PIECES OF US

DAMAGED HEART SERIES : PREQUEL NOVELLA

KATHARINA LEBOEUF

KATHARINA LEBOEUF

DAMAGED HEART SERIES : PREQUEL NOVELLA

Pieces of Us

Copyright @ 2017 Katharina LeBoeuf

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written consent of the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or publisher.

Editor:

Lorelei Logsdon @ www.LoreleiLogsdon.com

Proofreading:

Cat Parisi @ Cat’s Eye Proofing & Promos

Interior Design and Formatting:

Katharina LeBoeuf

Cover Design:

Marisa Shor of Cover me Darling

Photographer:

sergiophoto—stock.adobe.com

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Created with Vellum

To the boy who stole my heart at 14 and never gave it back. I love you baby!

1

EMMA

“Holy crap, Claudia, do you see that guy standing over there?” He was standing with a group of friends, but I only noticed him. His dark hair contrasted with the red shirt that his muscles were straining against to get free.

It was the last day of our school fair. Even though it was October the sun was smoldering. Just standing in the heat induced beads of sweat to form on my nose. We were standing in line to ride the Ferris wheel. Bringing you so high in the sky you could see everything for miles made it one of my favorite rides. We didn’t have any kind of amusement park in New Orleans anymore. Pontchartrain Beach had closed down a long time ago, so unless we went to Six Flags in Texas or Disney World, our local schools were the only chances we had at any kind of amusement park.

Claudia, my friend since second grade, pivoted her body to face the same direction I was. “Hmmm, I’ve never seen him before. He must be one of those public school losers that invade our school fair every year.”

“Claudia! That’s so mean.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, it’s true. You can tell by the way he dresses that he doesn’t belong here. Besides, if your mother even knew you were looking at a guy that didn’t go to our school she’d have a cow.” Boys that we usually hung out with wore khaki pants or shorts with some sort of Polo or Izod shirt and topsiders. This guy was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Claudia was right, it was obvious he didn’t go to our school, but there was something about him that caught my attention.

“Pfft, well, she doesn’t need to know, now does she?”

“Whatever. You know she’ll find out. She always does.”

“Claudia, I’m just appreciating the view. Besides, he hasn’t even noticed me.” Nudging her arm, I said, “Come on, it’s our turn.”

We got in the chair and locked the bar across our laps. The chair moved up slightly for the next riders to get on. It continued slowly until all the chairs were filled, then the wheel went around completely several times before they started replacing the riders again. We sat at the top for a while and I could see the crest of the Superdome. I loved seeing the city skyline, but it was prettier at night when all the buildings were lit.

I took a deep breath, inhaling the various smells of a typical fair, distinctively finding my favorite. “Can you smell the funnel cakes? Mmmm. I want to get one when we get off.”

“My God, Emma, you eat too much junk food.”

I rolled my eyes at her, wondering how we’d managed to stay friends for so long. We were total opposites. She loved to flirt; I believed a guy should approach the girl. She wore flashy clothes; I dressed conservatively. She loved to shop and spend money on herself; I loved to volunteer at the shelter with my dad whenever we could.

Our chair had reached the bottom and we exited the ride, heading toward the funnel cake booth. I had lost sight of the boy I had noticed before. It wasn’t like I was going to initiate talking to him anyway.

2

RYAN

I saw her standing in line for the Ferris wheel. She was the prettiest girl I had ever laid eyes on. Long milk-chocolate-colored hair, dark brown eyes—so dark you almost couldn’t see where her pupil started, curves that were full and natural. I wanted her right then and there. I wanted her to be my brown-eyed girl.

I wasn’t the bravest when it came to meeting girls, but something pulled inside me and I knew I couldn’t let this moment pass without knowing her name or my universe would never be the same. I waited for her to get off the ride and when she was walking away I ‘accidentally’ bumped into her. She was startled at first, but when our eyes met I could see her relax and she smiled at me. Holy crap, that sweet mouth and those brown eyes made a jolt go through my body and straight into my pants. “I’m sorry, I should watch where I’m going.” I placed my hand on her arm to steady her from falling. “I’m Ry. What’s your name?”

Her friend had one side of her lip raised, and her eyebrows and eyes were crinkled as if I were the grossest thing she’d ever seen. I was used to these rich girls acting like that toward me so it didn’t faze me like I’m sure she had hoped. She turned her head, searching for someone. “Oh, there’s Vincent and Chris. Let’s go talk to them.” She tugged on the arm of the girl I had bumped into, but she pulled away from her bossy friend. “You go ahead, Claudia, I’ll catch up with you later.” Her friend huffed as she stomped off, leaving us alone.

She hadn’t taken her eyes off me yet. I know because I hadn’t taken my eyes off her. Responding to my introduction, she laughed at me. “Rye? As in Rye bread?”

Oh, she was cute all right, and sassy. I raised my eyebrows. “Uh, no, Ry as in Ryan—Ryan Adams.”

She glanced up at the clear blue sky and smirked like she was planning something in her head. The way she looked at me, smiling with her little dimple showing, had me mesmerized. “Emma—my name is Emma Leroux.” The way her mouth moved and the way her name came off her lips had my knees going weak, so I leaned up on the fence, trying not to look like a dumb idiot.

