All For You (Boys of the South)

Copyright © 2013 by Marquita Valentine

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living
or dead, or any events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The
characters and story lines are created from the author’s imagination or
are used fictitiously.

Cover Design: Okay Creations
Professionally edited by Cynthia Shepp

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More Books by Marquita Valentine
 
Holland Springs Series
Seduction of the Billionaire
Drive Me Crazy
Driving To You
Twice Tempted
Third Time’s A Charm
His Christmas Wish
Just Desserts
Not Over You (coming Dec. 9th)
 
Boys of the South (New Adult Series)
Live For You
Only For You
All For You
True For You
Wish For You (coming January 2014)

To those who have suffered through years of cruel words and deeds, this book is for you. Writing this story was like slashing open an old wound and bleeding on the pages, but I couldn't not write it, and in the end, I felt better. I felt freer. Here's hoping and praying that anyone who's ever been bullied finds their freedom.

Bully. Tormentor. Lover.
West Diaz has been all of these things to me.
After being gone for two years, he's back, begging for my forgiveness. And not just my forgiveness... He wants more.
He wants... Me.

Chapter One

West

There’s a
reason why I haven’t been back to a party in Forrestville since
I started college, and she’s staring at me from across the
room.

I hadn’t
expected to see McKenzie Walsh here. Although, I had planned to see
her at some point. Judging by the look on her gorgeous face, she’s
equal parts angry and surprised by my appearance.

But then the
unthinkable happens, anger gives way to indifference. Her pointed
little chin tips up in the air and she turns away, dismissing me.

Five years ago, that
very move would have made me tenacious in my quest to get her to
notice me. To make sure that she unequivocally knew her very
existence at Forrestville High depended on my benevolence. Like I was
some kind of god.

Shame washes over
me, and I feel sick to my stomach. The cold beer in my hand, one of
the perks for coming tonight, looks about as appetizing as the condom
I’d seen lying on the grass by the poolhouse.

“West Diaz in
da HOUSE!” one of my old soccer teammates yells, cupping his
hand over his mouth. He grabs the nearest chick and smacks her ass.
“WEST DOG!”

A few guys start
barking.

Barely managing to
suppress an eye roll, I lift up my cup in salute and follow with a
chin nod. Someone bumps my arm, jostling my red solo cup. Beer
sloshes over the rim, onto my hand.

“Damn it,”
I growl, wiping my hand on my jeans.

“Having fun
yet?” my buddy, Parker Morgan, asks. He gives me his usual
smile, one that’s this side of a smirk. It had been my idea to
come here, not his. In all the years we’ve been friends, he has
never come to one of these parties, because he either had to work or
had family stuff, but a big part of me suspects that he never liked
my group of friends.

A girl rushes past
me, then freezes and pukes in a potted plant. Something crashes to
the floor. The music gets louder and my head actually begins to ache.
I search for McKenzie, but she’s disappeared.

I exhale. “Let’s
go.” There’s no real reason to be at this party. Coming
was nothing more than a habit.

A bad one at that.

Parker visibly
relaxes as I set my cup down and start for the front of the house.
“We can go to my place or The Double D. Cole’s being
weird right now and he’s home with Kelly, so you might want to
opt for The Double D.”

I slice him a
glance. “You want to go hang out at work, while you’re
off work?”

“Practically
lived there growing up. Why should things change now?” he
jokes, only with him—every joke’s really a statement. But
I learned a long time ago not to push it. If Park wants to talk, he
will, but because we’re dudes, he won’t.

Shrugging into my
jacket, I zip up the front and reach for the front door. It opens and
we automatically step back. Two girls walk in, one I recognize and
the other I will
never
forget.

“McKenzie,”
I say and her lips thin. “I thought you left.”

I try to take in all
of her, but end up getting flashes: Lush lips. Mile long legs.
Perfect chest. Pretty grey eyes.

Those pretty eyes
widen for a fraction of a second, and then her chin tips up.
Again.
“So I’m not allowed here?”

“Yes. I mean,
no.” Oh yeah. This is going great.

Her eyes narrow even
more. “It’s not your house, Weston.”

“That’s
not what I meant.” I hold up my hands. “I was surprised
to see you… twice.”

McKenzie says
nothing, only crosses her arms over her chest. This would be a great
time to apologize and leave. Quick, easy, to-the-point, and all this
guilt I’ve been carrying would be gone.

But I can’t.
The words are lodged in my throat.

Parker coughs and
McKenzie’s best friend, Julia Thompkins, glares at him. No help
there.

