Never Say Never, Part Two (Second Chance Romance, Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

will you go fetch her?”  
    “Don’t you talk to him,” Amanda threatened, extending a pink fingernail in warning.  
    “Jared?”  
    “What do you want?” His demeanor hardened and he folded his arms. “Here to say hello and leave us again? Well, you can leave right now. I’m not going to let you put my sister through that again.”
    Emily gripped at the cotton shirt she wore, twisting the bit over her heart.  
    “It wasn’t a choice, Jared. You have to understand that.”  
    He was so big and already cynical. It made her insides ache to hold him close and wipe away whatever influence Brian and his poisonous new wife had over him. She couldn’t bear this. She had to get them away before they became images of their ‘mentors’.  
    “Jared, go to your room.” Amanda turned and dismissed him with a flutter of those venomous-looking talons.  
    “I don’t have to listen to you,” he answered, then meandered off with a glance back at his mother.  
    “We’re done here.” Amanda gripped the edge of the door and made to close it, but Emily stuck her foot in and blocked it.  
    “I don’t think so.” Emily’s snarl whipped through the air and her ex-best friend drew in a sharp breath.  
    “Brian won’t like you being here. Get lost.”  
    Emily moved in quick and close. “Let me make something very clear, bestie , you might be bedding my ex-husband, but you are not the mother of my children.”  
    “Fuck off, you loser.” Amanda banged the bottom of the door into her foot repeatedly, but she didn’t retract it.  
    This anger tack wouldn’t work with this woman. She was too stubborn.  
    This was her fault anyway. If she’d never left, if she’d stayed sober that night after discovering Brian’s betrayal – she hadn’t realized the other woman was actually her best friend – she’d never have ended up in this situation.  
    She studied the woman’s expression and chewed her lip.  
    “All right,” she said, relenting. “I’m sorry for interfering, but you’ve got to understand what it’s like, Amanda. You were with me for it all. You were the only friend I had.”  
    The door creaked open a sliver.  
    “I just –” Emily bowed under the pressure of her rage and guilt and let tears spill forth, using them to manipulate Amanda. If she could get her out of the house and away from Brian, she might be able to get information on the kid’s movements. Then she could meet up with them unfettered.  
    “What?” Amanda slipped out onto the porch and shut the door behind her, glancing in either direction, the concern seemed genuine. But so had their friendship during years of marriage when she’d slept with Brian behind Emily’s back.  
    “I’ve lost everything and the kids are the only thing I have left. And hopefully our friendship will be too.”  
    “I can’t be friends with you.”  
    It was because of Brian. Emily could almost taste the fear. He had her under his fat cat thumb.  
    “Of course you can. He doesn’t own you.”  
    That was Brian’s main operative. Owning women, making them do what he wanted, then tossing them aside when they’d exhausted their usefulness.  
    “I don’t want to hear it, Emily.” Amanda started closing up again.  
    “Look, you don’t have to be friends with me right away.” Emily interrupted her shut out. “Let’s go out for coffee or dinner and we’ll catch up. We can leave it at that if you want, but I just need a friend right now.”  
    Amanda folded her arms again.  
    Emily swallowed her pride and focused on the vision of her son.  
    “Please?” Her oldest friend didn’t respond. “Come on, Amanda, please?”  
    A heavy sigh followed by a shrug and a small smug smile. “All right. But tonight and not a word of it to anyone else.”
    “Who am I going to tell?”  
    Amanda didn’t answer but went back into the house and the scrape of the lock sliding home sent a clear message. It was time to leave.  
    Emily