Love Without Rules (Contemporary Romance) (4 page)

The first day is always the hardest. True to his word, Scott was gone by the next day. She had no idea where he had moved to, but she suspected it was with Ivy.

In the morning, after Sydney had breakfast in Derek’s house, she crawled back into bed. She dreaded returning to work and making a blog post about the incident. She knew she had to. It had already been five days, and her readers were probably waiting for her to speak out about it. She also had to touch base with Daphne, and figure out what to do about her ratings.

She pulled her laptop onto her legs, and opened up a new Word document. At first, she had no idea how or where to begin. “Sorry my boyfriend is a cheating jerk” didn’t sound right, even though it was true. She finally settled on “These past few days have been difficult.” She wanted the readers to know the truth, no matter how detrimental it was to her career.

An hour later, her post was done. After editing and actually posting it, Sydney felt a sort of relief wash over her. She got up, took a shower, and actually smiled a little as she made herself lunch. And after eating, she tried her absolute best to not think of Scott as she drove to the publishing house. She found Daphne’s office easily, and knocked on the door politely.

“Oh, hello Sydney, what’re you doing here?”

“I’m just checking up on the book. How are the ratings?” Sydney could tell from the ashen look on Daphne’s face that the answer wasn’t pleasant.

Daphne pressed her lips together. “I’m sorry, Sydney, it’s not good. I did read your blog post already, and I’ve discussed it with our marketing manager. We think that sales should pick up within the next few weeks. Don’t worry about it, Sydney. We’re going to try our best to keep your book rolling.”

Sydney nodded, her somewhat okay mood starting to plummet again. “Please keep me updated.”

“I will. You just focus on yourself. Don’t worry. Everything will be okay.” Daphne smiled widely. She hated seeing Sydney so sad, it was heartbreaking.

“Thanks, Daphne. I’m going to go then.” Sydney knew that she had to distract herself now. It was still two days before Anna’s vacation ended, so hanging out with her was not an option. She sat in her car, trying to decide what to do with all this time she had on her hands, now that she wasn’t in a relationship. Her phone vibrated, and she realized that her blog was blowing up with comments from her subscribers.

A majority of the comments were from her longtime readers, who typed out words of encouragement for her to stay strong. It warmed her heart to see that so many people supported her. Many of them wanted her to continue, to not give up. She had helped them so much in their personal life, that they would support her no matter what happened.

Then Sydney realized there was one person she had not talked to, who probably was waiting to hear from her. Her mother, Kelly. She hurriedly pulled out her phone, and dialed. Kelly picked up a half ring later. “Hello, Sydney,” she said. “In trouble again?”

“Hi Mom. Yes… Did you see the news?”

“I did. Oh, Sydney, why do you only come to me when you’re in trouble…” Kelly was a lawyer, which resulted in her being much too serious most of the time. It had meant a strict childhood for Sydney, but Kelly was always there for her daughter. “I told you that boy was no good.” It was true. Kelly had disapproved of Scott during their entire relationship, but seeing how happy Scott made her daughter, she had kept it to herself. Most of the time.

“Mom, can I come over?” Kelly lived in an apartment alone only an hour’s drive away from Sydney. She had moved there after Sydney’s father had passed away, in order to be closer to her daughter.

“Of course you can. I’ll see you soon.” Kelly hung up, and Sydney began to drive. Her mother always knew how to make her feel better, and that’s exactly what she needed right now.

When Sydney opened the door to her mother’s lavish apartment, she was greeted with a blast of warm air. The weather was indeed winding down into the colder temperatures, so this was a welcome feeling. Her mother’s mood lighting made the place look immensely cozy. “Hi Mom, I’m here.”

“Ah, great. Come in, honey. I got new sofas. They’re very comfy. I also made you some hot cocoa, your favorite style too.” Two mugs sat on the expensive coffee table. Sydney peered in and discovered that there were mini marshmallows floating around in hers. Her favorite. A scented candle glowed, its radiance a welcome addition to the picturesque scene. “Now sit down. Tell me everything.”

“Scott left me.” It sounded weird out loud, coming from her own mouth. A tear escaped her hold and ran down her cheek.

