Fated Bliss (Bliss #2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

long story.”
    “Have you been holding out on me, Sam?”
    “Maybe…” I drawled.
    “Spill.”
    “This story involves a face to face conversation and copious amounts of wine.”
    “Ahhh… That bad, huh?”
    I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “Definitely.
    “Okay. Well, I plan on interrogating you as soon as you get home.”
    “It’s a date.”
    There was another smile in her voice when she said, “Awesome. Now, I’ve got to go – Bella should be up any minute. Have fun and do something I wouldn’t do. I’m living vicariously through you.”
    “Clara! Don’t encourage her!” Grey shouted in mock outrage.
    I snickered. “You’ve got it.”

Chapter 3
     
    Ben
     
     
    Blue cloudless skies gave the false impression of promise and excitement when I’d arrived, but now it drizzled, mimicking my torrent of emotions. I stared out the front window, observing the cars drive by and the people rush along the sidewalk, eager to get out of the rain.
    When I planned this trip all those years ago, I couldn’t have predicted the events that led me here. It was supposed to be a grand adventure, a way to celebrate my achievements.
    That was so far from the truth.
    I lied to Samantha, telling her what I wished this trip meant. I lied to myself, too. During our brief time together, I let myself believe what I told her, desperately wanting it to be true. I wanted to believe that I was just a man meeting a beautiful woman. I wanted to believe that I could seduce her, that our time together was only the beginning of a torrid affair that would transform into a love that steals your breath, overpowers your senses…rocks your very soul.
    Alas, the tires touched the tarmac and the brutal truth came crashing down on me with the same jarring force as our landing. The illusion shattered like broken glass, leaving behind the jagged edged reminder of my reality.
    I could never have Samantha.
    However, after years of experiencing the cruelties of life, I valued and appreciated a good and pure happenstance. Moreover, a chance meeting with a stranger could touch your life in extraordinary ways, changing your outlook on the world.
    Samantha was both.
    If she only knew how much I needed her smile and infectious laugh…how much I needed that brief glimpse of possibilities. Samantha gave me hope for the future, hope for something decent and untainted – and I’d lost all hope a long time ago.
    “You’ve been staring out that window for an hour. See anything interesting?”
    I closed my eyes, the sudden voice evoking an onslaught of painful memories. That voice was usually callous or filled with sweet and empty nothings, toying with my every emotion.
    “I have a lot on my mind,” I explained and slowly turned, meeting Maggie’s gentle green eyes. It was hard to look at her at times. Not only was her voice the same, but her face was a replica of Gwen’s as well.
    “I know,” she whispered, smiling sadly.
    I stared down at the floor, not able to hold her gaze any longer, and rocked on my heels, slipping my hands into my pockets. “He still won’t come out of his room.”
    “Lincoln will come around, Ben. Just give him a little time,” Maggie advised, walking closer. She stopped next to me and stared out the window. “You two have been through a lot over the years – you don’t recover in the blink of an eye.”
    I let myself peer at her again, studying her profile. It was easier to do from this angle. Where Gwen’s complexion was flawless, her skin unmarred, Maggie had a two-inch-long scar that ran under her jawline – you could only see it when you looked at her from the side. That scar was the only difference between Gwen and Maggie, at least physically. Maggie was sunshine, warm and filled with bright rays of light and goodness, and Gwen was cancer, a vicious and single-minded menace that ate at you from the inside out until there was nothing left. Where Maggie was a dream, Gwen was your worst nightmare.
    My