Special
Announcement from Kelly Elliott regarding Broken Love……
When Kelly Elliott started
to write Broken Love she decided what better way to write this fan wanted
book than to let readers help write it!!
Every
3-4 weeks Kelly will write a few chapters and at the end there will be a few
questions and the readers can vote which direction this novella will go.
Here’s
your first chance to help…..fill out the Google Doc here
Prologue
Ava
Nothing about my relationship with Johnny was normal.
We met and fell in love immediately. He asked me to marry him on our two-month
anniversary and I said yes. My mother cried, and my father lectured me for
three hours straight. He kept repeating, “This isn’t normal, Ava.”
What was normal anyway?
According to my father, knowing someone at least six
months before agreeing to marry him or her was normal. I, of course, disagreed
and let my whirlwind relationship with Johnny totally blind me of what I
couldn’t see before my very eyes.
As I stood in front of four different cakes, I
couldn’t help but glance around the bakery. Johnny and I were having a small
wedding, held at his parent’s country club in Austin. His mother had insisted
we not elope, which was exactly what we had both wanted to do.
Turning my attention to Johnny, I watched as he talked
to the young redhead who had been helping us.
“So, have you narrowed it down?” she asked as she
smiled brightly at Johnny and barely acknowledged I was there.
With a shrug of his shoulder, Johnny turned to me and
said, “Ava, could I possibly talk to you outside for a moment?”
I gave Johnny a slight smile as I nodded my head. “Of
course.”
Johnny placed his hand on my lower back and guided me
out of the bakery. I frowned as I thought how his hand on my lower back should
cause my stomach to dip. At least that is how it is for the girls in the
romance books I read. The touch of his hand on my body should ignite my body in
flames.
Ha! I’d never experienced those feelings before in my
entire life. There was a reason it was called fiction.
As we stepped out of the bakery, I flashed him a smile
as I decided maybe what we needed was some afternoon delight. Placing my hand
on his chest, I licked my lips and purred, “I know something else I’d rather be
tasting.”
Johnny looked away as he stared down the street with
an empty look in his eyes. “Ava, I need to talk to you.”
My smile faded as I instantly gnawed on my lower lip.
His voice was serious and I had a terrible feeling he was about to say
something that was going to prove my father right.
“Okay, right now or after we pick out a cake?”
Johnny looked into my eyes and shook his head. “I need
to be honest with you, Ava.”
My heart sank as I held my breath involuntarily before
finding the air to speak again. “Honesty is always nice.”
As he closed his eyes I fought to hold back the tears
I knew were about to fall.
“There’s someone else. I didn’t mean for it to happen,
but it did. She's amazing and she makes me feel alive.”
Anger quickly raced through my body as I took a step
back. “Is that so? Kind of like how I made you feel alive? Or does she make you
feel alive in some other kind of way?”
Shaking his head, Johnny let out a sigh. “I’ve known
Lisa almost my whole life. We ran into each other about a month ago and well,
things just sparked between us.”
I placed my hand over my stomach and let out a moan.
“Oh. My. God. You’ve been cheating on me?”
“No! Well, I mean it wasn’t like I did it on purpose.
We fell in love, Ava and I can’t deny how I feel about her. I’ve only slept
with her twice.”
My mouth dropped open as I stared at him with a blank
expression. “Are you kidding me right now? Are you really that big of a dick
that you would actually tell me you’ve only slept with her twice? Is that some
how supposed to make me feel better you dickhead?”
Johnny glanced around as he took me by the arm and
started walking toward his Audi. I hated that car. I hated him. I hated that my
father had been right.
“I would have thought you would have been happy that I
told you this before we got married.”
Holy freaking hell.
What did I ever see in this jerk?
Letting out a chuckle, I nodded. “No, you’re right.
Better you told me before I went off and married you and God forbid had a child
with you.”
“Ava, you have to admit this was all rushed. We got
caught up in the whole romance side of things and lost focus on reality.”
“Reality? You think I’ve lost focus on reality? You
know what’s real, Johnny?”
He lifted his hand and gently placed it on the side of
my face. His thumb moved ever so slow as his eyes softened. “The pain you’re
feeling right now, Ava. I know this hurts, but baby you’re going to find
someone else.”
He did not. No. He. Did. Not.
“You got one part of that right. Pain. But it’s not
the pain I’m feeling, it’s the pain you're about to feel you asshole.”
I lifted my knee and hit him right in the balls. I
hadn’t seen a guy go down on one knee since I accidentally hit Walker in the
balls with a golf club.
Johnny doubled over as he cried out in pain.
“Have a happy life with, Lisa.”
Turning on my heels, I walked away quickly. Not sure
whether I should cry or scream, I pulled out my phone and dialed the one person
I knew would understand.
My mother.
“Hey baby girl. How did the cake tasting go? Did you
pick out a cake?”
Pressing my lips together, I tried to figure out how
to deliver the blow. “No. But I did kick Johnny in the balls out on the
sidewalk in front of the bakery.”
