Broken Bonds (Unbreakable Bonds #1)

Chapter Two

chapter two

CELINE

I was scrolling through my Instagram feed one last time before putting my phone away when I saw a girl from my graduating class had posted a picture, where she was standing next to my ex. Today was the two-year anniversary... How had I forgotten?

My heart instantly plummeted, and I exited out of the app with shaking fingers. Every time I thought I was over him, that I might finally be able to move on, I was reminded of how badly he broke me.

Would I ever properly heal from the gaping hole he left inside me?

Setting a seven A.M. alarm, I plugged my phone in and turned off the light, bathing the room in darkness. My eyes closed as my head hit the pillow, though I already knew sleep would be near impossible.

Aidan came over every Friday night so we could watch movies and eat popcorn while we waited for Emily to join us. Every Friday night, the three of us had a sleepover, though no sleeping was actually involved. The three of us would spend the night watching even more movies and laughing until the early morning, when we would all finally fall asleep.

Today was different, though. Emily was sick and couldn’t come, so it was just Aidan and me. He came home with me from school, walked into my house like it was his own, and said, “Hello” to my mom like she was his own. Mom had taken the time to make our favorite chocolate chip cookies, and we each devoured four before she kicked us out of the kitchen with a laugh, teasingly telling us we had bottomless pits for stomachs.

I headed to my room to change out of my school clothes while he stayed downstairs and used the guest room. By the time I got to the movie room, Aidan was already lounging on the brown reclining couch, flicking through the free movies. “The Harry Potter movies are free again,” he said as I sat next to him, his eyes never leaving the flat screen.

“Wanna marathon it?” I asked, grabbing some of the blanket he had draped over his legs. He started the first movie, giving me his answer.

We didn’t talk during the first movie, and it wasn’t until the second movie that I noticed something was off with him. He didn’t usually sit so close to me, and he certainly had never put his arm around the back of the sofa where my head rested. But I didn’t comment on it, even if my heart was in my throat and I could hardly focus on the movie screen.

Halfway through the second movie, we ordered a pizza to share, and that was when things really seemed strange, especially when he started to pace the room after eating. He never did that.

Something was bothering him.

“Celine, can we talk?” At the use of my name, something he hadn’t done since the day he met me, I paused the movie, giving him my full attention. Aidan had always called me Cece. Something was wrong.

“What’s wrong, A?” He looked unsure, his eyes darting between mine and the floor.

“I care about you,” he said as he took a step in my direction.

“I care about you too, dork!” I didn’t understand why he suddenly appeared so nervous. Aidan wasn’t someone who got nervous. He was so self-assured and positive.

“Not like friends, Celine.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I care about you like a boyfriend cares about his girlfriend.”

Oh.

Mouth open, I couldn’t find any words to speak. Friends never wanted to admit those types of feelings for fear of ruining the relationship they already had together.

“You don’t have to say anything. I just can’t keep beating around the bush anymore. You needed to know.” He was standing in front of me now, and I could make out the worry in his eyes in the little light in the room. Like he was afraid his confession would ruin everything between us.

I still couldn’t find the right words. Couldn’t make my lips move to form any.

“I think I’m going to go home—let you have time to figure out what you want to do.” He headed for the door, bending down to pick up his backpack that rested against the wall. I hated the dejection in his voice—the pain, the worry.

His hand wrapped around the door handle, and he hesitated. “I’m sorry if I ruined our friendship. I just can’t keep lying anymore.” He opened the door and had one foot out when I finally found my voice.

“Don’t go.” He stopped and turned back to face me, blinking in surprise. “You can’t leave like this.”

He closed the door, dropped his bag, and slowly walked back over to the couch, taking a seat but putting a lot of space between us. He had never done that before. I practically always sat on his lap.

And then, it clicked.

We never acted like friends.

Friends didn’t cancel plans with the guys on a Saturday night because I had a fight with my parents. They didn’t take the long way home every time they dropped me off just to spend more time with me. They didn’t wipe away my tears when I was upset, and they certainly didn’t watch romance movies with me.

Unless we had always been more, and I had never noticed. How could I have been so blind?

“We’ve never been friends,” I whispered into the dark room. His sharp intake of air was audible in the otherwise quiet room. I swallowed thickly and looked over at him. “Friends don’t feel the way I do about you.”

