Never Moving On

Never Moving On A Friends to Lovers Romance C. R. Lee C. R. Lee Books Copyright Copyright © 2022 by C. R. Lee Books All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without written permission from the publisher or author, except in the case of brief quotations used in book-related articles or reviews or as permitted by U.S. copyright law. This is a work of fiction. The characters, places and events portrayed in this book are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Cover design by Donovan Valdes Proofreading by Charity Chimni Contents 1. Twenty Going on Twelve Stella 2. And That’s the Game Folks! Stella 3. Gotta Love that Lemon Fresh Scent Jacob 4. Uncomfortable Much? Stella 5. Because Murder is Wrong Jacob 6. Am I Still Evil if I Feel Guilty? Stella 7. Don’t Fuck with My Beer Jacob 8. Boys Don’t Want Brains Stella 9. Well, Whadda’ya Know? Jacob 10. The Flash Ain’t Got Nothin’ On Me Stella 11. The Power of the Period Jacob 12. Who is This Girl, and Where Has She Been All My life? Stella 13. Commander Stardust and Her Rodent Steed Jacob 14. Getting a Little Help from My Friends Stella 15. Here Comes Mister Neanderthal Jacob 16. Oh, No, He Didn’t! Stella 17. Sabotage! Jacob 18. That Took a Turn Toward the Unexpected Stella 19. Hindsight is an Evil Bitch Stella 20. Where's the Rewind Button On This Shit? Jacob 21. Give a Girl a Baseball Bat Stella 22. And Now I Can Breathe Jacob 23. Everything I’ve Ever Wanted Stella 24. Never Said I Promise Jacob 25. Just When You Think You Know Somebody... Stella 26. Who’s Afraid of the PDA? Jacob 27. Haven’t I Seen This Horror Flick? Stella 28. Busted! Jacob 29. How Does She Do It? Stella 30. When Things Seem Too Good to be True... Stella 31. And the World Turns Upside Down Jacob 32. What Just Happened? Stella 33. Now What? Jacob 34. Put Some Vodka on That Stella 35. What Goes in the Shed, Stays in the Shed Jacob 36. Are We Having Fun Yet? Stella 37. Surprise! Jacob 38. Should’ve Seen That Coming Stella 39. Ghosted Jacob 40. Eat, Sleep, Class, Repeat Stella 41. Places to Go. People to See. Jacob 42. Always and Forever Stella Four Months Later... Jacob Sneak Peek of Never Backing Off Also By C. R. Lee Wanna Hang? Acknowledgments About Author one Twenty Going on TwelveStella“Twenty, really? You look like you’re twelve,” says the used-to-be hot guy who just approached me at this party. Ah, the five words every college-aged female wants to hear: You look like you’re twelve. Fabulous. “So, you’re a pedophile, then?” I reply because screw him.That shit-eating smile drops like an anvil and his gray-blue eyes go wide. “What?”“You said that I looked like I was twelve, yet you’re here hitting on me. So that can only mean one of two things: you’re either an asshole who never quite got over the pulling her pigtails method of courtship, or you’re a pedophile. Now, I would hate to be rude and call someone I just met an asshole, hence my original question: Are you a pedophile?”I raise the red solo cup to my lips and take a small sip of the warm beer I’ve been nursing all night, nonchalant as can be. While king moron stands there with his mouth hanging open as if he wants to say something but can’t find the words.“You can leave now,” I say, as if shooing away a bothersome child.He mutters, “Bitch,” under his breath and storms off. I sigh. What is it about me that attracts every loser within a twenty-mile radius? Do I give off some special pheromones that only affect assholes and idiots? A laugh like a dying hyena sounds from behind me and I spin around to see my best friend, and royal pain in the ass, Jacob, doubled over in hysterics. “So glad my life amuses you, Jake.”He rights himself and presses his lips together as if trying to physically hold back his laughter, and doing a shit job of it, I might add. He lets out a breath and runs a finger under his eye to dry invisible tears. “That was beautiful. Seriously. I wish I’d taken a video.”I fling my arms out in frustration. “Well, what the hell did he expect? Did he think that was a compliment? I mean, how stupid can someone be?”“Come on.” He throws an obscenely muscled arm over my shoulder and gives me a squeeze before heading for the back porch. My whole body lights up at the contact. God, I hate the way I respond to him. It’s torture. Not only is he dating my friend, and roommate, Emma, but he treats me like I’m his sister. His very young sister. I, of course, want to rub my face in those beautiful pecks, but I refrain because I am nothing if not a bastion of self-control.Jacob Gonzales is the epitome of Latin good looks with his chiseled features, golden-brown skin, and dark brown, almost black, hair. Oh, and did I mention he plays wide receiver for Nasser University? Yeah. I caught a glimpse of him in his boxer briefs once and it was enough to haunt me till the end of my days.“And it’s always twelve,” I continue. “Always. Since I was fifteen. I keep getting older, but my face stays the same freaking age.”“You don’t look twelve.” “Whatever.”“Seriously, that guy’s an idiot.” Somebody shouts Jacob’s name, and he pauses to wave. Turning back to me, he says, “You don’t look a day under fourteen.”“Bastard.” I slip free of his arm and give him a half-hearted slap on the shoulder.And he’s laughing again.Ignoring him, I scan the