Relinquishing Liberty (Second Chances) Read online

  I threw on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. The mornings here were still pretty chilly, so I grabbed a hoodie too, along with my iPod. Before leaving the motel, I checked in for yet another night and prayed that it would be for the last time. When I drove down to the beach, the parking lot was completely deserted. Perfect.

  I did some quick stretches and started a steady-paced jog a few feet from the water’s edge. I turned up my iPod and got lost in the music. Between the upbeat tunes and the waves crashing nearby, I felt perfectly relaxed. I could definitely get used to these morning runs. I closed my eyes for a mere second, and then collided into a boulder that seemed to appear out of thin air.

  When I opened my eyes, I couldn’t look away from what, or should I say whom, I had crashed into. The emerald green eyes that returned their gaze had me frozen in place. With the way the sun was coming up and surrounding him with a golden glow, I could have sworn I was in the presence of an angel.

  I started to feel warmth spread along my sides and noticed I wasn’t actually frozen in place. His large, calloused hands had a firm grip on my hips, holding me steady. My shirt must have ridden up a bit during our collision because his hands were pressed flat against my bare skin. Realizing this, I stumbled and lost my footing, causing his hands to move further up and trace over my ribs until they hit the edge of my sports bra. I looked down at the proximity of his hands to my breasts and felt the warmth soon spread to my belly, igniting a wildfire that burned from deep inside. Whoa! I had never felt that before!

  When he seemed convinced that I had regained my balance, he removed his hands and looked down at me. He brushed away the waves of brown hair that had fallen in front of his eyes. Those eyes! The longer I stared, the more I got lost in them. I felt like I had seen them before, but only in my dreams. I staggered back a bit before regaining my composure.

  “Whoa, are you okay there?” I had to tilt my head up a little more than I was used to in order to stare at the lips that had just produced those heavenly words. I was only about 5’3”, but he had to be easily over 6’0”.

  “I-I’m good” I said, brushing off some of the sand that now covered my pants. God, this was so embarrassing. “I’m so sorry; I didn’t see you standing there. I swear I only closed my eyes for a second.”

  He laughed. Oh God, he was laughing at me! Could this get any worse? “It was a little more than a second there, sweetheart. You had your eyes closed for a good minute before you plowed into me. Must’ve really been in the zone, huh?”

  I quickly turned away. I didn’t want him to see how mortified I was, but it was so difficult to remove my gaze from those mesmerizing eyes. “Yeah, I guess I was. Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  “Nope, not a scratch, babe. Don’t worry. I’m like a brick house: can’t blow me down.” A grin slowly crept up one side of his mouth, and he winked at me. Did all the gorgeous men around here have that sexy wink mastered?

  I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander over the rest of him. He was definitely well-built from what I could see. He had jeans hung low on his hips that were rolled up to his knees, exposing his muscular calves, and a long-sleeved shirt that stretched across his broad chest and arms. It was obvious he worked hard for that body. I had to stop staring before he caught me. I looked down and noticed a fishing pole and tackle box lying in the sand; realizing he had been fishing before I rudely crashed him, I decided it was probably best not to keep him any longer.

  “Well I-I’ll let you get back to fishing. Sorry again.”

  I didn’t wait for him to respond. I turned to head back the way I had come from, and sprinted down the beach. If I risked looking back now, I don’t think I’d be able to turn away. I took a chance and glanced back; his eyes were still on me. His piercing stare caused goose bumps to run across my whole body. How did he do that? There was a force drawing me to him, and I felt myself struggling to get away. It wasn’t what I really wanted, though. My body was going against my wishes, carrying me away, when all I wanted was for him to reel me back in.

  Back at the motel, I got ready for my first day of work. After a quick shower, I threw my hair up in a ponytail and put on my “AJ’s Oceanside Restaurant” t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I took a deep breath trying to calm my nerves. I knew I had no reason to be nervous, but I really needed this job, and I didn’t want to fuck anything up. So, I gave myself a quick pep talk before heading out.

  When I walked in, I wasn’t really sure where I was supposed to go, but within seconds there was a tiny blonde girl bounding towards me.

  “You must be Liberty! Oh I’m so excited you’re here!” She stood there bouncing up and down, clapping her hands together.

  Oh, this had to be Maddie. Based on Brett’s lovely description of her personality, I wouldn’t have expected anything less. I just hoped I could make it through the night without wanting to strangle her.

  “Yes, that would be me. It’s nice to meet you. And you’re Maddie?” I extended my hand to shake hers, but she grabbed me by the shoulders before I had time to process what was happening and pulled me into a constricting hug. Clearly this family had a thing for hugging. After finally releasing me, Maddie grabbed my hand and tugged me along to the tiny employee break room and showed me where to punch in for the day.

  “You won’t have to do too much today. I’ll just show you where everything is, and you can shadow me. You have no idea how happy I am to have another girl my age around here. Some of the older waitresses can be so boring. I swear, all Betsy ever talks about is how bad her lumbago is acting up, whatever the hell that is. I need someone to gossip with, not complain about ailments!”

  I laughed while trying to keep up with her mile-a-minute convo. “Wait, how do you know how old I am?”

