From Lies to Promises

  From Lies to Promises

  Faith S Lynn

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2013 by Tiffany A. Hilley

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author of this book.

  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. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Cover photo and design by: Billy Willis Photography

  Cover Model: Stephanie Kirk

  Table of Contents

  Corinthians 13

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Playlist

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  SAVING STELLA

  Corinthians 13

  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

  And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

  Prologue

  Sitting on the bathroom floor, trying to figure out what I did to deserve this life, I force my trembling hand to grab the best thing that I could use. I look down to where I hold the scissors to my wrist, I see the trickle of blood hit the old grimy tile from the pathetic cut I just made. I’m so far gone I can’t even end this disaster of a life. Deep down it’s because a part of me still believes that I can be brought back to the light that I have seen so little of, because I have been shrouded in this darkness for so long. I believe that I can have a slice of happiness that I see others at school and walking down the streets of this small town possess.

  I grab a rag off the sink and wipe the blood away. I don’t even bother with covering up the cut. It would take someone who actually cares to look and see what I have unsuccessfully tried to do to myself over the years. I splash some cold water on my face, dry it off and look at myself in the mirror. The deep set brown in my eyes make me look older than anyone my age should. Because behind them hold the truth. Even the strongest of the adults couldn’t bare knowing without losing themselves.

  It’s been a year since I said something. A year since I lost everyone that I cared for. But soon I would be rid of this place and its memories, one way or the other.

  Chapter 19 years later…

  “Skeigh!” I shout from my closet.

  Skeigh pokes her head through the closet door, not smart considering I was about to throw my shoe at her for taking my shirt I was planning to wear. “This color looks better on me, Kat.” She explained with a straight face that said she was serious (so I growled at her, yes actually growled). Her curly brown hair falls in her face as she bends down to zip up her boots. ““What? I was just stating the obvious. Besides, you should put on that hot ass dress you got over a year ago. It has been hanging in your closet ever since.”

  That’s the thing about Skeigh she had no filter, whatever she thought it came right on out. I remember one time her walking up to a woman in a department store trying on a bikini top, and told her that she was getting a little too old to be wearing things like that. Granted, that mouth of hers has helped her out in her little clothing shop that she owns in downtown Chattanooga called Sinful. Surprisingly, people actually walked in and asked her to pick out clothes for them to try on.

  Skeigh tosses me a look that says ‘if you don’t wear that dress, I will make you regret it’. So I relent on getting my shirt back and pull the damn dress off the hanger. About that time I heard the front door to our house open and close, followed by the sound of heels tapping the hardwood floor.

  “Back here, Lexi!” Skeigh and I yell in unison.

  “Hey, let me change real fast and we can go.” Lexi says entering my room.

  I pull the dress over my head and step out of the closet. “Just wear what you got on.” I tell her. Lexi is an assistant at a new lawyers firm and thanks to our unlimited card to Sinful, she is always dressed to the ‘T’. She also knows how to make business attire look very provocative.

  “Uh uh. Not tonight, we are going all out! It’s your damn birthday. Plus, I have this hot ass dress and a pair of red fuck me heels calling my name. I want to hit up TJ’s bar to have a few drinks, just us girls, before we head to the party!” She says before she practically races out of the room. Excited much? Geez.

  Skeigh and Lexi are my best friends, and my roommates since I moved here three years ago. Both beautiful in their own right. Skeigh with her hour glass figure that all women wish for, and the ass that all men drool over. Lexi has dark blonde hair, hazel eyes and where Skeigh has the ass, Lexi has the boobs. Then there is me, whose figure is straight up and down. Mid length dark brown hair and my eyes are almost black. Plain boring.

  They have been stuck with me since Skeigh literally ran smack into me at a party one night. She isn’t Miss Graceful by any means, and she had been overly excited about something going on in the next room, so she turned and ran head first into me. Lexi, walked up next to us and apologized over and over again for her rude and clumsy friend. I laughed so hard at the expression she shot her friend’s way. After a few moments they busted out in laughter too. Ever since then the three of us have been inseparable.

  As I we finish getting ready I think about how lucky I am for Skeigh plowing me over that night. We are three pieces that make the whole damn puzzle. Each one has its part to play. Skeigh being the border of the puzzle, holding us together even though the edges are a little sharp. Lexi being the center of it. The heart and soul of our friendship. What part am I? Well, you know that crazy, all over the place artwork they put on puzzles to throw you off? The thing that makes you give up on the puzzle before you are halfway into it. That’s me. These girls have been the only ones in my life that hasn’t let me down, or turned their backs on me when they found out how truly messed up I am. I trust these girls with eve
rything that I am, and vice versa

  ***

  TJ is Lexi’s brother, and he often lets us come in his bar and sit at the back, while he brought us a few drinks. I am also the youngest of us girls, seeing as I just turned 21. He would rather us drink under his radar than go to some of these college kids parties were we could get “roofied” as TJ would put it.

