Just Let Me Love You (26 page)
Everyone in the classroom is so quiet you’d hear a pin drop if someone were inclined to drop one. Guess everyone is deep in thought, wondering what “inevitable detour” is in store for them. And how will this “detour” alter their lives. God knows that’s what I’m thinking.
“We have about ten minutes left,” the instructor announces, breaking the trance she was holding everyone in, including me. “Are there any questions, class?”
A lively Q&A ensues, and I know it’s high time I get up off my ass and go home. But I can’t leave, not yet. I need a minute to take in all I’ve heard. It’s like when someone puts something in your head, and that’s all you think about. Now, I can’t help but imagine an inevitable detour of my own. Maybe I should take charge and make one happen next week. I could defy my parents and go to New York City with Haven. It might be worth my parents’ ire to finally venture out of the only state I’ve ever known. Not only would my bestie and I have a great time tearing up the town, but I’d be staying with Haven in her older brother’s apartment. And there’s a good chance that though Farren Shaw travels a lot for some crazy-secretive job he has, I’d finally have an opportunity to meet him. Possibly, I could even spend some time with him.
Gah
. A thrill shoots through me at the thought of spending even a mere minute with Farren. Now there’s an inevitable detour I’d like to take. Much like his sister, Farren is gorgeous. He has the same raven-black hair, same model-perfect features, like full lips and high cheekbones. His eyes, however, are not aquamarine. They’re better; they’re a unique and stunning shade of green. Not that I’ve had the pleasure of viewing these stunning green eyes in person. Only in pictures have I seen them, since, sadly, I’ve never actually met Farren. He’s not around much. He was in the military for years, special ops according to Haven. And though he was discharged over a year ago, he still spends a good deal of time in other countries for his “work.” Consequently, he’s never visited Oakwood College campus. That’s why I’ve never met him. And that is why I’m so incredibly upset about New York. That would have been my chance. Travel or no, he’d have to stop home at some point.
Oh well. Guess I’ll have to continue to rely on pictures and short videos of Haven’s incredibly handsome brother to fuel my libido. And by fuel, I mean on all cylinders. I may not have much of an interest in sex, but I am still a woman. And, as a woman, I sense a man like Farren could change my mind on the sex-thing. He’s like some dream guy—tall, dark, and too handsome for words.
So, yeah, I’m into him. It’s mostly a secret, though. However, I must confess that once, several months ago, Haven caught me uploading pictures of Farren from her computer to my phone.
“Cyberstalking my brother, I see,” she teased as she walked over to where I was seated—rather uneasily at that point—on the sofa in our living room, her laptop in my hands.
“No, no,” I stammered while trying to close all the open windows…of Farren in uniform, Farren standing next to Haven, and Farren—a recent shot—in a finely tailored suit.
“He does look good in that one,” she said, tapping the screen before the picture of her brother in a dark suit disappeared.
She was right. Farren in a business suit was all kinds of serious hot, so I had to agree. Then, I turned from the computer and asked, “Does he have to wear suits for his new job?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, Essa. I guess.”
“What exactly
is
his new job?” I pressed. “You said he’s some kind of personal security contractor, right? What does that mean, exactly?”
“I don’t really know,” Haven admitted. Then, with a laugh, she said, “All I know is whatever Farren does he gets paid a lot of money.”
“I hope it’s nothing illegal,” I mumbled under my breath.
Hey, it’s not so farfetched to think such a thing. Not only does Farren fund his sister’s college education—as well as all her expenses—but he also has plenty of money for himself. He owns some of the best real estate in the world, including a luxurious New York City apartment. The place is sweet, very sweet, located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, in a high-rise building right next to Central Park. I’ve seen pictures, and it looks like the kind of place a celebrity would live in. Not that I care about the money Farren has, but the fact that he has so much of it does make me curious.
See, Farren and Haven Shaw were not born into any kind of money, not like the level of wealth Farren currently possesses. Their childhood circumstances were far from ideal and not anywhere near upscale. Their dad, a man named Alan Shaw, disappeared, seemingly into thin air, when they were very young. At the time, Farren was ten and Haven was only three. Their mom was left to struggle on her own to support her two young children. And she was doing okay, until she was killed in a car crash. Seventeen-year-old Farren and ten-year-old Haven were sent to live with their aunt—someone who absolutely did not want the burden of her sister’s kids. Her aunt was cold and indifferent. Haven has said many times that her aunt was far from nice. That’s why Farren joined the army the day he turned eighteen. He left and started sending Haven money right away. Their aunt was always cheap with them, buying the kids only the bare essentials. Despite all of those things, to this day, Haven still craves family. She tries so hard to maintain a relationship with her aunt. But the woman rarely—if ever—returns Haven’s calls.
My phone vibrates, bringing me back to the present. It’s another text from Haven.
Where are you? You better get your ass home soon. We’re still going out tonight, right?
Of course
, I type back.
I haven’t forgotten that we’re celebrating the fact we survived our third year of college.
We did, didn’t we?
Hell, yeah,
I type back.
Seniors next year. Woohoo.
I’ll drink to that
, Haven replies.
Me, too
.
Hey,
by the way, I hope you’re planning on having more than two beers tonight. Rules are out the window.
Ha-ha. And, yes, rules are out the window.
Good
, she texts.
Who knows, Essa, maybe you’ll get so loosened up that you’ll end up meeting your fantasy man.
If only she knew it’s her brother who stars in my fantasies. Just thinking about the man—and he is a man, not some fumbling college boy—gets me all worked up. But it’s ridiculous to continue on like this. I’ll surely never meet Farren, seeing as New York City is off the table.
Resigned to live my parent-directed life, which certainly does not include hot guys, I push all thoughts of my secret fantasy, Farren Shaw, to the back of my mind. Gathering up my purse, I stand. But before I leave, I think about the lecture I listened in on.
Fate…
Destiny…
What’s in store for me? Where will these so-called predetermined events lead me? Somewhere, everywhere, nowhere. The possibilities are endless. Still, I have to wonder if there will ever be an inevitable detour in
my
life.
“Yeah, right,” I quietly scoff. The only inevitability in my future is that my life will continue as planned. But the instructor’s words resonate in my head, reminding me that we can’t escape our destiny and that we always end up where we’re supposed to be.
Of course, for that to happen, it may require a bit more defiance on my part. Particularly when it comes to my parents and where they expect me to spend this summer.
Good, okay
. That’s fine with me.
’Cause I think I’m finally ready to start pressing B every chance I get.
Continue the story…
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Inevitable Detour
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not considered to be real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Just Let Me Love You
(Judge Me Not #3)
Copyright © 2014 by S.R. Grey
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Editing: Hot Tree Editing
Cover Design: Arijana Karčić, Cover It! Designs
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