  “Bob told me. You had to put it on your employment papers. He also mentioned you have a birthday coming up next week,” she turned and gave me a scheming grin. “Which means we are totally going to have to go out and celebrate!”

  Wonderful. I can only imagine what she has planned.

  “Speaking of employment papers, I’m staying at a motel temporarily, and I needed an address to put on the papers, so Bob told me to use yours. He mentioned you were looking for a roommate too, and—”

  Before I could finish, Maddie jumped in and squealed so high, I think every customer in the restaurant turned to see what all the excitement was about. “Oh, you HAVE to live with me! I’ve been looking for a roommate for so long that I was worried I’d have to move back in with my parents, and trust me, I do NOT want to move back in with them! Ahhh, you’re going to love it! Please, please, pleeease say yes! I won’t take no for an answer!”

  Well it wasn’t like I had any other options, and there was no way I could afford to pay for an apartment on my own. It looked like I was going to have to shack up with over-caffeinated Barbie. Dear Lord, give me strength!

  “All right. Um…Maddie, I won’t be able to chip in for rent until I get my first paycheck though. Is that okay?”

  “Oh, that’s no problem; Brett’s been helping me out for a while. I won’t make you start paying until next month, but you can move in whenever you like. Oh, this is so exciting! I can’t wait for you to move in!” I guess Brett was used to being a knight in shining armor. That was really sweet of him to do that for his little sister.

  I couldn’t say that I was as excited about this as Maddie, but at least I wouldn’t have to worry about finding somewhere to live. Even better, I’d have a month to save up some money. That was one less thing for me to worry about.

  I felt silly following Maddie around the rest of the night, but there wasn’t much for me to do, so I just observed. Maddie definitely had the friendly, upbeat disposition for the job and the customers clearly loved her. As crazy as her personality may be, she really was a sweet girl. After seeing some of the tips she made, I was sure I’d have no problem saving up enough money for rent.

  Brett was off for the night, and I was actually a little disappoi
nted. He was the only other person I knew here, and even though I had only been in Savannah for a few days, I was definitely growing attached to him. I had to make sure it remained strictly a friendly attachment, though. I didn’t want to risk ruining something that was just barely beginning to develop between us. He had already proven to be an important part of my life in such a short amount of time.

  As the night started winding down, I helped Maddie clean up and started stacking chairs on the tables. Working here seemed like it was going to be a pretty good gig. The other employees were friendly, and Bob appeared to be a pretty lenient boss.

  “Hey if you want, you can stay at my apartment tonight. I just bought some new movies to watch, and we can pig out on ice cream and popcorn!”

  It was thoughtful of her, but I had already paid for the night at the motel, and I still had to pack up all of my clothes that were strewn about the room. To be completely honest, I think I just needed a good night’s sleep and to prepare myself mentally for living with Maddie. I could already tell this was going to be a serious test of my patience.

  “Thanks, but I think I’m just going to head back to the motel since it’s paid for tonight. I’m really tired so I’ll probably head straight to bed.”

  “Oh, all right.” She sighed in disappointment. “Well, let me write down directions to my apartment in case you want to bring your things over tomorrow. I’ll be home since it’s spring break, so you can stop by whenever. Remind me to make you a copy of the key tomorrow, too.”

  “Thanks, Maddie, that’d be great.”

  She pulled me into another suffocating hug before we both left. She was definitely a little overwhelming, but I knew she meant well. The girl clearly had a big heart, especially since she was taking in a complete stranger as her roommate. I’d just have to get used to her overzealous personality. I had to laugh. She was exactly like every girl I always avoided in school. Well, the new Liberty was just going to have to make some changes, and this was one of many.

  Back at the motel I packed up all of my things, only leaving out a few toiletries and an outfit to wear the next day. I felt like I was running off again, but Maddie’s apartment was only a few minutes away. I was so happy I’d finally be out of that stuffy old motel room.

  I quickly got ready for bed and popped my iPod ear buds in, hoping some music would allow sleep come to me more easily. As I lay there listening to “In My Veins” by Andrew Belle, I gradually drifted off into a dream. It felt so real, I had to question whether or not I was actually asleep. His emerald green eyes peered back at me, drawing me in, before I completely succumbed to the darkness, and he slipped away.

  Trying to get out of bed that morning was nearly impossible. Had I known my muscles would be this sore after running for the first time in years, I probably wouldn’t have even bothered. But then again, I never would have bumped into Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome on the beach and had the most delicious dream ever last night.

  I had to distract myself otherwise I’d be thinking about my mystery hottie all day. I made my way over to Maddie’s apartment, which I could technically call my own now, too. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. I knocked again a little harder, and just before I knocked for a third time, Maddie finally answered the door looking the she just got hit by a truck.

  “Uh, are you okay, Maddie?”

  “Jesus, what time is it, woman,” She grumbled with her eyes still half closed and hair all disheveled.

  “It’s ten. I had to check out of the motel, so I figured I’d come over now. Is it too early?”

  As she spoke through her yawn, “It’s before noon, and I’m on spring break. Obviously it’s too early. But you’re here now, so come on in.” A smile slowly spread across Maddie’s face as her excitement about living together resurfaced.

