Choices (New Beginnings #1) Read Online Free
Author: Michelle Lynn
had a bad habit of bringing strange men home.
"He had to go meet a client," he said.
"Who are you?"
"Jason. I'm a friend of Chris's."
"I gathered that. What are you doing here?" Suddenly realizing how underdressed she was, she crossed her arms over her bra-less front.
"Eating." He held up his spoon as proof.
"Why are you here eating my cereal rather than back wherever you crawled out of?" Michaela didn't know where the anger was coming from, but she couldn't seem to stop it. She felt awful, and needed someone to take it out on. This stranger was just here. He didn't take offense though; he just laughed, making her feel even worse.
"Your brother asked me to check on you."
"I'm fine," she said, completely aware of what a mess she must look like … not like this guy would care, since he just spent the night with her brother. She had to admit, her brother had good taste. Thinking about Jason's blond hair made her eyes start to water again. That was the only similarity between him and Ethan, but it was enough.
Unable to hold the tears back any longer, she turned and fled back into her room before her chest heaved with sobs. She slid down the wall and pulled her knees in, hugging them close.
"Are you okay?" Michaela didn't answer but looked up to where Jason was standing in the open doorway. She wiped her eyes and looked away again. She was crying so hard, she couldn't speak enough to tell him to go away. He sat next to her, but she hardly noticed. She felt as if she wasn't attached to her life anymore. As if it was all happening to someone else. All she could focus on was the pain. Before she realized it, Michaela was crying into the stranger's chest. The solidness of Jason's arms around her felt like the only thing keeping her from falling to pieces.
Michaela would be eternally grateful that Jason didn't once say that everything would be okay. He didn't ask her what was wrong. She assumed Chris told him something, but he didn't try to understand. He just let her cry.
"You should try to get some more sleep," Jason finally said. She nodded, and he helped her to her bed. He turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand.
"Please ... I ..." She sighed, "I don't want to be alone." His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed and let out a breath before sitting with his back against the headboard. He was stiff at first, but then she felt his arms come around her again when she curled into his side.
It should have been weird, but it was ... comfortable. It was probably because her heart was so broken she couldn't think of anything else. Then there was the fact that Jason was gay. She felt safe in his arms.
Jason's shirt was damp with tears underneath her cheek, but he didn't seem to mind. He rubbed small circles on her back until her breathing evened out, her eyes dried, and she fell asleep.
###
"I see you two have met." Chris's voice came from the doorway, waking them. Jason had fallen asleep as well, but he jumped at the sound of her brother's voice.
"Sorry, bro," Michaela said, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly, "I borrowed your friend and his wonderful arms to keep from dying of self-pity."
"Is that a smile?" Chris asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the door frame. "Who are you and what have you done with my sister?"
He was right, for the first time in a week, Michaela didn't feel like bursting into tears.
Jason detached himself and Michaela sat up. "Food?" she asked Chris.
"You mean you're done living on cereal?" he asked mockingly. "Take a shower and we'll go out. You need to get out of this apartment." He turned but then stopped before walking away. "Jason, that's not an excuse for you to take a shower with my sister." He laughed as he walked away and Michaela felt her face heating up as she looked at the man beside her. She hadn't noticed how cute he was before. The gay ones always were. His curly, blond hair was flattened from sleep, but his blue eyes
"He had to go meet a client," he said.
"Who are you?"
"Jason. I'm a friend of Chris's."
"I gathered that. What are you doing here?" Suddenly realizing how underdressed she was, she crossed her arms over her bra-less front.
"Eating." He held up his spoon as proof.
"Why are you here eating my cereal rather than back wherever you crawled out of?" Michaela didn't know where the anger was coming from, but she couldn't seem to stop it. She felt awful, and needed someone to take it out on. This stranger was just here. He didn't take offense though; he just laughed, making her feel even worse.
"Your brother asked me to check on you."
"I'm fine," she said, completely aware of what a mess she must look like … not like this guy would care, since he just spent the night with her brother. She had to admit, her brother had good taste. Thinking about Jason's blond hair made her eyes start to water again. That was the only similarity between him and Ethan, but it was enough.
Unable to hold the tears back any longer, she turned and fled back into her room before her chest heaved with sobs. She slid down the wall and pulled her knees in, hugging them close.
"Are you okay?" Michaela didn't answer but looked up to where Jason was standing in the open doorway. She wiped her eyes and looked away again. She was crying so hard, she couldn't speak enough to tell him to go away. He sat next to her, but she hardly noticed. She felt as if she wasn't attached to her life anymore. As if it was all happening to someone else. All she could focus on was the pain. Before she realized it, Michaela was crying into the stranger's chest. The solidness of Jason's arms around her felt like the only thing keeping her from falling to pieces.
Michaela would be eternally grateful that Jason didn't once say that everything would be okay. He didn't ask her what was wrong. She assumed Chris told him something, but he didn't try to understand. He just let her cry.
"You should try to get some more sleep," Jason finally said. She nodded, and he helped her to her bed. He turned to leave, but she grabbed his hand.
"Please ... I ..." She sighed, "I don't want to be alone." His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed and let out a breath before sitting with his back against the headboard. He was stiff at first, but then she felt his arms come around her again when she curled into his side.
It should have been weird, but it was ... comfortable. It was probably because her heart was so broken she couldn't think of anything else. Then there was the fact that Jason was gay. She felt safe in his arms.
Jason's shirt was damp with tears underneath her cheek, but he didn't seem to mind. He rubbed small circles on her back until her breathing evened out, her eyes dried, and she fell asleep.
###
"I see you two have met." Chris's voice came from the doorway, waking them. Jason had fallen asleep as well, but he jumped at the sound of her brother's voice.
"Sorry, bro," Michaela said, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly, "I borrowed your friend and his wonderful arms to keep from dying of self-pity."
"Is that a smile?" Chris asked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the door frame. "Who are you and what have you done with my sister?"
He was right, for the first time in a week, Michaela didn't feel like bursting into tears.
Jason detached himself and Michaela sat up. "Food?" she asked Chris.
"You mean you're done living on cereal?" he asked mockingly. "Take a shower and we'll go out. You need to get out of this apartment." He turned but then stopped before walking away. "Jason, that's not an excuse for you to take a shower with my sister." He laughed as he walked away and Michaela felt her face heating up as she looked at the man beside her. She hadn't noticed how cute he was before. The gay ones always were. His curly, blond hair was flattened from sleep, but his blue eyes
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