He hooked a gentle finger under my chin, turning my head to look at him, and then, with his two big hands, he cradled my face. I shivered. “Let’s be more. Let’s be everything you dream about.” A small, hopeful smile tilted his lips. “Let’s be the couples you read about, baby.”

I startled awake the next morning, Aidan on my mind. I could still feel his warm hands on my face despite him having been gone for two years.

I kept reminding myself that it wasn’t a dream the whole time I was showering—that Aidan had truly existed. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his hopeful gaze the day he asked me to be his girlfriend. He’d said all the right words, and he had my heart in his hands with those puppy dog eyes he shot my way. I still couldn’t shake those eyes from my mind while I applied my makeup.

In my closet, the leather jacket he gave me for riding stared back at me, and pain flared through my chest. Quickly looking away from it, I changed into the white jeans and new red top Mom got me yesterday, and for once, I left without grabbing earrings.

I needed to get away from the memories that invaded my mind. He wouldn’t haunt me today. He wouldn’t control my first day of college.

I headed out of my room for breakfast. Mom was already slaving away at the stove, making eggs for everyone, while Dad was typing away at his computer, more than likely working already. Ryan was bounding down the stairs behind me and just about ran right into me in his haste.

“Watch it, dude!” I huffed, walking into the kitchen and heading straight for my favorite kitchen utility— the Keurig.

“Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” he sighed and took a seat next to Dad at the breakfast table.

“Morning, honey. Sleep well?” Mom asked, looking up from the eggs with a warm smile.

“Not really. Pretty nervous, I guess,” I lied while stirring my steaming cup of coffee. I wouldn’t make my parents worry by telling them I’d dreamed of Aidan. They would either hover over me like helicopter parents or send me to therapy—neither option was appealing.

“Don’t worry. There’s always someone in the same shoes as you, just waiting to make a new friend.”

I shrugged. “I hope so. I hate making new friends. I wish Em was going to the same college.” While I was taking my seat at the kitchen table, Mom started dishing the plates of food, and Ryan went to help her put the plates on the table.

“Everything happens for a reason, Celine. You and Emily are attached at the hip. It’s time to make a new friend.” My dad had stopped typing and was looking at me while he spoke.

“Calm down. Worst case, I’ll be your new best friend. I’ve got your back—always,” Ryan said as he ruffled my perfectly styled hair, earning a shove from me and a scowl.

“Thanks, Ry. I’ll remember that next time when I have to take the trash out and it’s pouring outside.”

“I’d rather you didn’t,” he muttered, scratching the back of his head while our parents laughed.

Fifteen minutes later, Ry and I were heading to class in his Ford. We figured going in two cars was a waste of time when we both finished at the same time today. And honestly, if I could save the gas in my car and just use his, I certainly wasn’t going to complain.

The closer we got to campus, the more my nerves increased, and I knew Ryan could tell. “Don’t worry. The professors are super chill here and so are the students. You’ll make a friend by the end of the day.” Ryan tried to give me a pep talk, but his efforts went to waste. My nerves were already shot after dreaming of Aidan. Today was already going to be too much just because of that.

“Thanks. I’ll see you later, okay?” I said, getting out of the truck after he parked.

He gave me an encouraging smile. “Knock em’ dead, Celine.” His pep talk might have failed, but he did make me laugh.

Walking into my first class, I took a seat in the middle row, all the way to the left of the room. People filed in quickly, and once the short lady with graying hair known as the professor walked in, she owned the room. She kept everyone’s attention for the entire fifty minutes, telling us stories about her experiences as a teacher.

I was excited to see that the class was only half-full, and when she called attendance, I counted only fifteen people in the class. The small class sizes were what brought me to this college. I couldn’t stand the thought of being in class with a hundred people like some of the other colleges in the area.

I had four classes all week. So, compared to high school where I took eight classes a day, this was surely going to be a walk in the park.

At eleven, I walked into my third class late. The room was already half-full, but the professor was out of sight, thankfully. I’d gotten lost, going back and forth between the three buildings before being directed to this one, where the art classes were held.

I wasn’t sure why creative writing was considered an art class when all the other students in the building were, in fact, art majors, some even wearing clothes covered in paint. I didn’t fit in, and I hated being in a place where I stood out.

