Lost Until You (The Sorrentino Brothers Series Book 1) (2 page)

I was shuffled around from house to house from six months old to the age of sixteen. That was when Ms. Louise took me in.

Ms. Louise was a fifty-five-year-old widow who lost her husband to cancer a few years prior to my arrival. When Mr. Larry passed away, Ms. Louise needed someone around to keep her from falling back into depression. And that someone just happened to be me.

She had three children who were older and had lives of their own, living thousands of miles away from home. Nevertheless, it amazed me how none of them kept in touch with their mom. But I didn’t get involved. It was none of my business. I was just glad I had found a structured place to reside until I graduated. That was a big deal for me.

Ms. Louise agreed that I could stay in her house until the following January after graduation. Once January came, she said I needed to be gone, stating those few extra months would give me ample time to find employment and suitable living arrangements. I wanted to go to college and further my education, but there was no use. I didn’t have the funds to go away to school and study with my friends, even if I wanted to.

I didn’t come from wealth or have anyone to help me with my future. I never knew anyone from my blood family or even where to begin looking for them. I had given up on finding out anything once I turned eleven. Being shut down too many times will mentally force you away from doing things you wanted to do. And truth be told, I’d had enough rejection in my life to last a lifetime. I couldn’t handle any more. 

Until Ms. Louise came in the picture, I had been fostered by drug addicts, prostitutes, women beaters and drug lords. I saw enough to make you want to bleach your eyes, enough to last a lifetime. The things those people had done would make you cringe. They were disgusting human beings that should have never been accepted to foster children in their homes.

I met my best friend, Kelly, my first week at Arundel, our sophomore year. As the two of us hung out, we quickly realized we had a lot in common. Kelly took me under her wing and introduced me to everyone she knew. That was how I met Brayden Sorrentino. He was extremely handsome and loved to play jokes on just about everyone, especially me. But what I liked about Brayden the most was his sincerity. No matter who fit in with who, he had everyone’s back. He didn’t hide out in one circle with the football players or side with the preppy kids. Brayden was friends with everyone.

          I tried not to let the world know how bad my life had been. People seemed to judge, no matter the circumstances, but it wasn’t something I openly discussed. Even though I felt content with the few friends I made, I tried keeping my personal business to myself. I was better off that way.

After dinner at
Amore Bello
, I thanked Amelia and Anthony for their generosity and then gave Brayden a hug. Brax and Brix drove me home, while Brayden headed out to a friend’s party. He invited me to tag along, but I declined, stating I needed to be up early the following morning.

Brix pulled up at my house and waited in the driveway while Brax walked me to the door. I gave him a hug, thanking him for a good night, and was shocked when he leaned in and kissed me. It might have just been a peck on the lips, but there was something electrifying about his touch.

The following week I had been busy doing chores when Ms. Louise knocked on my door, stating there was a boy outside, waiting for me on the porch. I threw on a hoodie and a pair of sweats and then brushed my teeth before jogging down the steps. I opened the front door and saw Brax Sorrentino standing there with an arrangement of lilacs. And still to this very day, I would never forget what he said….

I shut the front door and turned to face him, blushing, wanting nothing more than to run back inside and hide.

What was he doing here?

“Hey,” Brax said, handing me the flowers. “These are for you.”

My heated cheeks couldn’t be hidden. I was embarrassed, and yet I didn’t know why.

“Thank you,” I said as I lifted the arrangement, smelling a flower.

“I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by,” he smiled handsomely down at me. “Do you have any plans tonight?”

I looked up and shook my head, trying not to blush again. But it was pointless. Whenever I was around Brax, he seemed to get the best of me.

 “Do you want to go out then? Maybe see a movie and go to dinner or something?”

Did he really just ask me on a date? Brax didn’t seem like the “dating” type. More like a hit it and run, if I was honest.

I was so lost in my thoughts I missed seeing him take a step closer toward me. He lifted his hand, grabbing a hold of my chin and then pulled my face up to look at him.

 “What’s your answer, baby? I ain’t got all day.”

Without giving it too much thought, I nodded my head. Let’s face it; there was no way I would turn down a chance to hang out with Brax Sorrentino. Even if he was the world’s biggest asshole, I still couldn’t say no. I had to do this. I had to step out of my comfort zone.

He leaned in, placing both hands on the side of my cheeks. I stared into his eyes, unsure what was coming next. He tilted his neck to the side, shocking me when he pecked my lips.

“Good,” he pulled back and winked. “I’ll pick you up around three. Be ready.”

Brax kissed my cheek then jogged down the driveway to his truck. Standing there like a fool, I watched him honk the horn as he pulled off, wondering what in the hell I had just gotten myself into.

Chapter Two

Jazz

<>
Past
<>

For the longest time, I was told no one would love someone as worthless as me. My previous foster father, Troy, embedded in my head that I was a no good piece of shit. I wasn’t sure if I believed his hateful comments until I had my heart broken by Nolan Andrews. He was my first real boyfriend, and my last, until Brax.

After Nolan and I had broken up, I promised myself I would never give my heart away again. And true to my word, I made good on that promise.

I enjoyed having friends, but dating was out of the question. I made sure I rarely wore make-up or fixed my hair, anything to feel less attractive was what I aimed for. As long as my heart stayed in my chest, not shattered into a million pieces again, then I was content. I had more important things do, anyway. Falling in love clearly wasn’t one of them.

Besides, in my world, the word love didn’t exist. It was a four-letter word that made you feel warm and fuzzy for a short period of time, until your heart was crushed and your soul was shattered, leaving you in a state of helplessness. But for some unknown reason, I went to dinner with Brax, regardless of my heart’s warning.