“Oh, baby…” Kelly sighed as she moved to sit beside her daughter. She pulled Sydney into her embrace. Sydney instantly felt better as she clung to her mother, never wanting to let go. “It’ll all be okay… This will pass… There’s always light at the end of the tunnel…” That last phrase was one of Kelly’s favorites, and when her husband had passed away, she told herself that so many times it had begun to become a mantra.

“Mom… It just hurts so much… I thought he loved me. I thought we were going to get married, have children, all of that. Mom…”

“Just cry it out, sweetie… Let it all out.”

***

Kelly managed to convince Sydney to stay at her place for a while. At least until Anna came back. The next two days were full of chocolates, sad movies, and lots of long, bubble-filled baths. Sydney was feeling better already, and she felt immensely thankful for her mother.

Anna had already called during this time, and arranged for them to stay at home and watch movies. It was all meant to distract her, and Sydney was happy that she had such a great friend by her side supporting her.

“So are you going to Anna’s now?” Kelly smiled as she said goodbye to her daughter.

“Yeah, she said she has a surprise for me.” Sydney giggled.

“Sounds fun.” Kelly hugged her daughter tightly. “You’re going to be okay. These things have a funny way of working themselves out.”

Sydney smiled bravely. “Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate this.”

Though this was a terrible situation, Kelly was really thankful that her daughter had come to her. It was these moments that made all those years of hardship as a single mother worth it. “No problem. Come anytime, honey.” Kelly waved as Sydney headed to her car.

The drive back to Anna’s seemed to pass by quickly. Sydney was very much looking forward to spending an evening with her best friend. It had been much too long since they had had a night out, what with all the frantic wedding planning Anna had been doing. Sydney’s phone rang. “Hey girl, are you on your way?” It was Anna.

“Yes, I am! Be there very soon!” Sydney laughed.

“I’ll fire up the popcorn! Xoxo.”

Sydney pulled into Anna’s driveway moments later. Anna opened the door just as Sydney walked up to the steps. “Whoa. Are you psychic?”

“No, I was just watching out the window! I missed you so much.” Anna pulled Sydney in for a big hug. Derek appeared behind them.

“Hi Derek,” Sydney greeted him as she pulled away from Anna.

“Hi Syd. All ready for your girls night?” He looked casual, and had a tan from their honeymoon. “I hope you don’t mind though, I have a friend over.”

“Oh, come meet him, Syd.” Anna giggled suggestively. It was obvious from Anna’s wink and eyebrow raise that this friend was very attractive, and single.

“Lead the way.” Sydney linked her arm with Anna’s, and together the trio headed towards the dining room. There was a man sitting in a chair, drinking a glass of wine. When he heard the sounds of the footsteps, he turned around. Wow. He was attractive, there was no denying that.

His baby blue eyes seemed to sparkle, as his lips curved into a smile. He looked like a playboy, but Sydney couldn’t help but feel some attraction. He wore a black business suit, which looked very clean. “Hello,” he greeted her.

For a second, Sydney forgot her own name. “Hi… I’m S-Sydney.” She smiled widely, and hoped it didn’t come off as creepy.

“Sydney? You look familiar…” There was a pause. “Weren’t you that girl on TV with the cheating boyfriend? Oh, Lord, that was hilarious!” And there it was.

Sydney’s earlier attraction towards the man vanished and was replaced with irritation. She shot a glare at the man, who only smiled at her reaction. “So what if I am?” she replied, her voice laced with hostility.

“Whoa, calm down.” He laughed again, as he held his hands out in front of him defensively. “I don’t mean any harm by it.” He gestured at himself.” I’m Drew Young, a publicist. I was wondering if you needed some help dealing with the… you know, aftermath.”

“I don’t need a third-rate publicist,” Sydney retorted, still upset over his mean laughter. Never before had she met a man so crude.
Nor can I afford it…
she thought.

“Excuse me. I happen to be a pretty good one. And still rising. Ever heard of Marina Lau?” Marina was one of the newer authors, who was somewhat rising, but still not incredibly popular yet. “I helped her get to where she is today.”

“So what?” Sydney turned up her nose.

