Shattered: A Salvation Society Novel Bella Emy (best ebook reader for laptop .TXT) 📖

right. He’d never do that to me. He’d always make sure to make time for me.

“Ugh, well, I….”

“Oooh, how about we see if Jason and Erin want to grab burgers from the diner and then catch a movie? That would be so much fun… we haven’t had a double date in so long,” I cut in excitedly.

“Lexi, I—”

“Or it could be just you and I if you’d prefer. I don’t care as long as I get to be with you,” I giggle, flipping over onto my back and twirling my hair around my fingers. He makes me feel so good and so giddy. God, I love him so much.

He takes in a deep breath. “Lexi, I’m sorry. I’m not going to be able to see you Friday night.”

My heart sinks to my stomach. “What? Why not?”

“I have to work late. I promised my dad I would help out more.”

I bite my bottom lip. “Oh, okay. Well then, how about after you’re done? We could just meet up for a few hours at the Creek and just chill. Or—”

“Hey, I’ll call you later. I have to go.” Kalen hangs up before I even have a chance to say good-bye.

That was the oddest phone conversation ever. What the hell was that about? He has never canceled on me before. And he called me by my name more than he usually does. Whatever happened to babe or love or princess, or for fuck’s sake, anything other than Lexi? Nothing. Just plain old Lexi is what he called me.

I don’t want to make something out of nothing, but I can’t deny the fact that the whole conversation doesn’t sit right with me. Thoughts from the way he acted after brunch come crashing back to me. Was that the beginning of something more?

He’s been kind of distant with me since then. I can’t believe it hasn’t hit me till now. Our phone conversations have gotten shorter and shorter. Our time together has also diminished.

I swallow hard and know that I won’t be getting any sleep tonight.

And for the rest of the week, he keeps pulling further and further away from me.

Monday afternoon, I find myself with Erin outside of school. The day has just ended but I can’t help but feel totally down. Things with Kalen haven’t changed, and I don’t know what to do to fix them. He wasn’t even in school today, and he hasn’t answered any of my calls all weekend.

She and Jason just broke up about a week ago. Something is going on with these guys, and I’d love to know what it is. The only difference with her is that she’s the one who broke it off with him. Erin says she needs time to think because she’s not sure they click anymore.

“Well, have you asked him about it?” Erin asks, kicking her feet back and forth as she sits on top of a wooden bench.

I shrug. “Sort of, but he keeps telling me it’s nothing and that he’s just been busy. But this doesn’t seem like him. He’s always worked the whole time we’ve been together. Why the change now? Especially after we—”

I can’t even bear to finish my sentence, but she nods knowing exactly what I was going to say: after we had sex.

Sex? But it felt like so much more to me at the time. And now? Now I don't even know anymore.

She considers my words and says, “Maybe they threw more responsibilities onto him?”

“Maybe,” I answer, but I’m not really buying it. Something is definitely up with him. I wonder if he’s grown tired of me, and is ready to find someone new. Of course, now he wants to find someone new since he’s taken my virginity. Was it all just a game to him to get me to sleep with him and then just let me go? God, he had me so fooled. I really believed all his words, all his actions. He really made me feel as though he was genuine.

I suck in a breath and wipe at the corner of my eye before my tears begin to fall. The thought of all of this is killing me, but there’s nothing I can really do if he feels that way and he won’t even talk to me. It sucks that it’s completely out of my control.

Tuesday evening, I get home from cheerleading practice later than I typically do. We’re getting ready for the next game and are coming up with a new routine that we need to have down pat by Friday.  I walk to my room to drop off my bags before washing up for dinner, but as I walk past Daddy’s office, I find it still empty… just like it’s been all weekend. Usually he’s back by Monday evening.

I toss my bags into my room, and as I do, my mother’s voice calls out to me.

“Lexi? Come out here,” she calls.

“Coming,” I answer and walk down the hall through the house.

When I finally reach her sitting out back on the patio, drinking a glass of lemonade, she doesn’t even meet my gaze. Yet, I can tell she’s been crying. I wonder what is going on with her.

“Mom, are you okay?”

She pushes the tears out of her eyes. “I’m fine, Alexa. Sit down, please.” She wipes at the corners of her eyes with a white handkerchief.

I pull out the chair across from her and sit down facing the backyard.

The weather has been gorgeous today. There’s a cool breeze whooshing through, but it’s impossible to even tell that winter is almost here. The trees filled with the pretty autumn leaves getting ready to fall surround our backyard.

I watch her intently, and I know she’s called me out here for some reason, but I really want to know what’s going on with her.

“Mom, what’s the matter? Where’s Daddy?”

Her eyes dart over to me as she places her cup back down. “Lexi. There are some things in life that you have no