One Final Chance: a friends to lovers, stand-alone novel Read online

  Table of Contents

  Epilogue

  Fallon

  Parks

  Acknowledgments

  For more from LK Collins

  Also by LK Collins

  About the Author

  One Final Chance

  LK Collins

  Contents

  1. Fallon

  2. Parks

  3. Fallon

  4. Parks

  5. Fallon

  6. Parks

  7. Fallon

  8. Parks

  9. Fallon

  10. Parks

  11. Fallon

  12. Parks

  13. Fallon

  14. Parks

  15. Fallon

  16. Parks

  17. Fallon

  18. Fallon

  19. Parks

  20. Fallon

  21. Parks

  22. Fallon

  23. Parks

  24. Fallon

  25. Parks

  26. Parks

  27. Fallon

  28. Parks

  29. Fallon

  30. Parks

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  For more from LK Collins

  Also by LK Collins

  About the Author

  Copyright

  © 2017 LK Collins

  Cover Design by Prezidential Visions

  Edited by Ashley Williams, Adept Edits

  Proofread by Leticia Sidon and Janice Owen

  Photography by Andriy Bezuglov

  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 permission in writing.

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

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products 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 owner.

  Dedication

  To our fans, this one is for you.

  One

  Fallon

  “Hey, this is Leo, leave me a message,” my boyfriend’s voice says back to me through his voice mail. I’ve been waiting for him for the last thirty minutes, and I don’t know how much longer I can sit here by myself.

  Every time I look around, it’s as if everyone is staring at me. The place is crowded, but it wouldn’t be so bad if I weren’t the only person sitting all alone in this fancy ass restaurant.

  Nervously, I look down at my menu, pretending I’m trying to decide what to order when really, I already know. I’m just trying to hide the fact that I’m mortified to be sitting alone.

  Where are you, Leo?

  God, I hope he’s okay. It isn’t like him to blow me off. When we talked about meeting for lunch, he seemed excited. This is his favorite place to eat, and with his recent promotion at work, he wanted to come here to celebrate.

  My anxiety peaks, sending my mind spinning with a number of worst-case scenarios. Something has to be wrong; he couldn’t forget. So, I call his office. The phone rings a couple of times before the receptionist answers.

  “Don’s Autoworld, how may I direct your call?”

  “Hey, Shira, it’s Fallon, I’m sorry to bother you, but is Leo available?”

  “Hey, honey. Let me check.”

  “Thanks,” I tell her, and the line clicks, sending me over to the annoying hold music the dealership uses. Shira is such a sweetie and one of the few girls that have worked with Leo I’ve liked.

  “Are you sure you don’t want anything while you wait?” the waiter asks me stopping at the table.

  “No, thank you. He’ll be here any minute, and then I’ll order.” The guy walks off, giving me a pitiful smile.

  “Fallon, it looks like he’s out to lunch.”

  “Great. Did he just leave?”

  “Yup.”

  “Thank you.”

  We hang up, and I consider ordering for the both of us, knowing when he gets here it’ll save us time. But today, I’ve got all the time in the world. It’s one of my two days off for working this weekend. My phone beeps and I glance at the screen.

  Leo: I’ve only got an hour; I want you naked in my bed!

  Leo’s words make my cheeks flush. I glance around the restaurant, wondering if anyone else can sense that I’m turned on. Nope, they are all still staring at me with pity. Pressing my thighs together, I swallow and try to decide how to respond. Leo hasn’t texted me like this before, not that I’m complaining. I’m . . . I’m just overexcited, I guess. That excitement grows a bit more when my phone beeps again.

  Leo: Now!

  Without a second thought, I hop out of my chair like it’s on fire, rummage through my purse for any cash I have, and toss it on the table to cover the tea I ordered. Then I toss more down to cover my guilt for wasting the waiter’s time and head to the door.

  Who knew a spur-of-the-moment text could turn me on so much? I hadn’t, and it’s a little embarrassing and a whole lot exciting. I actually have to force myself to walk to my car instead of run.

  I put the pedal down and drive as fast and safe as possible to get to him. The traffic is light this time of day, so I make it back to our condo in record time. I slam the breaks so hard my tires squeal, cut the engine, and climb out of the car. Before I reach the door, I pull the tie from my long light brown hair and run my fingers through it. Leo loves my hair down, messy and all.

  I’m so wet that my panties are drenched, but knowing Leo, he’ll have them off me in half a second.

  Taking in a deep breath, I open the door and look around, but I don’t see him. There are moans coming from upstairs, and I know that means one thing—he’s watching a porno and waiting for me. Stripping naked, I leave all my clothes by the door and run my fingers through my hair one last time as I head up the stairs. The woman on the porn is really loud, and I have to admit, I like the way it makes my heart beat a little faster.

