Freeing Destiny (Fate #2)

  Freeing Destiny by Faith Andrews

  Copyright © 2016 by Faith Andrews

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Except the original material written by the author, all songs, song titles and lyrics contained in the book are the property of the respective songwriters and copyright holders.

  Cover designed by:

  Najla Qamber Designs

  Interior design and formatting by:

  Christine Borgford, Perfectly Publishable

  Table of Contents

  Freeing Destiny

  Dedication

  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

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Books by Faith Andrews

  To my Gotta Have Faith peeps. I’m grateful for all of you each and every day. Thanks for being you and for allowing me to be me.

  No, no, no, no, no! I had to be seeing things. What was she doing here? Why was he with her? My eyes had to be playing tricks on me, or was it karma just kicking my ass?

  Either way, I could not allow this to happen again! There was no way in hell one of those white trash bitches would ruin my life all over again by taking what belonged to me.

  My men.

  My family.

  My heart.

  Not him! He’s mine! I wanted to scream. Get your disgusting claws off him and make your dirtbag clan just disappear for good already.

  I lost the first time—sloppy mistakes and careless feelings. But this time—this time I was prepared. I learned my lesson while clearing my head, even if I had to distance myself and run away like a coward to do so.

  But now I was back. And it was time someone paid.

  Stella

  “Stells, who’s that fine specimen over there, checking you out? Must be Jack, right? He’s freaking hot, in that buff-and-scruffy-but-knows-how-to-rock-a-tux kind of way. Too bad he’s related to that twit in a can.”

  Twit in a can. That’s a new one. We’d come up with many-a-name for Jack’s little sister, Aubrey Davis. The one with the most mileage was Princess Psycho—a personal favorite. But the princess was currently MIA—out of sight, out of mind, and far, far away. From what we’d been told, she ran off to sulk after she tried to screw over Mom and Caleb and wound up screwing herself. My mother and her relationship with her student was nothing compared to Aubrey’s scandalous bribe to get into Berkley. With so much at stake, her parents and her sister Emma were pretty pissed. And now, as I stared at Jack—the other Davis sibling—I couldn’t help but wonder what he thought of his bratty, psycho sister.

  Trying my best to clear my mind of that bitch on this lovely day, I focused my attention on the beautiful man with the unfortunate luck of sharing Aubrey’s blood. Apparently, I stared a bit too long, prompting a nudge in my silk-covered rib from Nina.

  “You should go talk to him. Caleb says he’s single.” Leave it to my twin to play matchmaker on the day of our mother’s nuptuals to her own fine young stud.

  When Mom surprised us with the news of her impromptu wedding, Nina and I weren’t exactly thrilled. Aside from the obvious qualms we had about his age, my mom had only met Caleb—the first and only guy she’d been with since the tragic death of my father ten years prior—a few months before he proposed. But now, none of that mattered. The day was upon on us, my mother in her beautiful pale blue gown, preparing to exchange vows with the new love of her life at the altar they created at their favorite spot in the world. It was surreal and it made my heart leap in my chest to see Mom so happy. My mother deserved this day more than anyone I knew.

  So I happily donned my tea-length cocktail dress, had my hair done, my makeup shellacked on, and surrendered to being the dateless bridesmaid at my mother’s wedding. I mean, Aunt Gina was going stag to the small ceremony, but Aunt Gina also wore stag better than George Clooney himself. I, on the other hand, felt like the third wheel. Being sans man had never bothered me—until now.

  Clearing my throat and blinking back the sight of the handsome best man, I did my best to brush off my sister’s attempt at playing cupid. “Caleb introduced us earlier. Yes, he’s single. No, I’m not interested. You know I don’t do the one night stand thing, and I’m not about to get involved with someone who lives in California when we’re moving back to New York.”

  “Stick in the mud,” she muttered, poking her tongue out like a five-year-old.

  Two could play her immature game. “Pain in the ass.”

  Jack chose that exact moment to bend over and dust something off his shoe, giving Nina more ammo. “Speaking of asses. Jesus, Stella you could bounce a quarter off—”

  “How would your fiancé, Ryan, feel about you eye fucking our stepfather’s best friend?”

  Nina rolled her eyes and giggled, then dragged her tongue across her teeth for the tenth time since applying the sticky pink gloss. “Ryan has nothing to worry about. You of all people should know that. I’m just looking out for you, that’s all. God, do I need to worry about everyone? First Mom, now you. I don’t understand how you ever . . .” She rambled on and on about her natural, noble instinct to care for the women in her life. I allowed her to do it, even though she was full of crap. I loved my sister to no end, but she was a selfish little thing. She probably only wanted to set me up with Jack so I’d have a date for her wedding and not be a target for her snobby socialite friends to poke fun at.

  Stella’s so pretty, why’s she still single? Is she a lesbian? Does she think she’s too good for the guys at school? Ew, she’s probably a virgin, that’s got to be it!

