Mistake

Mistake LOST BOYS BOOK 1 EMILIA FINN Copyright © 2023 Emilia Finn All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below: [email protected] ISBN: 978 1 922623 20 1 (Paperback) Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination. Front cover photography by: Wander Aguilar Front cover models: Cooper S Cover design: Britt @ The Hatters Editing: Bird’s Eye Editing First printing edition 2023. Beelieve Publishing, Pty Ltd PO Box 407, Woy Woy, NSW, 2256 Australia www.emiliafinn.com EMILIA FINN, the ROLLERS logo, the CHECKMATE SECURITY logo, STACKED DECK logo, and INAMORATA are all trade marks of Beelieve Publishing, Pty Ltd Contents Also by Emilia Finn Looking To Connect? Maya Blake Cole Miller Maya Maya Cole Maya Cole Maya Cole Cole Maya Cole Maya Cole Maya Cole Maya Cole Maya Epilogue Also by Emilia Finn Also by Emilia Finn (in reading order) The Rollin On Series Finding Home Finding Victory Finding Forever Finding Peace Finding Redemption Finding Hope The Survivor Series Because of You Surviving You Without You Rewriting You Always You Take A Chance On Me The Checkmate Series Pawns In The Bishop’s Game Till The Sun Dies Castling The Rook Playing For Keeps Rise Of The King Sacrifice The Knight Winner Takes All Checkmate Stacked Deck - Rollin On Next Gen Wildcard Reshuffle Game of Hearts Full House No Limits Bluff Seven Card Stud Crazy Eights Eleusis Dynamite Busted Gilded Knights (Rosa Brothers) Redeeming The Rose Chasing Fire Animal Instincts Pure Chemistry Battle Scars Safe Haven Inamorata The Fiera Princess The Fiera Ruins The Fiera Reign Mayet Justice Sinful Justice Sinful Deed Sinful Truth Sinful Desire Sinful Deceit Sinful Chaos Sinful Promise Lost Boys MISTAKE REGRET Rollin On Novellas (Do not read before finishing the Rollin On Series) Begin Again – A Short Story Written in the Stars – A Short Story Full Circle – A Short Story Worth Fighting For – A Bobby & Kit Novella Looking To Connect? Website Facebook Newsletter Email The Crew Did you know you can get a FREE book? Go to emiliafinn.com/signup to get your free copy sent direct to your inbox. Maya Blake FIRST DAY JITTERS “Ms. Blake?” A beautiful brunette woman who can’t be a hell of a lot older than my twenty-five years steps out of a school administration office with a stomach stretching ahead of her, indicating at least eight months of hard pregnancy. She wears a youthful glow in her cheeks, carries a white folder under her left arm, and grips a juice smoothie in her right hand. Stopping in front of me with a wide smile, she transfers her smoothie and offers her hand to me. “I’m Brittany Reilly. I’m helping you with orientation today.” “Oh.” Nervously, I shoot to my feet and shake her hand. “Okay. Hi.” Releasing me, she glances down at the folder under her arm and works to read my name on the front. “May-uh or My-uh?” “My-uh,” I confirm with a shaky smile. Anxiety swarms my stomach and makes my hands shake, but I hold my head high and pretend I have myself under control. Because this is the first day of the rest of my life. Hopefully. “It’s Maya Blake,” I repeat, surer this time. “Thanks for meeting with me, Ms. Reilly.” “You can call me Britt.” She makes a wide turn, very semi-truck-esque, so her stomach leads the way, then she starts along the hall. “This is the junior side of our school…” I dash in three-inch heels to catch up to the woman in skater shoes. “I can show you the senior side, too, if you want, but as a kindergarten teacher, I doubt you’ll be heading that way anytime soon. Plus,” she stops at the double-wide front doors of the main building and exhales like our trek has been as taxing as climbing a mountain. “It’s a long walk I don’t want to make today.” A soft smile works its way free to replace my worry. “It’s fine.” Then I look down at her stomach. “Is that your first baby?” She scoffs. “Not even close. I’ve lost count at this point. Junior playground is over that way.” She gestures toward the left of the main building. “Swings and climbing frame and whatnot.” Then she turns on her heels and almost hits me with her bulging belly. “It’s too hot for an outside tour today, but that’s where you’ll take the kids for playtime. Kindergarten schedule is different than the older grades, which means they’ll get time on the playground separate from the older kids for the first month of the school year. It helps them not be so overwhelmed by all the noise and moving bodies.” We continue through the air-conditioned halls of my new school. My new job. Using my new degree—I was a late starter, due to circumstances I wasn’t allowed to control. “We have a cafeteria on both sides of campus, though many of the littles pack a lunch.” Bringing her smoothie up to sip, she continues our tour on surprisingly fast feet. “Teachers can eat in the cafeteria if they prefer, though most of us just inhale whatever we can find in our desks if we’re not on playground duty.” She passes a colorful classroom and nods toward the door. “That’s mine. I teach a mixed class of fourth and fifth grade, though I’m working on the handoff with my sub right now, since I’m taking maternity leave soon.” “Too bad you didn’t get pregnant just a couple months earlier,” I joke. A desperate laugh works its