Free Exposed: Book One of The Love Seekers Series by Maria Vickers Page A

Charleston, she had been there to greet me with open arms and a gaggle of people to help us unload the truck. Moving to a strange state where I thought I would have no one except my sister, I was beyond grateful to have another person I could call a friend.
                  In Dallas, I had several friends. Ones that stood by me and supported me after my life took a 180, and others, who abandoned me and our friendship after I got sick. After good friends shunned me, I feared meeting new people, of seeing the judgement in their eyes. Moving reinforced my defensive measures and my walls were always up. Some of the people I met after I relocated befriended me for no other reason than they were friends with Ellie, while others appeared genuinely interested in getting to know me. In the beginning, I found it difficult to differentiate and it took a long time before I started to lower my walls for anyone.
                  My other issue was future plans. Some people understood or tried to understand my day to day lifestyle, and some did not. Many did not like the fact I had to cancel on them last minute. Day to day meant day to day. Every day my life was different. Some days, I could walk with only a cane, play with Curley, and do many things I wanted to do for myself. Other days I remained in bed because I could barely walk and sat around like a bump on a log. Turned out that when certain people received a last minute cancellation, they chose to never invite me over for anything again. Parties, game nights, dinners, etc. Nothing. Others accepted it a little more readily and tried to be accommodating, but even their patience could be tested.
                  I believed most people generally tried to understand me and my condition; and yet, they couldn’t really grasp or comprehend it. However, no one really understood how I felt, what I dealt with. Unless someone experienced something similar or the same thing, it was impossible. Maybe that sounded callous of me, but based on my experience, it was what I knew to be true.
                  The voice of a certain person popped into my head, and I snickered. I imagined Bryan saying: “Blow it off. Their opinions don’t matter.” Maybe they didn’t. That man got me thinking about things I hadn’t thought about in years, and I didn’t know if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.
                  In high school, I worked hard to make good grades and excel in my academics. I needed scholarships in order to go to college. My family couldn’t afford to send me, and I didn’t want to be my sister. Ellie joined the Navy like many of our family before her, but that was not the life I wanted. The desire to join the military never called out to me.
                  It wasn’t only the Navy in which I didn’t want to follow my sister’s footsteps.
                  Ellie had always been the pretty one with long legs and a small figure. She took after my dad’s side of the family, whereas I took after my mom’s side with my heavier build. Her strawberry blonde hair hung in gentle waves below her shoulders, and guys rushed to her side every chance they got. At 5’7”, I was four inches taller than her with curves to spare. Since middle school, she always had a boyfriend at her beck and call, while I dated here and there, but my focus remained on the books. She liked to have a good time, and I stayed home and studied. We were night and day.
                  I think the thing that pushed me over the edge, that one defining moment that made me study more than anything happened during my junior year in high school. Ellie had called home from wherever she was stationed at the time, and I informed her that I sat at number four in my class. She told me, “I don’t know why you study so much. Even without college, there are guys willing to take care of you if you let them. Besides, you won’t attract a