Read Unlikely Hero (Atlanta #1) for Free Online Page A

ago:  
“You really need to talk to someone and really share this. Therapy helps, but you’re the one who has to do all the work. You really need to find a way to trust someone and connect with them. That’s when healing will really take place.”
    She never found anyone she trusted. Not ever. How could she possibly trust someone after having trust so violently broken? Even the thought of trust didn’t seem possible. Now, this journal-stealing jackass got her story.  
    She shared without meaning to. She trusted a book, which was hard enough, but now she shared her story, well, a hint of it, but still. Someone got through her very strong, well-crafted walls, damn it. And instead of being completely angry, she found herself relieved. Someone saw her damage and a glimmer of hope in her.  
    M’s note professing her strength was the first thing in five years that hinted at healing. That therapist had been right all along, and Erin laughed at herself because she had gotten a pass, of sorts. She got the bit of healing without daring to open herself up to anyone. Circumstance opened her up.  
    Regardless, she was smiling and sitting tall. She could overlook his reading the journal. If she had found a journal like that, she may have been tempted, too. M was only human, and if he responded to her note back to him, then she will have heard him share, too. That would even the score a bit. Maybe then she would find the strength to let more healing in, and maybe help him in the process.  
    What a convoluted way of thinking. She dropped the whole notebook business from her mind and settled into her accounting work. Calculations were clean, concise, predictable, and didn’t threaten to give her a headache like the internal notebook dialogue had. She sat down with her laptop. All she needed was a spreadsheet and some Chex Mix and Erin was set for a stable, safe afternoon of accounting.  
    She had her hair pulled up in a messy bun, strings of red curls falling out at random spots, and of course, her favorite cotton combo of yoga pants and cami. But because she was feeling so much better in general, she decided to put on a playful pair of stripy socks her parents sent her for her birthday.  
    She spent the rest of Saturday working on payroll calculations and reviewing a complicated and ugly consolidated tax return. That part was a pain, but predictable like she wanted. She was comfortable and in her work zone, but she was not empty. She found herself smiling a few times when she glanced over and looked at the “strength” token she had placed beside her pencil cup.  
    She smiled at the little gift given to her. She couldn’t help but wonder again at who might be its donor, the one who found and read her journal. That person obviously knew who she was. She rolled her eyes at how unfair it was that she didn’t have the foggiest clue who he was. All she had to go on was the letter “M” and scratchy penmanship, certainly not enough for an identification.  
    She thought maybe he would be willing to reveal himself now that she’d written him back, but if not, how would she find out who he was? The mystery was a bit fun, she admitted to herself, but still scary at the same time. Regardless, this written conversation should be interesting. She found herself looking forward to his next communication.  
    After all the crazy brain-play and focused accounting, Erin was ready for a work out. She went down to the rec center of her apartment complex and headed for the treadmill. She ran a few miles before doing a seriously intense arms and upper back work out.  
    Moving around felt great after being stationary at her desk for so many hours and gave her mind some time to consider her new pen-pal even more. Life was finally interesting again…and scary. Erin knew, however, there was no going back.
    She slept well that night and awoke refreshed the next day. Erin spent Sunday much the same way as Saturday. She ran errands, did work,