Silence.
“You remember that time I hit Walker with the golf
club.”
“Yes,” my mother said slowly.
“Picture that. He went down on one knee pretty damn
fast.”
“What happened?”
Rolling my eyes, I wiped the tears away. “He met
someone else. Someone who made him feel alive. He had sex with her mom. The
bastard cheated on me. I hate him.”
“Oh sweetheart. I’m so sorry this has happened to you.
Baby, why don’t you head on home and spend a few days with us, I know your
father would love to have you home.”
Laughing, I shook my head and said, “Oh I’m sure he
would. The second he sees me he’s going to say I told you so.”
“He would not, Ava Moore. You’re father loves you and
cares about you.”
Closing my eyes tightly, I whispered, “I know.”
Before I had a chance to open my eyes, I slammed into
someone. My eyes flew open as my phone flew out of my hands and I let out a
curse word.
“Shit!”
I had been stopped dead in my tracks. Dropping down, I
reached for my phone and for the papers I’d just caused this man to drop. As I
lifted my eyes, I sucked in a breath of air.
Beautiful hazel eyes stared into my blue. “I-I’m so
sorry,” I said as I handed him a few pieces of paper.
The smile that spread across his face caused the earth
to shake. Okay, not really, but it felt like it. I almost fell back onto my ass
as I tried to contain the crazy feeling that zipped through my body when his
hand brushed lightly across mine.
“I wasn’t looking where I was going,” I said as he
helped me into a standing position.
The beautiful mystery man pinned me with his stare. My
eyes roamed his perfect face. He was slightly tan, but I couldn’t tell if that
was from the sun or his genes. His dark hair had that perfect messy look to it
as he ran his hand through it and laughed.
“You don’t say? It’s not every day I run into a
beautiful lady. I believe my day has officially been made.”
His voice sounded like an angel.
Okay, so I don’t really know what an angel would sound
like, but if I could imagine it, I’d say this guy had it down. It was soft, yet
masculine. Sexy, yet, compassionate.
“I’m glad,” I whispered.
He lifted his eyebrows and tiled his head as his eyes
landed on my lips. “Glad you ran into me?”
My cell phone began ringing in my hand as I lifted it
up to see it was my mother. Shit! I’d forgotten she was on the line. Giving him
an awkward smile, I said, “No! Well, yes. No wait, I’m glad your day has been
made … by me running into you.”
Oh dear God, Ava. Stop talking. Lifting my phone, I
grinned and said, “It’s my mom.”
“May I at least get your name?”
My teeth sunk down into my lip as I let out a soft
chuckle. “Ava.”
Mystery man’s eyes lit up as he gave me a slight nod,
followed by the sexiest wink I’d ever seen. He lifted his hand to my chin and
forced my eyes to his. If I hadn’t been acutely aware of every single action he
made, I’d have missed his thumb move lightly over my bottom lip.
“The pleasure was most definitely mine, Ava.”
The stupid goofy grin on my face was evident as he
chuckled, dropped his hand, and began walking off as I stood there in a stupor.
My phone rang again as I hit answer and whispered,
“Hello?”
“Ava, are you okay? What happened?”
I shook my head to clear my thoughts as I glanced over
my shoulder at my mystery man walking away from me. Getting a grip on myself, I
headed toward my car. I was so thankful I had suggested meeting Johnny at the
bakery.
“Sorry, Mom. I accidentally ran into someone. Hey, I
think I’m going to do what you said. I need a few days of fresh country air.
Besides, I can work from anywhere.”
I could practically hear my mother jumping. “Oh yah!
When are you coming?”
“Today. I just need to go to my place and pack a bag.”
“Okay, sweetheart. Be careful driving, and we’ll see
you in a few hours. Oh, I’ll make your favorite dinner!”
Reaching my car, I turned around again. I wasn’t sure
why. Maybe I was hoping my mystery man would be standing there.
“Sounds great, Mom. I’ll let you know when I’m on my
way. I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, Ava. We’ll have you forgetting Johnny
in no time.”
Slipping into the drivers seat, I started my car and
said, “Johnny who?”
*** Copyright 2015 Broken Love Kelly Elliott***
~ About the Author ~
Kelly
Elliott is married to a wonderful Texas cowboy who has a knack for making her
laugh almost daily and supports her crazy ideas and dreams for some unknown
reason...he claims it's because he loves her!
She’s
also a mom to an amazing daughter who is constantly asking for something to eat
while her fingers move like mad on her cell phone sending out what is sure to
be another very important text message.
In
her spare time she loves to sit in her small corner overlooking the Texas hill
country and write.
One
of her favorite things to do is go for hikes around her property with
Gus....her chocolate lab and the other man in her life, and Rose, her golden
retriever. When Kelly is not outside helping the hubby haul brush, move rocks
or whatever fun chore he has in store for her that day, you’ll find her inside
reading, writing or watching HGTV.