“Um, well, you
see…”
Smooth,
Diaz. Real smooth.
“It’s not my party, but I wouldn’t think you’d
want to be—”

“With the same
people who threw clumps of sod at me, like a really bad
Carrie
remake
the last time I was at a party like this?” McKenzie asks. She’s
all defiant now, not at all like the sweet girl I’d used to
dream about kissing. Or the one I’d actually kissed.
Everywhere.

But I’d done
that to her. Yeah, I hadn’t thrown anything, but I hadn’t
stopped it either. I’d been shocked, arriving in the middle of
it all, watching in disbelief as the party-goers threw dirt and grass
at McKenzie. Charlie, my on-again off-again girlfriend, had run to
me, tears in her eyes as she grabbed at my arm.

“
They’re
like animals. I can’t stop them,” she whispers. “We
have to get out of here.”

“
I have to
do something,” I say, rooted to the spot.

Finally, Julia
shows up and screams at everyone. They listen and move on. Still, I
stand and watch Julia lead McKenzie away while that beautiful girl,
covered in dirt from head to toe, assures her best friend she’s
okay. That nothing’s broken and begs to be taken home.

Only then did I
move, backing into the shadows so McKenzie wouldn’t see me.

A damn coward in
every sense of the word.

You’re not
that guy anymore
,
I remind myself. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

“Leave with
you?” She shakes her head, scrunching her nose at the same
time. “I think I’ve had enough pranks pulled on me, but
thanks.”

Jaw clenching, I
nod. “Maybe later this week?”

“You’re
completely delusional.” She turns and walks back outside.

Julia punches me in
the shoulder. “Do you know how long it took me to convince her
to come tonight?”

“A long time,
I’d imagine.” I shove my hands into my pockets, glad that
McKenzie has a friend like her. Although glad isn’t the right
word. Relieved maybe? Knowing McKenzie’s had Julia at her side
all this time makes me feel a little better.

Not that I deserve
to feel anything good.

Julia takes a step
toward me. “You’re damn right.”

“I didn’t
know she’d be here.”

“Like that’s
an excuse,” she snaps. “God, you haven’t changed at
all, have you?”

The door blows open
and I see McKenzie just under the streetlight by the curb. She
standing there, arms wrapped around her middle. I want to go to her,
to kiss her cold hands, and tell her that everything will be all
right. That my arrival didn’t mean everything would be like
before… that she was safe.

“Give him a
break, Julia. It was years ago. Hell, you pantsed me in front of the
entire cafeteria our sophomore year. Should I still be pissed about
that?” Parker asks.

Julie makes a noise,
the turns around and starts to make her way to McKenzie.

Nothing about this
evening is how I imagined things. Nothing.

“Thanks, I…”
I begin, turning my attention back to Parker. His green eyes are cold
and suddenly, I can’t remember what the hell I was going to say
next.

“Don’t
thank me,” he says. “You could have stopped all the
bullying with one word, but you didn’t.”

I swallow down my
unrighteous anger. Parker’s right. I could have stopped it
all.

“I’m
going to fix this, Park. I swear it.” When word had gotten
around school and he’d found out what I’d allowed to
happen at the last party McKenzie attended, Parker stopped hanging
out with me. He wouldn’t answer my texts, my phone calls, and
then when I finally manned-up and went to his house, we beat the shit
out of each other.

Until his older
brother, Cole, had come outside and kicked both our asses. Mine more
than Parker’s, because I’d been the one to start it.

It had taken a year
for Parker and me to get back to the way things used to be with us.
And now I think I’ve screwed up all over again.

Chapter Two

McKenzie

I’ve just
turned the closed sign to open when a familiar black Porsche pulls
up. My heart stutters in my chest. I know that car, know the driver,
but what I don’t know is why he’s here of all places.

Our gazes collide
and he smiles. He holds up a bag and two to-go cups, then heads
toward me.

I begin to panic.

There’s no one
here but me. My dad’s out with his crew, going over a project
for a new apartment complex down in Charlotte.

Drawing myself up to
my full height, I curse the fact that I’d worn flats instead of
clogs. I need to feel tall, powerful, and in control.

West pushes open the
door and walks in, all smiles. He’s wearing a gray long-sleeved
thermal tee with the Georgetown bulldog printed across the front, and
dark jeans with brown boots. His ears are pierced, diamonds on each
lobe.

The kryptonite to my
inner supergirl.

“We’ve
already got your house on the schedule this week,” I say, all
business.
Now
turn around and leave
,
I want to add, but don’t.

“I brought
peace offerings, or as I like to call it, breakfast,” he says,
ignoring me and shaking the bag a little.