  She closed the door behind me, and I took a quick look around. It really was a nice-looking apartment, and there was plenty of room for the two of us. Maddie showed me to my room, and I was surprised to already see a bed and a dresser in there.

  “It was left there by my last roommate. She was a bit of a skank so you might want to disinfect it before sleep in it.”

  I cringed. “Noted. Well, I’m going to go buy some bedding and food while it’s still early. Do you need me to pick anything up for you?”

  “Nope, I’m good. I’m going back to bed for a few more hours.” She yawned again and dragged herself back to her room.

  I grabbed all of my belongings from the car (or lack thereof) and brought them to my room. Maddie lightly tapped on my bedroom door and peeked her head in. “Here’s the key. Do you mind going to make a copy of it?”

  “Yeah, no problem. I’ll see you later for work.”

  “Yup. See ya, chica.” I laughed after she shut the door behind me. Her Spanish lingo mixed with a hint of southern twang sounded hilarious.

  I went out to run my errands and just picked up the bare necessities: a comforter, sheets, pillows, some toiletries I was running low on and enough food for myself to last the week. I hadn’t had a home-cooked meal in about a week, and I’d kill for one right now. After my brother died, my mother went on hiatus when it came to household chores, including cooking. So from then on, I did most of the cooking for my family. I’m sure Maddie would appreciate benefiting from my culinary skills a few days a week.

  When I got back to our apartment, Maddie was still asleep, and Brett was sitting in the living room watching something on TV about a bunch of eccentric guys with long beards that made duck calls for a living.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Just chillin’. Travis was driving Corey and me crazy with all of the noise coming from his room. I swear that horny, little shit feels no shame in letting the whole world know that he’s getting a piece of ass.” He shook his head and laughed. “So I needed to get the fuck out of the apartment before I shoved an ice-pick through my ear.”

  I chuckled softly. “Yeah I can understand that.”

  Brett turned his attention to the bags that were quickly beginning to weigh me down. “Well I guess it’s safe to say you took Maddie up on the offer. So, you think you can handle living with my sis?” The way he said it worried me and made my nose wrinkle. He must have noticed.

  “I’m kidding! Seriously you have nothing to worry about. I really think this will work out great. My sister might come off a little rambunctious sometimes, but she has the biggest heart. You’ll see.”

  He spoke about his sister in such a loving way that I couldn’t help but smile. “You seem to have a really good relationship with her. She told me about how you were helping her out with her rent.”

  “Yeah, well, I know she really hated the idea of moving back in with our parents. If it weren’t for Corey and Travis living with me, I would have let her move into my apartment.”

  “That’s really sweet of you. Do you have any other brothers or sisters?”

  “Nope, it’s just the two of us. We’re only two years apart so I guess that explains why we’re so close.”

  I nodded, not wanting to bring up my own brother. I really didn’t want to open up that can of worms just yet.

  “Well, I’m going to take a quick nap before work. All this retail therapy took a lot of me,” I said through a long drawn out yawn.

  “All right. I’ll put these groceries away for you.” He took the bags from me before I could say anything, and I smiled appreciatively at him. “Pleasant dreams!” he yelled as I walked back to my room.

  I took Maddie’s advice from earlier and sprayed the bed down with Lysol before covering in my new sheets and comforter. It smelled like lavender and vanilla, immediately having an aroma-therapeutic effect on me. My eyes felt heavy, and I collapsed on the bed, burying my face in the plush new pillows. It felt so good not having to lie in a musty, stained motel bed with the springs digging into my back. I pulled the comforter up over me, and it didn’t take long for sleep to have its way with me.

  The fresh cut grass caused my alle
rgies to act up, and my eyes began to water. I rubbed them clear and looked around before I caught sight of number ten running across the field towards the 30-yard line as he threw a pass to one of his teammates, Garrett. Everyone cheered when the ball fell into his hands. He zigzagged through his opponents, darting away from them as they tried to tackle him to the ground, but it was clear no one could touch him. The moment Garrett’s feet hit the end zone, everyone in the stands flew up. An eruption of applause and thunderous clapping flooded the stadium from the happy fans.

  I ran down to the field and pushed through the crowd until I was able to single out my favorite quarterback’s number ten jersey. His teammates were carrying him and Garrett on their shoulders as they paraded around the field celebrating the game winning throw and touchdown. I tried to get closer, but as soon as he was in reach, I felt myself being pulled back. Again I pushed through, but the force holding me back grew stronger causing an unwelcomed heaviness to settle in my chest. Soon the crowds disappeared and the only ones left on the field were number ten and myself.

  “AJ!” I shouted out to him, but it seemed as though he couldn’t even register my voice. He shook his head and took a few steps back.

  “AJ, wait!” I ran towards him, but he took off in a full out sprint down the field. His figure became fuzzy, and I tried to focus, blinking away the moisture that was quickly blurring my vision, but it was like he was fading away right before my eyes. When he made it to the end zone about 20 feet away from me, he stopped for a moment, and I made one last plea for him to wait for me, to just hold on for one more second until I could reach him.