Out Of The Friend Zone
Out of the Friend Zone
Note: This book was based on a previous story named 'Mending the Soul'. It has been edited and revised for content/grammar.
Copyright © Stephanie Nicole 2013. All Rights Reserved.
Cover Art and Design by
Humble Nations
Book Formating Services Provided by Brad Wilson KBG Authors Ecosystem
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Chapter 1
C
handler Tiller carried his daughter Willow up the stairs to her bedroom. He lay her sleeping body down on the bed before he covered her up. "Goodnight Princess," he whispered, then kissed her forehead. He stood by her bed for a few minutes, watching her sleep. Even at seven years old, she looked so much like her mother.
Chandler wished Brooklyn could have seen Willow lying there, looking so much like her. She would be so proud of her daughter. It had only been two years since Brooklyn's accident, since the night she was taken from her family.
That memory was as fresh in Chandler's mind as if it had happened yesterday: He remembered the way lightning lit up the sky and pouring rain flooded the streets. He could still see the way his best friend, the sheriff on duty at the time, looked when he told Chandler the news. The words were still fresh in his ears.
"I'm sorry, Chandler, but Brooklyn was in an accident. She was driving too fast for the wet roads, and as she went around the bend on Millers Road, her car spun and hit a telephone pole. The impact was on the driver's side door, and..." His friend paused, certainly knowing that the next words would change lives forever.
"She was killed instantly. I'm so sorry, man. If there's anything I can do, let me know."
The words ripped through him, decimating his future, compromising his memories, changing everything. Chandler felt like his world had ended right then and there.
If it weren't for Willow, he would have given up and died right along with Brooklyn. But his daughter needed him.
Two years felt like an eternity, but at the same time it felt as though it was only yesterday. Chandler had spent that entire time in mourning, constantly sifting through the memories of the only woman he ever loved. The only time he was able to feel joy was when he was with Willow. She was the only one who could make him smile, make him feel like life was worth living. He had a few friends he hung around with, and he went to work daily, but Willow was now the center of his life. He had no interest in dating, or 'finding a new mom for Willow', like his friends suggested. He was content to remain single for the rest of his life. Chandler didn't think he'd ever find another love like he had shared with Brooklyn, so there was no point in looking.
He smiled down at Willow as she slept. She was a particularly carefree child. For a time shortly after her mother died, she was sullen and withdrawn, not really understanding why she would never see her mother again. Death is a rather hard concept for a five year old child to comprehend.
Sometime after the accident, Willow rebounded and went back to being the bubbly five year old she had been before. Two years later, her life revolved around cartoons, baby dolls and Barbies. She loved school and never gave her father a fight about going. She was one of the smartest kids in her class, something her father was very proud of.
Though Willow liked her dolls, she was also somewhat of a tomboy. She preferred jeans to dresses, and loved to play in the dirt. Her long, corkscrew blonde curls were usually tied back in a ponytail to keep them from bothering her while she was playing. She chose to play sports with the boys during recess most days, rather than playing with the girls.
Looking at Willow, you could tell that she was Brooklyn's daughter. She had Brooklyn's eyes, nose, and hair, but her personality was all Chandler. From the time she was born, Willow was a definite Daddy's girl, which helped her deal with her mother's death with fewer emotional scars. She missed her mother, but the memories of her were fading fast. All she had now was her father, and Willow seemed to be adjusting to that reality.
Chandler walked out of Willow's room and went to his own. In doing so he passed by the hallway wall, where pictures of him and Brooklyn hung. He paused and looked at the pictures, feeling the familiar sting behind his eyes.
"I wish I could hold you one more time," he whispered to the photographs.
It was the last thought on his mind as he fell asleep twenty minutes later. He dreamt of a different time, a time when he was happy, and a time when Brooklyn was still alive.
