21 Days

  21 Days

  Time for Love Series

  Book 2

  by

  Bethany Lopez

  Copyright 2014

  Published June 2014

  ISBN: 978-1497561564

  Review Edition

  Photography by K Keeton Designs

  Cover Design by B Design

  Editing by Red Road Editing / Kristina Circelli

  Ebook Formatting by White Hot Formatting

  License Notes:

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this ebook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite book retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. All rights reserved.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please don’t participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This ebook is also available in print at most online retailers.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Other Titles

  Dedication

  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

  Epilogue

  Excerpt

  Excerpt Chapter 1

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Books by Bethany Lopez

  Young Adult:

  Stories about Melissa – series

  Ta Ta for Now!

  xoxoxo

  Ciao

  TTYL

  Nissa: a contemporary fairy tale

  New Adult:

  Friends & Lovers Trilogy

  Make it Last

  I Choose You

  Trust in Me

  Indelible

  A Time for Love Series

  8 Weeks

  21 Days

  This book is dedicated to the people of ADAB Oct 2013 – April 2014.

  It was great serving with you!

  Chapter 1 – TJ

  I huddled underneath my covers, quivering uncontrollably and praying to God that my parents would stop fighting and go to sleep. Fearful that their anger would shift, and they would come looking for me.

  “I saw the way you were looking at her,” my mother screamed from somewhere down the hallway of our little trailer. “That stupid slut! I could tell you’ve fucked her.”

  I heard a crashing sound and willed the bed to swallow me whole.

  “You’re crazy,” my father bellowed, the sounds of glass breaking filled the trailer, and I assumed they’d begun throwing things at each other.

  Soon they’d begin hitting each other, and eventually they would turn their rage on me, or they would make up. Either way, I wouldn’t be getting any sleep. I tried my best to start replaying The NeverEnding Story in my head. If I was lucky, I’d lose myself in the world of Bastian and Atreyu, and by the time their story was over, the house would be quiet.

  “TJ?” the voice of my boss pulled me out of the memory. I shook my head slightly, then brought my eyes to his.

  “Yeah? Sorry, boss, I wandered off for a minute,” I admitted, slightly embarrassed at being caught drifting off.

  “Can you come back into the office for a minute?” he asked turning and walking back toward his office, without waiting for my reply.

  I looked over at my buddy Cal, who’d popped his head out from under the hood of a Chevy he was working on. He met my gaze and shrugged, indicating that he wasn’t sure what the boss wanted this time.

  I picked up a rag and made an attempt to wipe the grease off my hands before proceeding down the hall. I knocked lightly on the open door and peeked my head around the corner.

  “Come in and have a seat, TJ,” my boss said in greeting.

  I walked in, running my hand nervously through my hair, not caring that I was probably streaking my dirty-blonde hair with grease. Being called into the office always made me feel like I was a kid getting in trouble again. Or worse, like I was being called in to answer questions about the bruises on my body, when the last time I’d eaten was, or when was the last time I’d bathed and changed clothes. Either way, I hated feeling weak and uneasy.

  I sat and waited.

  Our hours had already been cut, and I knew business was bad, so I figured whatever the boss wanted to say couldn’t be good.

  “TJ, you know things have been going downhill here for a while, and I’ve tried to do what I could to preserve the business and get back on even ground, but I’ve come to a decision … There’s no way easy way to say this, so I’m just gonna rip off the Band-Aid,” The defeated look on his face made my stomach clench. “I’m selling the business. Mary and I have raised four kids, I’ve had this shop for over twenty-five years, and it’s just more stress than I want to deal with. We’re going to retire and head down to Florida to be by our oldest. She’s having her second baby, and Mary wants to be by her grandkids. I know you and Cal will take a hit from this, but you’re both hard workers and good at what you do, so I know you won’t have any trouble finding another job. I’ll be happy to write a letter of recommendation if you need one.”

  I felt a mixture of anger and hurt at his words. Not because I didn’t understand his position, or wish he and his wife the best, but I needed this job. I depended on it. I loved the work, and the privacy of living on the grounds. I’d been picking up painting jobs with my friend Brock’s company, but it wasn’t full-time work and it didn’t pay as much as working at the shop. The clenching of my stomach turned into a burn.

  I hated the thought of losing my job and my apartment. They weren’t much, but they were mine. I made a decent living and had a stable environment, something I’d never really had before. The thought of not knowing where my next paycheck was coming from, or whether I’d have money to eat and pay rent, tore me apart.

  But that wasn’t my boss’s problem. It was mine.

  I’d start looking for another job, and see if I could pick up some extra jobs with Brock.

