Put your finger down if.... -You almost got hit by a car the day you found out about your father's other family. -You are saved by the nastiest boy in town and become convinced that he is now your white knight in shining armor. Naturally, you think you're in love with him. The only problem? You're twelve and he's twenty, but he's too kind to tell you otherwise. -You continue to throw yourself at him until he puts his foot down when you get older. So you move on with your life, and when your family moves away, you're glad you're gone and don't have to be the girl who chased you anymore. -Almost a decade later, you cause a riot in a strip club, break his best friend's nose and get arrested. That teenager you fell in love with is now a man, and when you sit across from him and he interrogates you, you realize he doesn't remember who you are... This one's for you, reader. Thank you for loving these characters and this series. Preface She danced to the beat of her own drum. Chapter One As we grew older, there were some things we knew we shouldn't do. Life had a set of rules and some big no-no's. Let's see... there was stealing, cheating, killing and what I was doing at the time: following a man in the dead of night. Logically, I knew I shouldn't be doing this, but logic and catching your next big break didn't always go together. He was my big white whale, and for this kind of thing, it was an all or nothing situation. So rules be damned, right? Ever since I was a little girl, I've always been very curious - not nosy, as my peers suggested. I was just curious by nature. Nancy Drew and Carmen Sandiego had nothing to do with me. If there was something that needed investigating, chances were my nose was already trying to dig up some dirt. Growing up, I had the perfect little family: my mom, my dad, my sister and me. Until one day my father left and I was left wondering why. My father's departure sent me into a spiral that, to this day, I have not been able to get out of. This was figuring out why things happened the way they did. My mother, bless her, tried to protect my sister and me. I swear she did, but I was determined to find the answer to why my father left. My sister was older, so my father's departure affected her in a different way than it did me. While his departure broke her heart into pieces, I was there trying to make everyone fit together so I could get the answers I needed. When I was twelve, I discovered the real reason my father left, and it finally broke me. I couldn't understand what made him run away with his lover and leave the life he had behind. Leave me behind. Why would a man who had everything decide to throw it all aside for someone new? Why would he leave a perfectly good family for a new one? I knew there were no stupid questions, but why did men do the things they did? Just like getting to the center of a Tootsie Lollipop, the world may never know. That day also led to my near death. I was so distraught about my world falling apart that I didn't think or see where I was going
Chapter 1 After that
curious, and when my newspaper editor, Ronnie, gave me a story that would make headlines, I jumped at the idea. This wasn't just any story; This was the kind of story that could make a career. The one that would make the big dogs finally know my name, and with that would come the kind of money that could pay off all kinds of debts. I used to feel comfortable with what I was doing. It was more than enough for me, myself and myself, but things had changed.
The number one reason I left Sunny Pines was because my father humiliated my mother, and as soon as I graduated, she was more than ready to move away. I was grateful she delayed it so I could finish my studies in the only place that had ever been home. Reason number two was my sister, which was why I needed a lot more money than I had planned. One day, my sister decided she wasn't fit to be a mother and simply left my nephew at home and never picked him up again. I called her and she ignored me for a few days. When she finally answered, she said she couldn't do it. That was it, nothing more about why she couldn't. It must have been nice to leave her responsibilities on someone else's shoulders. The world was unfair. Some women would have killed to have a baby in their womb, and then there were people like my sister who had a baby, decided it wasn't for them and left the child aside. Not that I judged her for not wanting to be a mother. It wasn't that. She had options that she had ignored because, at the time, things were great with her baby's father. It was the fact that she was just a mother based on a man's happiness. To say he hated her was an understatement. Don't get me wrong. I adored my nephew; he was incredible. The best little two year old that ever lived. But I had no idea how to be a mother. My only consolation was that I was better at it than my stupid sister. The only reason Mom didn't take him in was that she was old and one baby was too much for her. She had done her work with us. She stood her ground when my father separated all our worlds, and she was tired. When I arrived at the location, I hurriedly parked my car. I looked down at myself and frowned at my exaggerated state. I wore black jeans that reached my ankles, black oxfords, and a black blouse with a white Peter Pan collar and mesh sleeves. I hated wearing contact lenses because my eyes were always so dry. My frames used to be considered granny glasses, but now they were funky. It was safe to say I stuck out like a sore thumb in this place. Everyone else looked like they were ready for a Victoria's Secret fashion show. Heavenly, the strip club outside Sunny Pines, was the last place I thought I'd be seen. But now it was my first stop since setting foot in the county. My job was simple: find evidence that the mayor of Northern Willow was a shady bastard and get my career-breaking story. Sounds easy, right? It was said that he was stealing money from charity events held around the city, but nothing could be proven. Rumors also had it that he liked them on the younger side. Here I was, on the younger side and ready to play sugar baby if it paid my bills. And by that, I meant my career break, not because I was your real sugar baby, because yuck. Heavenly was packed. As the towns around here were smaller, with Sunny Pines being the largest, the club was on the outskirts and in the middle of them all. The club was nothing like I thought it would be. Damn, I've never done it like that before. I had no reason to before. The building wasn't very big, with white bricks that looked dull, pink neon lights around them that said "women" and silhouettes of naked women – tacky. The person at the door looked me up and down when I handed him my ID. "Amateur night is on Tuesdays, sweetheart," he said in a voice that cracked from all the cigarettes he probably smoked. Yessssss, I wasn't going to undress. I didn't know that my outfit alluded to striptease. - I came for a Jack and boobs. - I said as I pulled my ID from his grip. Bold of him to assume I was here looking for a job. Idiot. He raised a confused eyebrow, but stepped aside to let me enter. Squaring my shoulders, I walked into the club as if I was comfortable being around naked women showing off their tits and asses. Not that I had a problem with strippers or sex workers. But power to them for being comfortable enough to let it all out. Men were stupid and props to these women for milking them dry. I admired that. My problem was the fact that I had never been to a strip bar - or a bar for that matter. Being a smartass was a lonely life. I was too smart for my classmates so I moved up a grade and then I was too young for my classmates to hang out with. As I got older, this also made dating complicated. Not that I dated a lot because I met my "soulmate," so high school was a bust. I shook my head thinking about that disaster. Smart, my ass. After that, I was just focused on myself and my career. Boys and dating seemed like a waste of time. The light inside was dim and the club was cloudy with smoke. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. I hated the smell of tobacco, mainly because it reminded me of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I loved the Dark Lord. My father? Not a lot. I sat at the bar so I could watch people coming and going. It was the perfect place to keep an eye on the mayor. After what seemed like an eternity – even though it had only been fifteen minutes – my golden ticket to a better life finally appeared. I recognized him instantly. There was something about a man with a huge ego that made him stand out. He was taller than he looked in the photos. His skin was aged and his hair was gray. I didn't know which was shinier: the fake teeth or his fancy watch. He went straight to the other side of the club, sat down and started talking to another man. The red light illuminated the other man. Wow, he was han
Chapter 1 After that
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Chapter 2 No, I couldn't think like that
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Chapter 3 Why is she here
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Chapter 4 Can I borrow a phone
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Chapter 5 was sure everything
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Chapter 6 of me and smiled
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Chapter 7 I'm Clark
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Chapter 8 need to call Lucas
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Chapter 9 you took my car back
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Chapter 10 Upon entering my old
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Chapter 11 No, just expressing
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Chapter 12 My brother
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Chapter 13 he praised me
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Chapter 14 want to explore
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Chapter 15 The best things in life
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Chapter 16 Fucking beautiful
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