Anna could sense that there was no point in letting the two argue like this, so she pulled Sydney out of the room. Sydney groaned once they were alone. “God, what an ass.” She sighed. “I really didn’t want to be reminded of Scott, but thanks to Mr. Drew Young over there, that plan has failed.”

Anna contorted her into her face into a look of sadness. “Oh, Sydney. It’ll be okay…” She rubbed Sydney’s back comfortingly. “Let’s just watch that movie. Forget about the men. Who needs ’em?” Anna laughed.

“Alright, you’re right, An. Let’s watch.”

***

The movie was an excellent choice. Sydney found herself completely distracted, and nothing else made her happier. Anna had made excellent cookies and smoothies too. Anna had been through a few tough breakups herself, and knew that the key to surviving was having a good support system.

Anna offered to let Sydney stay for the night, and Sydney agreed happily. By the time the movie was finished, Drew had left. Even though he had been so rude to her, Sydney still found her thoughts creeping back to him as they walked into the dining room to get some more wine. She shook the thoughts out of her mind as best as she could. “So, do we have anything planned for tomorrow?” Sydney asked hopefully.

“Sorry, I’ve got to go to a really important, but probably boring, meeting. How’s the day after?”

“That’s fine. I guess I’ll go and do some shopping. Retail therapy, and all."

Anna laughed. “That’s the best kind!”

The rest of the evening was relaxing, and for the first time in a while, Sydney felt some sort of hope. It was a nice feeling. Sydney looked forward to the next day.

“Sydney, you’re going to be alright,” she whispered to herself comfortingly as she drifted off to sleep.

Love Doctor Tip #142:
After a breakup, focus on yourself. Pamper yourself. Remind yourself that the world isn’t over, and you don’t need a man to survive.

Sydney awoke the next morning bright and early. The sun shone high in the sky, and she felt completely refreshed. The best way to stop thinking about Scott was to distract herself, so she borrowed some of Anna’s clothes and put on some makeup. “Damn girl, you look fierce.” Anna laughed as she walked into the bathroom. “All ready to go shopping?”

“Yes ma’am.” Sydney laughed.

“You go out and meet a hot guy, alright?” Anna smiled as she helped Sydney put on a necklace.

“I’ll try…” Sydney felt a sudden rush of gratefulness for her best friend. “Thank you so much, An.” She turned and gave Anna a tight squeeze. “I’m going to head out now. I’ll see you soon?”

“Of course, Syd. Anytime. Have fun!” Anna grinned happily, as the two walked arm in arm down the long winding stairs to the front door. “Xoxo.”

“Bye!”

Sydney got into her car, and drove off towards the nearest mall. It had been a long time since she had been shopping. Though she probably wasn’t going to buy much, she still wanted to go and have a look at what styles were in this season. Kelly had generously given her some money and told her to go treat herself.

She reached the mall quickly, and soon was thrust into the busy atmosphere of the mall. It was November now, and soon it would be December. Many of the Christmas decorations had already been put up, and several sales had started. “I should probably be shopping for presents… For mom, Anna, Derek…” She counted off people in her head. She paused when Scott crossed her mind. “Forget about him, Sydney, you don’t need him.”

She continued to walk through the mall, window shopping, looking for gifts when suddenly she heard a voice calling for her.

“Hey, Sydney, is that you?” It wasn’t a voice she could recognize at first, but when she turned around, she realized who it was.

“Hi, Drew,” she said as he ran towards her, waving. “What are you doing here?”

“What are
you
doing here?” He was wearing a suit which looked incredibly flattering on him, though Sydney would never admit it to his face. She noticed several women ogling him from far away, and shooting her dirty looks because he was talking to her. Sydney laughed at this, and he shot her a confused look. “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, just those women over there who are being jealous of the fact that I’m with you,” Sydney said, as Drew turned to subtly look.

“Let’s make them even more jealous.” Drew laughed as he grabbed her hand, and suddenly pulled her in for an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

“What the heck?” Sydney’s mouth was agape when he pulled away. He was smiling like a happy child. She looked behind him at the women, who were going red with anger. It was indeed a funny sight to see, but Sydney was still too focused on the fact that he had kissed her. Her stomach growled quietly, a fact which did not go unnoticed by him.