Playing it cool, I casually nodded and asked her what school she went to. When she said she went to St. Andrew’s, a private need-lots-of-money-to-go-to school, I knew she was out of my league. It was the elite private school of New Orleans. Everyone who was important and had a lot of money sent their kids to St. Andrew’s. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if the governor sent his kids all the way from Baton Rouge just to attend. It was like a requirement for the rich or they’d be ostracized and banned from their little social circle.

Immediately I felt disappointed in the social economic status I was born into. She was polite and returned the question, asking what school I attended. I turned my head so I didn’t have to see the judgment in her eyes. “The public school down the road.”

I had completely expected her to just walk away at that point, like her friend had, and not waste another second on my sorry self, but she didn’t. Still, I didn’t have the confidence to continue, knowing she had to be a rich girl who would never want someone like me. Even if she were interested, I was sure her parents wouldn’t allow her to date an outsider. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Emma. I guess I should go catch up with my friends. See ya around.”

I started to walk away from her, noticing she had her mouth open, feigning surprise that I wasn’t sticking around. When I was a few feet away, she hollered, “Wait up, Rye bread.”

I stopped, raised my eyes up at the sky, grinned, and shook my head. I slowly rotated to face her and was again caught off guard at how beautiful she was.

She pulled two tickets out of her pocket and waved them at me. “Want to ride the Ferris wheel with me?”

I gulped so loudly I knew she had to have heard me. I was trying to act cool, so I said nonchalantly, “Yeah, sure.”

While we stood in line I tried to stand as close to her as possible, letting my arm rub against hers. She never made the effort to put space between us so I stayed as close to her as I could. I’d catch myself glancing at her, taking her beauty in, wondering how she could still be talking to me knowing I went to the public school.

3

EMMA

I couldn’t believe he bumped into me when I was getting off the ride. I thought for sure he hadn’t noticed me, but I suspected his little mishap was on purpose. As we stood in line he scooted closer to me. Every time his arm brushed mine I felt a tingling travel up my arm as the goose bumps formed. He was so cute. Dark hair, chocolate-colored eyes that changed from dark to caramel as the sun reflected on them. He was wearing tight jeans that hugged his athletic thighs and butt. His red T-shirt hugged him tight, allowing his muscles to imprint on the fabric. He had the most adorable smile that revealed his dimples.

“So what grade are you in, Rye?”

“I’m a senior. What about you?”

“Junior. You play any sports?”

“Yeah, pretty much everything except wrestling.” He glowered at Vincent, and I noticed his jaw tighten. “I can’t stand wrestlers.”

I giggled. “All wrestlers, or just Vincent? I saw how you clenched up when you looked at him. He has that effect on a lot of people. He’s a bit of a jerk.”

“Pfft, jerk is too nice a word for him. He’s an ass—. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t curse in front of you.”

He was so well-mannered and polite. Unlike the rich, pompous boys who went to St. Andrews and hung out at the country club. They thought they were all that, but when the adults weren’t around they were foul-mouthed, rude and disrespectful. They lived a life of entitlement because of their parents’ hard work and they judged everyone that wasn’t in their circle. I had gone on one date with Vincent when I was sixteen. Even after my father spoke to him about his expectations on how he wanted me to be treated, he still grabbed my boob in the movie theater. I elbowed him hard in the ribs and leaned against the other arm of the chair, trying to put as much distance between us without getting up and making a scene. He apologized to me afterward and wanted another chance, but I was not interested.

“It’s okay,” I finally said.

“Um, no, it’s not. My momma taught me manners and how to treat a lady.”

He surprised me. Everything I’d heard from my friends and my mother about the ‘other people’ that weren’t in our social class were that they were uneducated, rude and dirty. Rye wasn’t any of these things. “Well, thank you, that’s sweet of you.”

Once the ride was over, he asked me if I wanted anything to eat or drink. I had remembered the funnel cake I wanted earlier but I wasn’t going to eat that in front of him. “I’m good, but thank you.”

“I love cotton candy, but can’t eat it all. Do you want to share one with me?”

Not ready to go back to Claudia, I agreed. We sat together and I picked a piece of cotton and tried to put it in my mouth gracefully. Before I knew it, it was gone and I had only taken about three bites. Shaking my head, I laughed at him. “Wow, I’m glad you couldn’t eat it all. Those three small bites I had might’ve put you over the edge.”

Redness crept up his neck as he studied the empty paper stick in his hand. He shook his head and laughed too. “I’m so sorry. I guess I got carried away. Can I buy you another one?”

“No, I’m afraid you’ll go into a sugar coma if you eat another one.”

Pushing my shoulder gently with his, he said, “Hey now, I’m sure if you took another three mouse-sized bites I’d be okay.”

“I tell you what, why don’t you burn off some of that sugar and win me a stuffed animal?” He stood up and reached for my hand.

“It would be my pleasure.” I placed my hand in his and from then on we never let go unless he was shooting a basketball into the hoop, which only took a few minutes. He made every shot and won me the cutest little stuffed panda bear.

4

RYAN

We ended up spending the whole day together. We talked, rode rides. I won her a stuffed animal shooting basketballs into hoops. It was the best day of my life. She was so easy to talk to. I could be my quirky self around her and she didn’t seem to judge me. She wasn’t pretentious like the other rich girls I had met before. In fact, if I didn’t know she went to St. Andrew’s, I’d think she was just like me. I made sure to get her phone number before she had to leave, and I called her that night just to hear her voice again.

