More Than Once Read Online Free

More Than Once
Book: More Than Once Read Online Free
Author: Elizabeth Briggs
Tags: Romance, Contemporary, Sex, Romantic Comedy, new adult, college, Nerd, Christmas, holiday, New Adult Contemporary Romance, bad boy, rock star, rock band, second chances, geek, tattoos, rocker, reality tv show, fake romance, pretend boyfriend
Pages:
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well…I wouldn’t complain.”
    I shivered at his touch, wishing he would continue lower. “I’m not looking for anything serious either. But I wouldn’t mind a friend with possible benefits.”
    “Good.” He released me and stepped back, and I instantly missed his warmth. “I have to get back to work, but text me the address and I’ll be there tonight. Anything I should bring?”
    “No. Just be yourself and they’ll love you.”
    He chuckled. “Parents always do.”
    “I bet.” I returned Andrew’s coat and opened the car door, but lingered outside. I’d never expected to run into him again and hadn’t been thrilled to see him at first, but now I found I didn’t want to say goodbye. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”
    “I look forward to it.” He brushed his lips against my cheek, then flashed me a charming smile and trudged through the snow to a brand-new silver Audi. Damn, was that his car? I had no idea what he did, but it must be paying him well. He was exactly the kind of guy my parents would love for me to date. Too bad I already knew it would never turn into anything more. Neither of us wanted that.
    But for one night? He was perfect.
    My phone rang when I started the car. Probably Mom reminding me to pick up booze again because I couldn’t be trusted with the most basic tasks without being reminded twenty times.
    I glanced at the phone, but when I saw the caller ID, I yelped and tossed it on the seat next to me. I stared at it like it was a writhing snake as it flashed, vibrated, and sang Blink 182’s “I Won’t Be Home For Christmas”—the closest I came to holiday music. Finally it stopped and the screen went dark, but the name of the caller stuck with me.
    Jared Cross. The singer of my former band, Villain Complex. The reason I’d quit.
    Why would he call me after all this time?

CHAPTER FOUR
BECCA - FIVE MONTHS AGO
    I shouldn’t have come to this party. All around me, people dressed in costumes were celebrating Villain Complex and I couldn’t even get wasted. I mean, I
could
, but I’d sworn to try and drink less and make better decisions with my life. Hence my boring Coke with nothing else in it.
    Across the club, my former band members seemed to be having a good time. Hector, the drummer, sat in a booth with some blonde I’d never seen before, their heads close together and their faces all smiles. Kyle, the keyboardist, was dancing close to his girlfriend, Alexis, the two of them practically making out in the middle of the floor. And on stage, Jared and Maddie were belting out “Don’t Stop Believin.’”
    Jared was the lead singer, and he used to play guitar for the band, too. After I quit, he switched to bass and Maddie joined to take over on guitar. With her help, the band went on the reality TV show
The Sound
and came in second place, resulting in multiple record deal offers—and along the way, Maddie and Jared fell in love, too.
    I stared into the bottom of my glass, feeling my gut twist. I wasn’t jealous. I
wasn’t
. Really. Maddie seemed like a cool girl, and I’d accepted that Jared and I weren’t meant to be. We’d slept together one time, that was it. And I didn’t even want to be in their stupid band anymore. I’d been the one who had quit, after all. It had been the right thing to do, for me and for them.
    But sometimes it really fucking hurt to be around them. Seeing Maddie so easily take my place and fit in better than I ever had. Hearing Jared mangle the basslines I used to play on stage (okay, he wasn’t
that
bad, but I was better). Watching them perform in front of thousands and knowing it could have been me up there with them.
    So, no, I wasn’t jealous of them exactly. I was jealous of what my life could have been if I wasn’t so damn stupid.
    No matter how hard I wished things had turned out differently, my attempt at being a rock star had failed. I was done with that life, and in a few days I’d be moving home to Dallas, where my family would
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