Distance

  * * * *

  Distance

  Copyright © 2014 by Andrea Heltsley

  http://andreaheltsley.blogspot.com

  Cover design by Regina Wamba of Mae I Design

  Chapter Headings by Once Upon a Time Covers

  Edited by Red Road Editing

  Additional editing by Mercedes Roth

  Formatting by JT Formatting

  All rights reserved.

  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 both the copyright owner and the above publisher 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, bands, and/or restaurants 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.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sneak Preview of Distance Between You and Me

  Playlist

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Thanks to my family and all my fans who made my dream possible,

  I love you all!

  May, Graduation:

  DETERMINED, I SEARCHED for my best friend and spotted her nearby.

  “Elena, have you seen Jameson?”

  “Sorry, chica, I haven’t seen him in a while.”

  Frustrated, I turned and asked a few other people, but got the same result. I leaned against the brick wall outside and I scanned the crowd, trying to find my boyfriend.

  I was shoved, hard, by the bustling crowd of graduates. Taking stock of myself for injuries, I was relieved when I found none. Just my luck though, I snagged my black tights on the brick and now there was a run in them that showed a sliver of my pale flesh.

  I was a disaster and should have had a sign to steer clear. Accident prone was more than accurate when it came to me. I had been the butt of many jokes because of my attraction to catastrophes.

  Sighing, I pushed my way through the sea of people and made slow progress toward the bathroom; everyone was in a hurry to find their friends and loved ones. My mom had already headed home so she could get to her shift at the hospital and I was just waiting on Jameson so we could go.

  We had been together for three years. I loved him and, as wild as he was, I kept him out of trouble. I liked to think of myself as his better half. Of course, he always put up with my daily mishaps, which just made me love him more.

  Jameson was sexy and I was lucky to have caught him. He was average height, but his chocolate-brown eyes and shaved dark hair looked good on him. His muscles rippled beneath his usually tight shirts, causing the girls to pay more attention.

  Luckily, I wasn’t really the jealous sort. My self-confidence, on the other hand, could use some work. I was ordinary, with auburn hair, amber eyes, and a meager five feet of height. There was nothing special about me except the fact that I was entirely too short.

  I couldn’t wait to get these tights off, not to mention the heels. I was getting some major blisters and my feet were killing me, but those would have to wait until I made it home. Opting for the far bathroom to avoid the mile-long line at the nearby one, I continued down the halls until they had significantly thinned out.

  It was a relief when I finally made it. I pushed the door open and stepped inside. I momentarily relaxed as I hastily took off my tights and replaced my shoes. The ragamuffin look wasn’t really in style and I was glad to get rid of my ripped tights.

  Shifting quickly, I spared a glance in the mirror only to find my eyeliner smudged. I definitely had the goth look going on. With a paper towel, I carefully wiped the smears away until I looked normal again. I tossed the rag in the trash and my hand found the door handle.

  Just as I was about to leave, I heard a very inappropriate moan. Ugh, some people had no class. Sex in a high school bathroom was disgusting. Just thinking about all the germs and STDs that could be acquired grossed me out.

  Not wanting to know who it was, I headed to the door so I could slip out as quickly as possible.

  I was so close to escaping unscathed. That was, until I heard a familiar voice urging the girl on. At first, I froze, stunned. It couldn’t be; it just couldn’t. At that moment I suddenly didn’t care if I was interrupting hot sex.

  Banging on the stall door, the grunting and moaning stopped. “Go away! Can’t you tell we’re busy!” the girl said. It was Christy, what a little slut.

  “Get the hell out here right now. I have a few things to say!” I raged.

  I was seeing red and it was nearly blinding. My heart was thumping a mile a minute and there was a strong need to hit something, particularly one of the two people in the stall. It was a scary feeling for me; I was more comfortable with embarrassed, not angry.

  The sound of clothes being straightened and a belt being buckled ensued behind the closed door. Suddenly, it burst open and my hatred for Christy turned to hurt as I confirmed my worst suspicion. There before me, screwing Christy was my boyfriend, Jameson.

  July

  I SPRITZED MY auburn-colored hair for shine and looked in the mirror at my big amber eyes one last time. I could do this; Jameson didn’t rule my life then and he wouldn’t now. Too bad my eyes said differently. The breakup was hard on me and this party would seriously test my resolve knowing he was going to be there. Even over a month later, I couldn’t get over what happened.

  Ready or not, it was time to go. I had to pick up Elena before she blew up my phone with texts. Sliding on my strappy black heels to go with my black glittery V-neck tee and jeans, I rushed down the stairs toward the door.

  I was thankful that Mom wasn’t home tonight; she’d been really worried about me lately. It didn’t help that it was just my mom and me in this small ranch house. She worked as a nurse and wasn’t home very often, leaving me alone with my heartbreak.