We talked on the phone all week. If we weren’t talking we were texting, never running out of things to say. I had her class schedule memorized and surprised her on Friday, showing up at the back gate when she was at P.E. When I spotted her across the yard, I started getting a boner just watching her in her hot gym shorts. She finally noticed me and ran to the gate, holding on to the links with her manicured fingers, her hair blowing back and exposing her beautiful face. I placed my hands over hers, wanting to touch her somehow. The corner of her lips reached up and her eyes sparkled as the sun caught them. In a surprised, slightly high-pitched voice, she said, “Rye bread! What are you doing here?”

I was starting to like the nickname she had given me. I was still trying to think of one for her, but I hadn’t come up with one good enough yet. “I get out early on Fridays. I wanted to ask you something in person.” Keeping my eyes locked with hers, I said, “Will you go out with me tomorrow night?”

She answered so fast, as if she knew the question was coming. “Yes, I’d like to go out with you.”

I exhaled a breath of relief. Even though we had been talking every free second we had, I didn’t know if she would actually go on a date with me. “Great, I’d like to pick you up at six and take you to a movie. Does that sound okay to you?”

Giggling and still donning her beautiful smile, she said, “That sounds perfect. You might want to come about fifteen minutes early. My mom and dad will want to meet you before we go out.”

I dropped my hands to my side and stared at the ground with the mention of meeting her mother and father. Once they saw me, they would kick me to the curb and tell me to never talk to their daughter again. “What’s wrong, Rye?”

I cleared my throat as I fixed my eyes on a pebble, moving it back and forth with my shoe. “Emma, if I meet your parents, they won’t let us go out. As soon as they know where I go to school and where I live they will hate me.”

Her eyes furrowed and her lips fell into a flat line. “Ryan, you judging my parents like that is just as bad as them judging you. You don’t know what they are going to say. If you want to use my social status as an excuse to not date me then why did you come all the way over here to ask me out?”

Surprised by her answer, I felt foolish for saying anything. Before I could respond, her teacher yelled for her to get back to class. She slowly dropped her hands from the links and walked back toward her class. Afraid I screwed things up, I shouted, “I’m sorry, Emma. I’ll call you after school.” She picked up her pace into a jog and didn’t look back or respond.

I knew I had messed up but I was always a realist. Emma was way out of my league. She might not have seen it but I knew her parents would.

5

EMMA

At first I was hurt by Ryan’s comment, but as the day progressed I became angrier and angrier. By the time I got out of school and my phone rang, I was ready to let loose. “Hey, Emma. Listen, I want—”

“Let me tell you something, Ryan. You are so hung up on the differences in our social status that you have become a judgmental fool. You know nothing about my parents and to assume they wouldn’t like you tells me that you really don’t know anything about me either. Have I judged you? No. Have I made you feel less than me? No. So what in the world would make you think my parents would? Unless you are just embarrassed to go out with me. Is that it? Are your friends making fun of you because you’re talking to a rich girl? What are you afraid of, Ryan?”

When I finished my rant, we sat on the phone silently for what felt like an eternity. Allowing myself all day to stew on this, I had concocted a whole story as to why Ryan didn’t want to date me and was using status as an excuse. I could hear him sigh on the other end of the phone before he finally spoke. “I am afraid.”

Caught off guard by his simple statement, I said, “Afraid of what, Rye?”

“I’m afraid that I’m totally falling head over heels for you and one day someone—whether it’s your parents or your friends—are going to make you see that I’m not good enough for you, Emma. I’m just not ready for that to happen yet. I’m being selfish, I know, but I want more time with you before you realize what you’re not seeing yet. Even if it’s short-lived, getting to know you has been the best thing in my life. I don’t want it to stop.”

Shocked by his revelation, but determined to make him see things differently, I lost the last bit of anger I was holding on to. “Rye bread, that is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. You have to trust me on this, though. My dad doesn’t judge people like that. My mom might be a little different, but I’m not worried about her. I certainly don’t care what my friends say either. All that matters is what we think of each other. I think I’m falling for you too, Rye, and honestly, I don’t care about the other stuff. Can you please meet my parents tomorrow? I can’t go on a date with you unless they at least meet you first. It may sound a little over protective, but it’s one of their rules.”

Letting out a breath, he said, “Okay, Emma. I’ll trust you on this. I’ll be at your house tomorrow to meet your parents.”

I sighed in relief and we continued talking until we both fell asleep on the phone.

6

RYAN

I arrived at her house early and was nervous as hell. My palms were sweaty and my chest felt tight. Thankfully, Emma answered the door. Just seeing her helped me relax a little. She led me to the living room where her mother and father were sitting. Mr. Leroux got up and shook my hand as I introduced myself. Mrs. Leroux gave me a stiff grin and nodded when I told her it was a pleasure to meet her. Mr. Leroux began asking me a slew of questions. When the ones about what school I went to and where I lived came up, I saw Mrs. Leroux’s head shaking side to side through the corner of my eye. Things were not going well and I could feel beads of sweat gathering on my forehead. Emma stood up and grabbed my arm to follow her. “Well, Mom and Dad, we need to get going if we want to make the show on time.” Mr. Leroux followed us to the door while Mrs. Leroux stayed seated. As we walked, her dad gave me a list of his expectations on how I was to treat his only daughter and what time I should have her back.