  “When do you need me out of the apartment?” I asked warily.

  “This weekend,” he responded with a frown. “I’m sorry I can’t give you more time, TJ, but we’ve already had a couple of people interested in the property.”

  I nodded absently, my mind reeling as I tried to plan what my next step could be. Scott had just gotten Cal off his couch, and was having issues with his fiancée, Victoria, so I didn’t want to impose on him. Cal and Shelly had just worked out their marital problems, and Cal had moved back in with her, so there was no way I would ask them to pu
t me up. Not when they were just getting back on track.

  I thought about my grandparents, and felt the familiar rush of sadness. I’d only had them in my life for a few years, but they’d been the best years of my life. They’d taught me what it was to feel loved, and they’d done their best to rebuild my trust and faith in people. They’d passed away last year, so they wouldn’t be around to save me this time.

  I was going to have to figure this out on my own.

  Chapter 2 – Sasha

  I curled my toes and felt the satiny smoothness of my sheets. I loved sleeping. It was the only time my mind shut down and I was able to relax. My dreams were a great escape from the reality of my life. Not that my life was bad, by any means, but in my dreams … anything was possible. I didn’t have to be the successful, rich, well-put-together girl that everyone expected me to be. I could be free, and I yearned for that freedom.

  Reality was such a drag.

  The reality was that I had parents who didn’t care that I existed, let alone feel any sort of pride in any of my accomplishments. In their eyes, it was silly that I wasted my time in real estate. My bank account was full, and I would never want for anything … Well, anything physical anyway. Emotionally … My account was empty.

  As a child I’d been raised around the world. I’d lived in glamorous places and rubbed elbows with glamorous people. My father had bought me a house when I graduated high school, and I had enough clothes in my closet to dress the entire city. My parents couldn’t understand why I felt the need to stay in this town and work. Especially in something as blue collar as real estate.

  I had a feeling that I’d never understand my parents, and they’d never understand me … Which was fine. Really. I had the best friends a girl could ask for, and I was doing something that I enjoyed. Sure, I went through men like I went through shoes, but I’d been around long enough to know what men wanted when they saw me … or, at least, the me I let them see.

  I enjoyed them, and they enjoyed me, and if they thought I was cold when I brushed them off after a few encounters, so be it. At least we got what we wanted from each other in the interim.

  I moved my foot again, and when I encountered a hairy leg, I opened one eye gingerly and turned my head.

  Oh, yeah … Sean. We’d met a couple weeks ago when I’d sold him his house, and had hooked up a couple times. It was time to let him know that our brief encounters had come to an end. I always tried to be tactful, and I did tell him right from the start that I was only looking for a fling, but sometimes, they got attached. And I had a feeling that Sean was beginning to get attached.

  He was a nice guy, and a pretty good lay. I had no complaints. But, he seemed to be at a time in his life where he was getting ready to settle down. He was about five years older than my twenty-four, shit, almost twenty-five, years, and had just bought a four-bedroom house. Sean was definitely starting to think about his future.

  He let out a soft snore, which made me smile. He really was quite a good-looking man, and I thought he’d make someone a wonderful husband one day. He was funny, and I was a little sad to let him go. But I knew that someone like me would ruin someone like him. He needed a sweet girl, someone like my friend Shelly, who would be happy to raise his kids and keep his home welcoming and comfortable. I could never be that girl.

  I never wanted to have kids.

  Ever.

  I know myself, better than anyone, and I am comfortable enough with who I am to admit that I’m too selfish to have kids. I want to live my life for me, not for anyone else … And why would I want to bring kids into a family like mine. Sure, they’d never want for any material things, but there was more to life than money and clothes. And since I was barely able to find those things for myself, how could I ever share them with a child.

  Some people were meant to be parents … Like Cal and Shelly. They were going to be fabulous parents. Full of love and happiness. And I was going to be the perfect Aunty. I would spoil their kids and enjoy taking them out to do fabulous things, then I would take them back to their parents. I would gladly take on that role, but I would not be a good mother.

  I slipped quietly out of bed and walked naked to my bathroom. It was equipped with all of the amenities of a five-star hotel. Sunken Jacuzzi tub, glass shower with multiple shower heads, a vanity, and marble counter tops. I brushed my teeth and grabbed my satin robe off of its hook. I checked myself in the mirror, rubbing the black smudges off from under my eyes, then fluffed out my hair. There was no reason not to look my best, even when I was about to give Sean the boot. I had appearances to keep up.

  I opened the door and was mildly surprised to see Sean up and pulling on his pants.

  “Hey,” he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners when he smiled.

  “Hey,” I replied softly.

