Forever Careless Read online

  Forever

  Careless

  A Novel

  Brittany Butler

  For my mother, my aunt, and my friends, Aubree, Shealee, and Brittany, for your patience, for putting up with me talking about this book, and forcing you to edit

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright @ 2015 by Brittany Butler

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Chapter One

  "Audrey, you have five minutes!" My roommate, Olivia, demands from the living room.

  "Yes, Olivia." I murmur.

  I glance in the mirror one last time hoping to smooth my dark blonde hair. Perfect. Yanking on my black pumps I run down the hall and into my impatient best friend. She rolls her eyes at me.

  "Audrey all of the good alcohol and guys will be taken!" I sigh at her while trying to keep up with her speed.

  "Let's take my Beemer, Liv." I grab the keys to my m4 convertible and I silently hope she doesn't get scratched tonight. She's the last gift I received from my dad before the accident. I shake my head not allowing my mind to drift there tonight. I pull out of the driveway and Olivia pouts her lip out.

  "This is our last back to school mixer." I frown at that thought.

  I steal a glance at my babbling best friend. Olivia is the complete opposite of me. She's tall with blonde hair and blue eyes, while I'm short with dark blonde hair and green eyes. I'm pretty, but she’s gorgeous. Although our personalities couldn’t be more different we have been best friends for years.

  "Audrey, loosen up. Let's have fun tonight." She tells me when she notices my less than chipper attitude.

  I glare at her. I'm trying to loosen up. After my senior year ends I'm expected to go back home to take over Henson publishing. My dad left this responsibility to my mother and me. My mother has expressed many times she will not be running the company. So that's where I come in, with no choice. Once again I pull myself out of my pity to realize Olivia has been speaking the entire drive.

  "We’re here, Liv. And I have no idea what you said the entire time." She glares at me while sliding out of my car. Her fingers trail to her side and pull her too short dress up.

  "Okay Audrey, focus. Let’s get a shot, a beer, and a man. In that order," She's laughing and I realize she's already feeling good. She slings her arm over my shoulder towing me inside.

  "Oh my god I love this song. Let's dance,” she yells too me when we walk into the frat house. My eyes dance across the room at the scene in front of me: ear damagingly loud music, boys dressed in frat-boy attire, and girls dressed like… my best friend.

  "Focus, you're messing up your game plan, Liv." I tease her when she pulls my hand.

  Olivia drags me on the dance floor. We dance and giggle through two songs before we make our way to the keg. I freeze when I set my eyes on a guy who I’m positive I’ve never seen at a party. He has to be six foot three inches with a muscular build and strong jaw line.

  "Olivia, who the hell is that?" I ask in a husky voice.

  "Audrey, even you should know who that is. He was just drafted in the MLB as a pitcher. That, my friend, is the Kellen Reeves, “she laughs.

  Of course I've heard of him, but if I had seen him before tonight I would've attended his games. Kellen was known for his playing abilities on and off the field in college. I allow myself another lingering gaze when I realize I've been caught. I look for Olivia. She left me. Shit. I look up to find gorgeous baby blue eyes watching me behind a dimpled smirk.

  "I thought you might like to look at me close up," he says smoothly with a tantalizing grin. Oh I hate him already. "I'm Kellen, and you are?" He asks while taking a drink of his beer.

  "I've heard, I'm Audrey," I say in a cool, nonchalant tone while I gaze around the party.

  He leans down to whisper in my ear, "What have you heard, Audrey?" The tone of his voice and his closeness make me shiver.

  “Don’t you think you’re a little old for this party?” My tone is harsh but the way he’s affecting me set me over the edge.

  “I enjoy the company of college students, Audrey.” He rakes his eyes over me suggestively.

  Before I can react I turn and stalk off in another direction. Where is Olivia and why didn't she give me a warning? Before I finish my thought I hear giggling and screaming about shots. There's my girl. I walk into the kitchen and catch her wrist.

  "Liv, why didn't you warn me about Kellen Reeves?" I spit out his name in complete disgust.

  "It should've been obvious." She shrugs. I grimace and look in the direction where I left Kellen. Two girls have taken my place. As if on cue he looks up and winks.

  "Olivia, I'm not feeling well. Do you want to come or grab a ride with someone else?" I say in an annoyed tone.

  “You should stay. You never come out,” she pouts at me. Exactly, there is a reason for that.

  “Netflix is calling my name,” she rolls her eyes but gives in.

  "I’ll catch a ride with someone." She's grinning for ear to ear. I see Adrian Loreti behind her, of course. They should just give it up and start dating. Adrian is president of the fraternity. He's had his eye on Olivia since sophomore year.

  "Be careful. See you tomorrow, Liv." I exit the party knowing Kellen Reeves eyes are on me. The thought makes my stomach lurch.

  My mind drifts back to hearing of Kellen when he was in college two years ago. After he graduated he was instantly drafted and climbed through the baseball ladder in record time making him one the biggest name in the league.

  He is arrogant and used to getting what he wants on and off the field so it appears. I silently vow to stay away from him, the last thing I need is someone like Kellen Reeves getting in my way during senior year.

