Forgiving Keven: A Stand-Alone Second Chance Romance Read online

  He explained how he lines up back-to-back client meetings, so I usually don’t disturb him while he’s gone. But something about this place gives me the heebie-jeebies, and it warrants contact.

  “We’d better head back to the house, or we won’t be ready for work in time,” I say. Saturday is our busiest day in the studio, and it’s all hands on deck.

  “Yeah. I need another shower after trekking through this jungle,” Lin jokes, grimacing as she surveys her mud-splattered jeans.

  “I must look for a gardener or someone to come clear out the more overgrown parts of the woods,” I muse as we start walking back in the direction of the house.

  “I’m sure you could hire a couple of teenagers locally who would be more than happy to earn some extra pocket money,” she suggests.

  “That’s a good idea. I might put a notice up in the local store.”

  After we shower, change, and grab a quick breakfast, we set off for work in my Audi.

  The schedule is crazy today with every spare minute of studio time booked out, so I’m lucky to make it to lunch, but I hate canceling on people at the last minute, and I’m determined to find out why Eva has made contact with me.

  She’s already seated when I arrive at the Italian restaurant, and she stands, waving her hands in the air to capture my attention. I’m smiling as I walk toward her. She steps out of the table, pulling me into a hug. “Cheryl. It’s so good to see you.”

  “Likewise.” I unwrap my scarf and remove my jacket, hanging them on the back of a chair before sliding into the seat alongside Eva. “I was pleasantly surprised to hear from you. I’ve wondered how you are.”

  “I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to reach out to you. You’ve been on my mind,” she says, tossing her gorgeous, long, thick, dark hair over her shoulders.

  “I have?”

  “Yes.” She looks over my shoulder. “Let’s get our order in, and then we can chat.”

  I quickly peruse the menu and order a chicken salad with a side of garlic bread. Eva orders a bowl of ravioli and a bottle of Pellegrino for us to share. The large diamond on her ring finger sparkles, throwing dazzling streams of light in my direction. “Wow, that is some ring, but Kaden always had amazing taste.”

  “I wasn’t sure if you’d heard I remarried,” she says, sliding our glasses to the waitress so she can fill them.

  “It was splashed all over the news, and Dan told me.” Apparently, her and Kaden had been having an illicit affair, but after I learned the truth about Jeremy Garcia, I couldn’t fault Eva for seeking happiness where she could. And I know Kaden. He’s a great guy, and I’ve a lot of love for him.

  Her smile falters at the mention of my fiancé, and I frown a little, but she quickly recovers. “Kade says hi, by the way.”

  “Tell him I said hello too. And congratulations. To both of you.”

  “Thanks, Cheryl. I never thought I’d get to be with him, and I never take it for granted. He’s given me the life I’ve always dreamed of, and I have to pinch myself most days to believe it’s real.”

  “I’m really happy for you.” I take a small sip of my water and wonder if I should say anything. “I read about Jeremy, and I was shocked. I’m sorry you went through that, and I’m glad both you and Kaden were okay.”

  When I first heard the report on the radio, my initial instinct had been to go to the hospital to check if they were both okay, but I know how close-knit the Kennedys are, and I knew they would all be there. I just couldn’t face seeing them.

  Seeing him.

  I couldn’t trust myself not to fall apart, which is ridiculous, because after all this time, and after what he did, I shouldn’t feel anything for him. But it’s hard, because when I pictured my future life as a teenager, Keven Kennedy was always a fixture in it. And I adored his family and the way they welcomed me with open arms. They made me feel accepted at a time when I felt so lost and like an outsider.

  When I broke things off with Keven, I didn’t just lose my boyfriend. I lost the future I’d had all mapped out and a family I’d grown to love as much as my own.

  “I wanted to warn you,” she says in a gentle tone. “I hated the thought of you getting mixed up in that.”

  The memory of the night Dan and I had dinner at her house returns to me, clear as day, and I instantly recall the conversation we had when we were alone. “You did try to warn me.” I fix my eyes on hers. “That’s why you told me to contact … Keven.”