  I’d heard it all before . . . every ounce of annoying speculation. No, I wasn’t gay or snooty, but so what if I was a virgin? Was there anything wrong with wanting to be with someone special and not just screwing the next willing and able man to my left? Or in this case, my right, since Jack was already in position at the altar, next to the waiting groom.

  Yes, I was a twenty-one-year-old virgin. There were worse things I could be—hell, I could be Aubrey, but for some reason my sister couldn’t understand that I believed in the old fashioned notion of love and saving myself for—okay, not marriage. I wasn’t that lame, but I did believe in finding a good guy before I gave it up. And I’d yet to find that good guy. He clearly didn’t attend San Diego State or I would have discovered him among all the random blind dates Nina and Em
ma had sent me on. And he definitely wasn’t lurking on some bar stool in San Francisco—although my mother had found her Prince Charming that way. It was fine. I had no use for a man right now, anyway. I was career driven, focused on my academic path, broadening my horizons. There was no room for a man in any of those scenarios.

  So why did I keep imaging what it would be like to cozy up to the best man? My mind had never dwelled on a guy the way it was fixated on Jack Davis—all six-foot-two of him, chiseled and muscular, blond waves cut just neat enough to show off his turquoise-colored eyes. Dayum, he was appetizing, even for someone like me who wasn’t necessarily interested in what was on the menu.

  “Stop drooling, Stells. The precession’s about to start. Don’t worry, I’ll tell hot stuff to save a dance for you later at the restaurant.” Nina’s giggle echoed out into the great wilderness of Julia Burns Pfeiffer State Park.

  Bitch! She had to catch me ogling?

  “What are you two bickering about now?” Aunt Gina emerged from one of the monster party buses we hired to serve as my mother’s on-site bridal suite. Before we could answer, she was buzzing around, her nervous energy rubbing off on me. “It doesn’t matter; Mom’s all set. You girls ready to walk her down the aisle?”

  “Wait! What?” Nina and I turned to our aunt with identically stunned confusion.

  “I thought she asked you to give her away, Aunt Gi.” At least, that was the original plan. My aunt was like Mom’s mother—her legal guardian since she was sixteen—not to mention, her best friend in the entire world.

  “That was the plan, girls, but I convinced her otherwise. I’ve held her hand through so many other monumental moments. It’s your turn now—this is an honor the two of you should have.”

  Tears welled in my eyes. Nina’s too. She quickly fanned her face to stop the water from flowing and ruining her makeup. She did have a heart underneath all that MAC. I followed suit. I didn’t want to sit through the torture of beautification again.

  “So, you ready?” Aunt Gina cleared her throat and stood tall. I could tell she was fighting back her own sob fest. This was a happy day, but it was bittersweet. Our family had been through so much; these moments needed to be held onto and treasured forever.

  “Ready as we’ll ever be. Right, sis?” I linked hands with Nina and squeezed her fingers in a tight, reassuring tug.

  “So ready. Let’s get our Mommy married to the man who made her whole again.”

  In that moment with my twin, waiting for our mother to take this enormous step toward her new future, the past few months of doubt and concern vanished with the warm summer breeze. This was right. Everyone was happy. Things were taking a turn for the better for the Edwards girls. It was about damn time.

  Jack

  “Christ, Caleb, you didn’t tell me she was gorgeous. I need to have a word with Emma for withholding prime hook-up material from her older bro.”

  The smack that hit me in the back of my head dragged my eyes from Gabriella’s daughter and back to my best friend. “Hey! What did I say?”

  “Please don’t call my soon-to-be stepdaughter prime hook-up material. Something tells me I’m supposed to be all paternal and protective, but dude—this shit still weirds me out.”

  Caleb never really spoke about what marrying Gabriella would entail for him as far as her daughters went, but the thought of him as their fucking stepdad . . .”That’s hilarious, man! Are they gonna call you Dad, too?”

  That got me another blow. This time a solid punch in my upper arm. “All right, all right, I’ll lay off the Daddy Dearest jokes—for now—but seriously, Caleb, Stella is fucking beautiful.” I couldn’t stop looking at her. She was Gabriella times ten; sophisticated, young, natural—a total knock out. I’d have to find a way to charm her at the reception.

  But before I could ogle anymore, the officiant was making her way toward Caleb and me. It was my last shot to say something wise, memorable, best man and best friend-like. “You know? I’m gonna miss the fuck out of you after you leave, but I get why you are. She’s perfect for you, man.” I was losing my best friend but I felt nothing short of pure happiness for him. I couldn’t begrudge him for choosing to start the rest of his life over wherever he wanted.

  “Thanks, Jack.” He cleared his throat and shook my hand with a tight squeeze. “That means a lot. And I won’t be a stranger, I promise.”

  I would hold him to it. He was a great friend. It was time for him to be a great husband. The music cued up and I clapped Caleb on the back. It was show time.

  “Ready to start the rest of your forever, Mr. Waters?” The officiant beamed.