“Come on, let’s go eat.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the Italian restaurant. Sydney was so stunned she forgot to protest. This restaurant was classy, and definitely didn’t look like it belonged in the mall, which is what she liked about it. They got a table quickly, and it wasn’t until they sat down that he spoke. “So, you never answered my question. What’re you doing here?”

“I am – or was – shopping.”

“And now you’re doing something better: eating with me!” he said as he picked up a menu. He grinned happily as she glared at him.

“Who said I wanted to eat with you…” she grumbled as she picked up a menu. She was hungry though, so she decided to just enjoy the meal and be glad she had some company. She had come here often with Scott, and they knew the servers on a first-name basis.

“What’re you getting? Everything looks good!” Drew acted like a child, and Sydney found it rather entertaining. It was a welcome difference from Scott, who always acted so serious in restaurants. “Hmm… I want to order everything.” Drew laughed loudly.

Sydney smiled as she shook her head in mock exasperation. “I’m going to get the giant ravioli,” she decided. It was something she had always wanted to try, but had always chosen her usual of spaghetti and meatballs instead of it. It was actually one of the restaurant’s special dishes: several ravioli pieces that were comically sized and stuffed to the brim with cheese.

“Well, me too then!” Drew smiled, his dimples showing. He ran a hand through his light blonde hair, tousling it gently. Sydney remembered all her tips and tricks about the first date.
Wait… This isn’t a date, right?
She frowned as she pondered.

“Why are you making that face?” Drew asked.

“Oh, um, nothing.”
Smooth, Sydney.

“Alright…” Drew shot her a suspicious look. The waitress arrived, and he ordered for the both of them.

The food arrived very quickly. “Wow, it looks so good.” Sydney smiled as she picked up a knife and fork.
Love Doctor Tip Number… was it sixty-five…? Always eat properly when on a date. Make sure to chew slowly, and quietly. Keep your mouth closed,
she reminded herself as she took the first bite.
Wait. No, forget that. This isn’t a date.
Sydney abandoned her knife and instead took a big bite of the ravioli without cutting it.

Drew noticed the change. He decided to tease her a little bit by also dropping his knife. He smirked as he also took a big bite of the delicious cheese-filled pasta. “Yummy,” he said with a mouthful.

Sydney grimaced comically. “That’s real classy.”

“Thanks.” He grinned widely, showing all his pearly white teeth.

All too soon, her plate of pasta was finished and Sydney was left staring at the sauce, wishing there was more. Without saying a word, Drew speared one of his own and dropped it onto her plate. “Huh?” She looked up, surprised by the generous action.

“Go ahead.”

“Thank you,” she said as she ate the piece of ravioli. It had a different taste for some reason, and Sydney realized it was because he had put some spicy Italian sauce on it. “Bah.” She swallowed it and immediately downed half her glass of water.

“You don’t like spicy food?” Drew questioned as he took a sip of his lemon water. “I love it.”

“I like it mostly mild,” Sydney said without thinking. She hadn’t intended to share about herself, but it had just slipped out. He seemed delighted to have learned this new tidbit of information. “So…” She tried to change the subject. “I’m sure you have a lot to do, so why don’t we just split the bill and go our separate ways?”

“Nice try, but you’re not getting rid of me this easily.” Drew chuckled as he pulled out a fifty-dollar bill, and put it on the table. “Come on, let’s go!”

“Um…” She hesitated, going through the pros and cons in her mind.

“Come on!” He stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the restaurant. He thanked the waitress as he walked out, and the two were once again thrust into the bustling mall atmosphere. He didn’t let go of her hand, a fact which she noticed almost immediately. She tried to pull away, but he was stronger than her and kept her tight within his grasp. He winked at her when she shot him a death glare.

So Sydney gave up and let him hold her hand.
Whatever.
“Let’s go there first.” She pointed at a very expensive, high-end boutique, which was famous for its wildly expensive price tags and luxury fabrics. And if that didn’t scare him away, there was still the idea of going shopping. Scott hated shopping and had always refused to go with her to any store.

But unfortunately for her, Drew had no intention of leaving.

“Great, what’re you looking for?” The two strolled into the store. To everyone else, they looked like the perfect couple.

