Free Forever Distraction (Distraction #3) by Stephanie Jean

front door first. “I love you, Uncle Jason.” He tightly hugged me.
    Jake was at my side next , and I messed up his blond hair with the quick movement of my hand on his head. He flashed me a boyish smile, and I lifted my hand for a high-five. “So, how does the other guy look?” His grin grew, amused by my fat lip and red, shiny cheek.
    “It’s not right to hit people, Jake . It was wrong; fist fighting is not the answer to all your problems.” It just feels really good , I wanted to add. I disappeared from my family after that, dreading my own home.
    I entered and gazed around at my place like it was a museum ; every piece of furniture had its own story. I fed Bo in the garage and grabbed a beer from the fridge as I watched him devour his dog food. I checked behind all the bottles of beer, looking for the black box. It was in a spot I knew she would never find it, and now she would never see it. I remembered the day I bought it; I was supposed to be playing basketball with Dave, but I could only think about making her mine permanently. I knew from the first day that I had to have her, but as the days continued, and my mornings were brighter with her by my side, I changed. I was different. She created a need inside me, and I was desperate to get closer to her.
    I royally screwed up when I came inside her. I wanted her to know just how serious I was about her and our future together. I needed her to choose me. I’m man enough to know I made a mistake choosing when we started a family for her . I thought about the moment I was bare in her; it was the greatest fucking feeling I ever felt, my new drug. I was angry at my controlling mentality, the craving I had to be close to her and spill a piece of myself inside her, not because I did it, but because she left.
    My eyes drifted back to the box in my hand , remembering that day. I walked through a handful of jewelry stores until I found the perfect one. I opened the small black box and felt anger and sadness as I admired the diamond ring. I popped it closed and shoved it in my pocket, grabbing another beer. I trudged in, seeing a mirage on the couch. There she was, like the day in the furniture store, sleeping on the couch. I wanted that couch, because of her and her tiny body curled up and sleeping on it. I could still see her white skirt with pink flowers and her white boots, her hair falling all around her face. I moved to pick up the decorated pillow she’d rested her head on and smelled it. I finished my beer and opened a new one before stepping out the backdoor to sit on my new patio furniture. Fuck . I was lonely without her.

Chapter Five

Part of Me Was Dying
     
     
     
    Katarina
    After the upsetting conversation with Jason , I walked in and felt a calming presence right away. Smith stepped in right after me and stood at the door, while the sound of my heels chimed around the table until I took a seat at the only open, cloth, brown chair next to Father Nickels, a Catholic priest. I sat down and was greeted kindly, smiles shared from everyone. I even got a wink from Blake, my childhood friend, across the table from me. Father Nickels was close to my grandfather’s age, his white hair accenting his blue eyes perfectly. He started the meeting by informing everyone on the progress of Grandfather’s charity, and that topic lead into the process of starting a new project.
    My grandfather started this foundation years ago ; it mainly helped young children and families. He called it my grandmother’s charity, in remembrance of her kindness toward the defenseless people who struggled. He rebuilt schools, and founded programs for teaching certified trades, all including outreach missions. I helped a lot until college, and then continued on school breaks. Father Nickels was very thorough in filling me in on the progress of the previous project and the interest of the new. He also made it a point to tell me this was his last one. He worked closely with my grandfather, so