Surviving Slater - Loving Bad Series (Sample of Published Book)

Chapter 3 - Part 2

It turned out he was right. One week later it had taken a hard push by Connor to get her to leave her room and go to school, but it had worked. Two weeks later she and Sin were back together. Everything seemed right in the world again.

While my friend had picked up the pieces of her life to try and carry on, I tried to forget about Slater by keeping busy with college.

I was sitting in the cafeteria, getting something to eat between classes. Slater monopolized my thoughts as I ate. I wanted to forget about him. I couldn't help but see him in the eyes of the strangers who passed me in the hallways. It was like he was everywhere and it was impossible to ignore him. I hadn't seen or spoken to him since the conversation we'd had at the hospital but that did nothing to fade him from my mind.

I rubbed my forehead, trying to ease the heaviness of my thoughts. The fact that my best friend was going out with Slater's best friend meant it was only a matter of time before we would have to face each other again.

Wishing I could run away and never look back was only a childish notion that I couldn't entertain no matter how badly I wanted to. The adult way to handle this would be to carry on each day, hoping time would weaken the connection we had made.

It wasn't like I'd never been with a guy before, it's just that I didn't allow an emotional connection. The ghosts from my past always reappeared to keep me from moving forward. I usually dispensed with guys before things got too serious. But this thing I'd shared with Slater had been more intense.

I closed my eyes briefly when I remembered my semi-emotional meltdown with Slater.

"Hey, beautiful," someone said, pulling me out of my heavy thoughts. I looked up to see Steven. I hid my inner turmoil with a carefree smile.

"You haven't called me back," he said, and I tried to come up with a valid reason, other than the fact that I couldn't get a certain tattooed guy off my mind.

We had gone out on a date before Taylor had been taken. The date had gone okay and we had gotten along. But even deep down I had to admit Slater had occupied my thoughts through most of it.

"I'm sorry," I said. "Things have been a bit hectic." It was the understatement of the year.

"You don't need to make excuses. I'm man enough to take a brush-off," he replied with a dismissive shrug.

I shook my head. "No, that wasn't my intention at all."

Taylor's situation had taken over and nothing else had mattered. He held my gaze as he considered what I said.

"So you want to go out again sometime?" he asked. I had enjoyed our date even though he didn't make me feel the way Slater did. It was what I wanted—not to feel. He was attractive, with dark brown hair and caramel-colored eyes that sparkled with mischief. He wasn't intense and complicated.

"Yes."

What did you do when you fell off the proverbial horse and hurt yourself? You didn't cower away in fear; no, you got right back on the horse and that was what I was doing. If Taylor could face her fears, then I could do this.

I knew my way around guys. Except for Slater, a voice in my mind reminded me. I ignored it. I allowed guys close in a physical sense but not on an emotional level. Slater had been the first one to make me feel the way I did, and I hated the weakness.

The sooner I moved on the better.

He leaned closer and I gave him a flirty smile, knowing exactly how to play the game. I knew my best features and how to show them off to get what I wanted.