  She nods. “I couldn’t risk saying anything. Jeremy had men and cameras all over the house, but I couldn’t not try either. I didn’t want you to become trapped like I was.”

  We stop talking for a couple minutes while the waitress places our food in front of us. “I appreciate that you did that for me, and I’m very grateful. Dan was utterly horrified when he found out what Jeremy was really up to.” A shiver creeps up my spine. “It makes me sick to think he could’ve gotten ensnared in that world, but that’s what would’ve happened if Jeremy hadn’t died.”

  At first, when I heard the news, I was plagued with doubts. Jeremy and Dan were so close, and I wondered how much Dan was aware of. It’s not that I wanted to believe that of my fiancé, and I didn’t want to outrightly accuse him, but I needed to know he wasn’t mixed up in criminal activity.

  I shouldn’t have doubted Dan though.

  The second he walked through the door that night he collapsed against me, sobbing and blaming himself for not realizing his mentor was hiding his true persona and masking his operation behind legitimate businesses. He felt like a fool for not realizing, and he was utterly distraught and so obviously shocked that it helped put my concerns to bed.

  Eva looks away, quietly eating. Wondering where the sudden tense atmosphere has come from, I pick at my salad. I’m sure Eva doesn’t like to think about that time, let alone talk about it, and it’s obviously upset her, so I change the subject. “How are things at Casa Kennedy? I’m guessing they’ve all welcomed you warmly.”

  She shoots me a grateful smile, chewing slowly and taking a sip of her drink before replying. “They most certainly have. I was worried because they didn’t know anything about me. Kade had to keep it a secret from his family, and then I worried because I was older, and I was his professor at one time, but they weren’t judgmental at all. This is the first time I’ve had a proper family, and I really like it.”

  “They’re a tight bunch and it’s good to have them in your corner.” I want to ask her to pass on my good wishes, but I don’t want word getting through to Keven that I’m back in Boston. Although, I’m probably being egotistical. I’m sure he’s moved on and that the Kennedys have long since forgotten me.

  I stab a piece of chicken with my fork, abnormally frustrated at my thoughts. If I’m being honest with myself, since I’ve returned to the area, Kev’s been on my mind a lot, and I hate it. It feels like I’m disrespecting Dan any time I think of my childhood sweetheart. I shouldn’t still be thinking of him. I hate that I am, but I seem powerless to stop it.

  “Can I ask you something personal?” Eva says, bringing me back into the moment.

  “Okay,” I say, a little hesitantly. I put my fork down and give her my undivided attention.

  “Why didn’t you contact Keven?”

  A muscle clenches in my jaw, and tension cords my shoulders into knots. “He’s a part of my past I’d prefer to leave in the past.” I take a quick drink, watching warring emotions play across her face. “Besides, it wouldn’t have been fair of me to reach out to an ex when I’m engaged to Dan. It’d feel too much like a betrayal, and I won’t do that to him.”

  Eva opens and closes her mouth in quick succession. She spears another ravioli, popping it in her mouth, looking contemplative as she chews. I force a piece of chicken into my mouth, but it tastes like sandpaper.

  “Screw it.” She tosses her napkin on the table, sho
ving her plate aside. Then she moves in closer to me, lowering her voice. “He can be mad at me. I don’t care. I can’t sit here and say nothing.”

  “Who, Kaden?” I surmise, setting my own lunch aside.

  She stiffens, jerking her head up at the same time the scent of his cologne invades my airspace, throwing me back in time. My hand shakes as I clutch onto the edge of the table. My chest tightens, and blood pounds in my ears.

  No way.

  This cannot be happening.

  I refuse to look behind me.

  I’m not ready to see him.

  “You set me up.” I eyeball Eva, challenging her to disagree.

  “It’s not what you think,” she pleads.

  “Cheryl.” His deep voice causes goose bumps to sprout all over my arms, and tears prick my eyes.

  “Go away,” I toss over my shoulder. “I don’t want to see you or speak to you.” I keep my eyes locked on the table. If I look at him, I’m not sure how I’ll react, and I refuse to do this in a public place.

