Beauty from Pain (Beauty, #1)(92)
“You already know she’s not here, so what do you want?”
It kills me to depend on him as my only link to Laurelyn. Literally, I’m having chest pain because I’m lowered to this level. “I need to know how to reach Laurelyn.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He’s smirking and shrugs. “I wish I could help you out, bro.”
He’s enjoying this way too much. “Okay, let’s not pretend like you’re not loving this.”
The little f*cker laughs. “I’m not pretending. I am loving this shit, but I still can’t help you out because I don’t have her number.”
“Then I need Addison’s.”
He’s smirking bigger now. “Sorry. I’m not giving you my sister’s number.”
It’ll be a miracle if I don’t choke this little bastard. “You know I only want it so I can contact Laurelyn.”
He crosses his arms to let me know he doesn’t plan on giving in. “If Laurelyn wanted contact with you, she would have given you her number, so I think that means she’s dropped you.”
I feel panic coming on. If he won’t give me her number, how am I going to find her when I don’t even know her last name? I debate asking him and decide to eat shit if it means I find out. “What’s her last name?”
“Laurelyn’s?”
He’s shaking his head at me, judging me. “Dude! You just f*cked her for three months and you don’t know her last name?”
“It was part of an agreement we had,” I spit out through a clenched jaw.
“I don’t know what the two of you agreed on, but apparently she left here keeping her end of it, so I suggest you respect her enough to keep yours.”
I watch the door slam in my face before I kick the hell out of it. Fuck! What do I do now?
I walk like a zombie to my car. I get inside, but I don’t drive away. I sit there. Thinking.
Shit, I’m so stupid.
She tried to tell me she loved me and I wouldn’t listen. I refused to see I might love her in return because I was too unbending. I thought I had something to prove by not falling in love with anyone. Ever.
But I did fall in love with her, and now she’s gone.
47
Laurelyn Prescott
I feel Addison shake my arm. “Wake up, Laurelyn. You’re freaking me out.”
I feel myself snubbing. At least that’s what my mom calls it when you’re crying so hard that your chest forcefully heaves so you can catch your breath.
I open my eyes and she’s staring at me. “You were crying in your sleep. Hard.”
I sit up in the uncomfortable airplane seat and warm tears roll out of the corners of my eyes. I suck back the snot threatening to drip from my nose. Then I remember. I was dreaming of Jack Henry.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m good.”
She gives me her I know better than that look. “You’re a damn liar. I know you’re torn up about leaving him.”
I stare out the window. I don’t want this. I don’t want to talk about it. Him. I want to forget the whole thing ever happened.
“I thought f*cking Lachlan would get Blake out of your system. I wouldn’t have encouraged you to go for it if I’d known you were going to fall in love with him.” His name isn’t Lachlan. It’s Jack Henry.
“I didn’t fall in love with him.”
“You’re full of shit and it’s not an attractive look for you.”
“You’ve swallowed your vocal cords because you’re talking out of your ass.”
She sighs. “At least I can admit I love Zac and it’s killing me to leave him.”
I should be a friend and offer to talk to her about the man she loves, but I don’t. “This is a long flight and I’m not doing this with you.”
I get up from my seat and walk toward the back of the plane so I can get away from her. I go into the tiny bathroom and lock the door. I look like shit so I splash my face with water, but it doesn’t help. Water won’t wash this away.
I’ve known pain my whole life, but this is a new kind for me. It isn’t born of something wrong or ugly. This pain is conceived out of beauty—my love for Jack Henry McLachlan. I embrace it. I clutch it as tightly as I can with both fists because I never want to forget the love I have for him. Loving him will forever be my Beauty from Pain.
This isn’t the end for Jack Henry and Laurelyn …
There’s more to come for these lovers in
Beauty from Surrender
Coming early summer 2013
And to prove it, enjoy a sneak preview …
Beauty from Surrender
(Beauty #2)
1
Jack McLachlan
No brunettes. I can never see another one without thinking of her. Laurelyn has ruined all of them for me. Forever. And she’s ruined me as well. That’s why I’m drunk off my ass in this hotel bar. I have to be if I’m going to do the only thing that might make losing her less painful. Find number fourteen, take her upstairs, and f*ck her until I drive Laurelyn out of my head.
I was plastered five shots ago, so now I’m on shot number oblivion. I toss it back and slam the glass on the counter. “Another.” The bartender gives me a sideways glance as he’s deciding if he’ll cut me off, so I reach into my wallet and drop a fat bill for him. “I said another.”