A Summer To Remember (Seasons of Love & Lust Book 1) by Selene Chardou Page A
Authors: Selene Chardou
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effect. My breakfast that morning had been a skinny caramel latte and nothing else. “Seriously, you didn’t do anything wrong in the Hamptons, so I don’t know why you would be taking me out for an ‘apology lunch’ as you put it. It wasn’t even Ashley who pissed me off, and she had nothing to do with what went down between Kevin and I. That whole situation…it’s a different kind of messed up I couldn’t possibly explain in a half an hour, Paul.”
“Yeah, but something went down between you two. Hell, even Stevie Wonder would have been able to see it. The hatred in your eyes and the way you talked to him…if I didn’t know any better, I would think he raped you or violated you in some way.”
The tears threatened to spill over but I kept them at bay. “It was nothing like that, believe me.” I cleared my throat and drank some wine. “Sorry, I don’t have any date rape or gang bang stories to share with you. College at Vassar was terribly ordinary and mostly drama-free. My father never touched me indecently and my brother never tried to feel me up. Our family is perfectly normal and not all that fascinating.
“Kevin and I…we went through a patch I can barely describe as tough because it was something else, and I am not willing to share it with anyone yet. It’s just how I am. I was hurt in the process and it’s something I have to live with. I can do it…I swear to God I can, but not if you keep looking at me like that.”
Paul leaned against the bar. “That’s a lie, because Talia knows. I don’t understand how I know she knows…call it intuition. If you could tell her, is it any different from telling me?”
I looked away. Our gyros had arrived and they smelled delicious, but suddenly I didn’t have an appetite. What was I supposed to tell him?
Talia was the one who found me and called the ambulance, waited around for countless hours until the doctor told her I would be okay but I was damaged goods and would never be able to perform some of the most basic functions in life. I was an empty vessel and no man—not one who was self-respecting and wealthy—would ever touch me with a ten foot pole. I had zero chance of marrying into my class unless I was willing to settle for less than model material looks, washboard abs, and a smile of pure heaven the way Paul stared at me now.
He’d never look at me like that again, and if I told him the truth our friendship would remain intact but any special feelings he had for me would disappear overnight.
Funny…if I was a man, none of this would be an issue. But I wasn’t, and now I had to deal with the cards life had dealt me.
“You’re right about Talia knowing. She’s the only one I can trust with my secret. Not even my family knows about what happened at Vassar and I would like to keep it that way.” I sliced off a part of my gyro and stuffed it into my mouth.
It was mouthwatering good and I was quite pleased to be sharing such a great meal with Paul.
He sliced into his gyro then set the utensils on his plate and placed his hands flat on the bar. “I need to know how you feel about Kevin because…I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. I don’t even want Ashley, and I am this close to telling Jude how I feel about you because I don’t think we should be apart. Stop pushing me away, Jerrica.”
“Paul, if we were together I would tell you, but we aren’t. You have this great woman who cares about you and is perfect and beautiful. Why don’t you keep her for now?” I sliced off another part of my gyro and shoved it in my mouth. “If you’re asking me about Kevin, the answer is simple.” I pushed the food to the side of my mouth so I could speak clearly. “He’s a fucking douchebag and I never want to talk to him or see him ever again. I hate him. There aren’t many people I can say that about but my utter disgust with him knows no bounds. If I had the chance, I meant what I said…I would cut his balls off and make it so that he
“Yeah, but something went down between you two. Hell, even Stevie Wonder would have been able to see it. The hatred in your eyes and the way you talked to him…if I didn’t know any better, I would think he raped you or violated you in some way.”
The tears threatened to spill over but I kept them at bay. “It was nothing like that, believe me.” I cleared my throat and drank some wine. “Sorry, I don’t have any date rape or gang bang stories to share with you. College at Vassar was terribly ordinary and mostly drama-free. My father never touched me indecently and my brother never tried to feel me up. Our family is perfectly normal and not all that fascinating.
“Kevin and I…we went through a patch I can barely describe as tough because it was something else, and I am not willing to share it with anyone yet. It’s just how I am. I was hurt in the process and it’s something I have to live with. I can do it…I swear to God I can, but not if you keep looking at me like that.”
Paul leaned against the bar. “That’s a lie, because Talia knows. I don’t understand how I know she knows…call it intuition. If you could tell her, is it any different from telling me?”
I looked away. Our gyros had arrived and they smelled delicious, but suddenly I didn’t have an appetite. What was I supposed to tell him?
Talia was the one who found me and called the ambulance, waited around for countless hours until the doctor told her I would be okay but I was damaged goods and would never be able to perform some of the most basic functions in life. I was an empty vessel and no man—not one who was self-respecting and wealthy—would ever touch me with a ten foot pole. I had zero chance of marrying into my class unless I was willing to settle for less than model material looks, washboard abs, and a smile of pure heaven the way Paul stared at me now.
He’d never look at me like that again, and if I told him the truth our friendship would remain intact but any special feelings he had for me would disappear overnight.
Funny…if I was a man, none of this would be an issue. But I wasn’t, and now I had to deal with the cards life had dealt me.
“You’re right about Talia knowing. She’s the only one I can trust with my secret. Not even my family knows about what happened at Vassar and I would like to keep it that way.” I sliced off a part of my gyro and stuffed it into my mouth.
It was mouthwatering good and I was quite pleased to be sharing such a great meal with Paul.
He sliced into his gyro then set the utensils on his plate and placed his hands flat on the bar. “I need to know how you feel about Kevin because…I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. I don’t even want Ashley, and I am this close to telling Jude how I feel about you because I don’t think we should be apart. Stop pushing me away, Jerrica.”
“Paul, if we were together I would tell you, but we aren’t. You have this great woman who cares about you and is perfect and beautiful. Why don’t you keep her for now?” I sliced off another part of my gyro and shoved it in my mouth. “If you’re asking me about Kevin, the answer is simple.” I pushed the food to the side of my mouth so I could speak clearly. “He’s a fucking douchebag and I never want to talk to him or see him ever again. I hate him. There aren’t many people I can say that about but my utter disgust with him knows no bounds. If I had the chance, I meant what I said…I would cut his balls off and make it so that he
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