Текст книги "Provoked"
Автор книги: S. Donahue
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PROVOKED
S. DONAHUE
Booktrope Editions
Seattle, WA 2015
COPYRIGHT 2015 SHANNON DONAHUE
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
Attribution – You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
Noncommercial – You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
No Derivative Works – You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.
Inquiries about additional permissions
should be directed to: [email protected]
Cover Design by Robin Harper
Edited by Kathryn Galan
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to similarly named places or to persons living or deceased is unintentional.
PRINT ISBN 978-1-5137-0479-1
EPUB ISBN 978-1-5137-0529-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015916264
Contents
COVER
AUTHOR TITLE PAGE
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
DEDICATION
PROLOGUE
October 2005
Hailey
CHAPTER 1
Present Day
Hailey
CHAPTER 2
Chase
CHAPTER 3
Chase
CHAPTER 4
Hailey
CHAPTER 5
Chase
CHAPTER 6
Hailey
CHAPTER 7
Chase
CHAPTER 8
Hailey
CHAPTER 9
Chase
CHAPTER 10
Hailey
CHAPTER 11
Chase
CHAPTER 12
Hailey
CHAPTER 13
Chase
CHAPTER 14
Hailey
CHAPTER 15
Chase
CHAPTER 16
Hailey
CHAPTER 17
Chase
CHAPTER 18
Hailey
CHAPTER 19
Chase
CHAPTER 20
Parker
CHAPTER 21
Chase
CHAPTER 22
Hailey
CHAPTER 23
Parker
CHAPTER 24
Hailey
CHAPTER 25
Parker
CHAPTER 26
Chase
CHAPTER 27
Hailey
CHAPTER 28
Parker
CHAPTER 29
Chase
CHAPTER 30
Hailey
CHAPTER 31
Chase
CHAPTER 32
Hailey
CHAPTER 33
Chase
CHAPTER 34
Hailey
CHAPTER 35
Chase
CHAPTER 36
Hailey
CHAPTER 37
Chase
CHAPTER 38
Hailey
CHAPTER 39
Chase
CHAPTER 40
Hailey
CHAPTER 41
Chase
CHAPTER 42
Hailey
CHAPTER 43
Chase
EPILOGUE: 3 MONTHS LATER
Parker
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MORE GREAT READS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I have so many wonderful people that I need to thank.
First, I want to thank my husband and son for putting up with me. You have been so wonderful and are my biggest supporters. Thanks for allowing me to follow my dreams. You love me unconditionally, and I love you both with all my heart.
I want to thank my mother for always having faith in me and for being such a great role model for me to look up to. When the going gets tough, the tough get going! Love you. Thanks to my grandparents for teaching me what being Italian in South Philly is all about. They have always seen the best in me and nothing else; for that I am grateful. I know they are and will always be proud of me. I want to thank my brothers, Tony and Shawn, for always standing by me and sticking up for me. We have a special bond that can never be broken. Special thanks to my entire family: the Paganos, Iannacones, Donahues, Seravallis, and Giordanos (there are so many of you) for standing by me through thick and thin. You always have faith in me and push me to do my best. I love every single one of you.
Thanks to all my friends for always being by my side forever more—that’s what friends are for. To my work peeps, you are all the best and such great supporters.
My street team members are the best. Thanks for always pimping me out and spreading the love.
To my beta readers: You guys are the best. You stick by me no matter what.
Kelly Sloane, Mayas Sanders, Samantha Wiley, Cecily Bonney, Beth Santucci, Angela Cruz, Jennifer Cassell, Kelly Kline, Stephanie Christensen, Tabitha Charisse, Brianna Jacot, Autumn Oertel, Karen Fischer, Jessica Anhalt.
To my PA and Book Manager… Oh! my photographer, too—Jessica Anhalt: Thanks for all you do. You have helped me out so much, and I truly appreciate all your hard work. You’re the best!! I am so happy that we have become lifelong friends!!
I want to thank the Booktrope Staff for accepting me into their family and believing in my book. They are a great bunch of people to work with, and I couldn’t be any happier than I am.
To my awesome Booktrope Team: It has been such a pleasure working with you. I have picked such an amazing crew. Jessica Anhalt (Book Manager and Project Manager) Robin Harper (Designer), Kathryn Galan (Editor), Lisa Gilliam (Proofreader). Without this team, Provoked would not be possible.
To the Facebook Community—Authors and Bloggers: Thank you for all your support and for spreading the word.
Thank you to all my readers. You make my job possible. Without you, I wouldn’t be.
