Read Bad Boy (An Indecent Proposal) for Free Online

instantly. “Why? Where are you?”
    I tossed
the chocolate on the coffee table and took my time swallowing the chunk in my
mouth. “In Acapulco, but that’s not why.”
    She let out
a laugh. “You are where?”
    “In
Mexico.” I sighed. “Why are you surprised? It was your idea. And before you
ask, yes, I listened to another one of your suggestions. I hope it does me more
good than the last time. I’m sorry for not inviting you to come along.”
    “So you’re
not coming back today.”
    “No.” I bit
on my lip. My throat constricted. I took a sharp breath to calm the sudden
tension in my chest. “Jude, I need this break. Clint, Chase, the whole
marriage, heck my whole life, it’s all become too much. I never had peace. I
realized that today. I don’t know who I am anymore.”
    “Of course
you know who you are.”
    “No, I
don’t,” I said, meaning every word of it. “I’m Laurie Hanson, this much I know
because it’s my name, but I have no home. No place to stay. My parents are
dead. I have no family.”
    “I’m your
family, Laurie. You know that.”
    I
hesitated. How could I possibly explain it to her when it took me such a long
time to realize it myself? “I know. You’re my adopted family. You’re also my
best friend—the best I could ever have. But you can’t help me when I have
to find myself. This thing with Chase...I have to make peace with it.
Everything in my life was built on struggles and survival. It’s not a very
stable foundation for the future. I can’t continue like this. I have to stop
being naïve.”
    “You’re in
love with him, aren’t you?” Her question came out of nowhere. The air I thought
I was holding came out in one big swoosh.
    “I…What?” I
frowned. “Of course I’m not in love with him.” My voice came out too
high-pitched, the lie obvious.
    “Laurie.”
Jude’s voice was soft. “I’m your friend, not your enemy. You can tell me
anything. You know that. I might scold, but I’ll never judge.”
    I turned my
face to the window and gazed at the sky for a few moments.
    Yes, there
had been a time when I thought I could be in love with Chase.
    And there
had been a time when I thought he could fall in love with me, too.
    A tear
rolled down my cheek. I wiped it away angrily, but a few more took its place.
    I wasn’t
crying out of pity for myself.
    I was
crying to cleanse my heart. I was crying to get rid of everything that had been
eating away at it.
    “I don’t
love him, Jude. Period. You won’t ever hear me say it, so stop asking. Besides,
what’s the point in talking about it anyway? It’s over. We’re done.”
    “He hurt
you, and you feel the need to be alone. I get that,” she whispered. “But at
least let me see you. It’s not a good time for you to be alone. I’m going to
ask the producers to give me a few days off. We’ll take a vacation together.”
    “No.” I
shook my head vehemently, even though she couldn’t see it. “I really need to be
on my own, Jude. I need this break, if only to find myself. To think things
through. I don’t think I’m strong enough to return to L.A. and face reality
just yet. I’m not strong enough to read my mom’s letters just yet, or face more
struggles.”
    “You really
haven’t read them yet?” She sounded unconvinced.
    “No. I
couldn’t,” I admitted. “I feel like I need to be in a different frame of mind
to read them. It’s not the right time. It’s not something I can do right now.”
    “I
understand,” Jude said.
    “You do?”
    “Yes. And
I’m sorry, Laurie.” She paused, as though there was more she wanted to say, but
didn’t know how. “It’s all my fault. If—”
    “No. Don’t,”
I cut her off. I couldn’t hear another apology, another ‘if only.’ “I’m as much
to blame as you. If I didn’t get involved with him and sign the contract, this
would never have happened.”
    “I’m still
sorry. I had no idea he was after your money. If I had known, I would