We opted out of going to the movies. Instead, we had dinner at Applebee’s then he drove us into downtown Annapolis, leading me around the docks. It was absolutely beautiful out there; the boats, the shops…..everything. I could have stayed out by the water for hours.

We talked again about life and the plans we had for our future. He asked personal questions I hated answering—questions I normally didn’t feel comfortable talking about—however I felt a sense of peace when I was around him. Eventually, I let my guard down, telling him everything about my life.

After our date, he took me home and walked me to the front door. He gave me a hug and then kissed me again, except that time, the little peck he gave me earlier was history.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, keeping our kisses at a steady pace. His one hand rested on my hip while his other hand cupped the back of my neck. The kiss felt seductive, making me hot and bothered. It was an explosive feeling I wasn’t used to.

Brax deepened the kiss then walked me back until I was pinned against the side of the house. I pulled back, out of breath, trying to hide my embarrassment.

He grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. “Don’t hide from me, Jazzy,” he said as he looked into my eyes.

Placing my hand on his chest, I felt his heart racing.

“Do you feel that?

I nodded; my mouth unable to speak without shrilling myself.

“It’s beating fast for you. Whatever you’re doing, don’t stop. I feel like a different man when you’re around.”

God, just hearing him call me Jazzy made me want to kiss him over and over again. There was something about the way he said my name that made me feel cherished.

“Say you’ll go out with me? Say you’ll be my girl. There’s something between us, baby. Something I can’t explain, but I know I need to have more of you.”

I was shocked when Brax asked me out on a date. But this…I can’t put into words how I was feeling.

 “Are you going to answer me?” He watched me closely. “I’m not leaving without hearing you say yes.”

Whatever was going on between us felt different. It felt right. It might have scared the shit out of me, but at the same time, I yearned to have more. So I agreed to be Brax’s girlfriend, praying he wouldn’t hurt me. Because only God knew what another heartbreak would do to me if he did.

**

That summer, for the first time in my life, everything started falling into place. I found my own place, moving two and a half hours away to Dewy Beach, and started waitressing for a busy crab shack in town. I signed a two-year lease on an ocean front condo. It was a busy time in my life, but I was enjoying every minute of it.

Brax and I continued dating while he remained in college, studying for his degree. My complex wasn’t that far from campus, so I was able to see him more than I anticipated. There were big obstacles he had to overcome, but I stood by his side and did the best I could, encouraging him along the way.

One year led to two, two years led to three, and by the third year Brax asked for my hand in marriage. I was speechless, shocked. And when I accepted his proposal, there were happy tears of joy.

Six months later, we said our vows under the sunset with our feet in the sand, facing the ocean. We were surrounded by his family and our friends as we became one under God.

Our wedding wasn’t formal, because that wasn’t who we were. I was a simple girl from a hectic world, and Brax was perfectly fine with whatever I wanted. His only request was that we hurry up and get married so I would have his last name. That was all he seemed to care about. I laughed at his possessiveness, but it only made me love him even more. I had a guy who genuinely wanted to make me the happiest girl in the world.

I had finally found my forever.

When Brax received his master’s degree, he opened a construction business. I was proud of my husband for succeeding after the challenges he had faced. He wasn’t just handsome; he was a pure genius.  

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and before I knew it, I found out I was pregnant with our little girl. Savanah Summer Sorrentino was born September 19, 2013, making me the luckiest girl on the planet.

Finally, all of my dreams had come true. I was a wife to the best man I had ever known and a mother to the most beautiful little girl in the world. I was walking proof that if you followed your heart, you could do great things. Things that brought you an abundance of joy. But no matter what, you had to have faith. Faith and hope were the two things that would carry you through your struggles and bring you happiness along the way.

<>
Brax<>

Since I was eight years old, I always dreamed of playing in the NFL. And throughout high school, my parents, coaches, and teammates were my backbone. They pushed me when I needed to be pushed, never letting me give up, knowing how important my career meant to me.

I attended the University of Delaware with a full paid scholarship in football. For once, everything felt right. I was certain I was going to make it into the big leagues until my sophomore year, when my knee blew out during an away game against South Carolina University.

I was rushed to the hospital by ambulance and taken straight back to the operating room to repair my right patellar tendon. Following my surgery, I remained at Palmetto Health Baptist Hospital for a little over two weeks. Two days after the operation, I got an infection in the same knee and had to start IV antibiotics. It was a bitch, to say the least, especially dealing with all the pain. After the infection had cleared up, I was finally discharged. My parents sat by my side, then drove me back to Maryland, helping me jump start my recovery.

I saw Dr. Hammond at Atlantic Physical Therapy three times a week for a six consecutive week period. Dr. Hammond was a well-known PT in town who specialized in sports-related injuries. After I had pushed through rehabilitation, I was excited to get back out on the field and practice again with the team, until my life crumbled again before me.

I was getting ready to head back to school when I went out to check the mail. As I retrieved the mail, I leaned down, and when I stood back up, I somehow pulled my bad knee out of place again.

Ma rushed me to Annapolis Orthopedics where Dr. Barnett ordered an MRI stat. When it was completed, he sat me down with the test results. That was when I found out my dreams were shattered—my career was finally over.

I had torn the meniscus in my right knee and was possibly looking at another surgery. I couldn’t move my leg at all. The pain was extremely intense. Dr. Barnett put me back in a full leg brace, sending me home with strict instructions to stay off my feet and rest until further notice.