Authors: Elizabeth Lee
Taking Something (33 page)
From the city to the country...
Escaping Me
by Elizabeth Lee
A
LL SHE
wanted to do was forget. Forget the memory of walking in on her boyfriend in the middle of, well, another girl. Forget how she had her entire life planned out. And, forget about being perfect all the time. Unfortunately, she was Whitney Vandaveer and despite the fact that she moved to the middle of nowhere – she couldn't.
He always knew he would never be more than nothing. No job, no money, no future. Cole Pritchett had accepted the fact that he would always be the screw up and he was okay with it. Until he met her.
Here's the thing they quickly found out – sometimes we all need a little help escaping who we think we are.
Chapter 1
Whitney
Move your ass, Whitney!
Pushing myself to finish this last mile is going to be a challenge. I already feel like I have two cement blocks in place of the red Nike running shoes on my feet and my thighs are quivering like hot Jell-O. I reach deep down, needing something to fuel the fire that started to die out, and summon the last image I saw before I left college for summer vacation – my boyfriend's naked ass pulsating up and down as he drove into the girl he said I, and I quote, “have nothing to worry about.” Her boney chicken legs were flailing to the sides like he was breaking her in half as she grunted out, “Wes is the best!”
I feel my feet lighten as my second wind kicks up. I hightail it up the hill I was dreading since it came into view half a mile ago. With each step the burning sensation jetting through my legs intensifies. The country farmhouse that I will be calling home for the next three months appears in the distance. I dig my feet into the empty stretch of road that leads to my new fortress of solitude. Well, as solitary as it can get with my mom and my sister sharing the space. It is the same house my mother chose over her marriage when my dad took a new job in the city fourteen years ago. I take a deep breath and focus on the reason I moved to the middle of nowhere instead of settling back into my father's luxurious suburban home. I need to escape the fact that my boyfriend of four years went and slept with the first girl who had flashed her tits at him at college. The majority of my teenage life was wasted on a guy I was sure was going to be my future husband.
What a joke.
The cold, dark organ that used to be my heart still beats strong as I eye the gravel lane that signals my homestretch, only now it beats out of rage instead of love.
I try to take in another deep breath, knowing that I probably pushed myself too far on this run. It is the last week in May and already hotter than Hell out here in the middle of nowhere. I think the plains are supposed to have sweeping winds. Not today. It is stifling. Thanks, global warming! I ditched my water bottle two miles back when I’d sucked the last drop out of it. I try not to pay attention to the fact that breathing is becoming as difficult as lifting my feet to move.
My parents split when I was six. Like I said before, my dad had big city dreams and my mom couldn't bear the thought of leaving the only place she knew as home. My grandparents died before I was born, and the farmhouse and a few grass-covered acres were all my mom had left of them. After putting me and my little sister, Mallory, in the middle of a horrific divorce, complete with court appearances and forced shared visits, my parents came to an agreement that they would let us choose where we wanted to live. Mallory chose the country life and I hung on my dad's coattails all the way to the city. The truth is I hadn't been back on the family farm for a very long time. When I decided to spend my summer here, it wasn't for nostalgia or to spend time with my mom and sister. It was because I needed a place that had zero reminders of the past four years. I want to forget everything about the city and, most important, the ex-boyfriend who ripped my heart out and tossed it aside like a cow pie at the County Fair.
On paper, Wesley is perfect. He is one of the top students at the prep school we attended and a nationally recognized athlete, earning a full scholarship to a prestigious college as the first string lacrosse player. To top it off, he is textbook handsome with his jock physique, blue eyes, and perfectly styled chestnut-colored hair. We were the high school dream couple—Prom King and Queen with a devoted following of friends and enough money and status to have the world handed to us. Naturally, I followed him to college in hopes of recreating the status we'd achieved together in high school. It wasn't until I went to surprise him in his dorm room one afternoon that I learned the dreams I'd had for us were nothing but wishful thinking. The images of him and the whore who ruined my life were burned into my brain and there was no going back after witnessing his betrayal first hand. I'd heard rumors that Wes wasn't faithful. Everything he’d told me about “us” was nothing more than a facade. He kept me around because, just like him, I look good on paper. My dad is a successful attorney, my step-mom is a socialite, and we have money. I was to be Wesley Thorton's trophy wife. It's too bad I can’t look the other way on infidelity. My life probably could have been almost perfect.
The faded letters spelling out my mom's last name—Weldon—are coming into view on the rusty old mailbox that was planted at end of the lane. I push through the pain, sweat, and tears that are trying to keep me from finishing this run. I should have listened to my body but the only thing I can focus on is running away from the past... and then nothing.
To each and every one of you that took the time to read my words... You are amazing. Thank you for giving me a chance!
To all my “book” friends... you know who you are and how much you mean to me! Whether it's words of encouragement, pages of notes or just making me laugh, you are all incredible human beings and better yet, friends. Know that when I say thank you, I genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, mean it.
Mickey, KP, Regina & Emily... You are all amazing at what you do and I'm lucky to have you on my side! Thank you for cleaning up my chaos, spreading the word, making pretty covers and organizing the simplicity of a word document into a beautiful creation.
To the one I share a brain with... How we ever functioned without each other is beyond me, but I'm so glad that we found each other in the madness that is book world.
My boys... Love you bunches!
When I'm not writing or playing the part of wife and mom, you can find me dancing back-up for Beyonce, singing back-up for Miranda, or sunning myself on the beach with a drink in hand. Here's the thing about being born and raised in a small town--you have a very vivid imagination! Now, I channel it all to create stories where the girl always ends up with the right guy, first kisses are magical, and a happy ending is just that!
Feel free to stalk me...
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Copyright © 2014 Elizabeth Lee
CREDITS:
Mickey Reed, Editor
Regina Wamba – Mae I Designs, Cover Art
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced without written consent from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes.
Piracy is a crime. Please support author by purchasing this work from an authorized distributor.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Other Books by Elizabeth Lee
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Epilogue - Gia
Bonus Chapter
Acknowledgments
About the Author
About the Designer
Copyright Notice