My Despicable Ex (Book 1)

My Despicable Ex

By

Sierra Rose

Copyright 2013 by Sierra
Rose

Smashwords Edition, License
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This is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the
product of the author’s imagination or are used
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She thinks he’s despicable.
He wants her back…with a vengeance.

Ashly Roberts and Jake Connors are
barely twenty when they decide to take the proverbial plunge and
walk down the aisle to exchange vows in front of the dearly
beloved. Basking in bridal bliss, Ashly feels she is living the
perfect fairytale, until she’s faced with a runaway groom, dumped
at the altar by bad-boy fiancé, Jake Connors.

Five years later, Jake steps back into
her life, realizing that being a no-show for their nuptials was the
worst mistake of his life. A little older and slightly more mature,
he is ready to fight for Ashly’s love once again. When Ashly sees
him, she can’t deny the attraction she feels, but her hormones are
overruled by the horror of what he did to her in the past.
Nevertheless, Jake’s most potent weapon, those dazzling baby blues,
ignites a spark in Ashly, no matter how angry she wants to be. She
cannot deny the spark, and she only hopes the inferno it ignites
will not consume her heart again.

According to the terms of her mother’s
will, Ashly cannot cash in on her inheritance until she and Jake
travel to nearly a dozen locations around the globe. The thought of
pairing up with her old flame makes her blood boil, but she has
little choice other than to put up with her despicable
ex.

Can Ashly put up with Jake through her
globe-hopping scavenger hunt to get her family fortune? Will she
ever be able to forget or forgive being dumped on her wedding day?
When wounds run so deep, is forgiveness even possible between old
lovers? Or is it, “Goodbye!” all over again, after everything is
said and done?

Chapter 1

I was born and raised in New York
City. Every day, I’m amazed by the breathtaking landscape and
awe-inspiring skyline. The Big Apple is, truly, a city that never
sleeps. Bright lights, honking taxicabs, and noise are present
twenty-four/seven, but somehow, in the midst of all that hustle and
bustle and crowded chaos, I found my soulmate. Gazing down at my
glittering diamond engagement ring, I couldn’t stop
smiling.

Jake Connors lived in the Bronx, the
son of a housekeeper who worked for a multimillion business tycoon.
His mother’s boss used his personal connections and whipped out his
checkbook to help Jake enroll at the same elite private school
where I was a student. Jake was smart, but he still had
T-R-O-U-B-L-E written all over him. In school, he was reprimanded
numerous times and even suspended twice. If it wasn’t for his
benefactor’s connections, he would have been thrown out right on
his naughty butt.

Bad boys are irresistible (as any
private school girl, teacher’s pet, or preacher’s daughter will
tell you), so of course it wasn’t long before Jake and I fell madly
in love against my parents’ wishes, and the rest is
history.

At the ripe old age of twenty, I was
about to begin my life as Mrs. Jake Connors. Butterflies fluttered
in my stomach, and excitement and nerves washed through me like a
tidal wave. Matchbox Twenty’s “Overjoyed” played softly in the
background, one of the songs on the playlist I’d put together just
for that morning. I loved the way my beading off my wedding gown
sparkled under the bright lights of the church.

I pulled the lace material down over
my shoulders and turned to gaze at Nadia, my best friend since
childhood. Her long blonde hair was twisted and woven into an
elegant and elaborate up-do, and her sapphire-blue silk dress and
matching heels was a stunning ensemble.

A tear rolled down her face as she
adjusted my veil and diamond tiara. “There. You look perfect, just
like Cinderella,” she said, wiping her eyes. “I know I promised I
wouldn’t cry, but I’m so happy that your fairytale is finally
coming true.”

I gushed with emotion. “I’ve dreamt
about this moment my entire life.”

Her brown eyes gleamed. “I know.
You’re gonna be Mrs. Ashly Connors!” she squealed, clapping her
perfectly manicured hands together.

I couldn’t stop grinning. “I’ve never
loved anyone the way I love Jake.”

“
And you’re putting all
those doubters to rest.”

“
I know. Everyone swore
we’d never make it, yet here we are, about to walk down the aisle!”
Tears welled up, and I started fanning my face. “This is the
happiest day of my life.”

She reached for a tissue. “Don’t cry.
You’ll ruin your makeup that I spent so long trying to get just
right.”

“
I-I can’t help it,” I
said, sniffling and in a trembling voice. “I’ve never ever been
this happy and excited.”

“
This is just the
beginning,” Nadia said. “You two are going to have a fabulous life
together.”

I smiled. “We are, aren’t
we?”

“
Definitely!” she said,
squeezing my hands in reassurance.

Grinning, my cousin walked in with a
dozen red roses. “Looks like somebody sent the bride
flowers.”

I lit up. “They’re beautiful,” I said,
taking the bouquet to read the card.

“
Well? Who sent them?”
Nadia asked curiously.

