Shattered (Shattered #1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

topic is Guy’s Suck!”
    “Yeah…I can get in on that conversation,” I laughed as I tossed my keys
on the table beside the door and toed off my shoes. “Is this guys in general,
or are we talking about a specific one?”
    She rolled her head to the side and smirked at me, “Are you really
asking me that?”
    I shrugged as I sat down and filled my glass to the brim. After taking a
few large gulps, I refilled it and giggled when Avery’s eyes went wide.
    “I ran into him again tonight,” I shrugged as if that was the answer to
the sudden need of liquid courage. “How long has he been visiting my parents?”
    Avery sat up straight at that comment and set her glass on the table,
“What?”
    “You heard me. When I was coming out of Mom and Dad’s he was waiting
there to visit. How long?”
    “I didn’t know about that?” she shook her head. “I’m guessing awhile
maybe. I’ve only seen his truck there a hand full of times when I’ve driven
by.”
    “So it is true? He goes to visit them after Mom’s treatments?” I sighed
as I took another sip.
    “I guess,” Avery groaned. “Can we talk about something else? Like…what
did he say this afternoon at the high school?” she grinned like she had a
secret and wanted me to find out what it was.
    “Not much,” I shrugged. “It was more anger than anything else. I think
he’s still mad at me for leaving. He got what he wanted though, I’m back now
and not going anywhere else. Joke’s on me, I guess,” I flopped back against the
couch. “Man I sound bitter.”
    “Yeah,” Avery nodded. “You have a right to be. I don’t think you coming
back this way is what he wanted though. He loved you Leah. He wanted you to be successful.
He wanted to watch you take the gold medal and smile on that podium. He’s angry
over the way you left.”
    “What was I supposed do?” I sighed. “I told him what was going on. He
could have come with me. It wasn’t like he was still in school, Avery. He’s
older. He was on his own. He could have come with me,” I began to cry. Just
thinking about that last night we had together brought tears to my eyes.
    “So did you decide?” I
pushed myself up on my elbow and glanced down at Nick.
    He sighed and slid himself
up against my headboard, sadness flitting across his face. “Baby…I can’t just
leave.”
    “Why not?” tears welled
in my eyes. “Don’t you love me?”
    “I can’t believe you’re
asking me that?” sadness morphed to anger as he pulled himself from the bed.
    Nick began pacing the
room, working himself into a rage. Fear at what was going to fall from his lips
began to consume me. Didn’t he love me? After what we’d just shared I had
thought he did. Sweat still glistened on my skin from the heat that we’d created.
My sheets were still tangled around my legs.
      Nick had put his jeans on and was riffling
through our clothes as he looked for his shirt. When he found it, he yanked
over his head.
    “I can’t believe that
you think that you can convince me to go because of that,” he pointed at the
spot on the mattress that he’d just vacated. “I’d do anything for you, but I
guess it’s not the same for you as it is for me.”
    “What are you saying?”
my lip began to quiver as he turned toward my door.
    “I can’t just up and
leave. I have a family here. One that needs me. I gave up so much for you, and
yet you’re going to walk away from all of it for this,” he ground out.
    “I didn’t ask you to
give up football,” I jumped from the bed wrapping the sheet around me. “You
decided that all on your own.”
    “That’s the point,” he
shook his head. “I gave it up for you without you even asking me to. I love
you, but I guess it isn’t enough.”
    “Isn’t?” my lower lip trembled.
    “Goodbye Leah,” he
sighed as he stepped through my door for the last time.
    “Hey,” Avery nudged me in the side. “You ok?”
    “Yeah,” I grumbled. “Just battling memories.