At eleven-o-five, the professor still hadn’t walked in and neither had any more students. There were ten of us sitting in the small room, waiting anxiously for class to begin. A minute later, the door opened, and in walked the strangest man I had ever seen—and of course, Mr. Asshole followed him. They appeared to be in a heated discussion, which came to an abrupt halt when Ryan’s best friend saw me.

“Hey, Celine!” He waved at me from across the room, making every pair of eyes turn to my red face. Just my luck.

“Hey,” I muttered, biting back my nickname for him so I wouldn’t get in trouble by the professor. He laughed and shook his head, making his way to the empty seat on my right.

“Aren’t you just full of sunshine today?” he asked as he dropped his bag to the floor and rested his helmet on the empty table.

“Just for you,” I whispered, watching the professor cautiously, not wanting to get into trouble on my first day.

“Why are you in this class?” I chose to ignore him. Maybe if I pretended he didn’t exist, he’d take a hint. But no such luck. He just nudged my arm when I didn’t answer, and I quickly shot him a glare.

“I could ask you the same thing.” He rolled his eyes but didn’t get a chance to respond before the professor started taking attendance.

The class flew by, even with Ace sitting beside me, which was highly annoying. I was already in love with the professor. I knew the coursework would be simple and fun. I was both excited and nervous about the class, but I knew I would do well.

As I was walking out, Asshole called my name, gathering his belongings in a rush to catch up with me.

“Are you done for the day?” he asked, out of breath from running to catch up with me since I hadn’t bothered stopping for him. Could he not take a hint?

“No, I have one more.” I looked down at my phone to see where my next class was, pointedly trying to ignore him.

“Do you know where it is?” Of course, I didn’t, but I wasn’t going to admit that to him.

“Yes,” I lied. “Bye, Asshole.” I started to walk away, probably in the wrong direction. I had my nose in my phone, trying to text Ry so I could get directions.

“What class is it, Celine? This is my second year here, so I know all the shortcuts.” Ace snatched my phone from my typing fingers and rolled his eyes. “Ryan can’t always save you.”

I glared at him. “He certainly can try. Like I said, Asshole, I don’t need your help. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I don’t want to be late.” I snatched my phone back and walked away, but he grabbed my elbow and whirled me around.

“Woman, can you stop being a brat for just one minute?” I scowled at him. “I’m trying to be polite, but you’re making it impossible.” We were so close now—just like last night—and I was overwhelmed by the depth of emotion in his eyes, like he was internally at war with himself.

“I’m going to be late. Point me in the right direction.” I showed him the picture of my schedule on my phone, and he winced.

“I highly suggest you switch out of that class. Prof is an asshole. It’s in the same building as your first class, but on the third floor.” I laughed because he spoke as though he wasn’t a giant pain in my ass as it was.

“I think I can handle another asshole.” He shook his head, a smirk playing on his lips.

“I’m serious, Celine. Let me know how it goes. He doesn’t have the best rep around here.” He pointed in the direction I needed to go and walked off in the other direction without saying goodbye—not that I expected him to. Obviously, his “politeness” only went so far.

I would never, and I meant never , tell Ace he was right about the professor. Apparently, his reputation really did precede him, and I was the only one who didn’t know. One other girl and I sat in a class of at least twenty guys, while the professor went on about how men were superior, and then he had the audacity to slide in suggestive remarks to us. One good thing did come from the class, though; I made a friend.

The other girl in the class was a redhead named Amber. Her spirit was just as fiery as her hair. She had me giggling throughout the entire class, and she cursed worse than a sailor, which we had in common.

“Us girls have to stick together when there are psychos like this in the room,” she whispered as she sat next to me at the beginning of class. I knew with one look at the girl, we would be good friends.

We exchanged numbers and were already texting each other while I walked to the parking lot, where I hoped Ryan would be waiting for me so I wouldn’t have to wait around on him.

Amber: Do you think we can report prof dickwad?

Me: Apparently, he has a reputation.

Amber: Bullshit! He would’ve been fired.

Me: Let’s report him for the hell of it.

Amber: You read my mind. Txt you later. Starting another class. Wish you were here!

Looking up from my phone, I spotted Ry talking to a pretty blonde by the main building as I walked past, so I decided to wait at the truck like a good sister and not make a scene for his sake. I had just opened the tailgate and sat down when one of the guys from my previous class walked up to me.