I shot her the widest grin. “Who else?
They’re from Jake. The card says he’s dreamt of this day forever
and that he can’t wait for our lives to begin together as husband
and wife.”

“
Aw!” Nadia said. “That’s
so sweet.”

A tear rolled down my cheek. “Is he
here yet? I have to go thank him.”

“
No way, young lady!” Nadia
scolded. “As your maid of honor, it is my duty to make sure he
doesn’t see you before the ceremony. It’s bad luck, and we can’t
have that.”

“
Then have him come to the
door, and I’ll open it just a crack.”

“
He’s not here yet,” my
cousin informed me.

“
What!?” My jaw dropped.
“He was supposed to be here an hour ago. I just assumed he was with
all the groomsmen, because the photographer said he was heading
that way to get some pictures. Where do you think—”

“
I’m sure he’ll be here any
minute,” my cousin said, cutting me off before I went off into a
full-blown panic. “I’ll go look for him and tell him his beautiful
bride is waiting.”

I plastered on a fake smile as she
turned around and left. “Hey, Nadia, can you do me a huge favor?” I
asked. “Can you tell Jim I need to talk to him?”

She lightly patted my shoulder.
“Harassing the best man isn’t gonna get your groom here any
quicker.”

“
I know, but…I just know
Jake would never be late—not for this. Where’s my cell phone?” I
asked, frantically digging through my purse. I looked back up at
Nadia. “Do you think anything happened, that something came up
or—”

“
Calm down, Ashly,” she
said in a soft tone. “I’m sure he’s fine. He’s probably planning
some kind of romantic last-minute surprise.”

“
You’re right. I need to
calm down,” I said, taking deep breaths, “but I can’t. Where the
heck is my phone anyway?” I asked, anxiously darting my eyes all
around the room. I set the flowers down and smiled when my cell
phone rang.

Nadia picked it up from the table.
“Here. It was right where you left it.”

“
I’m such a
scatterbrain.”

“
Meh, it’s excusable today.
You’re a bride with a million things running through that pretty
little head of yours.” She glanced down with a huge smile. “Put all
your worries to rest. It’s Jake.”

“
Oh thank goodness.” I
breathed a sigh of relief as I reached for the phone. “Jake!” I
squealed in excitement. “I got the flowers! They’re just
gorgeous.”

When he didn’t say anything, I felt a
sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

“
Why aren’t you here yet?
And where the heck are you? The ceremony starts in less than thirty
minutes.”

“
Ashly, uh…there’s
something I need to tell you,” he said awkwardly, the words no
woman would want to hear on her wedding day.

I clenched my hands into tight fists;
something in his voice made me really nervous. “Jake, what’s
wrong?”

“
I’m so sorry, but…look,
I-I just can’t do this.”

Confusion and shock overwhelmed me.
Through the fog in my mind, it took me a minute to realize what he
was actually saying. “What do you mean?”

“
I can’t make it,” he said
in a grim tone.

I tried to process his words, but
everything had begun to spin around me, as if I was caught in some
nightmarish hurricane. “What do you mean you can’t make it? And why
are you so nonchalant? This isn’t just some Superbowl get-together
with your buddies, Jake! It’s our wedding!”

Silence was his only
response.

“
Babe, are you just getting
cold feet or what?” I asked in a panicked voice. “Tell me you
aren’t seriously considering backing out and leaving me at the
alt—”

“
Ashly, I’m
not
ready to get
married. I’ve been thinking about it hard. I’m only twenty years
old, and I’m not sure if I’m ready for all of this—for any of it
really.”

Shock flooded over me, and every
square inch of me, inside and out, seemed to crumble, as if I’d
been hit by a Mack Truck. “So you tell me thirty minutes before
you’re supposed to walk down the aisle? What am I supposed to tell
everyone?”

“
I’m sorry.”

“
I love you, Jake. I love
you so much. Please don’t do this.”

He didn’t even bother returning those
three precious words.

My hand trembled as I held the phone.
“We need to talk face to face. I at least deserve that, don’t you
think?”

“
I’ve gotta go,” he
whispered.

“
Baby, please don’t! Jake!”
I begged.

Click
.

My heart lurched. I frantically called
him back on his cell phone, but it just rang and rang. “C’mon,
Jakey. Please pick up!” I shouted. A second later, my panic had
turned to anger. “Pick up the damn phone.” With shaky fingers, I
texted him: “U have 2 talk 2 me!”

“
It’s over. I’m sorry. I
think it’s best if U never call this # again.”

As I gazed down at the heartless,
dismissive text, I screamed. The thought of never talking to him
again, of never seeing him again, of him not sliding that ring on
my finger tore me in two.

“
What’s wrong?” Nadia
asked.

Overcome with a rollercoaster of
emotions, I threw my cell phone, shattering it against the wall.
“He’s backing out. Jake’s not coming.”

“
What?” she questioned in
complete disbelief. “Where is he?”

My breath hitched in my
throat.

“
Ashly?”