I dedicate this book to every person who has struggled with a weight issue, whether in your past or present, and to all the children who have to endure bullying and torment because they may be different than others. Never let anyone bring you down. You are beautiful inside and out, and no person should ever get a say in that. You make your own dreams and destiny. Weight doesn’t make a person. Your character does.
PROLOGUE
October 2005
Hailey
I’VE FELT THE STARES. I’ve heard the whispers. No one can describe how it feels inside unless they’ve lived through it. I’ve battled my weight all my life. When I look in the mirror, I’m disgusted with myself. How could it have gotten to this point? I can’t dress the way the other girls at school do. They have all the trendy clothes, while I have to walk around in anything that fits me. I normally look grungy or unkempt.
I walk right past my locker because I don’t want to stop at it until the popular clique has moved away. I can’t deal with the torment that they put me through.
“Oh look, here comes Hailey the Heifer,” Carrie yells from the locker, holding her hand over her mouth and laughing. Paulina and Laney chime in with her. They are my enemies, put on this earth to make my life a living hell. I go through this every day with them. I want to just go up to Carrie, grab her hair, throw her on the ground and beat the shit out of her, but I am a better person. I try to ignore the ridicule, but it hurts inside. I know what I look like. I know what people see, and I know how I feel.
Carrie is the ringleader. She is your typical skinny cheerleader who has the perfect everything, including her boyfriend. She is dating the most popular guy at school, Chase O’Brien. He is the captain of the lacrosse team. They have been together for a while now. He is very nice, so I’m not sure what he sees in her besides looks.
As I walk by, I hear him ask, “Why don’t you just leave her alone?” I’m actually shocked at the sudden outburst.
“Why are you sticking up for the cow?” Carrie responds.
“She didn’t do anything to you,” Chase argues.
“Go with her then,” she yells.
“Car, sometimes you can be such a bitch,” Chase says, slamming his locker and walking away.
I’m honored he stuck up for me, but, as far as I’m concerned, they are a clique that sticks together. You are the company you keep, especially when that person is your girlfriend.
One day I will overcome these barriers and be better than they are. I may never be a supermodel, but I, Hailey McCormick, will show all of them. I will no longer be a skinny girl living in a fat girl’s body. I will no longer be bullied because of my differences. I will succeed.
CHAPTER 1
Present Day
Hailey
I PUSH SALAD AROUND my plate as I sit with my latest potential client. I decided to take her to lunch to hear her reasons as to why she thinks I should sign her to my publishing company. I already know that I want to bring her on, but I want to get to know her a little better. I feel it’s best to meet with a writer in person, just to see their actions and reactions.
As I listen to her talk, I am tormented by the sight of her cheeseburger and French fries. They look so good, but I can’t allow myself to eat that way any longer. I changed my eating habits a long time ago.
After questioning her for an hour, I reach out my hand to her.
“Welcome to McCormick Publishing. I’m delighted to have you sign on with us.” I can see the excitement on her face. This is a big deal for most authors. I have so many writers trying to get into my company that I can be very selective when it comes to my decision.
“This is an honor, Mrs. McCormick.”
“It’s ‘Miss,’ but thank you. I will assign someone to start working with you right away.”
“Oh wow, thank you,” the new client shrieks. I love seeing people’s happy faces. I started this company because of my love of reading and writing. I have a few romance novels that I published last year¸ so to see other people live out their dreams is the sole purpose of my business.
I pay the bill when the waiter brings it over, and we go our separate ways. I head back to my office where I have a lot of paperwork to tend to. The temperature has dropped tremendously. January is very cold in New York. I’m just happy that the snow hasn’t hit us yet. I’m still able to get around on foot.
My business is located in a high-rise in the city. I jump on the elevator along with all the other business gurus who are also just finishing up their lunches. I try not to pay attention to the conversations that occur in elevators, but sometimes it’s just too funny not to listen in. I’m still laughing to myself as I exit on the seventeenth floor. My secretary, Melanie, has my messages all ready for me; I stop by to chat with her before entering my office.
“Did the guy come to fix the sign yet?” I ask as I flip through the call-back notes.
“No. Maintenance said they’re behind.”
“Ugh, they are useless. Okay, let me know what they say. If they’re not here by tomorrow, then we need to stalk them.”
“Here’s your mail, too,” Melanie says, handing me a huge pile. “They dropped it off late today.”
“Damn, I know what I’ll be doing today. Manuscripts out the ass are in this pile. Hold my calls and take messages.”
“Will do,” she says.