Once we were both in my car, I let out a deep breath and Emma laughed. “That was intense.”

“My dad likes you.”

“How do you know?”

“I know my dad. If he didn’t like you he wouldn’t have talked to you much. My mom may take a little while to come around. But I’m not worried.”

“I enjoyed talking with him. He’s very down-to-earth. Not what I expected.”

“What did you expect?”

“Um, someone more like your mom.”

We laughed together and I grabbed her hand as I drove to the theater.

The first date led to many others. I spent a lot of time at Emma’s house. Her mother avoided me most of the time. When she did speak to me it was always demeaning and condescending. She’d get little digs in about the school I attended or the part of town I lived in. Her dad liked me. I think he was the reason I was able to see Emma at all. He would talk to me a lot when I visited.

He was like Emma, never judging me for where I came from. Encouraging me to work hard in school. Hell, he was becoming more of a father-figure to me than my own dad. He’d give me advice on career options and attending college after graduation. Always encouraging me and telling me I could do anything if I worked hard. The bond he and Emma had was incredible and something I’d always longed for with my own father.

I think sometimes Emma would get a little jealous because I enjoyed sitting and talking with him when I visited. I would never leave her alone too long, though, because I wanted to spend every little second I had with her, making her happy, making her laugh.

After a few months we went steady even though her mother hated me. I gave Emma my senior ring to wear and she never took it off. One day I told her I loved her and was going to marry her. She laughed at me and said I was too young to know what love was or to know if we would be married.

We wrote each other short letters every week. I’d get out of school early on Fridays, passing outside her high school when I knew she’d be on the tennis courts for P.E. class. We’d exchange notes, talk and flirt with each other at the fence until a teacher would call her back to class.

One night, we were on our three-month-anniversary date at a little pizza place we frequented. Emma noticed my shoulders tighten and she twisted around to see who had made me tense up. Vincent sneered at me and I focused on Emma, grabbing her hands on the table and holding her attention. “There’s history with you and Vincent, isn’t there? You’ve never told me what happened between you two.”

“I haven’t told you because it’s not worth wasting any of my time with you to discuss his worthless butt.” Unconsciously, I squeezed her hands as he and his goons strutted toward us. I maintained eye contact with Emma, hoping Vincent wasn’t going to cause any trouble. I knew I could take him but the problem with Vincent was that he never played fair. One of my friends had had a disagreement with him and they were going to settle their argument once and for all one afternoon. My friend showed up alone like they had agreed. Vincent showed up with a couple friends and his older brother. JoJo never had a chance and ended up with two broken arms, a ruptured spleen and some nerve damage to the right side of his face. The worst part was that Vincent had gotten away with it.

Emma broke eye contact with me when she realized Vincent was standing by our table. “Hey, Emma, what are you doing out with this loser? You know I have more to offer you than him.” He put his hand on his crotch and adjusted himself in front of my girl.

Sensing I was about to lose it, Emma squeezed my hands harder, making me lose focus on Vincent. “Vincent, if you give us any trouble, I’ll be sure to let my dad know what you did. I’m sure you don’t want your parents finding out, now do you?”

There was obviously something Emma knew that could shut Vincent up instantly. His face became beet red; he narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. He turned his gaze from her and glared at me. “I’d better not find you alone anytime soon, Ryan; if I do, I’ll be sure to give you a little taste of what JoJo got.”

“Vincent, you leave Ryan out of this and if you so much as lay a finger on him, I guarantee my dad will get involved.” He sneered at us both and left the building with his friends trailing behind.

We both exhaled at the same time once they were out the door. “I’m sorry, Rye. He’s such a jerk.”

“Nothing to be sorry about, Em. I don’t know what you have over his head, but it sure kept him in line.”

I watched as the redness crept up her neck and to her cheeks. I patted her hand and let her off the hook. “It’s okay, you don’t need to tell me. I have my own issues with him that are probably better off left alone too.”

She smiled meekly at me and mouthed “thank you” and blew me a kiss.

Dating Emma was the best thing in my life. I was studying hard and had brought all my grades up to A’s. I stopped hanging with the friends that smoked pot on the weekends. I started thinking about my future and what I had to do to make a good life for Emma. Young or not, I knew she was my future.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, though, I knew deep down inside that things were too good to be true, especially for a guy like me. Sure enough, a couple of months before graduation the shit hit the fan. Her father was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer. He was determined to fight it with everything he had but his prognosis was not good. We started arguing about stupid little things. When I’d bring up the fact that her mother was making it difficult for us to see each other, putting distance between us, and manipulating her into thinking it was for her father’s best interest, she would refuse to believe it and get angry, saying her mother wouldn’t use her father’s illness to do that to us.

She was a mess. She once told me that her father and I were the only two people who ever really saw her and knew her for who she was. It seemed like she had forgotten that. She was losing her father and, at the same time, pushing me away.

7

EMMA

I slowly lowered myself into the kitchen chair as tears burned the back of my eyes, unable to believe what my mother had just divulged. “Dad told you that?”

Casting her gaze away from me, she sat straight with her shoulders back in proper posture. “Yes, dear, he did. You know he always has your best interest at heart. Don’t get me wrong, he likes Ryan and thinks he’s a nice boy. But he doesn’t really think your relationship will last past high school. He can’t even afford to pay for college. Without a degree he wouldn’t be able to find a decent job.”

