Five Days Until You

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Five Days Until You

Copyright 2015 by Monica Murphy

Cover art: Sarah Hansen at www.okaycreations.com

This ebook is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

Published in the United States of America

First electronic publication: April 2015 by Monica Murphy.

www.monicamurphyauthor.com

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this ebook and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to the original vendor and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Books by Monica Murphy

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Christmas Short Story

Fair Game

Owning Violet

About the Author

Copyright Notice

Reverie Series

His Reverie (Book #1)

Her Destiny (Book #2)

One Week Girlfriend Quartet

One Week Girlfriend (Book #1)

Second Chance Boyfriend (Book #2)

Three Broken Promises (Book #3)

Drew+Fable Forever (Book #3.5)

Four Years Later (Book #4)

Five Days Until You (Book #4.5)

Billionaire Bachelors Club

Crave (Book #1)

Torn (Book #2)

Savor (Book #3)

Intoxicated (Book #3.5)

The Fowler Sisters

Owning Violet

Stealing Rose

Connect with Monica

Website

Newsletter

Facebook

Twitter

Email

My girl is restless.

I can’t quite put my finger on what’s bothering her, but I know it’s also bothering me. I hate it when she’s unhappy. She graduated college over a week ago. We have the summer off from school, and we can do whatever we want.

But she’s hesitant to make any plans. Worse, she’s hesitant to just take off and go somewhere. We can do it. I can ask for less hours or trade shifts with someone at the restaurant where I work at, and so can Chelsea. A week off on vacation somewhere sounds fucking awesome. I think we both need the break. Just me and my girl on the sand, at the beach, seeing her in a skimpy bikini, all those curves on display….

Yeah. I’m game. But she’s not game for much of anything lately. And it sucks.

I watch her as she sits on the couch and scrolls through her phone, her teeth sinking into her lower lip in that bad habit she has. At least she doesn’t chew it so much it bleeds like she used to. She’d been so stressed out, worrying about money and her fucked up family. When we had that huge fight and I thought we were done for….

My brain shuts down automatically, refusing to go there. I hate thinking about it. How much we both suffered at the hand of our parents, our fucked up mothers. I nearly let mine destroy what I have with Chelsea. Where would I be without her?

Most likely in the freaking gutter, high as fuck, and a college dropout. Fable would’ve killed me if I didn’t kill myself first.

Chelsea lives with me and Wade now and it’s perfect. I love having her here. She’s become friends with Wade, which is weird especially when they gang up on me but whatever. Someday Wade will be sprung on some chick and I will make his life a living hell. I guarantee it. That’s what friends are for.

What’s going on? I ask when I can’t stand the silence any longer, causing her to look up with a gasp. Her eyes are wide and she sets her phone down in her lap, blinking at me.

Nothing, she says and it sounds false. One word and yeah, she sounds like she’s lying. Crazy. I’m just…

What? Is your mom bugging you again? Don’t tell me she called. The woman had pretty much cut her off, not even bothering to come to her graduation. I thought that was complete bullshit but considering Chelsea had me, Fable and Drew cheering her on at the ceremony. That was good enough. Right?

Though I sometimes wonder…am I good enough? For Chelsea? Or does she deserve someone better, someone more? She’s so damn smart. She could do anything she sets her mind to. Hell, I can imagine her conquering the world, running for president, something crazy like that and she’d probably succeed, you know?

So would being with a guy like me—recovering pot head, former juvenile delinquent, son of epic loser, may she rest in peace, and a no name father—ruin her reputation?

I have no idea. It’s something I don’t like to think about either.

It’s not my mom, she says, offering me a faint smile. It’s—could you come over here please and sit with me? You’re too far away.

Okay, I like it when she talks to me like that. Reminds me that maybe she does need me more than I realize.

Rising from the chair I walk over to the couch and settle down beside her, my arm going around her shoulders so I can hug her close. She leans her head on my shoulder and I kiss her temple, breathing deep the sweet smell of her shampoo. It’s hot today and she’s wearing a blue tank top and these little white shorts that are mind blowing. As in, I want to slowly peel them off of her and blow her mind with my varied skills.

My mind has been hanging out in the gutter lately. I can’t help it.

What’s going on, baby? I ask, giving her a slight shake. Tell me.

She bends her head down, her hair falling forward and shielding her face. I wonder if she’s doing it on purpose. I received an email yesterday. From Santa Augustina State.

Why’d they send you an email? I ask reluctantly.

Well. She tapped her fingers against her knee in a restless beat. That’s where I was supposed to complete my graduate program.

How could I forget the graduate program at a university in a small coastal town about four hours south from us? The program she withdrew from because of me. Or at least, that’s what I’d always assumed. And asked her about. She denied it every single time. Said she was taking some time off for herself but that sounded like a bunch of crap to me. I still have another year of college before I graduate. I don’t think she wanted to leave me.

