a lot of people. It’s a place for those dealing with loss and addictions to be a part of their own support group. I think it’s great that the church opens its doors for all of these torn souls searching for some normalcy in their life. I can only hope that Annie finds hers.

  Rounding the corner, I see a flash of blonde hair just before I’m pressed against the wall by a small firm body.

  “Just go with it. I’ll explain later.” I nod looking into her pleading blue eyes. She lifts the corners of her mouth with a genuine smile.

  “Piper, what the hell?” The voice is echoing from down the hall. It’s loud and male, so this is probably going to end badly.

  I push gently against her small body, trying to break free. The last thing I want is to be trapped against a wall when some guy starts swinging. She presses her body into mine as if she’s letting me know she’s not budging and that I’m not leaving.

  “Look—Piper—you need to step back so I can leave before your boyfriend makes it over here. I—” Before another sound leaves my mouth, her lips press against mine. She pulls my bottom lip between her teeth and tugs. I’m so fucking weak. This guy’s about to beat the shit out of me, and I suddenly don’t care. Initially, the kiss is distant, cold, and reserved, but in an instant, her mouth becomes aggressive and needy like it’s the last kiss she’ll ever give. Her body trembles as her hands find my face. She suddenly pulls away and takes a step back. We both watch the short dark haired guy exit the building.

  “Not willing to fight for you?” I ask.

  “He has no reason to… he’s not my boyfriend. Just some guy who bugs the shit out of me every week.”

  “Every week?”

  “Yeah, every week because I’m… well… I come here for the meeting. It’s for
my mom. She’s an alcoholic, so I come to these Al-Anon meetings to help me learn to cope.”

  “So that guy you were trying to get away from is here every week harassing you?”

  “I know. It’s quite annoying. Thank you for playing along and for the kiss. It was, well—nice.”

  “Nice?” I laugh. “You make it a habit of kissing random guys in church hallways?”

  “Normally, no, but I made an exception just for you.” She moves in closer. “You wanna do it again...?

  She pushes her body against mine as her hands slide up the front of my t-shirt to the bare skin of my neck.

  “I take your silence as a yes,” she says before crashing her lips into mine. Moving my hands to her long blonde hair, I pull her closer. Nearer. Until there is no space between us. My tongue meets hers, and I forget where I am. I forget that the only thing I know about this chick is her name and the fact that her lips feel so good pressed against mine.

  She pulls back staring into my eyes. Blue. That’s all I can focus on until she laughs. Her laugh is as beautiful as her eyes.

  She places her hands on my shoulders, pulling herself up to my ear. Then she whispers, “Umm…” before placing a wet kiss on my cheek. Her tongue traces a trail back to my ear and she repeats, “Umm… I really want to get out of here—with you, but your name. I have to know your name.”

  Rapid breathing, along with my inability to focus on anything she says, causes me to forget for a split second where we are. We need to leave now before I do something that should never be done in the hallway of a church.

  “Your name,” she whispers.

  “Jack.” She has me so distracted I can barely remember my own name.

  “Jack, please take me somewhere. So we can finish this.” She moves her hand to my dick and tugs.

  “Not here,” I say as I moan.

  “My thoughts exactly.” She grabs my arm and we race out the door.

  Chapter 4

  Present Day

  Jovie

  “You wanna go to a party tonight?” Naomi asks.

  I look over my shoulder and find her leaning against the bar. Her hazel eyes staring back at me. Naomi is one of the few friends I’ve made since moving to Houston a little over a month ago. We work together along with Layla here at Overtime, a sports bar.

  “What time? I don’t get off until eight.”

  “I’m not going until about nine-thirty. Oh, and Aubree’s going, too. So it will be the three of us.” Aubree is one of Naomi’s friends from childhood. She has a three-year-old daughter, so I bet she probably doesn’t get out much. At least, they invited me to the party and didn’t ask me to babysit.

  “Okay. I’ll go.” Naomi looks down her narrow nose at me. “What? I said I wanted to go.”

  “Shit, girl. I heard what you said, but you sure didn’t sound like you meant it. If you don’t want to go, it’s no biggie. Just thinking you don’t go out much for a college gal. You know, drunken keg parties, hot guys, and one-night stands. Does it ring a bell?” No, actually, it doesn’t. I’ve been so busy with school and work that I haven’t even thought about going out. And Layla, she’s already had a handful of dates, so she’s been too wrapped up in her own life to worry about mine.

  “Yes. I really want to go to this party with you, Naomi. Please… take me to the party with you and Aubree.”

  She laughs. “Good. Let’s get this shift done and get the hell out of here.”

  * * * * *

  I park my car directly behind Aubree’s black SUV. The house sitting in front of me is enormous. Three stories of windows. No curtains. No shades. No blinds. Open for the world to see the hundreds of people drinking, dancing, talking and laughing. Who the hell lives here?

  A rap on my window pulls me away from my thoughts, so I look to my left. Naomi. She’s standing beside my car peering in with her perfectly sculpted raised eyebrows.

  “Are you getting out or what?”

  “Yeah, give me a second.” I take a deep breath before opening the door and stumbling out. Shit. I shouldn’t have worn these damn heels. But they look so good with my fitted lace crimson blouse and black shorts. At least, that’s what Layla said before she made me wear them.