My bottom lip trembled as I felt the flow of tears down my cheeks. I licked my lips, tasting the saltiness. “Why now? He knows I love Ryan.”

“Because now he’s dying of cancer. People tend to look at things differently when they are faced with the end of their lives. He has worked hard his whole life and given us a very comfortable lifestyle. Knowing he won’t be here to protect you, he wants to make sure you don’t end up with someone like Ryan who could one day drain your savings account because he can’t find a job. I for one think Vincent would be the perfect match for you.”

“What! He is such a creep mom, you have no idea.”

“Oh quit with the dramatics Emma. You went on one date with him when you were sixteen. You can’t possibly come to a conclusion about him from that one instance. He comes from a very affluent family that is raising him right. He will grow up to be a fine businessman and husband one day.”

“Mom, he’s not a nice guy. Trust me on this.”

“All I’m saying is people grow up and change. With his upbringing he will be quite the catch. You’ll see.”

“Does dad think I should date Vincent too?”

“He never said that in so many words, but we did both agree on the differences between Vincent and Ryan.”

I shot up from my chair, determined to go upstairs and talk to my father. “I need to talk to dad. I need to hear him tell me he doesn’t think Ryan is right for me”

With coldness and calculation in her tone, her voice echoed off the walls, “No, Emma. Your father is not well. He needs to save his energy and not be burdened with your silly boy-problems. Now, you know him and I talk about everything and these are the things he has shared with me. He knew you’d be upset and asked me to tell you so it wouldn’t be so taxing on him.”

I stopped at the kitchen doorway, contemplating my next move while she sat at the table so smug and proper. My shoulders slumped down and my hands were shaking as a wave of nausea rose up with the realization that my mother was right. My father didn’t need to be bothered with my problems. He was dying. If he told her these things, then I would have to take her word for it. Even though I was closer to my father, I knew my mother loved me too. I was worried about my father getting weaker and being unable to fight this disease. I was afraid to burden him with anything else. I couldn’t do that to him.

I ran to my room, throwing myself on my bed. Kicking, screaming and punching my pillow did nothing to alleviate the pain I felt in my chest. I cried myself to sleep, waking the next morning with puffy eyes and feeling empty and alone.

I hadn’t been able to spend a lot of time with my dad lately. I missed talking and hanging out with him. Still in disbelief that my dad thought I should break up with Ryan, I walked down to his room. If the opportunity to ask him about Ryan allowed itself, I would ask him, but I wouldn’t push it. I slowly opened the door trying not to wake him in case he was still sleeping. Tiptoeing to the side of his bed I gently sat next to him. The movement woke him and he gave me a tender hearted smile.

“Emma, sweetheart. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too daddy. How are you feeling?”

“I’m tired, but I’m fighting this cancer. It’s not going to take me down without a fight.”

“Hmm. It definitely picked the wrong guy to mess with. You’re the strongest person I know. If anyone can beat it, it’s you.”

He reached for my hand and squeezed it tenderly. “You help give me the strength to fight this. You are so strong yourself. No matter what happens don’t ever forget that.”

“I won’t, not ever.”

His eyelids looked heavy and like he was having trouble keeping them open. If I was going to ask him about Ryan, now was the time.

“Daddy?”

His eyes popped open and then fluttered while he continued to fight against sleep.

“Mom told me yesterday that y’all talked about Ryan and his future.”

“Yes Emma we’ve talked about Ryan. He’s a good boy, it’s a shame he’s struggled so much with school and his family.” His voice trailed off and his eyes closed again.

“Yes daddy, but did you tell her that Ryan and I wouldn’t have a future together?” He didn’t answer me and a tiny snore came from his throat. I had almost gotten to my question and I needed the answer from him. I tapped him on the shoulder causing him to lazily open his eyes. “So did you say that about Ryan and I’s future?”

Sleepily he answered, “I’m sorry honey, that medicine makes me so tired. I’m sure your mom can answer your question. I just can’t keep my eyes--.” He fell asleep mid-sentence.

I drew my own conclusions from the brief conversation we had. I didn’t need to ask her again, I knew what she would say. If breaking up with Ryan gave my dad some peace of mind while he was fighting for his life, then I was going to do it. I bolted up and ran to the bathroom, just making it in time as my stomach emptied.

Glimpsing at my phone and seeing all the missed calls from Ryan pushed me to get this over with sooner rather than later. I drove to his house and before I could put the car in park he was coming out the front door in long, urgent strides toward me.

“Emma, why haven’t you answered my calls? I’ve been so worried about you.”

I focused on our feet, not wanting to meet his deep, chocolate gaze. He lifted my chin and took a jagged breath. “What’s wrong, Emma? Did something happen to your dad?”

I couldn’t speak, so I just shook my head.

“Tell me what’s wrong. You have me so worried. Please, Em, what is it?”

My body trembled. This was the worst thing I’d ever had to do. In between sobs, I mumbled, “I’m breaking up with you. My dad thinks it’s the best thing for me. I’m sorry, Rye, but I can’t see you anymore.”

I made a hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, running to my car, needing to get away as quickly as possible. Unable to escape quickly enough, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me up and into him. “Emma, stop! You’re not making any sense. Your dad likes me. Let’s go talk to him together and clear this up. I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding.”

