Your Last First Kiss

YOUR LAST FIRST KISS AVERY MAXWELL Copyright © 2023 by Avery Maxwell All rights reserved. No part 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, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. The book is a work of fiction. The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author. www.AveryMaxwellBooks.com ISBN: 979-8-88643-925-0 (ebook) ISBN: 979-8-88643-926-7 (paperback) 050523 This book is for those of you who have tried to be everything to everyone while masking your own pain with a smile. It’s also for Tammy. Simmer down! You know why. CONTENTS Author Note Playlist Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Epilogue Dear Reader Acknowledgments Get To Know Avery! Also by Avery Maxwell AUTHOR NOTE YOUR LAST FIRST KISS Dear Reader, Penny’s life is not easy, nor is it salacious. What it is though, is real, raw, and full of pining love. Penny’s ex-husband is an alcoholic and this story shows how alcoholism and substance abuse, for some, can change the landscape of families. It’s particularly true for Penny’s oldest son, Kai, who experiences his father’s choices the most. Their world is full of chaos, but they soon learn that Dillon just wants to be a part of it, and he does so in spectacular fashion. He shows Penny and her children what being a family truly means with love, patience, and kindness. He’s able to teach them that abuse, neglect, postpartum depression, and even death are not their fault, or their burden to carry. In short, he shows them how to live without the weight of other people’s choices. *While this is a complete work of fiction, I appreciate my sensitivity readers for all their help in making it realistic for the characters yet keeping the vibe you’ve come to expect from me. This story is the epitome of found family, hope, and as much love as I could fit on the page. If you or anyone you know is struggling, please reach out for help. https://www.aa.org/ https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline PLAYLIST YOUR LAST FIRST KISS Music has always made me feel emotions in a big way. This playlist is no different. Each song tells a story of hope and longing—trust and compassion. It’s everything I wanted for Dillon and Penny. Happy listening. Luvs, Avery My Life, Andy Grammar and R3HAB All That Really Matters, ILLENIUM and Teddy Swims Give You Love, Forest Blakk My Girl, Dylan Scott How Honest Do You Want Me To Be?, Ingrid Andress Next Thing You Know, Jordan Davis Fade Into You, Mazzy Star Wish You Were Here, Avril Lavigne Fall Into Me, Forest Blakk Come Home, OneRepublic You’re Beautiful, James Blunt Enchanted, Taylor Swift Head Over Feet, Alanis Morissette My Best Friend, Tim McGraw Accidentally in Love, Counting Crows Labyrinth, Taylor Swift Son of a Sinner, Jelly Roll If You Love Her, Forest Blakk Daisies, Katy Perry Piece by Piece, Kelly Clarkson Take My Name, Parmalee Someone To You, BANNERS Done, Chris Janson Goodbye My Lover, James Blunt Lonely If You Are, Chase Rice Every Other Memory, Ryan Hurd Home, Phillip Phillips I Will Wait, Mumford & Sons Little Bit More, Suriel Hess COMPLETE MESS, 5 Seconds of Summer TRUSTFALL, P!nk Feel like This, Ingrid Andress Good In Me, Andy Grammer I Remember, Forest Blakk imagine, Ben Platt I’ll Never Not Love You, Michael Bublé Spotify: https://geni.us/YLFKPlaylist CHAPTER 1 DILLON SIX MONTHS AGO “You’re fired.” Of course, that’s not exactly what my childhood friend, Ashton Westbrook, said as he sat in my chair, smiling like this should all make sense to me. What he actually said was that he wants to diversify his investments. He wants to invest in my future since I won’t, and when the time comes, he may have an opportunity for me that’s a better fit than Envision. What he meant was, I’m fired. Or I will be. Sort of. I don’t think you can actually fire a partner. But if he walks from the company, he wants to take me with him. I just don’t understand why. That’s not entirely true, though, is it? Sometimes I wish I could put a muzzle on that voice in my head. At thirty-nine years old, I live a comfortable—if boring—life, and the company he wants to break into pieces is my cornerstone. Leaving it would mean starting over, and the asshole won’t give me a single goddamned detail to make the decision myself. I haven’t really made many decisions for myself in years though. Why the fuck do I care now? Grabbing the down comforter with more force than necessary, I drag it over my head to drown out that voice and to keep the frigid air away from my skin. It’s the middle of summer in Manhattan, but my air conditioning is run by a demon. It’s so damned cold that my breath puffs like smoke in the air when I get out of bed in the morning. Then I step outside and sweat my balls off before I even get to the car. I hate it here. But I understand it here. Everyone keeps to themselves and minds their own business. If you fall on the street, chances are three out of four people will step right over you. Harsh but true. New York is where you go to hide in plain