  “You’ll be fine, Jovie, we won’t leave you alone. I promise,” Aubree says as she throws her arm over my shoulder—almost pulling me down to the concrete sidewalk. She reeks of alcohol and can barely walk without swaying. Grabbing her arm, I sling it off my shoulder and steady myself so I don’t tumble to the ground. No wonder Naomi’s their designated driver tonight. Because Aubree is in no shape to be driving. Hell, she’s really not in any shape to be walking.

  This is all new to me. I’ve never been around anyone drunk before. I’m not judging. It’s just different—weird to see someone purposely do this to herself. No control. Dependent on others for their safety. I can’t go there—because I know all too well what happens to people who drink too much. They cause death. And then my life goes to shit, and I’m moved halfway across the country to start over.

  “Are you coming in?” Naomi’s dull eyes and firm lips tell me that she is irritated with me or maybe it’s not me. It’s probably Aubree and her drunken state that is causing the irritation.

  I step over the doorsill and am immediately swallowed whole by the crowd. Within seconds, I’ve lost both Naomi and Aubree. So I wander through the mass of people looking for a familiar face but knowing I won’t find one.

  This house is incredible. At least, the part I can see. The floors are dark hardwood with rugs scattered throughout. The walls are so white it looks as though they are scrubbed daily. There isn’t much furniture. A couple of black leather couches facing a huge flatscreen TV mounted on the wall. And a bar situated in the far right corner. I continue to move away from the crowd toward the back of the room when I notice more windows. Wow. Whoever lives here really likes to be seen. As I approach the back windows, I notice the water. A lot of water—a lake. It’s hard to believe anyone would just open up their home to all of these people. I continue to stare out the window at all the beauty. The plump moon hangs low in the sky and gives just enough light for me to see the dark waves as they spill over the sand. This place is amazing.

  A loose grip wraps around my arm, and I turn around to see Naomi without Aubree. I hope she’s okay. She doesn’t need to be alone in her condition with all of these people.

  “Where’s Aubree?”

  “She’s fine. Passed out in a bedroom upstairs with the door shut and locked. Ya know, to keep all the perverts out.”

  “Good. I was kind of worried about her. She had a lot to drink?”

  “Not too much, but for her, it was plenty because she doesn’t drink very often.”

  “Hey, gorgeous. Glad you could make it.” A blond-haired guy approaches Naomi. He leans in placing a kiss on her cheek.

  “Stone. I’ve been looking for you.” She returns the kiss before saying, “I locked Aubree in the yellow bedroom upstairs. She is wasted.” He nods and mouths ‘okay.’ Like it’s not a big deal.

  Must be his house. He’s young and gorgeous. Probably late twenties. He has shaggy blond hair with crystal blue eyes—strong jaw line. When he smiles, a small dimple appears on his right cheek. But what I appreciate the most about this blond beauty are the tribal tattoos that decorate his right arm. I want to inspect them a little more, but I don’t because getting caught gawking at some guy I just met is not happening tonight.

  I hear my name and realize Naomi introduced me to this Stone guy. I greet him with a simple smile.

  “So, Jovie, Stone owns Southern Stain—you know the tattoo parlor I’ve been telling you about.” Naomi clears her throat before she continues. “Jovie is interested in getting a tattoo, and I’ve been telling her about how good you guys are. I think I’ve convinced her to come by. Right?” She looks at Stone and then at me. I nod giving her the answer she wants.

  “Cool. Here’s my card with the hours and location.” Stone reaches into his
pocket, pulls out a few business cards, and hands me one. I take it from him and notice my hand is wavering slightly. Shit. I quickly stuff the card in the front pocket of my shorts. I listen to Stone and Naomi talking but have no idea if I’m included in the conversation. Right now, all I can focus on is my breathing. It’s rapid. God, please don’t let me hyperventilate. The tingling starts at my fingers and moves up my arm until a twitch takes over my right eye. I have to get away before I fall apart in this room full of people. Why is this happening here? I haven’t had a panic attack the entire time I’ve been in Houston. I thought it was over. But obviously, it’s not. Maybe it’s because of all the people, or the unfamiliarity of this house. Alone. The need to be alone overwhelms me. Naomi doesn’t know about my panic attacks. And I don’t want to introduce her to my mental health issues tonight.

  “The bathroom, where is it?” I interrupt their conversation, but at this point, I really don’t give a shit. I need to go, to run, and get away from all of these people. So I can breathe or at least, fall apart alone.

  “Down the hall past the staircase. Second door on the left. Are you okay, Jovie? You don’t look so good,” she says.

  “I’m fine. Just need the restroom.” I force a smile, but I know it’s a failed attempt. I rush down the hall to find the bathroom, and luckily, the door is open. I push through and slam it shut, locking it before I slide to the ground.

  I lower my head between my knees and wrap my arms around my legs. Deep breath. “One. Two. Three.” Deep breath. “Four. Five. Six,” I chant. “I’m all right. I can do this. It’s just a damn party, for Christ’s sake,” I whisper. My eyes are heavy with tears, but I refuse to release them. I will not cry.

  “Hey, are you all right?” a deep, raspy voice asks.

  What the hell? Am I hallucinating? Just great. I go from anxiety and panic to hearing voices. I know the door was open and the room was empty when I walked in.

  “Do I need to go get somebody for you?” the same voice asking another question.