If I had never met Mr. Asshole, this guy would’ve been cute—hot even—but he was average now. With caramel brown hair and matching eyes, he looked more like a… golden retriever to me.

I almost snorted at the thought.

“Hey—Celine, right?” His voice was high-pitched and made me think about the eighth grade—back when none of the boys had hit puberty yet.

What was his name again?

“Shit, did I mess that up? Is it Amber, then?” He looked really nervous now as sweat gathered along his hairline. He definitely could’ve blamed the heat if he wanted. It had to be at least ninety degrees outside and humid . So, so humid.

“No, it’s Celine. What’s up?” I remembered to speak. He smiled—the kind of smile guys used in the movies before they dropped a lame pick-up line.

“Didn’t take you as a truck driver.”

“‘Cause I’m not.” I tried to smile, but it was hot, and I was unamused. This conversation—could it even be considered that?—was already grating on my nerves.

“That sucks, ‘cause it’s hot. Means you don’t mind getting down and dirty.” He winked, running his hand through his shaggy hair.

Did he think that was attractive? Hot even? Oh, God, have mercy on his soul.

“I do like to get down and dirty. I’m just more of a Jeep girl.” I smiled, and his cheeks turned bright red, almost as dark as my shirt. I wanted to laugh, but I covered it with a cough.

“Wanna come over to my place? It’s just down the road. You can show me just how down and dirty you can get.” His smile was big—way too big. It was kind of grossing me out.

“You live off-campus, baby?” I asked, figuring I might as well have some fun while I waited on my brother.

“Yeah. I have a whole apartment to myself. A nice big, king-sized bed—big enough for us to get to know each other, if you know what I mean.” He was looking at me like I was his next meal. It was disgusting. Why were men such pigs?

“Sounds perfect. Let me just ask my boyfriend what he thinks,” I said when I noticed my brother walking up with Ace, and I took the opportunity to use him as a scapegoat. “Ry, do you mind if I go over to his place?” Ryan and Ace both looked at me, and then my brother smirked. Ryan knew exactly what I was up to since I had done it so many times. Hell, both of us had. We used each other as scapegoats all the time.

Mr. Asshole, on the other hand, didn’t look pleased. Too bad. I didn’t care what he thought.

“B-boyfriend?” golden retriever boy stuttered, his eyes wide as saucers.

“Hey, man, you wanna fuck my girlfriend?” Ryan asked, coming to stand in front of the idiot, slinging his arm over my shoulders. Ace looked downright confused, looking between the two of us as if we had a few bolts loose. I almost laughed at the comical expression on his face.

“Nah, man. Sorry, bro. Thought she was single.” The idiot was a mess. He was backing up as he talked, and he stumbled into a car. I was trying so hard not to laugh.

“Come on. Don’t ruin all the fun. Can’t keep me to yourself.” I winked at the boy, whose eyes were even bigger than before, and his jaw was on the ground.

“Get outta here, asshole,” Ryan said, and he looked at me, rolling his eyes.

“You ruin all my fun,” I whined as Ry threw his bag in the back of the truck. I chucked mine inside, too.

“You’re a piece of work, Celine,” Ace said, stifling his laughter now that he’d finally caught on to what was happening.

“Correction, Asshole, I’m funny,” I replied. Ryan rolled his eyes again. I hoped they fell out of his head.

“Are you coming over later?” Ryan asked, turning to Ace. Ace nodded as he walked to his bike a few spots away from us. Ryan turned to me. “No trouble here, Celine. Don’t get us suspended again like high school. Have fun, mess around, but don’t bring me into it. I won’t be playing a game of you crying wolf.”

One time, when I was a sophomore, I got us both suspended from school for teasing a boy—a junior in the same graduating class as Ryan, who then tried to stick his tongue down my throat and put his hands up my shirt. Ryan came over and promptly punched him unconscious with one hit.

“I won’t cry wolf, Ryan.” I rolled my eyes. “I know what I’m getting myself into. I was waiting for you, so I decided to find some entertainment. Not my fault you wanted to suck face with the bimbo.”

He grunted. “At least I wasn’t giving ‘fuck me’ eyes to perverts.”

“As if any perverts would want you,” I snorted.