  “Cheryl, please. Just hear me out,” Keven beseeches, moving closer. I know because his body heat knocks into me, rendering my insides to mush. No other man has ever held power over my body like Keven Kennedy. Unhelpful memories surge to the forefront of my mind. I squeeze my eyes shut to ward off the painful reminiscing, but invisible hands ghost over my body, alerting my libido to his presence.

  Snatching my bag, scarf, and jacket, I jump up out of my seat, knocking into Keven in my haste to get away. Firm hands land on my waist, and terror combines with anxiety and longing as I feel his touch all the way to the tips of my toes.

  “Leave me alone,” I shriek, and I’m sure I’m drawing attention. I wouldn’t know because my eyes are glued to the ground as I desperately try to avoid catching even a glimpse of him.

  “Cheryl.” His tone is more determined this time, and he tilts my face up with his finger, forcing my gaze to meet his.

  And it’s every bit as painful as I thought it would be.

  Looking into his pale blue eyes is like traveling back in time. To a moment when he was my everything and I believed I was that to him too.

  His hair is a little longer than it was back in high school, and he’s sporting a thick layer of stubble on his chin and cheeks.

  God, he’s even hotter now—how is that fair?

  His lips part slightly, and my eyes fixate on his mouth as I remember how amazing it felt to be kissed by him. Keven’s kisses had a way of touching every single part of my body. We used to spend hours feverishly making out, both of us addicted to the high. Butterflies scatter in my chest, competing with the dull ache in my heart.

  We were so unbelievably good together, and I was crazy about him. I completely adored him, and he was my equal in every imaginable way.

  Until the start of senior year when everything changed.

  I still don’t know why, or how it happened, and it’s haunted me for years. Yet I never sought him out. Rejected all his attempts to reach out to me. Because what’s done is done, and there can be no going back.

  Keven showing up here will achieve nothing except send me into a new world of pain.

  His eyes penetrate mine as if he wishes he could uncover all my deep, dark secrets. My skin is hot where his large palms hold me at the waist, and my body trembles underneath his touch. His face is awash with feeling, and I’m losing control of my own emotions, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he still means to me.

  “My God, Cheryl.” His voice cracks, and I’m shocked to see tears welling in his eyes. “It’s so good to see you.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I spy someone taking a pic with their cell, and that’s my cue to shut this down. The Kennedys are infamous in Massachusetts, and well-known nationally; therefore, it’s no surprise someone’s recognized him. The absolute last thing I need is to be papped with my ex and have Dan call me out on it. I snap out of the reminiscent haze I’ve been wallowing in, piercing him with a venomous look. “Get your hands off me, Keven, or I’ll scream so loud every single person in this room will turn in our direction.”

  He removes his hands so fast I almost laugh. As much as I loved the Kennedys, they were very precious about their reputation. Kennedy Apparel was a big deal back then, and the whole family was celebrities around Boston. It was one part of being with Keven I disliked. He wasn’t fond of the attention either, and it looks like some things haven’t changed as I watch him pull up the hood on his hoodie, sheltering his face from prying eyes.

  “Can we go somewhere private to talk?” he asks, and his simple request rubs me the wrong way.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you. I don’t know what you hoped to achieve here today, but I have nothing new to say to you. In case you didn’t get the memo last time, I despise you,” I lie, summoning my darkest look as I glare at him. “Stay away from me. I mean it.”

  I glance over my shoulder at Eva, upset that she’d do this to me. “I thought you were my friend.”

  “I am your friend, Cheryl, and I’m begging you to hear Keven out.”

  “No. I don’t owe you or him anything, and I’d appreciate it if you’d lose my number, Eva. Both of you, just leave me the hell alone.”

  Before either of them can say another word, I race out of the restaurant, desperately fighting the tears that beg to run free.

  Chapter 5

  Keven

  “Fuck.” I watch Cheryl’s retreating form with a heavy heart.

  “I knew this was a bad idea,” Eva says, dropping some bills on the table and grabbing her coat. “You should’ve let me do this my way.”

  “Not now, Eva. I need to go after her. Wait in the car with Rick. I’ll be back.”

