Fighting First Love

Forever and Always

Dedicated to SCCourtney for the new cover as well as the one on the side. Amazingly talented woman, don't you think? Thanks again!

Also a big thank you to beautifuldreams for making me my very first book trailer! I love it and you'll also find it at the side. Only an epilogue to go and it will be farewell to Lylah, Caleb, and the rest of the gang...bittersweet moment...please excuse the mistakes, cold medicine and writing don't always mix lol!

**********************************************

Waking up to a sleeping Leah, mouth open, and a dribble of drool escaping the corner of her mouth was prime black mail material. Just as I thought to reach for my phone, forever sealing this embarrassing moment within it’s confines; a shadow upon the bed stopped me.

Keri was sitting in the window seat with her legs against her chest and arms wrapped tightly around them, resting her chin on her raised knees. I sat up slowly, not wanting to rouse her from her thoughts. The rustle of the sheets must’ve alerted her that I was awake, because before I could say anything she started to speak.

“I never wanted to fall in love. I saw what it did to my mother, how my dad leaving tore her apart and started her fall into a drunken stupor. I promised myself I’d never share my heart with anyone, my body was another story.” Keri looked at me then and I could see the dried tear tracks on her cheeks. “I shared both with Leroy. It was dumb of me to think he really could change, so I have no one to blame but myself.” With that said, she resumed her original position as if she’d never spoken.

Brushing the last lingering remnants of sleep from my eyes, I got up to sit by her and placed a reassuring hand on her arm. “I’m sorry, Keri. I thought he changed too. You guys were great together, I know he loves you. Maybe there’s an explanation for this.” Even to my own ears that sounded stupid. Keri’s pointed look said she thought the same. “Yeah, there really is no explanation that can erase what he did.”

We were silent then as I thought about what Keri had said when I first woke up. She talked about not wanting to be like her mother. I didn’t want that for her either. Keri’s mom had always been a strong and fiery woman, much like Keri, but when Keri’s father left them when she was thirteen, things fell apart. It didn’t help that he left for someone else…a man at that. It tore Keri’s mother apart and though she continued to work to support the both of them, whenever she was home she was a drunken mess. One Keri had to clean up after constantly.

Imagining Keri turning into a mess like that worried me and ticked me off. Last night I was upset by Leroy’s mess up, and highly disappointed. Right now, I was a raging ball of anger. How could he do that to my best friend? My sister from another mister. Keri didn’t want anything to do with him, I knew for a fact that’s how she was going to handle this. Avoidance.

Well, I didn’t have the same notion. I lived with the idiot and would have to see him every day. My friends pain was not a good companion for the unresolved frustration I still carried over my own relationship issues and it meant someone needed to pay.

Abruptly standing I realized that person was Leroy. I kissed Keri on her forehead, promising to be back later. Then woke Leah up with instructions to keep an eye on our girl.

She wiped the drool from her mouth, which reminded me that I missed out on my photo op, and asked, “Where are you going?”