  ∞

  “I can’t believe you’re talking me into this again,” I whine while she puts a third coat of mascara on my eyelashes. I struggle to blink my eyes, “It looks like I have spider legs coming out of my eyes, Liv, take some of this off!” I reach for tissue on the bathroom counter but she slaps my wrist away.

  “No way, you have less than me. Stop complaining,” she beams at me. “I have one of my dresses laid out on the bed for you.”

  I walk into my bedroom and look at the half of a dress that she so kindly laid out for me. I pick the gold sequin number up and hold it to my body. I’ll be lucky if this thing covers my ass. “Where did you put the rest of the dress?” I call out to her.

  “Ha. Ha. You have jokes,” she walks out wearing an even shorter dress with sky high pumps. Her blonde hair is pinned to one side showing off her tanned bare shoulder. “Relax, we’ll go to a couple of bars and if we feel really good later we can hit up a club. I want to dance!” She pouts when she notices the scowl on my face.

  “Fine,” I pull the dress over my head and yank on the heels that she hands to me. I see a broken ankle in my future. My clutch is waiting for me on the table as I walk out of my room hoping that I make it home in one piece tonight.

  The car ride is uneventful; Olivia has her iPod blaring through the speakers. If she hopes this music is getting me in the mood then she is out of her mind. “I’m parking my car in this lot. Everything is in walking distance from here.” She turns her car in the garage and parks in the first spot that we see.

  “Walking distance, you say. Walking distance in normal shoes or on stilts?” I point to my shoes as we climb out of the car. She laughs and that gives me my answer.r />
  “Let’s go to the bar on the right first. I can’t remember the name but it is so much fun!” She squeals.

  “Isn’t this the place where you threw up on the bar?” I bite my lip to hide my grin. Olivia is known to get mad when you bring up embarrassing nights for. Unfortunately for her, it’s my favorite past time.

  “Audrey, you know that we don’t speak of that night.” If looks could kill I would be dead.

  “There’s a lot of nights that we no longer speak of, I lose track. Forgive me.” She hands her ID to the guy at the door and I do the same.

  Once we are cleared I walk up behind her. “I’m surprised you’re allowed back in here after that night,” I tease her. “I’m sure your picture is hanging up on the wall in the back.”

  “Are you going to be like this all night?” She glares at me.

  “Probably,” I shrug. “Unless we go to another bar that you have an embarrassing story at. Then we can talk about that night.”

  “Go grab that booth. I’m getting us some drinks,” she tells me and ignores my last comment.

  “You could grab the booth and I’ll pick the drinks,” I offer, but I know that she will shoot the idea down.

  “Absolutely not, I want alcohol in my drink.” She walks off without another word and I walk in the direction of the booth.

  Olivia is back within minutes, drinks in hand and boys in tow. I fight an eye roll. You knew that this would happen, I remind myself. Olivia tries to pick us up guys all the time. I think that she has this fantasy that we will end up with brothers, friends, or even cousins. Live next door in the suburbs with our two point five kids, happily ever after.

  “Shots and two cosmos!” She announces, leaving out the most important part. “Oh, I picked up a couple of friends at the bar.”

  “We had a class together last semester.” I glance at the guy sliding next to me. He has blonde, shaggy, commercial worthy hair, tanned skinned and light brown eyes. And here we have the complete start up kit to a typical pretty boy from California. “I’m Brian.”

  “I remember you,” Vaguely. “I’m Audrey.”

  “To an unforgettable night,” Olivia chimes in after she passes out shots. We all clink our glasses together and toss them back in unison. Everyone looks unfazed but I know I have my famous ‘just bit into a lemon’ look on my face.

  “Are you graduating this semester?” Brain asks, pretending that he’s interested in my life. I think I should start wearing a t-shirt that says virgin in bold letters to stop their lame attempts.

  “In the spring semester, what about you?” I ask while I take a sip of the drink Olivia brought me.

  “I’ll be done in December,” he says proudly. “What are your plans for the night?”

  “I’m just following her,” I nod in Olivia’s direction. I’m not too shocked when I see her new friend leaning into her and whispering in her ear.

  “It looks like we’ll be together tonight,” he chuckles.

  “Let’s go to another bar, Liv,” I kick her under the table to stop them from getting any closer. It’s not happening with this guy.

  “The one next door is great, Fuzzy’s I think is the name,” she says.

  “I’ll get our tab and meet you at the door,” Olivia’s conquest for the night says.

  “He’s cute, right? Do you mind if he stays over?” She says quietly when the guys leave us to pay the bar tab.

  “Sure, bring him home, but make sure his friend knows that nothing is happening.” I narrow my eyes at her to show her I’m serious.

  “’You’re the best,” she gives me a side hug and grins.

  “You say that now but when we end up on the ID channel you will wish I had said no.”

  “Hey! I’m careful about who I bring home,” she glares at me.

  “Yeah, you’re right. The guy you’ve known for five minutes seems like a great catch.” I yank on the hem of my dress.

  “Shut up. Here they come.” She gives me a look and walks toward the exit with her arm intertwined with his.