  Sometimes that worked in my favor, since I had more freedom than most. Other times, it was a curse, because it got lonely being alone all the time. It had just been us since my dad took off with the babysitter when I was five. We hadn’t heard from him since. It was so long ago, I never had the chance to be as bitter as Mom always was.

  I locked the door and headed for my old, dependable Mustang. We couldn’t afford much and my mom refused to let me work full time until I graduated college. She wanted me to have that whole teenage and college experience. I never complained. I wasn’t ready for life just yet. Ignorance was bliss sometimes.

  Slipping into the drivers’ seat, I relaxed a bit. My Mustang, Polly, was something in my life I loved. Sure she was old, but she was trustworthy and always got me where I needed to go. It helped that she was fast and all the guys eyed me when I drove her.

  After turning to some techno pop, I turned the key and revved my engine. Polly purred a
s I shifted her into gear and backed out of the driveway. My first text came through. I didn’t bother to check; it was Elena. It was five minutes after nine, and to Elena, that was running too late. For someone so laid back, she was extremely punctual.

  I relaxed, letting the peaceful drive take over. It would be about five minutes of window time until I got to Elena’s. That was just enough time to attempt to wash out all thoughts of Jameson.

  Even after half the summer went by, it still stung. Graduation was supposed to be a time of celebration. Instead, I received quite a surprise, walking in on Jameson having sex with the school slut. Finding them in the girl’s bathroom during graduation nearly broke me. It felt like a complete waste of three years, ending in cruelty. I was so done with guys. Until college came, I didn’t even want to think about them.

  Passing several neighborhoods, I pulled into the driveway of a large two-story house that belonged to Elena’s family. The drive had gone by too quickly. Sighing, I shut off Polly and reluctantly make my way to the front door. Ready or not, the time came too quickly.

  Before I even had the chance, Elena flung the door open and slammed it hard behind her. The forward motion caused me to lose my balance and I fell onto the concrete. Tiny scratches covered my palms and I winced.

  I gave her a quizzical look. “Damn, girl, what was that about?”

  “Ugh, Mom still thinks she can give me a curfew. As if. I’m eighteen and I don’t need to be told what to do. So, I’m staying with you tonight.”

  She ignored my klutzy moment since she was so used to them. I wasn’t the most graceful person. No matter how many times things like this happened to me, I always got embarrassed. Elena never usually paid much attention to that fact, though. It was nice that she wasn’t always drawing attention to my shortcomings.

  I tried as gracefully as possible to get up and brushed myself off before heading to the car.

  “Let me guess, I’m designated driver tonight as well? I can’t promise how long we’re going to stay though, Elena. I don’t know how much of Jameson’s flirting I can watch. We were together a long time and it still stings.”

  “Yeah, I’m sorry. He never should have cheated on you like that. He’s a stupid, horny jerk that can’t respect women. I know it hurts now, but it will get better. It’s what’s best for you in the long run anyways. You can do so much better.”

  We got in my car and buckled our seatbelts. I didn’t bother to turn the music back on because I knew Elena would talk the whole way to the party. A momentary silence blanketed us as my engine came to life and we peeled out of the driveway.

  I hesitated at her comments, turning back to the conversation. “Maybe I could do better, but I’m not about to find out. I’m done. I’m swearing off guys. They’re more trouble than they’re worth.”

  “So what, are you going to join a convent and become a nun or something? You’ll have your V card forever if you swear off guys.”

  “Someday, I’ll meet the right guy and then I’ll know. It’ll be perfect. I’m totally not worried about it. Besides, college starts in just a little over a month and it could be a fresh start for me.”

  “My Lexi May is such a romantic. Just wait until you meet college guys and you’ll change your tune. They’re sexy as hell and we won’t be attached. You and I are going to have a blast this upcoming semester. I’m so glad we’ll be roommates!”

  The drive went by fast since the party wasn’t too far from Elena’s. I refocused on the conversation. “Me too, Elena, me too, now where are we going to park? This place is packed.”

  Every year, Henry Madsen threw a huge middle of summer party. We’ve gone every year since we were freshmen in high school. His house looked more like a mansion, it was that huge. I never understood how his parents could let him throw such a rowdy party, with alcohol nonetheless, but it wasn’t my place to question it. I was just here to enjoy it; well, most years. This year, I was dreading it.

  “You’re thinking about him, aren’t you? You spaced out and got that faraway look on your face.”

  In truth, I wasn’t thinking about him at that moment, but I didn’t have the energy to explain differently to Elena. Instead, I just went with it.

  “I’m just nervous about seeing him. Even though I hate what happened, a part of me still loves the Jameson he used to be. It just sucks.”