And in a very small, extremely selfish way, I didn’t want her to leave either. I got what I wanted. Chels—by my side, in my house and in my bed every single night—what more could I ask for?

Did she resent me for postponing her graduate program? Christ, I hope not.

They still want you? I ask, my voice soft, my heart racing. I’m trying to prepare myself for her answer and it’s freaking me out. Her silence, the way she’s not looking at me, is totally freaking me the fuck out.

Well, yeah. She lifts her head and rolls her eyes, the little smirk curling her lips adorable. I want to kiss it off of her but I restrain myself. Focus on the relief rolling through me instead. They want me to take on another project. One that’s shorter, only eight weeks.

Where?

There. In Santa Augustina. I start to talk, I want to ask her a bunch of questions, but she presses her fingers to my lips, silencing me. Hear me out. It’s a research project. Right up my alley. And they’d pay me. A lot of money.

I like the feel of her fingers on my lips but I don’t like the words coming from her mouth. Selfish bastard. How much? I ask skeptically when she drops her hand from my mouth.

A pittance in your eyes I’m sure, rich boy. She grabs her phone and starts scrolling through it, clearly…hurt?

What the hell did I just do?

Hey. I touch her, drifting the back of my fingers across her shoulder and she shivers before turning to look up at me. Once upon a time, not too long ago, I was poor as fuck. And you were the rich one. Don’t forget that.

I know. Sorry. She lifts her shoulder, as if to shrug off my touch and I let my hand drop. Damn, my girl is really upset. It’s only for eight weeks, Owen. Two months. I think this could be fun for me. And enlightening. I could learn a lot. I don’t want them to forget me, you know? If I participate in this research program just for the summer, and take the rest of the school year off, I could go back there once you…

Her voice drifts and I know what she’s going to say.

Once you graduate.

Dread consumes me and I can’t shake it off. Hell, I don’t want to shake it off. She is definitely holding herself back because of me. I hate it. I wouldn’t expect her to do that for me and I know she wouldn’t expect me to either. I refuse to squash her dreams. Her parents forced her to do whatever they wanted since she could talk. She wasn’t allowed to choose. I’m not going to be like them. My girl deserves to do whatever the hell she wants. And I know just by her body language alone, that she wants this. Bad. You should go, I say firmly.

Her mouth drops open as she blinks up at me. I should?

Yes. Definitely. I nod, telling myself it’s for the best despite the racing of my heart and the sudden sweating of my palms. I don’t want to lose her. I don’t want her to leave me, not even for six weeks but I can’t be the asshole here.

If that’s what she wants, I have to let her go.

I’m shocked. Did Owen really just say I should definitely go? I figured he’d protest. Talk me out of it. Seriously, I don’t really want to leave…do I? The thought of being without him scares me. I’m not used to doing things by myself. I mean, I came here by myself to go to school at a really young age and thought I could handle it, but clearly I kept myself completely sheltered. I didn’t get out much in all my years in college, only after I met Owen did I allow myself to come out of my shell.

Well, more like he forced me out. I liked it. I realized that maybe I could do this thing like live a normal life versus being the sheltered, extra intelligent nerd no one wanted to talk to.

So when the big scary world came knocking on my door I clung to Owen. I like clinging to Owen. He makes me feel safe. Loved. Strong. Confident. He makes me laugh. He makes me feel sexy and wanted and needed.

I refuse to hold you back, he continues when I say nothing. All I can do is stare at him in wonder, drink in his handsome features. His dark blond hair, that he’s let grow out for some reason and I don’t protest because I like grabbing hold of it when he kisses me and…other things. The way his green eyes pierce mine, dead serious and unwavering…I can tell just by the way he’s looking at me, he’s really going to make me do this.

I never accused you of holding me back, I say weakly and he shakes his head, his mouth firming into a thin line.

I never said you did. I’m just saying…if you want this, you should go for it.

Really? My voice squeaks and he smiles. He knows what it means when I’m squeaky like Minnie Mouse. I’m nervous. Unsure. And he’s willing to be my backbone and support.

Two months isn’t so bad. He’s the one shrugging now and my gaze drops to his shoulders. They’re so broad, and so is his chest. He’s built like a machine and watching him out on the football field gives me both a thrilling and terrifying buzz every single time. He’s just so…fearless. And smart. And good at what he does, though somehow he doesn’t see it. It’s like he’s blind to his own accomplishments and I hate that.

But he’s all mine. I’m there to remind him of just how great he is. It still blows my mind sometimes, that he is mine. That I can rightfully claim him as my boyfriend, that he’s the man I love.

You don’t think so?

Nah. We can do it. I’ll come see you. Stay for a while and visit. He slips his arm around my shoulders and draws me into him, pressing his mouth to my forehead. That one sweet kiss causes tingles to