  Caleb twiddled his fingers and cracked his knuckles as he flashed a shy smile at the woman who was about to preside over his marriage. “I’ve been ready since the moment I laid eyes on her,” he admitted without batting an eye.

  He was so sure of this, so certain of his future and who it belonged to. For once in my life I envied my once misery-prone friend. When he’d told me he was looking for a change in pace a few months ago, I never imagined he’d make such a quick and total turnaround. Good for him! He deserves to be happy, the lucky bastard.

  If you had asked me a year ago which of us would be standing here about to say ‘I do,’ I’ll tell ya one thing. My answer certainly wouldn’t have been Caleb. It might not have been me either, but if it came to betting, my best friend was the underdog.

  Me, personally? I enjoyed the commitment of a solid connection; spending time with someone I was comfortable with, attracted to, able to laugh with. I’d had my fair share of monogamous relationships, but I’d yet to meet the one. In my eyes, I was still young—barely twenty-seven. I even had time left to play the field before I retired the dating jersey. But the crazy thing was—I was over it. Done with messing around for the fun of it and ready to settle in for the long haul. The right girl was out there somewhere.

  Maybe somewhere was here.

  The presence of her holiness, her honor, her . . . whatever . . . did nothing for the twitching that took place in my pants at the sight of Stella Edwards primping herself in the distance. She fingered the long blonde curls that hung to the crest of her shapely ass, removing disobedient strands from her flawless face. As she flipped her waves behind her, I noticed the way her bronzed cheeks lit up at the sight of her mother making her entrance. All eyes should have been focused on the bride, but I couldn’t deflect my attention from Stella.

  Tall, lean, poised, and mesmerizing. The dress she wore showed off her curves in a figure-hugging yet tasteful manner. My fingers ached to trace the outline of her delicate shoulders, to sketch a path of soft strokes down her spine, then travel and explore much, much lower. Her honey-brown eyes flickered as her pink smile grew wider, hooking arms with her mother. There was no comparison between Stella and Nina—her twin—if you asked me. Of course Nina was pretty, they shared many of the same features, but Stella’s hypnotic presence stood out like a gleaming ray of sunshine.

  Caleb cleared his throat as Gabriella and her daughters walked closer. It was the first time since narrowing my gaze on Stella that I remembered why we were here. This was Caleb’s day. I was his best man, and I was doing a piss poor job of ridding the groom of any last minute jitters. “You okay over there?” I whispered without moving my lips or bringing attention to either of us.

  Caleb swayed, and coughed to unclog his throat again. “I’m more than okay, just a little—” He brought his hand up to his eyes before he could finish.

  “You’re not gonna cry, are you, man?” I’d heard about this sort of thing, but I never pegged Caleb for the weep at the altar kind of guy.

  “I’m just so . . .” he stammered. “She’s so beautiful, Jack! Look at her,” he gloated through the obvious lump in his throat.

  I had to agree. Only I wasn’t looking at his soon-to-be wife. I was in awe of the bombshell bawling her eyes out as she escorted her mother down the aisle. Even as she cried—her features contorting with uninhibited emotions—she wa
s breathtaking. Would it be completely insane if I ran over and scooped her up to comfort her? I didn’t like seeing her cry. It did something to my insides, which was strange because I didn’t even know the girl.

  Before I could act out my valiant best-man-to-the-rescue fantasy, Stella and Nina were kissing their mother and giving her away to my best friend. Nina approached Caleb first, pecking him on the cheek with a warm smile and a subtle warning. “Take care of our mother.”

  When it was Stella’s turn, she staggered, tears still streaming down her cheeks. She lowered her head as she stepped on to the altar, her breath visibly shallow. This was probably hard for her, letting go of her mom. She was obviously the sentimental one, and from what Caleb had told me, even though she was more than accepting of his relationship with her mother, she missed her father terribly.

  The urge to erase her pain fueled deep within my veins again. Feeling brave, I reached my hand out to her for leverage. When she willingly accepted my gesture and brought her eyes to meet mine, she thanked me with a blink of her damp lashes and a timid, yet inviting smile.

  In that solitary moment, I knew I was done for.

  Stella

  The newly married couple embraced each other on the tiny dance floor as if they were the only two people in the room. They may as well have been, because there was no getting between them once they shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

  My mother beamed with happiness. It was as if this day erased all her hurt, her pain, and her sadness, and Caleb breathed new life into her. Knowing Mom, she’d never fully disregard her past, but Caleb was her future. She was living in the here and now and enjoying every second of it.

  I, on the other hand, was suddenly besieged with melancholy. Life goes on. Days like this made me miss my father something awful. Over time he became a ghost—his essence growing weaker and less vivid—but the ten years of memories we had with him would never vanish from my heart. Mom and I had talked about this in great detail. She had my father’s blessing—a nickel appeared in her pocket (a tradition he started when they were kids) while she was getting her hair done this morning—but it didn’t make it perfect. There were times I felt misplaced. Dad was gone, then Mom struggled for many years, and it was me and Nina on our own in a way.