Breakaway: A New Adult Anthology

350 Pages·2014·1.19 MB·English

by  McLean Jay

Breakaway
A New Adult Anthology

Jay McLean
Ilsa Madden-Mills
Penny Reid
Pam Godwin
Missy Johnson
Dawn Robertson
Linda Barlow
Alana Albertson
Carly Carson
Farrah Farside
Nicole Blanchard
Cherie Blakeley
M-E Girard

Bolero Books, LLC
POWAY, CALIFORNIA
Copyright © 2014 by Alana Albertson.

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Bolero Books, LLC
11956 Bernardo Plaza Dr. #510
San Diego, CA 92128
www.buybolerobooks.com Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for
atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies,
events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

Cover design by Cover It! Designs: coveritdesigns.net Book Layout ©2014 BookDesignTemplates.com
Breakaway/ Jay McLean et all. -- 1st ed.
Table of Contents
Confessions
Jay McLean
Spider on a Plane
Ilsa Madden-Mills
Bunsen Burner Bingo
Penny Reid
To Steal a Kiss
Pam Godwin
Ricochet
Missy Johnson
This Girl Stripped
Dawn Robertson
Color Me Bad
Linda Barlow
Invaluable
Alana Albertson
Bling Ring in Mexico
Carly Carson
Contacts
Farrah Farside
Unbreakable
Nicole Blanchard
Rained In
Cherie Blakeley
In a Daze
M-E Girard
J A Y M C L E A N
Confessions
S C O T T

Every year it was the same thing; Crystal's mansion of a cabin out in the
middle of nowhere. That's what spring break meant since we were sixteen. Too
loud music. Too much alcohol. Too many girls. It was perfect.
Was.
Now we're twenty and shit like that gets old real quick.
My gaze moved to the front passenger’s seat of the Brad's car. Trent was
turned around, facing me with his tongue out, pretending to have his way with
the seat. Maybe this shit never gets old for him.
"You know it's funny, asshole," Trent said. I tried not to smile. "I see you
trying to hold back. Your face is as red as your mother's ass when I get done
with her."
That got laughs—even from me.
I sat back in my seat and faced the window, watching nothing but grass for
miles and miles. The only thing that broke up the scenery was a minivan broken
down on the side of the road—and a girl leaning against it with her head down
and her phone in her hand. I had to do a double take—the girl looked familiar.
She looked like…"STOP!"
Brad hit the brakes so hard Trent went flying back. His ass landed on the
floor of the car, his legs on the seat, and his head against the console. I didn't
have time to laugh. "Go back!"
"What?" Brad eyed me in the rearview mirror.
"Go back. We should help that girl out."
"Girl?" Trent tried to sit up, but it was physically impossible from his
position. "What girl?"
"Just go back, Brad."
So he did. In reverse. For over a mile.
Trent never got up.
"You're gonna ask her what's up and then we're gonna go. We're not hanging
around to help her if it's more than five minutes."
"Whatever." Honestly, I just wanted to make sure it was her, and not just my
eyes fucking with my head.
Brad hit the brakes just as hard when we got to the minivan.
She looked up from her phone with her eyes wide. Winding down the
window, I tried to act cool when I offered, "Do you need any help?"
The guys groaned in their seats.
Our eyes locked before she chewed her lip and twisted a strand of her. It was
that one mannerism—that one movement—and any ounce of doubt fled, it was
definitely her. If she recognized me, she didn't show it. But I wasn't a surprised;
she didn't pay much attention to me back then. "Um, I've got a flat," she said
quietly. "I'm just waiting for tow."
"A tow?"
She nodded, but she was unsure.
"You don't need a tow for a flat." I opened the door and hopped out of the
car. My feet were on the ground for no more than second before Brad's tires spun
and he was gone.
"Good friends," she mused.
"Yeah." I scratched my head. "The best." Then I straightened up and took a
step forward with my hand out ready. "I'm Scott."
A slow smile developed as she took my hand. "I know who are."
T R I C I A

I know who you are. What the hell kind of response was that? I rolled my
eyes and mentally kicked my ass.
The instant the window lowered and I saw it was Scott, my heart started to
race. It was like high school all over again. He hadn't changed much. He still
had those big brown eyes and perfectly messy dirty blond hair. It wasn’t until he
stepped out of the car and that I saw the change in him physically. He was better
built now than he was in high school. Much better.
"You do?" he asked.
I inhaled deeply and tried to level my thoughts. "Yeah, we uh…we went to
the same high school."
"I know," he replied, like I was stupid for bringing it up. My expression must
have shown my embarrassment because he quickly added, "I mean, I know that
we did. I'm just surprised that you do."
"Huh?"
"That we went to high school together…"
"Why would I not know?"
"I didn't think you noticed me."
Confusion was an understatement. "You noticed me not noticing you?"
"What?"
"Huh?"
His eyes narrowed.
I swallowed my nerves. "I'm Tricia," I said, just to avoid a loop in
conversation.
He smirked. "I know who you are, Tricia. We went to the same high school,"
he joked, but looked down at our still joined hands. And all of sudden it felt like
a ball of fire had been lit in my palm. I swiftly released my hold and took a step
back.
His eyes widened, but he didn't mention it. Instead, he took a careful step
closer and asked, "You have a flat tire?"
"Yes," I confirmed. "Apparently there's a spare."
He threw his hand out, palm up, between us. "Keys?”

***
***

"So you called a tow company?" His head was bent, looking down at the
spare.
"I called the rental company, they said they would take care of it. I assumed
that meant they were calling someone out."
"So this is a rental?" He lifted his gaze and caught me watching him.
I quickly looked away when I answered, "Yes."
"Huh," is all he said.
A panic set in. "What do you mean huh?"
He grimaced. "I mean that the tire in here isn't for this car. It has wingnuts,
and it's supposed to have bladescrews."
"What?" I almost shouted. "I don't know what that means."
He shrugged carelessly and started to repack the spare. "I guess it just means
that we have to wait for that tow truck."
"Fuck!"
"Whoa," he laughed out. "Am I that bad company?"
"No." I couldn't help but laugh with him. "But now we're both stuck here on
the side of the road in the middle of Hicksville."
He shrugged again and took a seat in the trunk of the minivan with his legs
dangling off the edge. "Could be worse," he stated.
I rolled my eyes and took a seat next to him. "Yeah? How?"
He turned to face me, licking his lips as he did. Then his gaze moved from
my face and roamed down my body. "I don't know." His voice was rough. "We
could both be naked, I guess."