Destiny

Destiny

Book 1

The Chances Series

By

Amanda O’lone

Cover

Title page

Dedication

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

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Epilogue

Dedication

To my loving and supportive family and friends.  I love you all.

Chapter One

Sitting here in my favorite spot nothing can go wrong. My hell doesn’t exist. Time stands still. Memories of the last six years come and go with each gust of wind. Hoping it would cleanse my mind of that tragic event from last year. Looking out over the water, I watch as two loons calling each other and floating, occasionally diving under to feed. A couple of boats out in the distance drifting while its passengers enjoy their summer fun of swimming, fishing and sunning. I sit here for hours lost in my thoughts. Thoughts of our time spent here. Swimming, boating, hiking and lying on the beach at night star gazing. To be honest I did a lot more gazing at him than the sky. He was the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on. We were inseparable since we started high school and met our freshman year, became best friends. At the age of fourteen we were both lacking in our assets but I still found him irresistible. Closing my eyes I can still see him as if I just saw him 5 minutes ago.  His short shaggy mousy brown hair and baby blue eyes the color of the sky on a clear sunny day. He had a heart shaped face and gorgeous bronzed skin. He Stood 6’0 tall and slim. He joined the football team that fall and started working out. Over time seeing his body transform from that of a boy to a built young man was breathtaking. The more time we spent together those four years the harder it was for me to hide my growing feelings for him. Having to keep them to myself was a must. He never would have thought of me in a romantic sense. Seeing him date other girls, prettier girls was torture. But on the outside I never gave way to the turmoil inside.

Fuck I miss him. I wish he was here. I miss his hugs and just being able to talk about anything and everything with him. I need his support for what I’m about to do. The irony of it all, I have to say goodbye to him.  My best friend and soul mate.

I stand up from my boulder that’s 6 feet out from the shore and jump the smaller ones back to the beach. Once I’m back I turn to look back out one last time and whisper
“goodbye Shawn, I love you.”

I start up the path to where I left my truck. My good ole’ piece of shit truck. It’s a death trap I know but it surprisingly still gets me from point A to point B. it’s a 2001 ford F150, the body is rusting with holes in the bed of it. With water getting in the fuse box the starter motor kept turning over. The solution: pulled the fuse to the starter relay and wired a push button switch to where the fuse should be. So now to start it I have to turn the key in the ignition and push the button until it starts. Then the heater failed. Solution: rewire the heater straight to the cigarette lighter! Shawn and I  had a bet going on which is going to go first, the bed falling off due to the frame rusted out and nothing technically holding it there or the truck actually blowing up due to all of the rigged up wiring to keep it going. I start giggling remembering the last time Shawn was in my truck and we were laughing about all the issues it had and saying that even if the fucking thing did blow up or some stupid shit, that we could still find away to get the damn thing running again cause  it’s the truck that never dies. Still smiling I reach my truck and start it up, crank the radio and start heading home.  I shouldn’t say home. More like the house I grew up in. my relationship with my parents Jim and Kathy Nolan is not the best. They have always favored my younger sister. Whatever Alli wants Alli gets. As I pull into the driveway I cringe. I was hoping no one would be here so I
could grab my things without confrontation.  I manage to get into the house and to my room to grab the last of my things as my mother walks in. “damn it” I say under my breath.

“Are you sure this is what’s best for you?” she asks and sips her coffee.

“We have been through this mother. It’s what I want.”  Anything to get out of this hell hole I’ve been living in.

“You know your father doesn’t approve of this. Why do you want to go against his wishes?”

“I’m 20 years old you guys can’t control me anymore.” Thank fuck for that.

“He’s told you that if you leave you can’t come back.” She says with her fake ass frown.

“I know and I don’t intend to.” Inside smiling and doing the happy dance.

“Why do you want to hurt me Annie?”

