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“After an earthquake wreaks havoc, the earth is left disturbed and altered. Whatever remains in ruin is left shaken and in need of rebuilding.”
Scarlett Brooks doesn't need love. The only men she can trust in her life are her twin brother and his two best friends, Logan and Caleb. Every other guy has only let her down, and she promises herself to never to experience heartbreak again.
Logan King can't stand back and watch his best friend's twin sister continue to spiral out of control. With random hookups, drunken nights, and reckless decisions, she is on the path to self-destruction. He sets out to slow her down and prove that she isn't happy with her one-night stands.
The two come dangerously close to crossing lines. Is Scarlett capable of trusting and opening up to love again? Will it ruin their friendship if Logan is the one to teach her how?
This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. Characters are introduced in Jolted and Impacted.
I don't know," she said in a huff. Scarlett jerked her face out of my grip and started to pace her small room. "I just don't feel like myself anymore. I feel like what made me Me had been stripped away. Who does that leave underneath?"
"You," I answered. "You think if you aren't partying, flirting, or putting every guy in the room under your spell, that you aren't the same person?"
"That's how I feel," she admitted. "Tonight, at the bar, I felt like the loner. The outcast that I was once in high school. I used to be the life of the party, but tonight I felt like I didn't belong."
I shook my head at her, baffled how she could let her actions be what defined her.
"I felt ugly, unwanted, and self-conscious for the first time in a long time, Logan. I hated it! That's not who I was before I entered this game for you."
"You have no reason to feel like that. You’re still hot and everyone wants to be around you. You didn't need to get on a table and dance, or let someone grope you, to tell you how fucking sexy you are. I really hope you just know it."
Her eyebrows pinched together in confusion as she stared at me like I grew another head. Scarlett looked down at herself like she was expecting to see something different that she didn't see before. For the first time ever, I was seeing the shyness and uncertainty in her.
"I don't feel like that anymore," she whispered.
I clenched my jaw, pissed off at myself. "Come here," I told her.
Scarlett only hesitated for a second before coming to stand in front of me. I grabbed both of her hands and sat at the end of her bed. "Do you think that you need guys all over you to feel like you're wanted?"
She shook her head, but I didn't believe her. She needed the confirmation and evidence that she was something special. By cutting her off from recklessly hooking up with random people, I ended the supply of endless compliments and affirmation. I suspected she loved the attention, but she seemed to think she needs it.
"With the one person rule now in effect, I will just need to show you how wrong you are," I told her. "Strip for me."
"What? How is that going to prove anything?" she asked in a panic. When she pulled away, I walked to her computer and found a song I thought would be perfect.
"Strip for me. Let me tell you, and show you, how I see you. You should always feel wanted, Scarlett."
She seemed to consider what I was saying. I wanted to give back that confidence and fire in her eyes that she owned. I sat back on the bed while she nervously fiddled with the ends of her sleeves. When her deep brown eyes locked on mine, I knew she made up her mind. Never one to back down from a challenge.
Scarlett turned and shut off her light, leaving the computer screen to cast a dim light over the room. It was enough to see and less harsh than the overhead light. I leaned back on my hands and waited for her to begin. The melody filled the room and anticipation filled me.
Scarlett's eyes closed and she began to slowly move to the music. Her hips wiggled and her muscles started relaxing. As the leather jacket slid down her arms and pooled on the floor, I swallowed roughly. I may have made a huge mistake.
Alyne lives in Ohio with her husband, dog and cat. Working full time in an office all day, she spends her nights reading, writing or watching an entire TV series in a night. She refuses to grow up, loves Disney movies and anything with owls. She couldn't live without her coffee or her furry "children".
Alyne is the author of "Light to the Darkness" and the "Conflicted Encounters" Series.
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