  Once we arrive at TJ’s, Skeigh and I head to our usual table and Lexi heads to the bar to tell her brother what we want to drink. A few minutes later a shot of tequila is set in front of me, a beer in front of Skeigh, and of course a glass of sangria for Lexi.

  Lexi takes a sip of her drink and says, “Ok, so there is a group of really, really fine ass men a few tables away. I think we should go introduce ourselves, and see if maybe we can have some real fun tonight.” Skeigh turned, apparently she caught one of them looking this way too, because she just licked her lips and winked. Yeah, she’s really forward too, that girl is a piece of work! She turns back around takes a long draw from her bottle and says “No need ladies, they are headed this way, and there is four of them. So sad for the odd ball out!” I down my shot with no effort at all.

  “Hey there, my name is Dave and these are my friends Jake, Rhett, and Cole. Do you mind if we join you?” He ask, but his crew had already started pulling up another table and chairs. Dave had that whole tall dark and handsome thing going on, and he seemed to know that too. Dark brown hair, with almost pitch black eyes. His friends were just as attractive Jake had blonde surfer style hair that hung to his ears and was falling in his eyes that were the darkest blue I’d ever seen. He was skinner than the others but still could see that he was fit. Rhett must have some Irish blood somewhere in his ancestry because he had very red hair but he definitely pulls it off. He was the biggest of the four men, and had some majorly light brown eyes.

  Then there was Cole. He seemed to be a little off in his own skin, he had grey eyes that stood out in comparison to the light brown of his hair that was cropped short.

  “I’m going to the bar to grab us a pitcher of beer. Would y’all like something to drink?” Jake looked over us before his eyes stopped on me. Holy shit balls at that southern drawl. He may have the looks of a surfer but is definitely a native to the south.

  “I’ll have another beer, and it looks like Katrina needs another shot of tequila!” Skeigh exclaimed. I open my mouth to say that I would just wait till we got to the party when Jake looks back over at me. It’s like he is devouring me with his eyes, and has no shame at all that everyone else is watching. He walks to the bar without saying anything else or even asking Lexi if she wanted anything. Dave sits down next to Skeigh, which thank whatever was looking over me, left me against the wall. Then Lexi scoots over a seat so that Cole could sit in front of me, which leaves Rhett to her other side and Jake on the end. Far away from me! There was something off about him, so the further he stays away from me the better!

  I look across the table at Cole and he is laughing at something on his phone. He glances up and catches me watching him, “Do you like Star Wars?” I am a little thrown off for minute, then he shows me what was making him laugh. It’s one of those e-cards people are always posting and sending each other that says ‘Automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi!’ I burst out laughing and say, “You know, that is so true!” Was the joke corny? YES. But that’s what was so great about it.

  Just then Jake has returns with everyone’s drinks. He reaches from behind me to place my shot on the table and leans down to my ear and ask, “What are you two laughing about?” He turns and starts handing out the other drinks. “Can’t be that great if it involved Cole.”

  “Actually it was hilarious.” I smile widely at Cole and say, “I love Star Wars, and every now and then I put a day away to have a marathon.”

  “She does, drives us crazy! She is a total nerd.” Skeigh says and I shoot her a look and drink my other shot before I snap out of my somewhat good mood.

  Lexi is giving me that knowing expression that means ‘It’s Skeigh we love her anyways’. I nod then head to get me a margarita. If I keep shooting tequila like it’s going out of style, I will never make it to this party. The party is almost an hour away, in a town so small that if you blink when you drive through it, you’d miss it!

  When I sit back down at the table I look around, it seems that Skeigh and Lexi are making quick friends. Skeigh is turned in her seat facing Dave, giggling and biting her lip. A tale tale sign that she is really into him. Rhett has his arm draped over the back of Lexi’s chair, she is asking him about himself, and he her. I grab my drink, lick the salt off the rim, take a sip through the straw and sit it back down when I hear Jake speak. “So, Katrina, other than your nerd like activities what else are you into?”

  “Don’t call me that.” I state bluntly.

  “Why, that’s your name isn’t it?”

