Broken Series

Read Broken Series for Free Online

Book: Read Broken Series for Free Online
Authors: Dawn Pendleton
had been sick for a long time. It wasn’t fair. I missed out on so much time with him. I figured he wanted to protect me, but I should have known, damn it! I deserved to know. I sighed. My anger wouldn’t help him now. Or me.
    “Hello?” I said into the receiver of what had to be the very last rotary phone in the whole country. My dad sure liked antiques.
    “Mallory? It’s Gabriella Peterman,” she said in a high-pitched voice.
    “Hey, Gabby. How are you?” I asked politely. I sniffed and looked around impatiently for a tissue.
    “Oh, you know, living the life of a small-town gal. But I wanted to check in on you. I know you and your dad were close,” she said as though he were already dead.
    “We still are close,” I stressed, though given the fact that he hadn’t told me about his cancer, it might not be as true as I hoped.
    “Of course! I didn’t mean any disrespect. I was actually wondering if you wanted to go get a beer with me at The Landing?”
    The Landing was the local bar, a place I’d only been to once when I tried to sneak in with a fake ID. It had been an interesting night. I wasn’t exactly in the mood for a night at the bar, but I also didn’t want to be alone. Gabby was the lesser of two evils.
    “Sure, what time do you want to meet?” I asked.
    “The band starts at nine, but if we get there early, we won’t have to pay the cover charge,” she said with a laugh. “How about half past eight?”
    I glanced at my watch. That gave me almost an hour to get ready. “Perfect. I’ll see you there,” I said.
    Maybe a night of indulgence would help ease the pain my whole body experienced today.
    I took a quick shower and managed to make myself not look too bad. My jeans were snug and the blue tank top I threw on was perfect for a night out. I put on some light makeup, including waterproof mascara, just in case I had a mental breakdown and started to cry again. It was entirely possible. My hair was wavy and long, in need of a cut. I found some black pumps in my duffel and strapped them on, determined to look like I hadn’t just been given the worst news of my life. After a quick glance in the mirror, I grabbed my purse and headed to the bar.
    Even a half hour before the band was supposed to start, the place was packed. I had to park in the parking lot across the street. There were a number of people loitering on the outdoor deck of The Landing. Most of them had a cigarette attached to the end of their fingertips. I steered away from them and toward the bouncer checking IDs.
    The muscled guy at the door looked me up and down before asking for my ID. I handed it to him and couldn’t shake the feeling that I knew him. I couldn’t place him, though.
    “Mallory Wells?” he said in awe.
    I must have known him at some point. His blonde hair was cropped short and his gray eyes were eerily familiar.
    “Yes.” I raised my brow at him, hoping he would clue me in.
    “I’m Chris Baker!” he exclaimed.
    I was shocked. Gone was the lanky twenty-year-old kid and a hot, older, more beefed up version of him stood before me.
    “Baker!” I said, not certain if I was happy to see him, given he’d been best friends with Luke three years ago. I wasn’t sure how he would feel about seeing me, either.
    When his arms wrapped around me in a bear hug of epic proportions, I figured he was glad to see me. He lifted me off the ground and swung around in a full circle before he set me on my feet again.
    “It’s so good to see you, Mal.” He smiled and handed me back my ID and then led me into the bar to a tall table in the back.
    Gabby was already seated. She shuffled off her stool when she saw me and gave me a huge hug. “Mallory! I can’t believe you’re back,” she crooned. “You look absolutely fantastic. Boston has been good to you.”
    “Thanks, you look good too,” I said.
    It was true. Gabby had been head cheerleader in high school and how she and I ended up being friends, I never really knew.

Similar Books

Speaker for the Dead

Orson Scott Card

Still in My Heart

Kathryn Smith

Crystal Clean

Kimberly Wollenburg

To Do List

Lauren Dane

Base

Cathleen Ross

Spell Blind

David B. Coe

My Soul to Take

Tananarive Due