Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45202 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
That was before everything fell apart.
My parents had warned me he wasn’t the right kind of man for me and Dom proved them right.
Now seventeen years later, I’m returning home.
Running from my own mistakes in the form of an abusive, cheating fiancé.
With my trail of bad luck, my car breaks down and Dom is the one who comes to my rescue.
I hate having to rely on him, but I don’t have much of a choice.
Next thing I know Dominic sets up a work space for me in his garage; and finds me a job.
Being with Dom is as easy as it used to be and before I know it, we’re friends.
One fake date later and all the chemistry and affection that we used to have roars to life.
I know I need to keep my guard up. He broke my heart once and he’ll do it again.
But what if this whole time he’s been protecting me?
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
1
LUCIANA
This has never been part of the plan. I left Whiskey Run seventeen years ago to go to college and to get as far away as I could from the heartache I suffered here. After everything, I told myself that I would never move back. I came to visit my parents—well, Mom, now that Dad has passed away—but I always laid low while in town. Now here I am, my car packed to the rim, and I have no option but to return to my hometown because I have nowhere else to go. I’m returning to the place where my heart was shattered, and it hasn’t been the same since.
I pass the huge sign that says Welcome to Whiskey Run and take a big breath. I can do this. All I need is some time and space to figure this out, and then I’ll leave this town again. All I have to do is avoid one person—one man that pushed me away like I was just some notch on his belt. The one man that took my virginity and then treated me like trash when things got rough.
I’m looking out the window at the new buildings next to the highway when my car starts to sputter. I barely get it pulled to the shoulder of the road before it dies. I grip the steering wheel, eyes wide as I shake my head. This can’t be happening.
I bang my hand on the dashboard. Why am I surprised? After everything that happened the last three days, I should have expected something like this. This just fits in with my latest bout of bad luck.
I turn the key off and then try to start it again. Nothing.
I try it again, and it does the same thing. With both hands on the steering wheel, I grip it and scream as loudly and as long as my breath will let me. I stop and realize that none of my antics have made me feel better or made any changes to my current situation. I’m still broken down on the side of the road.
I flip down the visor and look at myself in the mirror. I grimace as I look back at my haggard self. It’s been a rough few days. It’s evident in the dark circles under my eyes, the look of hopelessness, the downturned lips, and probably most noticeable of all, the huge bruise surrounding one eye.
Just staring at it, it’s like I can feel the pain from when Ray hit me. I clench my eyes shut and shake my head as if I can just force all the bad memories away. I try to control my breaths, and when I can feel myself calming down, I peel my eyes open. But as soon as I look at myself, the anxiety raises again.
I flip the visor up. You’re strong, Luciana. You left, and you’re going to turn your life around.
My little pep talk doesn’t help, though, because I’m still stuck on the side of the road, no closer to a solution. Well, sitting here is not going to do anything. I grab my purse from the passenger seat and dig until I find my phone. I push the button on the side, and nothing happens. The screen is black, and I try not to lose my shit again. Of course the phone is dead.
I drop it back into my purse and then shove my door open. It’s not like I know what I’m doing, but I can at least open the hood and see if I can figure something out. I look in the direction of downtown Whiskey Run. If nothing else, I could probably walk home in less than an hour. I try to lift the hood, but when that fails, I go back to the car to find the lever to release it. After flipping it, I go back and open the hood. I don’t know what I thought I would find, but everything looks as it should.
There’s no smoke, no sounds, nothing. I reach for the battery and pull gently on the wires coming out of it, but they’re not loose. Of course they’re not; that would be too easy.
If my phone was charged, I could try and troubleshoot this, or if nothing else, call my mom to come get me. I walk around to the side of my car and lean against it. My choices are limited. I can wait for someone to stop and help, but I’m not in the right frame of mind to deal with people right now. I wouldn’t be able to avoid questions, and with one look at the bruise on my face, there would be questions. So that leaves walking. It’s not something I want to do, but it seems to be the best choice.