As predicted, here come the fake tears. She is so good at acting. It’s what she should have done for her profession instead of settling done with the asshole of an excuse of a man, my father. He’s a workaholic and an alcoholic. Not that we are a wealthy family. He works enough to get us by and to support his drinking. He’s well known in our small community as a hard working kind hearted man. He portrays our little family happy and perfect. It’s anything, but that.  My mother is on so many meds to try and coop with everyday life. She is also a master manipulator.  My father is mentally and verbally abusive to her and myself. Ever since my freshman year he has constantly reminded me of the extra weight I carry. “One of these days Annie you’re going to get pissed enough from me telling you that you will do something about it.”  “No boy is going to want to date a fatty Annie.”   What father is his right mind would say that to his daughter?  Alli was perfect though blond, blue eyes and thin as paper. “Alli is the spitting image of your mother, before she had kids.” What a fucking asshole. I can’t wait to get away from here. 

“This has nothing to do with you Kathy. For once I am doing for and thinking of me. I deserve to be happy for once.”

With that said I walk passed her with my bags. I walk out to my truck, while loading up my bags my sister walks up from behind me.

“I really do hope you are happy with yourself for pissing off the rents. Now I have to deal with mom and her whining.” Alli says standing there with her arms crossed her chest.

“Oh please Alli, like you ever had to deal with any of the bull shit that went on around here. You are Jim’s pride and joy, his golden child. He never would treat you like shit. Kathy yes she is a whiny ass bitch, but she’s never done or said anything to you to cause you stress or feel  unwanted” I say over my shoulder while situating my things to all fit in the back seat of the truck cab.

“Don’t call them by their names they are your parents, mom and dad!” she yells at me.

“They are my parents but they are not my mom and dad, now if you’ll excuse me I’m leaving.”

She walks up the rest of the driveway and into the house slamming the door. I look up at the window and my mother is standing there watching me with a blank expression on her face. I get in the truck and back down the drive way, out onto the main road and drive off to my new life, away from them and away from here.

Two hours later, and I have driven through town after town traveling along route 3. I’m just starting to relax and thinking about my new job waiting for me. I’m so stoked to be out on my own, away from the shit I lived in for twenty years. Shawn was the only reason I was able to get through the worst of it during high school. He stood up for me. He wasn’t afraid to tell my father to fuck off. Granted all Jim did was laugh it off. I remember a conversation they had when we were 17, I had called Shawn to come over to pick me up, and I needed to get out of there.  They didn’t think I could hear them.

“You’re stupid for hanging around a useless fuck up.  She will never amount to anything.  She’s fat and lazy.  If you were her friend you would be telling her to get off her ass and do something about her weight. It’s called tough love. Then maybe she might be able to get a boyfriend. Hell not just a boyfriend she needs to find someone who will support her sorry ass because she’s not smart enough to get a real job, one that will pay well. “

“Fuck you Jim. I don’t ever want to hear you talk about her like that again!  What kind of sick fuck talks about his daughter like that? She’s not a fuck up, you are!  You blame her because you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants and ended up getting Kathy pregnant.  Every day you remind Annie that she was the unwanted child.  You are constantly throwing it in her face by spoiling Alli and doing all the father daughter things with Alli.  You think you’re giving her tough love?  It’s called abuse Jim.”

“I have never fucking hit my daughter!  Did she tell you that?  What an ungrateful little bitch going around telling lies!”

“Feeling guilty, Jim?  I didn’t say anything about you hitting her.  The abuse you are inflicting on her is verbal and mental you piece of shit.  Annie is not fat either.  She is beautiful, inside and out.  She is worth everything and more.  Any man would be damn lucky to spend the rest of their life with Annie. She will be successful don’t you worry about that.  As for being ungrateful:  you are the ungrateful one. You refuse to see Annie and the wonderful young woman she has and is going to be.  And since you are feeling uneasy about Annie “spreading rumors about you hitting her”, know this, IF I ever hear that you have laid so much as a finger on her my fist will be down your throat and my foot so far up your ass I will be able to touch them together.”

After hearing that I didn’t think it was even possible to fall deeper for Shawn, but I did.  Nobody has ever defended me before.  I was in shock and in awe.  What do you say to something like that? After that I went to my room waiting for him to come get me. He took me out for a drive and we just drove with nowhere in mind to go. He knew me well enough that when my head was clear I’d talk to him.