B
rynn Chase sat on her couch waiting for her no-good husband to come home from 'work'. It was 10:30 at night, but she knew he had left the office hours ago. How did she know? Brynn had seen Nico walking down the street holding hands with some bleached blonde bimbo in a very short, tight skirt.
Brynn had been driving down Main Street, on her way to pick their son Barrett up from t-ball practice, when she saw them. She parked on the side of the road and watched them from her rear view mirror as Nico pulled the woman into a tight embrace and kissed her. It was a long, deep, passionate kiss.
A whirlwind of thoughts went through Brynn's mind.
He doesn't even kiss me like that!
Has he ever kissed me like that? Who the hell is she? Does she know he's married? Is she? What the hell is he thinking, not hiding it at all, doing that on the street? What does that mean about what he thinks of me? What the hell is he thinking?
Nico then took the woman into a fancy French restaurant, after which Brynn pulled out of the parking spot and drove away, her heart pounding and her eyes filled with tears.
The door finally opened, and Nico swaggered in. "Hello Brynn. What are you doing awake still? I told you I had to work late, and not to wait up." He leaned down to kiss his wife on the cheek.
Brynn put her hand up to intercept the kiss before his lips touched her. "Don't bother, Nico. Your bags are packed, we're over. You promised months ago that you were done with that slut, but I saw you with her today."
Nico's face went pale. "Brynn..."
"You know, it's pretty bad that you don't even try to hide the fact that you're having an affair. What if Barrett had been in the car with me today, watching you kiss that whore's face? Nice role model you are to him!"
"Brynn, let me explain. It's not what you-"
Brynn interrupted him. "I know, I know...it's not what I think. It's never what I think. It wasn't what I thought when it involved Madilyn, Sue, Melissa, or Gina." Brynn stood up from the couch. "The only thing I think right now is that you can get the hell out of here. I've already called my lawyer to start the divorce proceedings. I will have sole custody of Barrett, since it's pretty obvious that you care more about the pussy you get on the side than your own family. You can have the house as soon as we find somewhere else to live. Now get out."
"Brynn, don't do this. Think it over before you do something you'll regret," Nico pleaded.
"You know what, Nico? I have been very calm about all of this. I haven't lost my temper or raised my voice once. Don't make me start now." She pointed at the suitcases waiting neatly at the door. "Take your shit and get out. Like I said, you'll be hearing from my lawyer. Now, if you aren't going to leave, I'll call the cops. You can go quietly, or cause a big scene. It's your choice, but either way, you're leaving."
Nico tried more begging, but there was no point. Brynn's mind was obviously made up. He picked up his suitcases and turned to the door, but then looked back with one parting blow.
"You'll be begging for me to come back. I might be nice and even consider it at some point, if you're lucky."
"Don't hold your breath. It'll never happen," Brynn said, and slammed the door in his face. The sound was quite satisfying. She listened to it echo through the house and then fade away as her soon-to-be ex-husband walked out of her life.
A single stray tear slipped down her face and she furiously wiped it away. She refused to shed any more tears over that man. She had shed more than enough in the eleven years she had been married to the cheating bastard.
She checked in on Barrett, who was sleeping soundly in his bed. At almost eight years old, he was such an innocent little boy. Brynn tried to shelter him as much as she could from her fights with Nico. She didn't want Barrett to feel any negative effects from his parents' marriage, like she did when her parents fought.
Barrett was never very close with his father. Nico 'worked' late most of the time, and often got home long after Barrett was asleep. Brynn was the one to teach him sports, take him to practices and go to his games. On the weekends, Nico often made excuses to get out of the house and not spend time with his family. Over time, Brynn ended up becoming both Mom and Dad to Barrett. Though Brynn knew the divorce and the move would affect Barrett, she knew that living with a lack of love from his father would be worse for him in the long run.
Brynn continued on to her room and collapsed into bed. She let her exhaustion take over and was soon asleep, sleeping better than she had in years. As rough as the divorce was going to be, she was convinced that now that she had taken this big step, things in her life were finally looking up.