I have the best secretary around. She is like my right-hand woman. She gets me through a lot of crap that I have to deal with running my own business. I have a team of people who have different responsibilities, but she is just on-point with everything. She keeps me organized.
The refrigerator in my office is stocked with Diet Pepsi and water. If I feel like something sweet, I grab a soda… no calories. I toss the mail on my desk and open my blinds. I love overlooking Central Park.
Can I get any more pathetic than I am? I am lonely and act like it doesn’t bother me. I think I just probably need to get laid, like my best friend Erica tells me repeatedly. I look down out of the window. Could “the one” be out there for me? I doubt it. The problem is that none of these so-called hot bachelors who act like little boys do anything for me. I need a man… Someone who is going to rock my world but give me everything else that I need, as well. That may happen when pigs fly. Until then, I will sit down at my desk, review my manuscripts, and open my mail.
I start tossing into the junk pile. Oh, here’s a good one! Ten percent off of lingerie at Victoria’s Secret. Junk… Oooo, an invitation. I just love them. If I have to go to another wedding solo, though, I may just scream at the top of my lungs.
Who the hell is this Marcy Cunningham on the return address? I open the envelope and pull out the invitation.
You are cordially invited to the St. Cecilia High School Ten Year Reunion.
Oohhh, I get to bring a spouse, assuming that I have one… Freaks. Why did they send it here? My parents still live at the same house I grew up in. Anyway, I’ll probably be declining this invite… Junk.
I toss it. I hated high school so much. It was a breeding ground for assholes. I wonder what the hell all those bitches are up to who made my life a living hell. They probably all have perfect rah-rah-cheerleading-type happy lives.
I’m not complaining actually. I made the life that I wanted for myself. I ended up losing eighty-five pounds, which was a very big accomplishment for me. I have my own business. What more can I ask for?
That’s when Chase O’Brien pops into my head. I shake it off and grab a Diet Pepsi… Moving on.
CHAPTER 2
Chase
MY FRUSTRATION LEVEL is extremely high right now. I had to come to the gym and work it out. I have my iPhone on blast to Jay Z’s “99 Problems” blaring through my earphones. That’s the kind of mood I’m in. I deserve this, because I put myself in these situations by dating bitches. One after another, I end up with another bitch who wants to play games then act controlling.
I thought Megan was different than the rest. We have been together for two years. That’s usually a good sign… right? Not in my life. I was going to ask her to move in with me. That’s a big step for me and would have probably been the biggest mistake of my life. She was practically at my house every day anyway, so it seemed like the normal thing to do, the next step in our relationship.
The past few weeks she has been acting weird. I asked her what was wrong, but she would just say, “Nothing.” I wasn’t going to force her to tell me. I let it go.
This morning, I got a call from my sister Tara who was screaming that she was going to kick Megan’s ass. She is a few years younger, but she knows all the same people I do. I was taken aback, obviously, because she was talking about my girlfriend. I calmly asked her what was wrong. My sister never liked Megan to begin with, so I wasn’t surprised by the madness.
“Tar, what’s going on?” I asked again.
“You’ll never believe what Heather called and told me,” she yelled into the phone. She continued without waiting for me to respond. “She went to the bar with Jimmy last night, and Megan was in there with some guy. They are obviously a fucking couple or really close. He had his hand on her thigh, and they were shoving their tongues down each other’s throat every chance they got. Heather said she couldn’t watch any longer, so she left. She was debating on whether or not to tell me. She’s my best friend, though, so she felt she had to let me know.”
“Are you fucking joking? You better be, because Megan told me she had a migraine last night and was staying in bed,” I yelled back.
“Chase, why would I lie? She’s a fucking pig, and yeah, she was in bed all night, but it was with that guy.”
“Tar, I gotta go.” I slammed my phone on the kitchen counter, not caring if I cracked it on the granite top. I paced the kitchen. I didn’t want to accuse her, but I needed her to confess.
Fuck it, I don’t care. I’m confronting her.
I dialed her number. She picked up groggily. It was ten a.m. Why is she still sleeping? That’s definitely not like her.
“Still have a headache?” I asked with an attitude. “You must, if you’re still sleeping.”
“What’s your problem?” she asked, probably rolling her eyes. I was picturing it in my head.
“Listen, I’m gonna get to the point. I know about your boyfriend. You might as well just come out with it,” I said, throwing it out there.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she replied, denying it.
I could definitely hear a guy whispering in the background. I sat there, not saying anything.
“Obviously you’re upset. We can talk about this later,” she said, acting very strangely.
