Not
Afraid to Love You
Ink Series -
Spin Off Book 1
By Jude
Ouvrard
Cover Designer: Kari
March Designs
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Drama
Lilly McCarthy
thought she had found the one, until an unexpected side of Dave left her body
bruised and her pride hurt.
Living in fear, she
knows she has to do something before the unimaginable happens. A timely phone
call provides Lilly a means to escape but is her family prepared to face her
nightmares?
While Lilly takes
the time to heal and regain control of her life, an unexpected source of
support appears in the form of her brother's best friend - and her old crush -
Lennox.
Lilly hesitates to
take on a new relationship, but Lennox is not giving up. He wants Lilly to find
her way and be herself again, the relaxed and easygoing girl she used to be.
Can the love of a
good man convince this scared and frightened woman to trust again? Or is it
only going to push her away?
Sitting back in my
sister’s luxurious car, I let her drive us to the restaurant. My stomach keeps
growling and it’s getting embarrassing. I’m on edge, my eyes following every
person on the sidewalk and looking at every building we come across.
She finally parks
her car in a large lot almost filled to capacity. I’ve seen this place before
but I never went inside. The Spot, that’s what they call it, I remember.
Matthew nudges his
sister. “Are you even old enough to get inside?”
“Don’t worry, it’s
all under control.”
Stepping out of the
car, I follow them to the entrance. The security guy hugs my sister as they
chitchat. How does she know him? I don’t understand. This place requires you to
be twenty-one and she isn’t, yet.
When we walk
inside, it hits me. The place is full of men in uniform…Air Force guys. This
has to be where she met her boyfriend. Some of the guys nod at her, some wave.
“Hey Ab. Logan
isn’t out yet.”
“I know. I came
with my brother and sister.” The guy’s eyes zoom in on mine and he winks. Heat
surges to my cheeks. Why am I blushing? Matthew subtlety steps in front of me.
“Hey Matthew.” They
shake hands and engage in some small talk.
“Meet my sister,
Lilly. She just moved back to town today.”
“Nice to meet you.
I’m Carlos.” We shake hands but I can’t look him in the eyes. I avoid him and
it must look stupid. Maybe going out tonight wasn’t a good idea, after all. I’m
not ready for this. He lets my hand go.
“Are you okay? Did
I do something wrong?” For someone so tall and big, he has the most comforting
voice but I can’t do this.
“I… uh… I.” I
stuttered.
“No, it’s okay.
She’s been through a lot. We’re just going to go sit and eat. I’ll talk to you
later.” Abbey takes control of the situation. She’s now in protector mode too.
I order a club
sandwich, which I plan to eat all of and no doubt quickly because I’m so
hungry. As well as that I order a beer, my first beer since I moved away from
here because Dave only ever drank wine. I am going to savor every drop of it.
Only now as I relax, it strikes me why I am so hungry, I haven’t eaten all day.
Fifteen minutes
later, our food arrives and I think I’m going to pass out if I don’t start
eating now. Matthew is already cutting into his steak while Abbey digs into her
pasta bowl. My mouth’s full, I probably have one quarter of my sandwich packed
inside my mouth. Way to go, Lilly.
“Hey guys.”
“Hey man. Sit with
us.” Matthew offers the seat next to him, which is also next to me. I hurry and
try to swallow the damn sandwich. “Do you remember my sister, Lilly?”
Trying to look
normal, I turn to him with a fake smile. I do know him. My first high school
crush. Lennox Love. My brother’s best friend until he moved away to Seattle.
My smile turns real
and honest. “Lennox, hi.”
“Hi, long time no
see.”
I think I’m going
to faint. Many nights while I shared my bed with Dave, I thought about him.
Wondering where he was, what he was doing. Would I ever see him again?
There was nothing
normal about my crush on him. Well, unless crying for two days when he moved
away is normal?
Lennox freaking
Love. Is. Back.
"Drama, true
love, tattoos...and everything in between!"
Jude Ouvrard is an
author who writes from the heart, and reads with passion and devotion. Jude
enjoys stories of drama, true love, tattoos, and everything in between. While writing
is her therapy, reading is her solace. Life doesn't get better than books and
chocolate, and maybe a little bit of shopping.
A romance lover,
Jude writes about love, pain, heartbreak and matters that will challenge your
heart. A book can tell an unexpected story, no matter which directions it
takes. Jude embraces words that have haunted her for years.
Jude is a working
mom who dedicates her time to a law firm and writing books. She has an
energetic superhero son, and a supportive boyfriend of many years. Her family
is her rock; she could not survive without them. Born a country girl, she
transformed into a city woman who now lives in Montreal, Canada. Although
French is her first language, Jude decided to write in English because she
liked the challenge.
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