Anger overtook my sadness with the thought of bothering my father. I broke out of his arms, my fists clenched. “No, Ryan! He’s dying, and I’m not going to burden him with my stupid problems.”

Ryan’s eyebrows were raised, eyes wide, as he took several staggering steps backward. “Emma, none of this makes any sense. I love you. Why would we break up?”

“I don’t love you, Ryan. You know we come from opposite sides of the track. You were exciting to me at first, dating the rebel boy. Long term you and I would never work, so there’s no sense in prolonging the inevitable.” Seeing that he was going to keep on fighting me on this I decided to throw in another lie. If it helped him move on faster then it would be worth it. “I’ve already moved on Ryan. I’m dating Vincent now.”

I stood there and watched as words I had promised never to speak pierced his heart. Tears built in his eyes and I could see him biting the inside of his cheek to keep from breaking down in front of me. Driving off, I peeked in the rearview mirror and saw Ryan drop to his knees, holding his head in his hands. I knew I had broken his heart because I had broken mine too.

I stayed in my room for a couple of days, pretending to have the flu. I didn’t have an appetite but my mom would bring me soup and check on me every so often. After a few days I went down to the kitchen to retrieve my phone. Once the battery was charged, the phone went crazy, buzzing and vibrating with missed calls and texts. There were several messages from Claudia and from Ryan that reached into the double digits. His texts were pleading with me to call him, to give him another chance, to remember all the times we’d had together, to remember how much he loved me. Each text I read ripped my heart apart piece by piece.

Listening to his voicemails would have been like kryptonite to Superman. I wanted more than anything to run back to him, tell him this was all a mistake, that I loved him more than I needed air to breathe. That was something I knew I couldn’t do because I loved my dad just as much. He was my sounding board, my best friend, and I knew he, of all people, always had my best interest at heart. The least I could do for him was give him one less thing to worry about. And now this, for a reason I couldn’t understand or get an answer to because he was dying, was the only way I knew how to help him. I had to have faith that my dad was right, even when it felt so wrong.

That afternoon I went to the store and changed my cell phone number.

8

RYAN

A few days went by and she wouldn’t answer my calls or text messages. I sat in my room, sulking for days. My younger sister by two years barged into my room. She always tried to get me fired up by coming in without knocking. I didn’t care this time. I just lay in my bed, staring at the blank ceiling.

“Ry, seriously, you should’ve known Emma wasn’t going to stay with you forever. Her kind can’t commingle with our kind. You were just never destined to be.”

I sat up quickly and pointed my finger in her face. “Gabby, because you’re young and don’t know what the hell you’re talking about I’m going to let what you just said slide. Don’t say another negative word about Emma.”

“I’m not too young to see what she’s done to my brother. We used to be two peas in a pod, always doing stuff together. Then she comes along and takes you away from me. When she’s used you long enough, she drops you like a hotcake and leaves you here like this. I hate her. I hate what she’s done to you. I want my big brother back!”

Anger rose inside, probably because what my sister said was truer than I wanted to admit. No matter how true it was, I wouldn’t allow her to badmouth Emma. “Gabby, sooner or later I was going to find a girlfriend. People grow up and they move on. I wasn’t going to always be around here just to hang out with my little sister. So grow up and don’t blame anyone, especially not Emma, for life just happening.”

I didn’t mean half of what I said to her. I loved my little sister and would do anything for her. We were always close and did everything together because our parents were older. They were always tired or not feeling well so we relied on each other for everything. I hadn’t thought about how dating Emma would affect Gabby. I didn’t think she would resent Emma, especially since I had been so happy with her.

Gabby stood up with her fists clenched, tears pouring down her face. “I hate you, Ryan. I hate you and I hate Emma too.” She stormed out as I pleaded for her to come back, sorry for every hurtful word I’d said to her. I knew she just needed time to cool off. I’d talk to her in a day or two and clear things up.

Days had gone by and Gabby was still mad at me even though I apologized profusely. Emma had changed her cell phone number and the only way I could reach her was to call her home number or just go over to her house. I tried both but each time I was intercepted by her mother. She would tell me that I wasn’t good enough for Emma. How she had moved on with little trouble and was dating Vincent who according to her was a more suitable fit for her daughter. When I asked if I could just talk to her she told me to stop embarrassing myself and move on. Unable to reach Emma and afraid what I would do if I saw her with Vincent out in public had me thinking I would be better off leaving town after I graduated. Even though her dad had encouraged me to go to college, I knew my chances of getting in were slim. My parents didn’t have the money to pay for it anyway. I was at a low and decided maybe I should join the military and start a new life. So I went down to the recruiting office and enlisted.

I had just turned eighteen and would be graduating from high school in two weeks. They said to get my things in order because the day after graduation, I would be heading off to San Diego, California, for boot camp.

When I told Gabby, fear and loss were etched into her face. “No, Ryan, you can’t leave me.”

Feeling the loss just as she was, I shook my head. “Gabby, Emma broke up with me. She won’t answer my calls. She doesn’t love me anymore. Can’t you see I have to go? I can’t stay here and possibly run into her with another guy.”

She lunged at me, hitting me on my chest, and I allowed her to take all her anger out on me. “You’re being selfish and I hate you. You’re my big brother and you’re supposed to be here for me. Me!” She fell into my chest, and I held her while she sobbed.