  I walked around and opened my mouth to speak, but he held up his hand, indicating that I should wait. I cocked my head and raised an eyebrow at him.

  “I know what you’re going to say,” Sean said, and I noticed for the first time that he had a slight dimple in his left cheek. “I could tell last night that this was going to be the end of our little fling. I get it, and you were upfront with me when we met … So you don’t need to say anything. I’m looking for a relationship that’s going to go somewhere, and you aren’t.” He walked toward me, then stopped in front of me and put his hands on my face. “I had a lot of fun,” he said simply, then touched his lips gently to mine before turning and picking up the rest of his clothes as he walked out of my bedroom.

  It’s funny how, although I was fully prepared to tell him goodbye on my own terms, it stung when the kiss-off came from him. I brought my fingers to my lips, touching the place where his had just been, and tried to ignore the pain that stabbed slightly in my heart.

  Just once, I wished that someone wouldn’t give up on me so easily. That they wouldn’t want to let me go, and would fight to keep me in their life.

  Chapter 3 – TJ

  I walked up the path to Cal and Shelly’s place holding two bags of chips and a six pack. They were having a housewarming party of sorts. It had been about a month since Cal had set up his eighth date in his quest to get Shelly back, and they were finally settled back into a routine, and back to being the Shelly and Cal that they’d been for the past eight years. It was great to have them back together, and I was always in the mood to party with my friends, but I felt lame about my offerings for the BBQ. Funds were about to be scarce, so I couldn’t really offer much more than the meager items in my hands. I needed to be smart and stick to my budget if I had any hope of making it through the next few weeks.

  “Hey, TJ,” Shelly said with a smile when she answered my knock. She leaned in to give me a hug, and took the items from my hands. “Everyone’s out back.”

  “Okay,” I responded with a smile. She looked really happy, and I thought again how lucky Cal was that she had agreed to take him back. Although he hadn’t intentionally cheated on her, in fact, he’d been so wasted, he didn’t even remember meeting that chick in Vegas, let alone sleeping with her, I knew Shelly had been heartbroken when she’d found out.

  I walked through the living room and out the back sliding glass door, where Cal, Gaby, and Brock were standing around the grill, drinking beer and talking.

  “What’s up?” I asked as I leaned in to kiss Gaby on the cheek, then slap Brock on the back, lifting my chin in acknowledgement to Cal.

  “Not much, man,” Brock said as he lifted his beer to his lips. Brock and I had met after high school, when we’d both started working in an auto shop. He’d only worked there for a short time, while he went to the local community college and earned a degree in business. He quickly went from working on cars to painting houses, and in the last five years, he’d turned it into a successful business. Brock may look like all brawn, standing at about six foot five inches, totally yoked out with a closely cropped beard, but he was a really smart dude. He’d helped Cal and me out over the past few weeks by
allowing us to pick up odd jobs with his crew.

  I was about to ask him if I could talk to him later about work when I heard the door open and saw Gaby stiffen next to me. I had a feeling I knew who’d arrived, but I turned anyway to watch as Scott led his fiancée Victoria out the door, his hand at the small of her back. Victoria looked like she was wound tighter than a ball of string, with her dark hair pulled back into a tight bun and her business attire covering her from neck to feet. Scott shot us all a smile, but it faltered a bit when his eyes landed on Brock, who had just leaned over to brush a piece of lint out of Gaby’s long blonde locks.

  “Hey,” Cal said with a stiff smile. “Glad you guys could make it.”

  Cal and Scott were like brothers, so I knew his reaction had to do more with Victoria’s presence than anything. About a month ago Scott had been ready to break off his engagement with Victoria, much to mine and Cal’s delight, but when he’d broached the subject with Victoria, she’d convinced him to give it another shot. She’d said that she’d make more of an effort to get along with his friends and hang out. Scott, being the kind and loving dude that he was, had agreed that he shouldn’t give up on their relationship so easily. It broke my heart. Scott had come from a home much like the one Victoria had been raised in, stiff, controlling, and loveless … And I hated the thought of him getting into a marriage like that. Cal and I had told him how we felt, but at the end of the day, he was our friend, and we had to back whatever decision he made.

  “Thanks for inviting us,” Victoria said primly with a tight smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

  Scott walked over and gave Gaby a kiss on the cheek, just like I had, but I noticed her stiffen and close her eyes as he did … Weird.

  Then he clapped Cal on the back and turning to Brock, holding his hand out. Brock took it and shot him a cocky grin. I don’t know why, but the two of them had gotten off on the wrong foot years ago, and had never warmed up to each other. It made absolutely no sense to me, since they were both great guys, and two of my best friends, but they always regarded each other with cool distain.