  We walk into the bar next door, which is in fact named Fuzzy’s. Olivia walks to the bar with her new friend and I sit at one of the tall tables close by. Brian sits next to me. “You don’t look like you’re having fun.” My resting bitch face has given me away again. Olivia always scowls me for it.

  “I’m having fun,” I lie.

  “Do you live on campus?” He asks me. I struggle to keep my facial expression neutral. You are not coming over.

  “No, we have a house ten miles from campus.” He nods his head but doesn’t push the conversation.

  Olivia strolls back to the table with drinks in hand and a devilish grin. I take mine from her and glance around the small bar that I’ve never been inside of. My eyes connect with a face I saw the night before and I turn around before I’m caught again.

  “He’s here,” I say quietly to Olivia.

  She glances over my shoulder and laughs, “Kellen is always out. I’m almost positive you’ve met him before. He’s always with Adrian.”

  “I’ve never met him,” I would remember, trust me.

  “That’s strange. I see him out almost every time I go out,” she shrugs her shoulders.

  “Do you know him?” I press her for more information and hope that I’m not being too obvious.

  “Yes, he’s good friends with Adrian. Where are we going with this?” She eyes me suspiciously.

  “Nowhere I ask a lot of questions when I’m bored.” That earns me an eye roll but I hope she bought it. I’d like to keep my small infatuation with a man whore to myself.

  I glance over my shoulders again but immediately wish that I didn’t. The brunette who was sitting next to him is now straddling his lap and trying to make out with him. Even though his attention is on his friend sitting beside him, she fights for his attention and eventually wins. I vow to keep my eyes on my table once I break my eye contact with the porno that’s about to take place in a back booth.

  “This might be forward,” my eyes meet Brian’s as he starts to talk to me, “Can I get your number? I don’t want to forget later and I would like to take you out on an actual date.”

  I let out a breath I didn’t know that I was holding in. I thought for sure I would have to tell him he’s not staying the night with me. “Sure.”

  “Great. Thanks,” he says after I store my number in his phone.

  “Let’s get some more shots! I want to dance!” Olivia yells.

  “Got it,” her eager conquest says and jumps up quickly to retrieve them. She says something to him as he walks away, I didn’t catch what she said but I know that I won’t like it once I find out.

  “What did you say?” I lean on the table to get closer to her face.

  “What are you talking about?” She slurs.

  “To that guy, you said something to him when he got up to get shots.”

  “I just told him to get everyone two tequila shots.” She looks at me like it’s not a big deal.

  The guy, whose name I later learned is Michael, brings back death served in a small glass to each of us. I look at the two glasses in front of me and almost cry. I hate shots. ‘To the toilet I’ll be hugging in the morning’, I toast to myself.

  Michael buys two more shots for each of us and three more drinks. Olivia yells that we have to leave and go dancing but I would like to think that my night ended at the first shot of tequila.

  The annoying beep of my alarm clock wakes me up on Tuesday morning. I swat mindlessly at it until it shuts off. My head and muscles still ache from my binge Saturday and Sunday. My phone buzzes and alerts me my mother is calling.

  "Hello mother." I say in a raspy voice.

  "Audrey, dear, you sound terrible. Please tell me that you aren't staying out all night." Her accusing tone is as smooth as butter, a tactic she's mastered over the years.

  "No, I've just woke up. I'm getting ready for class now." I reply in a more upbeat tone.

  "Pay attention in class and r
emember you will be using this information next August when you take over the company," she replies. It is entirely too early for this conversation.

  "Yes mother, you wouldn't let me forget." I stand from my bed and walk in the direction of my bathroom to get ready for my first class.

  "Audrey, do not use that tone with me. I was merely wishing you luck on your first day." She's using her offended innocent tone.

  "Thanks mother. I'm running late. Bye." I hang up before she can get another word in.

  My mind instantly wonders to a pair of baby blue eyes. I can't believe Saturday night was the first time I have ever met him, and hopefully it will be the last. I shake my head to clear my thoughts. I'm dressed and ready to go in thirty minutes. I race down stairs to grab breakfast and get to class.

  Chapter two

  My first day of senior year was boring and uneventful. As I walk out of the business building and I’m greeted by a fall breeze and sunshine. I toss my books into the back seat and climb inside. The last hour of my time was spent listening to my Business Ethics professor make lame jokes as he read his way through the syllabus. My stomach growls so I decide to reward myself with coffee and a brownie. I pull the Beemer into my favorite cafe and choose a back booth.

  I pull out the book my mother sent for me as a study guide while enjoying my treats. The sound of someone sitting in my booth jolts me back into reality, a hooded figure sits before me. I’m going to be robbed, I spit my coffee out in shock.

  Freaking Kellen Reeves removes the hood from his head. I spit my coffee on Kellen Reeves. Shit. He smirks at me.

  "Can you spare a napkin?" Oh I hate him. I shoot him a cold glare and he holds his hands up in innocence. "Why did you run off so early Saturday?"

  "I had other places to go" I smile proudly at myself for my nonchalant attitude.

  "I closed the place down. Everyone looks better at three a.m." He's laughing at me now.

  "What do you need, Kellen?" I reply not amused. He runs a hand through his hair. My hand is begging to do the same.