I kissed the top of her head. “I’m so sorry, Gabby. I already signed the papers. I have no choice now but to go. I’ll visit you when I have leave and you can come visit me when you’re on break from school. I’ll pay for your ticket to come—”

She pulled her head up and pushed off my chest, interrupting me. “If you go, don’t come back. I won’t visit you.” She walked away from me crying.

My parents didn’t seem to care one way or the other. They just wished me good luck and they were happy I had chosen something to do since I wasn’t college material, according to them.

I had heard that Emma’s dad was in the hospital, so I went to visit him before leaving the next day for boot camp. I sat by his bed while he slept for a long time. He appeared so tired and frail. Not the strong man I remembered. He finally woke up and smiled big at me. “Ryan, thank you for coming to see me. It means so much to have you here.” We talked for a while and then I finally brought the conversation to Emma.

I glanced down at the ground when I asked him how she was doing. “She’s doing okay. She doesn’t seem as happy as when you two were together. She won’t talk to me about it, keeps saying I don’t need to be burdened with her trivial issues.”

I looked up and held his gaze as my eyes filled with tears, unable to hold back the pain. “Why did you tell Mrs. Leroux that you didn’t think we’d have a future together? Emma said she broke up with me because that’s what you thought was best for her.”

He closed his eyes, took a deep long breath, and said, “Ryan, I never told her that. I love my wife, but she has always put social status above good people and she will manipulate people and situations to get what she wants. You are good people, Ryan. I could always tell you loved and respected Emma. You always looked at her like you would give her the moon if you could. That’s what I want for Emma.”

I was relieved in so many ways. I knew in my gut that he would never want Emma with someone like Vincent. Then reality hit me like a brick wall. I stared at him with my mouth open and eyes wide. Instantly I felt regret for what I had done.

“What’s wrong, son?”

“I joined the military. I didn’t know what to do with myself, and losing Emma had me in a low place. I leave for boot camp tomorrow.”

His eyes glistened as they filled with tears. “Serving our country is the most honorable and admirable thing a man can do. When you get out of boot camp, come home before you are commissioned. We’ll work on getting you Emma back.”

I knew he was exhausted and needed to rest, so I told him thank you and that I appreciated him never judging me for where I came from. He closed his eyes to sleep and grinned. “I’m proud of you, son.” I wasn’t able to reach Emma, but I knew her father would. As I left him sleeping, for the first time in weeks I felt hopeful.

I left for boot camp the next morning. Gabby was nowhere to be found, so I couldn’t tell her goodbye.

Several days of boot camp had passed when my mother had managed to get a message to me that Mr. Leroux had passed away in his sleep the night before.

I asked if I could go home for the funeral and to be there for Emma. Even though my commanding officer sympathized with me, I couldn’t leave unless it was for immediate family. I was stuck there for six weeks before I could go back. The hope I had clung to yesterday was now gone and my heart was torn to pieces when I realized he probably never had a chance to have that talk with Emma. The reality of Emma being in her mother’s grips without her father was gut-wrenching.

Books by

Katharina LeBoeuf

DAMAGED HEART SERIES:

Pieces of Us (Prequel)

Letting Love Go (Book One)-Coming April 18, 2017

Letting Love In (Book Two)-Coming May, 2017

Letting Love Find it’s Way (Book Three)-Coming 2017

Future Books:

Brody & Paige’s story

Jett & Carrie’s story

Gabriella & Niklaus’ story

Alexis & Seth’s story

Acknowledgments

There are so many people that I need to thank. Writing this book and the others in this series has taken a small army of family and friends. Without you, it wouldn’t exist.

First and foremost, let me start with my family—You guys! Without your support and encouragement, damn, I’m already tearing up writing this.

George--You totally stepped up to the plate. You’ve cooked, cleaned, and left me alone while I pounded words out on the keypad. Thank you for knowing your limits and not touching the laundry. You are the best guy a girl can ask for. XOXO

Peyton--You. You are one amazing human being. I could drop the mic now, but I’ve got more. Wise beyond your years. Even though we are miles apart, I love that I can call you on the phone and you’re never too busy (even though you are crazy busy) to talk to me up or talk me down. Distance in miles will never keep us from being close in our hearts. You always know exactly what to say to encourage and show support. I love you and thank you for being such a huge part of this book in SO many ways.

Alexis--What can I say? The fact that you can sit next to me, look me in the eye and say, “what is it mom?” without me saying anything says how well we know each other. I know after those talks you go and text your brother because five minutes later he’s calling me to “just see how things are going.” I love that you love me that much and you gather the troops to rally behind me. I love that you force me to take breaks when you barge in and ignore me when I tell you I can’t talk. I’m proud to be your mom and your friend. Heart you!

Tyler--I know you hate being the baby of the family, but we always save the best for last and like it or not, that’s you. I’m sorry for missing some of your games, but the play by plays you give make me feel like I was there. I think you would make an amazing sportscaster, of course that would be after you’ve retired from your MLB career. You have been so sweet and encouraging through this process. I just love you so much! Thank you for encouraging me to continue even though it’s meant a little less time with you. Thank you for offering to help when you know I’m writing.