“Maybe a new dress. Or jacket.” Sydney began to browse, running her hands along the fabrics, noticing all the intricate designs that cost a fortune.

“Just want to spend money, huh?”

“Maybe.” She smiled a little. “I haven’t shopped in a long time, there are many things I’m missing.”

“I’m sure you have a closet full of clothes already, do you really need more?” Drew said jokingly before he dropped her hand, and fumbled within the huge rack of clothes for a couple seconds, before pulling out a gorgeous dress. “This would look good on you.”

Sydney took one look at it and realized that he was right. It was her size, and was made of a beautiful blue chiffon material. It was somewhat formal, but still really gorgeous. “Try it on!” Drew urged as he once again took her hand within his and pulled her towards the changing room. He didn’t stop even though she protested. “Just the one item, please,” he said to the woman who was attending to the changing rooms, who took the dress with a smile.

Sydney shot Drew a mildly amused yet annoyed look before entering the changing room. She dressed quickly, and found that the dress fit perfectly. “Come out and show me!” Drew exclaimed happily.

God, he acts like we’re dating already!
Sydney thought incredulously. She could still recall how shy and how introverted Scott had been in the first few weeks of their relationship and was completely surprised by Drew’s actions. But she did find herself beginning to warm up to him. It was simply impossible not to, due to his friendly nature and outgoing personality.

“Come on!”

“Alright, alright, I’m coming…” Sydney pushed open the door and stepped out.

“Wow.” The sight of her in the floor-length dress was truly jaw-dropping for Drew. “You look amazing.”

Sydney blushed prettily as she pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Thank you. You don’t think it looks a little wide here, though?” She pinched at her stomach. Drew laughed and shook his head. His eyes continued to rake across her body, clearly enjoying what he saw. He was acting like a teenaged boy, like this was the first time he had been alone with a woman.

“Are you going to buy it?” he asked, continuing to admire her figure.

“It’s crazy expensive, and I have a dress in a similar style. So… I’m going to have to say no,” she said in a sad voice.

“Sensible answer.” He nodded.

She smiled before heading into the changing room and switched back into her normal clothes, which flattered her just as much as the dress did. “Thank you,” she said as she handed the dress back to the attendant.

“Where to next?” Drew asked.

“I do need some new things for winter. But seriously, you don’t have to come with me to shop for small things like that.” Even though she said that, she secretly felt like she wanted him to stay. Being alone would only make her think of
him
. She was also beginning to really enjoy Drew’s company, even though they had only known each other for a day.

Drew seemed to be able to sense this. “Nonsense. I’d be happy to shop with you. Otherwise, you’ll get lonely.” Drew laughed. They both headed towards the large Target at the end of the mall. She wanted to get a nice thick blanket, and then some presents. She was now living on her own, and wanted to buy some things for herself instead of always buying gifts and other things for Scott.

The two walked in silence. Sydney stopped by a table of warm blankets, touching the fabric. It was incredibly soft, and it would be perfect for lounging in while watching some movies. The print was plain black, dotted with dreamy yellow stars and a pure white moon. Drew watched as Sydney excitedly checked the blanket for the price tag, hoping for an affordable price. But alas, it was much too high.

Sydney frowned before turning away to look at the cheaper blankets. Unknown to her, Drew picked up the blanket she had previously been looking at behind her back and gave it to a store employee. Sydney sighed as she browsed the selection of plush robes. “What’s wrong?” Drew asked.

“I just can’t find a robe that I really like.” She pursed her lips, and picked up a cute pink robe with bunnies on it. “This is cute, but I don’t
really
like it.” Not wanting to settle, Sydney decided on only purchasing a large mug she had found for her mother. It had a lovely snowman on it, and would be perfect for drinking cocoa on cold winter nights.

“Give me a second, I’m buying something too.” Sydney followed Drew to the checkout counter, and was somewhat surprised to see the blanket she had been admiring earlier.

“Oh, I didn’t know you needed a blanket too.”

Drew said nothing, but shot her a wink as he pulled out his credit card and paid for the expensive blanket without any hesitation. It wasn’t until the cashier handed him the bag that he spoke. “I don’t. This is for you.”