  “It’s a good thing you won’t be drinking at this party. You tend to get all emotional when you’re drunk and I can’t let you embarrass yourself. Don’t worry though; I’ll drink enough for both of us.” Elena grinned.

  “Of course you will, Elena. I never doubted it for a second,” I commented as I smirked at her.

  “Park over there, down the street; we’re going to have to hike it.”

  Her comment made me cringe. My shoes were not exactly designed for this kind of walking.

  “Fine. I’m just going to have blisters from these heels,” I grumbled.

  Getting out of my car, Polly, we reconvened in front of her. I looked down at Elena’s feet and realized she was wearing ballerina flats. She sucked. I had chosen my heels in an effort to look good, but I didn’t take into account walking in them. I was about to tell her just how much she sucked, when we were practically tackled walking down the street.

  “Hey, ladies, so glad you could make it to my epic party. Beer’s in the back and just be sure to stay on the bottom floor, okay? It’s good to see you guys.”

  I gave Henry a warm smile. He was always so nice to everyone. We often called him Switzerland because of his reluctance to take sides in anything. He winked at me and then took off. We headed for the house, pausing on the porch.

  “If I didn’t know any better, Lexi May, I’d think he likes you.”

  “Nah, he’s just being nice. Everyone feels sorry for me because of what happened with Jameson. I mean, we were together for three freaking years. I should’ve just given it up a long time ago, then we’d still be together and things wouldn’t suck so much.”

  “Girl, you’ve got to let Jameson go. He’s not the one for you. You should be glad you didn’t sleep with him. He cheated on you; that’s never acceptable. He should’ve broken up with you if he wanted to sleep around.”

  “I know you’re right, I just can’t get my heart to agree with my brain.”

  Going inside, we stepped into the throng of people and pushed our way through until we hit the backyard. The party was packed. It looked like everyone in ours and the nearby school came. I held onto Elena’s hand the whole time, trying not to get lost in the masses or have my toes stepped on.

  It was hot and sticky inside from all the people and I took a breath of summer air as we stepped out of the house. It was humid out, but the slight breeze at least gave the illusion of fresh air. We walked over to the keg, where our old classmate, Gary, was serving everyone beers.

  Gary wasted no time getting Elena a beer and she took her time flirting with him. He was hot, as Elena said. She and Gary had always been friendly with each other, but never got together. I always wondered why, but Elena would never tell me.

  Soon, Gary was giving me the pity talk. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out with Jameson”. After thanking him politely, I turned to see where Elena was running off to. I didn’t have to walk far, just across the yard; flirting with two random guys. Elena waved her hand in the air and hollered for me. Embarrassed by the attention, I quickly moved across the lawn and settled next to her.

  Elena always attracted attention. I felt like a troll next to her. At only five feet tall, I was a mere shadow to Elena’s slender five-foot-ten frame. She’d always outshined me and I never really cared. I didn’t much like to be the center of attention, and I had Jameson for most of high school.

  Standing next to her now, I felt alone. Not only was I hardly noticed, but both guys were all over Elena, making me step back until I was a few feet away. Relief swept through me when Elena slipped out of their clutches and grasped my hand in hers.

  We’d
been friends ever since the first day of high school and I loved her like a sister. She never made me feel inferior and always respected me.

  “Ah, I never thought I was going to get away from those two. They were from Central and still in school. It’s not as if I would want to date a high school student when I’m going to college soon.”

  “For once, I don’t envy you. I don’t have the strength to deal with guys hitting on me tonight.”

  “Alright, now, let’s go get me another one. I’m not nearly drunk enough.”

  Elena never let go of my hand and I followed her toward the keg. When we approached, a grin spread across Gary’s face. I knew he definitely had a thing for Elena. Who wouldn’t? She had gorgeous straight, chocolate-brown hair, matching brown eyes, and a cute button nose. She was the portrait of innocence and kindness. Kind she was, innocent she certainly was not.

  “Come back for another drink, ladies?” he said, his eyes focused on Elena.

  Elena slung her arm around my short frame, just barely reaching my shoulders. “I am.”

  He filled her cup with beer, foaming to the brim. She took a sip and returned her attention to him.

  “Thanks, Gary. I’ll be back.”

  “I hope so,” he said.

  As soon as we walked away, I whispered in her ear. “Good God, Elena, leading him on much? You know he has a thing for you!”

  “Eh, he’s harmless. I’m not worried.”

  I followed her and we left the yard, standing on the porch. “Come on, let’s go inside and dance.”

  She tugged me forward, and then I followed her as the music grew louder when we entered the house. We headed into the center of the sweaty mass of bodies. Techno music was vibrating through the speakers and it hummed through every cell in my body. I closed my eyes and let myself go.

  Elena danced up against me and I knew the guys were watching. They always watched when she danced. I may be a mere shadow, but I didn’t care. It felt so good to get lost in the music.