Annie McAdam--Besides my husband, I’ve known you longer than anyone. Even though we’ve lived in different states most of those years, we’ve raised our kids to be like cousins. Whether it’s family, parenting, writing or book advise, you are the one I go to. The thing I love about you the most is that you say it like it is and keep things real. It’s THE reason I’ve driven you crazy with questions about the storyline, editing, covers, titles, branding ideas, etc. If I wanted sugar coated, I’d buy a donut. I can always count on you to give me the facts, give me your opinion, and give me your love even if we don’t agree. Thank you for helping with titles, tag lines, blurbs, and group names. You have a creative knack for those things. Thank you for planning to go with me to my first signing in New Orleans. Having you by my side and your support is priceless to me, and I’m forever indebted to you.

Karen—I will never forget your reaction when I first told you I was writing a book. Your excitement and support have been the fuel that has kept me going and gotten me to this point. You deserve so much more credit than my words can express. From getting teary eyed with me for the ups and downs, talking storyline, cover design, letting me torture you with pictures of hot models, and traveling with me for a signing--you have become my right arm. You’ve gotten to know the characters in this book from the very beginning. I love that you are invested in their lives and we can talk about them as if they are real people. Thank you for being there from the beginning.

Brenda Singrossi, Ph.d.—Your support has been invaluable. You opened your arms to me and embraced me, my writing, my ideas, and my family. You’ve been an irreplaceable sounding board for me. Thank you for your honest feedback on everything from storyline to cover proofs. You are the sweetest friend and neighbor a girl can ask for. My family absolutely adores you and John. John, thanks for not kicking me out the neighborhood when I called your Big Dog a Harley. You have so much grace for others. Love you guys!

Tiffani Lynn—You are the ambassador of quan. Some authors have coin, but I have the quan. From the first time I met you all the way through this process, you have been there for me. You’ve listened to me vent, listened to me whine, and you’ve answered every single one of my questions. I love that when we get together, it’s as though we’ve known each other our whole lives. You make my face hurt from laughing so much. I can’t wait for the fun we are going to have at the book signings we are doing together. I hope we can keep each other out of trouble.

Maria Celaschi Clark, PA—Well we started out as author – PA and ended up friends. You have been instrumental in walking me through this process. You name it; you’ve helped me with it. I’d still be floundering if it wasn’t for your help. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your willingness to help me succeed. Love, love, love you!

Tawdra Kandle—Thank you for mentoring me through many questions, marketing ideas, and the whole downloading process. You may not think it’s a big deal, but to me it’s huge. I plan to pay it forward and help new authors just as you’ve helped me.

Krewe—Dat’s right, you know who you are! I’m honored to have you guys as my street team. Thank you for sticking with me through the beginning phases of getting this group up and running. Now, let’s get this party really started and let the good times roll!

Readers—The feeling you get when you know people have read the words you’ve written and actually liked them is nothing short of euphoria. Thank you so much for choosing to read my books. There is no reward better than knowing you’ve touched someone with your words and they’ve fallen in love with your characters. Thank you for your support, it means the world to me.

Authors—From the day I started writing up till now I have asked many seasoned authors for advice and direction. Every one of them has willingly helped me and answered my questions. Special thanks go out to Edward Bloor, Tawdra Kandle, Tiffani Lynn, Deborah Bladon, Brittainy C. Cherry, and Jessika Klide. Some of you I have met in person and some I hope to meet soon. Thank you for being so willing to help out a new author who knew absolutely nothing about this whole process when she started.

Marisa Shor—I can’t wait to meet you in person, but be prepared because when I do, I’m going to give you the biggest hug! You took my words, made a picture and nailed it. I don’t know how you do it, but you’re amazing! Thank you for creating the perfect cover for this book, branding my series, and an amazing logo.

Lorelei Logsdon—You remind me of a Potter. You take an ugly lump of clay (my book) and you carefully mold it into a beautiful piece of art. You are not only educated in the grammar and logistics of writing, but you know how to communicate it to the author helping them learn and become a better writer. Thank you for taking the time to explain things to me, giving me resources to refer to and for editing my book.

Cat Parisi---You have a talent for finding little details that I never noticed. Your editing and proofreading skills are amazing! So glad you were the one to help me do the final polish. Thank you for your sharp eye!

Frank & Klaus—I’m in awe at how you two have become my number one fans instantly! I didn’t have to ask for your support, yet you’ve both just stepped up and given it to me freely. Luv you long time!

Co-Workers—Yeah, you know who you all are. Thank you for letting me talk your ears off about my book. I’m sure there have been days when you didn’t want to hear any more about it, but you’ve all been kind and not told me to shut up…yet. Sue and Jerry—You’re the masters at character names. All of you have been so amazing in your feedback and support. Thank you!

About the Author

Katharina LeBoeuf grew up in New Orleans water skiing on the bayous and getting her fill of Cajun food. She graduated from LSU School of Nursing and currently works as a Registered Nurse.

She loves sitting in her hammock and reading a good book. On the rare occasion, there’s not a book in her hand; she’s watching her favorite shows like Friends, Seinfeld, The Walking Dead, and Criminal Minds on Netflix. She loves cheering on her boys during their baseball games and attending plays her daughter performs in. Oh yeah, and she loves writing!

Katharina lives in Orlando with her high school sweetheart, three children, a smelly cat named Chester (it’s not his fault) and a dog named Rhett.

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