  I step into the doorway, but the sight in front of me stops me cold. I grip on to the doorframe to try to steady myself, everything inside of me shakes, and I fear I’ll collapse. My breathing is unstable.

  Fuck. Don’t faint.

  My eyes are wide as I watch in disbelief.

  There is no porno; the noises are from another woman in my bed. With my boyfriend. Leo has his face smashed against her pussy. Her fingers are knotted into his hair—just like I do, and I don’t know what to do. My voice has been stripped from me. She arches as his hands roam all over her body, and I . . . I can’t fathom this is what I’m really seeing.

  How is this my reality again? Then she says, “Fuck me, Leo,” and I watch, horrified as he pulls away from her, grabs his dick, and lines it up with her pussy. He’s not even wearing a condom.

  I scream, “No!” before he can slam himself into her. My throat burns and my ears ring from that one single word.

  They both look over at me mortified. “What the fuck?” the woman yells and clambers toward the headboard, my headboard, pulling the comforter over her body. The comforter that Leo and I picked out together. That he told me he liked because it was the color of my eyes.

  “Shiiiiiiiiiiit,” he mutters under his breath, but I hear exactly what he says.

  “Yeah, ‘shiiiiiit’ is right. What the fuck are yo
u doing?”

  “It’s not what you think—”

  I shake my head and storm off, realizing that I’m naked, which sends my embarrassment through the roof. It’s exactly what I think. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I should’ve known better. I’m so pissed at myself. I should’ve left him so long ago.

  “Baby, please,” he begs as he follows me without bothering to get dressed first. I pull my shirt over my head, and he reaches for me.

  “Don’t fucking touch me, motherfucker!” I snarl, slapping his hand away. His filthy tainted hand.

  “Come on, Fallon, don’t leave. I love you, baby.”

  I pull my pants on, gather my shoes, bra, and panties, shoving them into my bag and ignore him as I fight the urge to kick the shit out of him. It’s the least he deserves.

  “I . . . I didn’t mean to.”

  “Yes you did! You texted me instead of her, you dumbass!”

  The look of utter confusion across his face as he puts two and two together pisses me off even more. “How the fuck do you accidently end up with another woman in our bed, anyway?” Rage courses through my veins, my head feels as if it’s going to explode, and I want to beat the shit out of him more than I’ve ever wanted to do anything in all my life.

  “I got carried away, baby.” He tries to touch me again, and this time I push him backward.

  “Yeah, you did, just like the last time. Fuck you, Leo, fuck you!” I scream and turn away from him, storming out of the condo and toward my car. With every step I take, I imagine myself beating him with the heel of my shoe, which is exceptionally pointy.

  He did this to me before about a year ago and swore it was the worst mistake of his life. He said he had been drunk when it happened and begged me to forgive him. I didn’t want to, but then he dropped to his knees and promised to make it his life’s mission to make me happy.

  I forgave him like an idiot, and it took me so long to get past that pain and heartache, to trust him again, but I did, and now I’m well aware it was the greatest mistake of my life.

  Two

  Parks

  When someone knocks at my front door, I’m relieved. I’ve been staring at a blank email document for the better part of the morning. It’s now one thirty, and I’ve typed a whole sentence. How am I supposed to respond to being named photographer of the year? Photography is my fucking life, and this award is the epitome of my career. There is no way I can explain my gratitude in an email.

  I open the door to find Fallon standing there. I thought she was working today, so her being here has me worried. She looks up at me, clearly upset. Her green eyes are filled with tears, and my heart breaks. My arms open to her, and she falls against my chest, letting me guide her inside as she sobs uncontrollably. I have no clue what happened, but I have a feeling that it has something to do with Leo.

  “Shhhhh,” I tell her and rub up and down her back. The closeness of our bodies has my cock fuckin’ throbbing, and I fight the feeling the way I have my entire life. Now is not the time for this, especially with how upset she is. Fallon and I are friends, best friends in fact, and have been since we were kids. But I’ve been in love with her my entire life; I’ve just never told her about my feelings.

  “Here, come sit,” I tell her when her sobs become less erratic and she turns her face up to me. Her cheeks are streaked with her makeup, and her lip is trembling, but she’s no longer sobbing as she lets me move her to the couch. She flops her tight ass down, and the second I sit next to her, she scoots over to my lap, laying her head a few inches away from my dick.

  Motherfucker!

  I let out a breath of air, imagining my dad naked to help control my cock. If I get hard right now with her on my lap, she’d be mortified and surely hate me. But I can feel it growing, so I decide to start talking to see if the will help.

  “Is it Leo?” I ask her, and she nods her head as she wipes her sleeve across her cheek.

  Goddamn it, don’t move.

  “I . . . I don’t know how I let this happened again, Parks.”

  My cock won’t stop, and I have to slip away. “I’m going to grab you some tissues,” I tell her, and she sits up, nodding at me so innocently. I grab a box of Kleenex, which I only have because I was sick last week and Fallon brought them over. As I head back to the living room, I find Fallon with her knees pulled to her chest, and I think I have a fair shot at keeping my dick down if she is on her side of the couch.

