No Regrets (A Stepbrother New Adult Novella)(2)

Her first boyfriend had been perfect: tall, blond, with a smile that would make you melt. His name was Braden, and she had been in love with him since the second grade. He had been in love with her, too—that cute, puppy love that only kids experience. They had grown up next door to each other, walking hand-in-hand to school. Middle school came and went, and high school began, and she was still around Braden much of the time. And as her love continued to grow and flourish, his had burned out as he paraded every leggy blonde from school around town—a different girl every week.

She had been walking home one night and heard him fighting with Margie Thompson in his front yard. It sounded like they were breaking up. Olivia did her best to avoid being seen and snuck around to her back porch, where she and Braden used to sit for hours as children. Some time later, he joined her there, beer in hand.

“Hey, Liv. I guess you heard all of that?” He gave her a half smile.

“Yeah…you okay?” She picked at the lint on her dress and tried to avoid his gaze.

“Yeah…she just wanted something else, I guess. Who knows what girls want?” He stared at her through his inebriated haze, as if he saw her in a different light for the first time. “Why can’t they just be…I don’t know…normal, you know? More like you.”

Her head swelled with silly pride at his words, and she thought he finally saw her true value. She gave him a smile, as she watched him take in her body. She shivered slightly as his eyes met hers again.

“Why did we never get together, Liv? I mean, you’re hot.” He chugged the last of his beer.

His drunken state probably played a part in what unfolded next. He leaned into her, and his mouth crushed hers before she even had a chance to respond. She fell even more in love with him that night as she gave herself to him in every way possible, for the first time in her life, right there on the grass next to her porch. Her world had suddenly become a Dreamland—until the next day.

Her head held higher than ever, she walked into school a Woman. She relived the experience over and over in her mind that morning as she thought about seeing him again. They hadn’t spoken much after. He fell asleep on her porch beside her, and she’d nuzzled into him while she planned out their future in her head. After a while, he roused enough to get himself home next door, and she had gone to bed a changed person.

As she walked down the hallway the next morning, she froze when she saw them together again, holding hands as though the break up the night before had never happened.

Margie gave her a hard look as Liv finally found her footing and walked past them. Olivia vowed to never look at him, ever again. He used her to feel better, and then cast her aside.

She avoided Braden from that point forward, leaving his phone calls unanswered, and ignoring his attempts to talk to her. He tried to get in touch with her time and time again, but she didn’t want to hear him tell her he was sorry. It would only make the situation worse.

Their senior year flew by, and soon, she found herself headed to college, never to look back again.




Her time away at school was good for her, although she missed her Mom more than anything. In running away from home to college, she created a distance between herself and the one person who truly loved her. She knew it was time to go home for a visit.

As she scanned the hall where Ashley’s party was being held, she calculated the next break to be Thanksgiving; she would go home then. Pushing the memories of her past away, she made her way back to Ash, and the ever-winking Drew.





Chapter Two





Parker





Parker Jackson was a ladies’ man, and he knew it. Sure, he was busy with school and time spent with his Dad, but the most important thing was having fun, and that meant women. He was only twenty-two years old, and he planned on enjoying his coming-of-age years.

He had always been a golden boy, the product of his divorced parents’ attempts to outdo one another. He was aware that he lived a privileged life, and he always did his best to appreciate all the gifts he had been given.

He glanced around the bar and caught the eye of more than a couple of women, one of them a cute brunette who seemed to be eyeing him up and down. He would eventually narrow down the field and pick one lucky girl with whom he’d spend some ‘quality time’.


His time in college had been one party after another, with a few classes thrown in along the way. He passed them all, some just barely. It was all for show, since he would be taking over the family business when his Dad passed it down to him.

He frowned at the thought of his Dad. Everything had always been fine between them, until his last phone call home…

“Parker, hey son, how are things?”

“Hey, Dad. Good, as always. I figured I’d call and say hey. I know it’s been a while.”

“Yes, and I’m glad you did, Parker. There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

There was an obvious hesitation on the phone as his father did his best to get settled. Concerned now, Parker felt anxiety creeping up his throat. The last time they had talked like this it had been before his mother died.

“Dad, is everything okay?”

“Yes, yes, everything is fine, Parker. The truth is, everything is more than fine. I’ve actually been dating someone. A nice woman, her name is Linda. She is…well, she’s great.”