Young Love Dies Hard
The Young Brothers, Book 1
Nikki Lane
In the Moment Publishing
Copyright © 2020 Nikki Lane
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Young Love Dies Hard
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
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Epilogue
Acknowledgement
About The Author
Books By This Author
Young Love Dies Hard
Young Love Dies Hard
The Young Brothers, Book 1
Jacob Young
Chapter One
I glanced at the arm draped across my naked chest. It felt like…what was that bird from Brit Lit? An albatross, that’s it. I couldn’t see his face, but his deep breathing told me he was fast asleep. It was fun—and he was decent in bed—but now the fun was over. And there was no way I was sleeping here. I picked up his hand and gently laid it down as I slinked off the twin size mattress. The coils squeaked and I froze, hoping it wasn’t loud enough to wake him. I didn’t have time for pillow talk.
I kicked away the blue comforter that had fallen on the floor and found my clothes. Where the hell were my shoes? I dodged around the room as the sleeping body shifted around the bed. The sheet was barely covering the lower half of his body. His limp arm reached out among the empty space.
Stay asleep. Please, please, please.
He rustled some more and then lifted his head from the pillow.
“What are you doing?” he asked, his eyes barely opened.
Damn. Why did this part have to be so awkward? Getting naked in front of someone I barely knew—no problem. Engage in normal conversation afterward—not so much.
“I have to go.” I pulled my jeans on and slipped on my tank top.
His biceps bulged as he propped up on his elbows. The years he spent on the football field certainly paid off. We’d been eye-fucking for weeks all around campus. He’d been an itch that I was happy to scratch. A few times.
“Okay…” He continued to watch me search through the cluttered floor for my shoes. “Can I call you sometime?”
Oh, screw it. They were just some cheap flip-flops anyway.
“I don’t think so.”
His eyebrows lifted a little. “Seriously?” He let out an uneasy chuckle.
“Sorry, I’m supposed to be somewhere in a few hours.” I made my way to the door and stole one more look his way. “See you around.”
I closed the door behind me and paused a minute in the dark hallway. Nothing I said ever felt right. Thank you? No. It was fun? Not always the case. It was always easier just to be gone before they even realized I’d left.
I fished out the car keys still in my pocket and hoped I didn’t run into anyone else wandering the frat house at this hour. My hand slid over the wooden bannister of the staircase, the familiar smoothness reminding me of the barre exercises I’d practiced so much when I was younger. Excellent extension, my teacher used to say.
My bare feet froze to the step when the doorknob started to jiggle.
Rich walked in and shut the door behind him before noticing I was there.
His eyes lit up when he finally noticed me, like I was just the person he wanted to see.
“Sneaking out, are we?” he said with a smirk.
“You’re one to talk.” I slid the mood ring I always wore around my finger with my thumb. Black as usual. It hadn’t changed color in years. Not since the day my best friend had moved away, and I had been forced to fend for myself.
“I was out with my girlfriend, actually.”
“Good for you,” I mumbled, walking down the last step. I tried to shrug past him to leave, but he stood in my way. I crossed my arms. “Can you let me pass, please?”
“You’re still doing this?” He was so close I could smell the remnants of his cologne. The same one he used to wear when we’d been together. “At least I know it wasn’t just me.”
“You know the only bed I sleep in is my own.”
He smirked and glanced down at the keys he held in his hands. “Isn’t it getting old for you, Maeve? This whole…slutty thing you got going on.”
“Fuck you.”
I shoved past him and made a break for the door.
I didn’t look back. Didn’t want to see the snicker on his face. Because I was doing just that—sneaking away.
I wouldn’t have time to sleep before I left for the dreaded potluck BBQ. It was a long drive, and I promised Aunt Meg that I would be around. And I’d never hear the end of it from Kasey if I didn’t show up. If I crashed in bed, there was no way I would wake up in time. In the car, I lit a cigarette, put my phone on the charger, and found a decent radio station.
An hour into the ride, my eyes ached. I pulled the car into a gas station to fill up and grab a few Red Bulls. Shit, I needed a pair of shoes. I told the gas attendant to fill the tank and handed him my card. He grabbed it, glancing first at my chest, and then down at my bare feet.
Not a chance in hell, buddy.
I carefully treaded inside the mini mart, my eyes combing the black asphalt for any shards of glass. I made it inside unscathed and prayed I could find
