New Beginnings (Marie) by Mel Steele novel Chapter 27

I woke up between Jason and Saralynn. Last thing remember was taking the Tylenol that Jason

handed me.

I crawled out of bed and made my way to the kitchen, only wanting coffee.

1 found Clay making pancakes and bacon without his shirt on.

“Morning.” He said, placing a plate in front of me.

“Morning.”

He poured me a cup of coffee and sat down with a plate across from me.

“How are you feeling?” He asked, taking a big bite of bacon.

“Not as bad as I should.”

“You OK after last night?”

“I will be.”

“How are you with the Abby stuff?”

“I’m good…..honestly, I didn’t realize how much I really liked Emily until last night.”

“She is a great girl.”

“Yeah, so I want to ask her out….would you watch Bella?”

“Happily.”

By the late afternoon, I was in the car with Emily listening to her gush over Clay.

We pulled into Susan’s driveway and I saw Colton’s truck.

“I can just go get Bella.”

“No, it’s OK and we both know Susan won’t let you get away that easily.”

I followed Emily to the door and into the kitchen. We found Bella making cookies with Susan.

“I think Bella is coming for my job.” I said, sitting down at the island.

Bella giggled.

“Hey Marie.”

I turned to see Colton standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets.

“Oh Hey Colton. How did your date go last night?”

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Chapter 27

“It wasn’t a date.”

“It wasn’t? I thought you and Kelly Jo hit if off.” Susan said sounding disappointed.

“Mom, it wasn’t a date.”

“I think she thought it was honey…I am sorry I was confused. I do think there is somebody else better for you.” She said, winking at me.

“Marie, would you want to go on a walk with me?” Colton asked.

“No thank you.” I turned back to see Susan smirk and Emily muffle a laugh.

“Could I maybe just talk to you?”

“About what, Colton?”

“About us.”

As much as I was enjoying giving him a hard time, I didn’t want to have this conversation in front of

Bella.

I stood and followed Colton to a room closer to the back of the house.

Walking in, I found myself in Colton’s childhood bedroom.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Kelly Jo and I went to a movie and lunch but I never thought it was a date and then Becca invited her to come with us on New Years Eve.”

“OK.”

“I am so sorry about Kelly Jo. I have no romantic feelings for her. I was just being a nice guy.”

“It seems like you are always a nice guy to everybody but me, Colton.”

“What?”

“If you can’t see it, then it doesn’t matter. Is there something else you want to talk about?”

“I want to spend time with you. Do you want to come over to my house and watch a movie?”

I couldn’t help but wonder why he didn’t ask me to a movie and lunch. Maybe I was overacting but he hung out at my place and texted all the time and now he just wants to hang out at his place. “Thanks, but I think I will pass. Maybe ask Kelly Jo or is she the kind of girl you take on dates?”

I could see the surprise on his face and that was when my words sunk in.

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I didn’t give him a chance to respond before I made my way back to the kitchen.

“Are you ready to go?” I asked the moment I was back in the kitchen.

Chapter 27

“Yeah. Thanks again for watching Bella.”

“Is everything OK Marie?”

“Yeah, everything is as it should be.”

Colton’s POV

How was I so stupid? Of course, she wanted to be asked on a date. I basically just told her I went on a date with another woman and then asked her to come to my house like a booty call.

If I ask her now, she is just going to say no.

I keep messing up with her and she makes me so freaking nervous I can’t help it.

“What did you do to Marie?”

I looked over to see my Dad standing at the door of my childhood bedroom.

“It’s more of what I didn’t do.”

He walked in and sat down on the bed. “I’m listening.”

I told him about hanging out with Marie and then Kelly Jo and how I messed up by not asking her to spend New Years Eve with me.

“But even worse Dad….I asked her to just hang out and not on a date.”

“So how are you going to fix it?”

“I don’t know. I just know I really like her. From the moment I first saw her I wanted her.”

“That’s how it was for me when it came to your Mother.”

“What do I do? I mess up with her because I can’t seem to get my brain to work.”

“You will have to figure that out on your own son, but don’t give up because she is a good one.”

Marie’s POV

The next couple of weeks, I managed to avoid Colton, and I chose not to respond to his messages.

I decided it was a new year, a new me. I was not going to be second best to anybody.

Emily was able to get Bella into pre–school, which was making it easier for her since she was about to take Saralynn’s position.

Saralynn and Jason were able to start scholas

esterealier.

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Clay and Emily became closer and officially started dating. I was so happy for both of them because they both had been through enough.

Chapter 27

I hadn’t heard from Luca since he left the day before Christmas. I didn’t make an attempt to call him either. I needed to move on and him being around was making me getting over him very

difficult.

Here I was on a Friday by myself, since Bella is at Susan’s spending the weekend and Emily is with

Clay.

I decided to go and pick up dinner from the diner. I walked in and sat at the bar and ordered my

dinner.

I was playing on my phone when Becca’s loud voice began to cause a scene.

“This is your own fault, Hunter.”

I couldn’t help but turn to see what was happening.

“It’s my fault you cheated?”

“You can’t keep me happy.”

“I gave you everything and this guy….what does he have?”

It was then I noticed how busy the diner was and everybody was watching the show. Sitting at the center table was Hunter, Becca, and some guys.

“Yes, he has money and doesn’t live with his brother. He handles his own business.”

“I don’t have to live with Colton.”

“Right…You are nothing but a loser who is going nowhere with his life.”

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