The song “Say something” comes on the radio pulling me out of my thoughts. Yea ok it’s a beautiful song, but I can’t listen to it. It hits to close to home.  Changing the station, I hear a loud pop and thud. 

“Great. What the fuck is wrong with you piece of shit now?” I say as I pull over on the side of the road.  I’m glad I decided to take the back roads instead of the interstate. At least here I’m closer to a town and help if needed.  I get out of the truck and head to the back and notice the back passenger tire is blown out. “Fucking A. why?” I get the tools out of the bed of the truck.  Silently thankful Shawn had made me start carrying them around. Grabbing the lug wrench and car jack I get to work.  Got the truck up and the old tire off, I go down under the truck to get my spare, “WHAT THE HELL!” it’s not there. “Who the fuck steals tires! What the fuck am I going to do now?”  I’m in between two towns so I could walk to one of them, hoping that there is a garage that would have a tire for me, hoping it won’t cost too much.  I have been able to save up enough to get me to Boston and stay a few nights in a hotel until I can find a place to live. I will have to cut out on some of my food fund to pay for the fucking tire. “Why does this shit always happen to me?”  I knew I should have planned for some stupid shit like this happening. While I’m kicking the truck and swearing at it a jeep pulls up.  The door opens and a tall man gets out.  “Great.” I say sarcastically. I hate it when people pull over when I happen to be on the side of the road. Not that it happens a lot. The last couple of times I was just using my cell when someone had stopped. Yes, it’s thoughtful and I appreciate that there are still nice people out there, but I feel that the reason some stop is because they think I’m a dumb young female that can’t take care of herself.

I’m picking up my tools so I’m not really paying attention to the guy walking my way. When he’s approached I say ‘Thanks for stopping but I have it under control.”  I look up into these dark brown eyes. They are stunning, hypnotizing.  I’m dumb founded.  He looks at me, smiling, “Aye, I’m sure ye dae, bit eemm, since whin dae trucks drive wi only three wheels?”  Oh god, that accent. I can’t speak. I’m just standing there starring at him. He puts his hand on my upper arm and I look down to where we connect. “Are ye ok, love?”  His touch is so warm. I feel a spark where he touches me and I flinch away
.

“Huh, I’m sorry, was just thinking. Did you ask me something?” pull your shit together Annie. 

“I asked if ye were ok.” He said with his panty melting accent.

“Yea, I’m good. I’m just going to walk to the next town to get a new tire, thanks”

“Ye dae noo huv a sperr?” damn he needs to stop talking. I can’t focus.

“No unfortunately.  Excuse me I need to get going so I can get back here and get the tire on-“

He interrupts, “Noo, git in, I’ll take ye. It’s noo safe tae be walking oot here alane.” I start to object, I’m not going to have another person telling me what to do.  He must see me getting upset and speaks again.

“Please allow me tae take ye into town. Ma Da owns the garage thair.  He canni fix ye up wi a new one. Come.”  Fuck I just might if you keep talking to me.

“Ok. Thank you. I appreciate it.”

He grabs the old tire and lifts it into the back of the jeep so effortlessly. Damn the man is built.  It’s the first time I actually really look at him and damn I am enjoying the view.  He’s at least 6’3” easily.  Dark brown hair long enough to run my fingers through. Wavy curls on top and it hits just above the collar on his t-shirt.  From what I can see through his shirt he is in perfect shape. With hard Pecs and I’m sure there is a six pack under there. He has broad strong shoulders and Bulging biceps. Looks like he has a full sleeve tattoo on his right arm and fuck if that’s not sexy as hell. His jeans are sitting low on his waist and tight enough to show off his leg muscles. And that ass, round, firm and perfect.  He turns facing me and walking back towards me. His face is beautiful. Dark brown captivating eyes, strong square face, full neatly trimmed beard.  He was perfection.  I haven’t thought that about anyone since Shawn.  Now standing in front of me he smiles and asks “Are we ready?”  I can’t quite place the accent but I know it’s British and sexy.  “Yes, just let me grab my purse.” I grab my purse and climb into the passenger side of his jeep. He smiles and turns to pull out into the road.  We have driven in silence for a couple miles and he asks “So, noow might be a good time fur us tae exchange names, I’m Brody.”