Road to Love

Road to LoveClara Moon Copyright © 2023 Clara MoonAll rights reservedThe characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.Cover art: Shower of Schmidt Designs EditorProofreader: Allie Chindlund Print ISBN: 979-8-9859241-2-1 This is for you.A badass reader that takes no shit and goes for what they want. Keep that shit up! Contents Title PageCopyrightDedicationTrigger WarningPrologueOneTwoThreeFourFiveSixSevenEightNineTenElevenTwelveThirteenFourteenFifteenSixteenSeventeenEighteenNineteenTwentyTwenty-oneTwenty-twoTwenty- threeTwenty-fourTwenty-fiveTwenty-sixTwenty-sevenTwenty-eightTwenty-nineThirtyThirty-oneThirty-twoThirty-threeThirty-fourThirty-fiveThirty-sixEpilogueAbout The AuthorBooks By This Author Trigger WarningStrong languageDescriptive sex scenesAttempted assaultVerbal abuse PrologueHow did I find myself sitting shotgun in a black ‘67 Chevy Impala with my brother’s best friend?He’s the bane of my existence, the thorn in my side, and the pain in my ass. He thinks he’s God’s gift to women, but he was only put on Earth to piss me off. The last person I would travel half a day with would be him.So why am I in his car?It all started when I was told I would be a bridesmaid at my baby sister’s wedding to a man, a Marine, whom she met when she and her friends were vacationing in Myrtle Beach, SC. The words, ‘It was love at first sight.’, were repeated over and over as they, my mom and sister, threw it in my face.And who am I to judge? Especially since I have never been in love.Yeah, I had relationships. They ranged from one night to one year, but I have never had what one would call a serious relationship. I have never been in love.I’ve had crushes growing up, even one on the asshole sitting next to me, which was a mistake, but I wouldn’t tell someone how they are supposed to love. Which is why I am on my way to her wedding. So, I am sitting in this stupid car with this man.Okay, I lie. The car isn’t stupid.But I still haven’t answered the question.HowDidIFindMyselfHere?My car broke down on the freeway on the way to North Carolina and the universe hates me and likes to watch me suffer. Because twenty minutes after I called a tow, the rumble of a 327 V-8 engine sent a shiver down my spine. OneDeafening silence wafts through the Impala and I squirm in my seat, feeling eyes on me. I think back on the memories I have had with him. Many of them involve him being an ass. Music blasting through the speakers has me jumping in my seat and my eyes dropping to the stereo before lifting to the man in the driver’s seat.Squinting my eyes at him, I wonder who this man is. Over a decade later, he looks like an upgraded version with better hygiene. He looks like he made a deal with the devil to age like fine wine.Because the man sitting behind the wheel is not the messy slob I knew. The one to roll out of bed, pick up a shirt off the floor, sniff it, and then throw it on. He didn’t give a damn about anything but smoking weed, skateboarding, video games, and getting laid.This version is the complete opposite. His long, brown, shoulder-length hair has been cut short in a modern pompadour style. There isn’t a wrinkle on his black shirt and he’s slouched in the seat with one arm lying across the ledge of the door, below the window.Movement has my eyes zoning in to his mouth, the ends lifted above the scruff of a beard. “See something you like?”I ignore him and continue staring at his face, searching for the scar on his chin that he got when he tried to show off for the new neighbor. She was in his and my brother’s grade, like the shiny new toy in the mix of broken ones.Dom and my brother Aidan would constantly try to get her attention.I remember one time when we were at the local skate park and she showed up ten minutes before we were supposed to leave. Instead of gathering their gear and us heading home, they both gave each other a knowing look and started doing risky tricks to grab her attention.I became the annoying sister. I kept yelling out that I was going to get in so much trouble if I wasn’t home in time. Dom went to turn the board around on the top of the ramp, probably to tell me to quit being a crybaby, and the board went forward too far when he wasn’t ready. His skateboard went down and pulled him with it. He tumbled and busted his chin on the skateboard before landing at the bottom of the ramp in an unconscious heap.Everyone was equally concerned about him. We found out that he pretended to be unconscious so that she would run down to him. She played right into his hand and he got a scar and the girl. Meanwhile, Aidan and I were late getting home, and I got grounded from ever going with them again.Having a hard time trying to find the scar, I say, “You have a beard.”He scoffs. “I rescue you from the side of the road and that’s the first thing you say to me?”I shrug. “Eh, actually that’s not the first thing I said to you. I remember you getting out of the car and I asked the universe why it had to be you.” I pause before saying, “The first thing I said to you was ‘Why do I need to get into your car?’ and then it was ‘I’ll get into your car only because it is my dream car.’ Then we sat in silence until now.”His eyebrows raise, and he grins widely. “You never disappoint.” I open my mouth to ask him what that is supposed to mean when he continues talking. “Anyway. Yes, Captain Obvious.