  I don’t stick around for her answer, racing out the door after my ex. “Cheryl, wait!” I shout, sprinting down the road after her. She hasn’t gotten far in her heels, and I catch up to her in no time, planting myself in front of her so she can’t escape. “Cheryl, please. Just stop for a minute.”

  She has no choice as I’m blocking her path. “Why are you doing this, Kev?” She pins me with those sad, beautiful, big blue eyes of hers, and I melt. Teenage Cheryl was my every wet dream, but this grown-up version is the stuff of fantasies.

  She is absolutely stunning.

  Even more beautiful than I remember.

  The epitome of a classic, natural beauty.

  In school, her hair was straight, landing just below the nape of her neck. It’s much longer now, falling in soft waves down her back. Her plump lips look every bit as kissable as they were back in high school, and I’d trade everything I have just to taste her on my lips once again. Her flawless skin is devoid of makeup, which was something I always liked. Although I can’t risk a full body scan—not with the daggers she’s currently sending me—I got a good look at her before I made my presence known in the restaurant. It’s clear she’s filled out in all the right places. She’s still slender but curvy, and her body is just how a woman’s body should be.

  “We have unresolved business,” I tell her, purposely keeping my eyes locked on her face.

  “No, we don’t,” she argues, her lips turning all pouty, and it does nothing to quell the craving to kiss her.

  I lean in closer, putting my face right up in hers. “Yes, we do. You wouldn’t even let me explain, and then you were just gone!”

  “There wasn’t anything to explain,” she grits out, and I hate the hurt glimmering at the back of her eyes. “I had a front row seat.”

  “I’m so fucking sorry about that, and if I could rewind time, I’d do everything differently, but there is stuff you don’t know. Stuff I couldn’t tell you back then. I wanted to, believe me, I did, but I didn’t know how.”

  “What does it matter now, Kev?” She shrugs, and her hair falls over one shoulder, exposing the delicate column of her nec
k. “It’s in the past. We’re in the past. I’ve moved on.”

  “I heard.” A muscle clenches in my jaw like it does every time I think about that lowlife she’s engaged to. As much as I want to tell her to stay away from him, I’ve got to play my cards right. If I try to warn her now, she’ll only dismiss it as jealousy, and I can’t take the risk that she might tell Stanten. If I do anything to fuck up the FBI investigation, I’ll find myself out of a job and behind bars. So, my best option is trying to worm my way back into her life.

  Even if it’s just as friends.

  I need Cheryl to trust me again before I spill the beans on her darling fiancé.

  I know I’ve my work cut out for me, but I’m determined to win her over.

  “Then what is this about? No good can come from dredging up the past.” She grips onto the strap of her bag, shuffling awkwardly on her feet. She’s doing everything in her power not to look at me, and that fact alone gives me hope. If I meant absolutely nothing to her anymore, she’d have no trouble looking me in the eye.

  “I need to tell you, Cheryl. You need to know the full story. And who knows? Maybe we could become friends again. We were such good friends before we became anything else.”

  She jerks her head up, and I hate the anguish etched across her face. “I’m happy and letting you back into my life will only make me miserable.”

  Her words cut through me like a knife. “Tell me how you really feel,” I deadpan.

  She sighs softly. “What do you expect, Kev? You shattered me. You broke my heart and destroyed my faith in men. I’m finally in a good place in my life, and you show up expecting me to hear you out? You’re a part of my past, and you don’t belong in my present or future. I’m sorry if that’s blunt, but that’s the way it is. Whatever you think you’re doing here, just forget it.”

  She moves to step around me, and I reach out, gently taking her arm. “I only want to talk, Cheryl. You may have moved on, but I can’t.”

  I’m not playing fair right now. Cheryl has the purest heart, and she never denies anyone in need. I don’t want to fight dirty, but I can’t let her walk away from me either. “I can’t leave the past in the past until I’ve told you what I should’ve told you back then. I know you don’t owe me anything, but all I’m asking for is one hour of your time. Please. If I ever meant anything to you, please just meet with me.”