“Megan, we’re through. I’m fucking done with you. Let me know when you’re getting your shit out of my house. Have fun with your new man. I hope he treats you as good as I did,” I yelled into the phone. I felt like I needed anger management. I’m normally calm, but this mess just caught me by surprise.
I hung up on her as she was yelling for me to wait. I left the house and here I am… at the gym.
Normally I bench press 110 pounds; today I’m pushing it to 130, and I’m blocking out all the guys I normally hang out with in here. My best friend Parker is across the room on another weight bench. He starts walking toward me so I stop my reps, sit up and grab my water bottle. I pull my earphones out.
“Dude, what’s up?” he says, looking me up and down. “I called you an hour ago. You look crazy.”
“I feel crazy. I’m pissed off. I just broke up with Megan,” I say, taking another gulp of water.
“I’m sorry. No, I’m not. She was a bitch. You could do better than her. The only thing she had going for her was her rack.”
“Seriously, P, I’m not in the mood,” I grunt. “I guess I’m the only one who didn’t see she was a bitch.”
“Nah, you were pussy-whipped. I mean I would have been, too, if I was banging that. Let’s go out tonight. You can pick up a random chick and give it to her O’Brien style.” He laughs.
He’s really not funny. Well, at least I don’t think so at the moment. His only response ever is to go out drinking, hence the reason he owns his own bar.
“I have work at the pharmacy tonight and have lacrosse practice early in the morning tomorrow.”
“I’m fucking neglected. You never have time for me, between being a pro lacrosse player and a pharmacist.”
“I don’t have time for myself.”
“Maybe Megan felt that way too,” he says, bringing up the obvious.
“You think I don’t know that? But you just don’t go and find someone else.”
“Nasty ho.” I give him a warning look, so Parker changes the subject. “Did you get your invitation yet?”
“For what?” I ask.
“High school reunion. Ten years, man.”
“No, and hell no I’m not going.”
“What? The lacrosse star and most popular guy at school. You are expected to be there.”
“I refuse to see that bitch Carrie,” I remind him, in case he’s forgotten my high school sweetheart… not.
“Maybe she changed. Maybe you’re meant to be.”
“I’m going back to my weights. I’ve heard enough.” I lie back down on the bench.
Hell will freeze over before I step foot in that reunion.
Back to Jay Z and my own ninety-nine problems.
CHAPTER 3
Chase
A WEEK’S PASSED since I broke up with Megan. She has called a couple of times, but I refuse to answer. I don’t care what she has to say. I did finally listen to the voicemail from this morning, though.
“Chase, it’s Megan… Again. We need to talk about this. I think you overreacted. I’ll be over tonight at seven to figure this out.” She disconnected the call. Damn it. I don’t want to see her, but I guess I have no choice since she’ll be here in fifteen minutes.
I’m not even going to rush to get changed. She’ll be gone as soon as she gets here. I’m sitting here on my sectional in my clothes from the gym. I just got in half an hour ago and still have on gray Gap sweatpants and an NYU T-shirt. I need a shower, but this bitch will try to get in with me if I take one now. I have no intention of getting back with her, even if she flaunts her fake breasts in my face. I know Megan. She is going to use sex to get me back. She will throw herself at me. She always did that whenever we had stupid little arguments.
I get up off the sofa and walk to my stainless steel fridge to grab a cold water. I was going to make a salad and some grilled chicken, but that can wait until I get rid of her.
She texts my phone saying she is on her way over. I can’t contain my excitement. I sit back on the sofa and put my feet up on the coffee table, flipping on ESPN to catch the beginning of the Knicks game. I’m totally engrossed in it when I hear Megan walk in. I left the door open purposely so I didn’t have to get up and answer it.
“Hey babe,” she says, tossing her Michael Kors bag on the sofa.
“Yeah, are you here to get your shit? I boxed it up. It’s on the dining room table.” I’m doing good, so long as I don’t look at her body and get a hard-on.
“You’re taking this break-up to the extreme, don’t you think?” she asks with her hands on her hips. I can see her nipples hard through the tight T-shirt that fits over her breasts. I just want to grab her hips and take her right here. I need to get a grip. She fucked another man. She was in bed with him and lied to me.
“No. You banged some other guy. I don’t want you.” She walks toward me. My heart starts beating. I jump off the sofa. “Megan don’t… I can’t do this. Take the box and get out of my life.”
“You’re just gonna throw me out of your life, like we had nothing?” she whines.
“You did that to me.” I shove the box at her and throw her bag and coat on top of it. I push her out the door. “Don’t ever call me again. I’m through.” I slam the door behind her and want to take a cold fucking shower.