  “It is but she doesn’t let anyone but us call her that. It’s kinda like her pet peeve. It’s right up there with the word liar.” Lexi speaks up so I don’t have to.

  “I’m sorry, can’t blame me for something I didn’t know now can ya sweetheart?” Jake turned back to me with a devilish grin on his face that promised nothing. I hated that he called me sweetheart almost as much as my name coming out of his mouth. It wasn’t just him though, I hated any man to say my full name. It was a reminder of the dark I ran from three years ago, and still have buried in me.

  “Happy birthday Kat!” Before I know what is happening I have arms around my waist picking me up out of the chair for a hug. I look over my shoulder to see TJ’s smiling face. He sits me down on my feet and reaches for a tray that one of his waitresses is holding and grabs two shots of top shelf tequila off it. “Here is to your night. May it be a safe, but a fucking awesome night!” He hands me one of the shots with a lime wedge and we shoot them back and slam the shot glasses on the table.

  “Thanks, I am kind of hoping this is one of those nights I won’t want to talk about in the morning.” I tell him with a huge grin on my face. TJ is a ruggedly handsome guy. You know the type, old jeans and work boots with a five o’clock shadow that is always there, even if he just shaved. Yeah. I have secretly been wishing to get him in my bed forever, but he dodges all my efforts. Probably for the best, Lexi might not be too happy with me and her brother sleeping together. I’m not going to lie, I haven’t had a whole lot of sex. Not that I don’t get horny, or I haven’t wanted to. It just seems pointless. I have never reached the fireworks and toe curls everyone talks about. Not that it was awful, sex does feel good, but when it is over there is still nothing but emptiness.

  “Well let’s hope that you aren’t so far gone that I have to come help the girls get your ass out of the car and get you inside, again.” He says. Ok, so he may have done that once or twice, but hey I didn’t call him.

  “We’ll see.” I say smiling.

  I sit back down as TJ goes and tends to the bar. Everyone is still wrapped up into their conversations, except for Cole and Jake. Cole is still playing on his phone and Jake is looking at me again, but this time his expression is anything but happy. I grab my phone and text Lexi and Skeigh about heading out now before it is too late. What? I didn’t want to look like a complete bitch. Their phones ding but only Lexi looks at hers, she reads it and puts it back in her pocket while nodding at me.

  “Well, boys, it’s been grand but we have plans for the rest of the night, so we got to get going.” She looks over at Skeigh who moans.

  “Hey, you guys want to go? It’s this big party some guy throws in Benton every year. It is supposed to be awesome.” Skeigh looks at Dave with hopeful eyes.

  Dave smiles, “Actually it’s in Old Fort, close but very different.”

  “So I take it you know about it?” Skeigh ask.

  “Sugar, I don’t only know about it I know the guy that throws it. We were planning on heading there ourselves.” Dave winks after he gets up and grabs her hand to help her up.

  “Well then, let’s
get going!”

  Chapter 2

  It’s a little after ten when we pull in the field and park. The party is already in full swing and the fire is roaring and lighting up everything. There is a truck backed up with the windows rolled down playing music. We get out and walk to the front of the car and wait for the guys. Dave walks up and grabs Skeigh’s hand while Lexi walks up next to Rhett. I start to head over and talk to Cole when Jake throws his arm around my neck and tugs me into him.

  “I don’t remember giving you permission to touch me.” I say while I throw his arm down.

  “You may not have yet but before the night is done you will be begging me to touch you.” He states flatly before he heads to catch up with everyone else.

  “I highly doubt that.” I grumble to myself.

  “Ah, hell that’s just Jake. He isn’t used to gorgeous girls turning him down.” I turn to see who said that and my eyes collide with the most beautifully stunning green eyes I’ve ever seen. I am too stunned to speak, this man is hot. As I gaze down at his body I come to the conclusion that he must work out daily to look so damn good. I mean the black tee he has on does nothing to hide how ripped his stomach is. And one of his arms is covered in tattoos that must travel up to his shoulder because some of it is sticking out of the top of his shirt too. I find my way back to his face to realize that he is much closer than he was a minute ago and his dark brown hair has fallen into his eyes. I take a step back in order fight the urge of running my hands up his neck and through his dark hair.

  He extended his hand, “My name is Ryder and you are?” It takes some coaxing from my brain to place my hand in his, and when I do I notice that they are a little rough. Goosebumps shoot up my arm.

  “I’m Katrina,” Shit, “I...I, uh meant Kat.”

  He takes a step closer still holding my hand firmly in his. “Well Katrina, or Kat, it’s nice to meet you. Did you come here alone?”