  “Here,” I tell her as I hand her the box. She wipes her eyes and blows her nose, and I have to know what happened. As much as I know it will hurt her to replay whatever happened, I need to know. “What did that asshole do?”

  “I caught him in our bed with some girl.”

  “Oh fuck, Fallon, I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. It’s my own dumb fault. How many times am I going to let him do this to me? I should’ve left him after the first time he cheated.”

  I don’t have words. There is no right response to something like that. But when she looks up at me with her dark green eyes, I know I have to say something. “I hope you’re done with him. You deserve someone to treat you like a queen.”

  “I am. I am more than done, but what am I going to do now?”

  “You’re gonna start the fuck over and force yourself to forget all about that asshole.”

  She nods, fidgeting with the tissue in her hand, and I can see how hard this is on her. “But what if I don’t want to start over, Parks?”

  “You don’t have a choice unless you’re willing to forgive him again.”

  She cuts me a harsh glare. “That will never happen.”

  “I know. I also know that it sucks it happened, but that’s life. I promise you’ll thank me one day. You’ll find a great guy who loves you and treats you the right way.”

  Tears gloss over her eyes, and she leans toward me again. I contemplate snatching a pillow to lie on my lap, but thankfully, her head lands on my shoulder and her arm wraps around me. I pull her closer and run my fingers through her soft, light brown hair.

  God, I wish I could be that guy.

  I’d give Fallon the world and everything in it . . . I’d never make her cry or sad. I’d put my life on the line for her happiness in a heartbeat, but that’ll never happen because she doesn’t feel that way about me. That, and I just can’t risk losing her as a friend—I won’t do it no matter what.

  Our families lived next door to one another, and as the years went by, she only got hotter. My feelings for her just kept getting stronger. I never gave into them, though. Then my sister died, and I had fallen apart. Hell, I almost died right along with Meg that day on the beach, and Fallon was all that got me through it. She was the only thing holding me together, and I knew from that moment on . . . I couldn’t lose Fallon, too . . . still can’t.

  My phone buzzes on the coffee table, and groggily I try to reach for it, but I can’t move. Fallon is pressed tightly against me with her head resting against my chest.

  I hate to wake her, so I squint and try to read the screen, but it’s too far away. I give up and settle back into the couch, but my phone buzzes again, forcing me to actually grab it. I move slowly, trying not to wake her as I lay her head down and then pull the blanket off the back of the couch and drape it over her gorgeous body.

  The texts are from my mom.

  Mom: Should I go with the blue or yellow one?

  A picture of two different raincoats follows the text message. Really? That’s what she had me get up for? My dad’s sixtieth birthday is coming up, and she is going all out getting ready for the big night. Aggravated, I message her back.

  Me: The blue one, Mom.

  Then turn to Fallon, who’s still sleeping soundly. She’s fucking beautiful. There’s not a single thing I’d change about her. Jesus, it enrages me that Leo did this. I never liked that motherfucker. But from the very beginning, she was head over heels in love, so who was I to tell her otherwise? She would’ve hated me had I said an
ything.

  “How long was I out for?” she asks me through a tired yawn, slowly sitting back up.

  “A few hours.”

  “Dang, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come in here, cry all over you, and just fall asleep. I probably ruined your day.”

  “Shut up; you did the opposite of ruin my day. You know I love seeing you. My home is your home, stay as long as you need.”

  “You might be sorry you said that seeing as how I’m technically homeless now.” She lets out a short, sad laugh before leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

  “I mean it. I have an extra room that’s yours as long as you want it.” She cracks one eye open, questioningly, as if she doesn’t quite believe I would offer to let her stay here. “What? Did you think I was gonna send you back to Leo? My mission is to keep you as far away from him and make you forget him.”

  “Thank you, Parks.” She takes a deep breath and finally looks at me. “But, what am I going to do?”

  “I told you, Fallon, you’re gonna start over, work on taking it one day at a time.”

  “I was with him for two years.”

  “I know you were.”

  “How could he do this to me?”

  Tears gloss over her eyes, and I hate to see her upset. I just want to make everything better.

  “Hey, what do you say we order in your favorite takeout and watch a movie?”

  She nods a tiny bit, silently agreeing to let the topic drop for now. I give her a half smile, toss her the remote, and then get up to grab the takeout menu off my fridge.

  As I hand it to her, she smiles. That’s what I want, to see her happy. I take a seat next to her, and we both look at the menu. We’re so close to one another that I can smell her hair. It’s one of my favorite scents in the world—sweet like a summer day.

  “You know what I want,” she says and hands me back the menu before flipping the television on. As I call in our to-go order, she scrolls through the on-demand listings, looking for something new to watch.