Holiday Second Chance Romance (Clarice and Trevor) novel Chapter 58

58 Sunshine

Loretta POV

I swear nothing has changed about this town since I was a kid. I have no idea why Clarice loved this place so much when we were teenagers. I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of here. When she said she would never go back because of her parents when we ended up at UCLA, I was thrilled. I loved California. I mean I visit my parents, but I’d never stay in this sh*thole town that uses the gimmick of the magic of f**king Christmas to draw tourists.

Truth be told, I hate Christmas. I only ever acted like I liked the damn holiday was to spend time with Clarice and Trevor. The worst part was going to the f**king soup kitchens or helping with a toy drive. Clarice was always such a bleeding heart. Trevor would gush about how amazing she was, so I needed to make sure he saw me the same way. A lot of good acting, like I gave a sh*t about needy kids or homeless people, did me. The ba**ard won’t

even talk to me.

I’m sitting in a booth in the greasy diner that is exactly the same as when I was a teenager. Even the b**ch behind the counter hasn’t changed. She still glares at me every chance she gets. I never knew what her problem was back then, and I couldn’t care less now. When the door to the diner opens, I smile until I realize it’s still not Elaine. She was supposed to meet me twenty minutes ago, and she has yet to show the f**k up. I’m starting to lose my patience.

I’m just about to reach out to her through messenger when a tall, muscular man with sexy wire glasses sits down across from me. “Can I help you, handsome?” “God, you are still the same sl*t you were in high school. Always pretending like you were so sweet, but you were the farthest thing from it, Loretta,” he says. What the hell? I don’t even know this guy but apparently he knows me.

“Excuse me,” I said, wondering just who the hell he is and what the f**k I did to piss him off. “I didn’t stutter Loretta. I know you are sitting here expecting my mother, but I promise you she isn’t coming,” he says. “Clement Brooker,” I say. “Don’t call me that. I haven’t gone by that name since I was a kid. My name is Darwin after my father. My mother may not acknowledge him, but I do. I digress because my family issues aren’t important right now. Don’t call my mother again. She won’t be helping you hurt Clarice Martin ever,” he says.

“Why the hell do you care what happens to Clarice? It’s not like you two were ever friends.” “I care because, unlike you, she is a kind person who was blind to the kind of person you really were and apparently still are. I’ve warned my mother if she even speaks to you, she will regret it. She will lose access to the two most important things in her life,” he says. “What exactly is that?” “Me and money, so I suggest you take your a** back to wherever you have been living

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and leave Clarice alone,” he says.

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“She is not so great, you know. She couldn’t even keep her husband. You all think the sun shines out of her a** but she is pathetic. She always was.” He throws his head back and laughs. “See you are the same jealous b**ch I remember. How many times did you try to get girls at school to turn on Clarice behind her back and failed? You know why, Loretta, because they all liked Clarice and hated you. I haven’t lived in town in a few years, but I’d bet the bakery that every person in this town that knows the two of you would disagree with you about the sun shining out of her a**. Clarice is a thousand times better than you. Any man that chooses to f**k up his marriage over a pathetic wh*re like you is definitely dumber than a post and doesn’t deserve Clarice,” he says and goes to stand.

“F**k you Clement. You are wrong. I’m better than Clarice will ever be. Her husband chose me. The only reason you are even saying this sh*t is because you had a crush on her, but she wouldn’t give your geeky a** a second glance.” “You keep telling yourself that you’re better Loretta because you are the only one that believes it. Besides, my mother told me she heard her husband is here begging for a second chance because you were a f**king mistake he never should have made. You are right about one thing though. I did have a crush on Clarice and was too much of a coward to ask her out because of you and my mother, but I’m not a coward anymore,” he says and turns walking toward the counter.

“Darwin, how about a piece of pie on the house for saying exactly what the rest of us were thinking? If it wasn’t for her parents, I wouldn’t have even let her step foot into my diner. She has always been a brat and time hasn’t made her a better person,” Carly says. “I’d like that, Carly. I haven’t had your peanut butter pie since I was a kid,” he says.

I give a frustrated scream as I slide out of the booth. “Do you really think I care about what the two of you pathetic small town a**holes think of me because I don’t,” I say before I stalk out of the diner. I can’t f**king believe this. I slide into my car and bang my fists on the steering wheel. I Clarice and I hate this f**king town.

Simone POV

I swear I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what Anya said this morning. It’s almost dinner time, and I’ve wasted my entire day off thinking about what to do next. Thinking about Trevor and everything he told me in his drug–induced state. I have so many questions but the biggest one that keeps replaying over in my mind is whether I’m willing to never claim him. Willing to live my whole life never knowing the gift of the goddess’s bond. What is the point of all of this if I don’t?

I left my kingdom and life behind because I wanted to find the person that was meant to be mine. Besides that, I didn’t want to be mated to a man–wh*re who was known for his cruelty. I groan and drop my head into my hands. Am I really prepared to face my father and brother if

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I do? I have no idea what to expect if they show up after all this time. Will they hurt him or try is fense me home? Hell, my father might hate me enough to throw me in the cells for f**king up his deal. I never intended to physically hurt either of them, which is why I ran, but just the thought of them trying to hurt him makes anger bubble up inside me.

Surely that prek Xavier moved on and found some other unwilling or unknowing princess to make a fool of. Hopefully, if he did, she would have run from him by now. My mind returns to thoughts of Trever. His handsome face and the tingles that danced on my fingertips when I examined him. It’s still hard to believe that the goddess chose a human as my destined. I have nothing against them, but had i not left the kingdom I would never have found him.

His words about what ended his marriage still weigh heavy on me. What if he betrays me like he did his wife, and I’m left worse off than I am now. Anya was right, I’m lonely. I speak to coworkers at the hospital but I’ve made no true friendships in all my time among the humans. When I first arrived in Colorado, I didn’t know if I would have to run at a moment’s notice and keeping my distance just became a habit.

I look at the small Christmas bell sitting on the table like almost mocking me. What if I at least meet Clarice before I decide what to do about Trevor? Besides, it would be nice to know that if I needed help, Santa and Mrs. Claus were on my side. I genuinely smile to myself for the first time today before I snatch the bell off the table. I shake it and expect a small jingle, but instead the sound fills the room. “Holy sh*t, what the hell was that?”

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