It’s Not Home Without You: A Homecoming Novel #1 Read online

  Freya came and sat next to me on the bench. “Hello, Maximilian, why so lonely?” The smell of apples clung to her neck, and damn if I didn’t want to lick her to see if she tasted as good as she smelled.

  “Just chilling.” I knew I sounded lame as soon as the words came out. “Does your grandfather know you’re here?” I grimaced after I spoke. Why did I bring him into the conversation? Prescott was right; I had zero game.

  “I have meant to apologize for the way Grandpa treated you that night. As for tonight, he knows where I am. I had to fess up after he caught me sneaking out of my room.”

  “How did that happen?”

  “I was halfway out my window, my feet about to reach the ground, when he asked if I needed a hand. I almost pissed myself. Then he said I could go out as long as I gave him an honest answer about when I was getting home, and he forbade Rusty from drinking tonight. Grandpa also said my driving lessons start tomorrow. Can you believe it, Max? He’s teaching me how to drive in case Rusty ever gets too drunk to take me home.”

  My stomach dropped when she turned and looked at Russell with her eyes glowing, and at that moment, I wanted to hate the guy, even though he was a good friend. I wanted her to look at me like that.

  “You and Russell?” There was an edge to my voice I had never used before. I looked at Russell; he was with a few guys from the baseball team jumping over the fire. I was about to apologize and say it wasn’t any of my business when Freya threw her head back and laughed.

  “Oh God no. I have standards, and dating Rust would be incestuous, like dating a brother.” She put her finger in her mouth and pretended to gag, and I’d never felt more relieved in my life. Shit, what was happening to me?

  “Maximilian.” She snapped her fingers in front of my face, and I felt myself go warm with embarrassment. I was staring at her and lost it.

  “You can call me Max. My full name is a mouthful.” I wanted to pretend like she didn’t notice the way I got lost in her, but this was Freya Pratt, and judging by the wicked smile she gave me, she was more than aware.

  “Max-i-mi-li-an—I like the way it rolls off my tongue, don’t you?” she said with a dramatic roll that made my blood boil. I looked down at where we were both sitting so close that if she moved a little more, she’d be in my lap. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but I had no words.

  “Max,” she prodded, tipping my chin so I could look at her. If I was at a loss for words before, I was completely mute now. “Are you going to kiss me?” Her voice dropped low.

  This was it; she was giving me the okay to do what I’d been dying to do since I dropped her at her grandfather’s trailer, and I couldn’t move. She made the first move for me. Her hands were small, cool, and delicate against my cheeks. There was zero hesitation on her part when she guided my face to meet hers. When our lips finally made contact, I knew that nothing would ever be the same. All it took to snap me out of the trance she put in me in was for our lips to meet. My arm went around her tiny, little waist and pulled her closer, and even then, it still felt like she wasn’t close enough. That kiss wasn’t my first kiss, but it was the one I knew I would remember for the rest of my life. It was the kiss I knew I would hold as a standard from now on. It should have scared me, but for some insane reason, I wanted to run head-on to this new challenge.

  “I’ve been dying to do that since I saw you stranded in the grass wondering if you had frostbite,” I said when she pulled away. A beautiful, rosy tint covered her cheeks. I didn’t think she could get more appealing, but she proved me wrong when she smiled, showing a hint of vulnerability.

  “I’ve been dying for you to do that.” Her confession gave me confidence, making me brave, so I kissed her again and again until Russell came looking for her and almost caught us making out.

  “Come on, let’s go jump.” She extended her hand to me. At that moment, I knew I would follow her anywhere, even to jump through burning flames, and not let myself think about how reckless it was.

  5

  Freya

  “This will not work out,” I said out loud when Victor showed up with a U-Haul containing all my belongings. I had successfully avoided going into town for the last three days, but my old driver derailed my mission to become a hermit by showing up unannounced at my grandpa’s trailer. Victor stood there smiling at me, and it was creepy. All I ever saw him wear was his classic black suit; him standing in our dirt driveway in jeans and a sweater was psyching me out.

  “Mi niña, since you needed your stuff back, I told Mr. Hill I was taking my vacation early this year. I couldn’t bear to see it there in boxes...” Victor pointed at the massive truck in our driveway. He drove my stuff all the way from San Francisco just so I could have it back sooner. I wanted to say thank you, but I couldn’t do it with the golf ball stuck in my throat. I wanted to cry. Instead, I hugged the Cuban man tightly. When people did nice things for me, it was hard to accept. It always made me sentimental.

  “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble, Victor,” I mumbled once I had composed myself.

  “It’s the least I could do. So many times, mi niña, I wanted to tell you, but it wasn’t my place, and I couldn’t bear to break your heart. That Friday I decided not to pick you up, knowing you would find Mr. Hill with his mistress.”

  That’s all it took for my resentment toward Vic to subside. I told him to give me a second while I changed. All I had packed to come here was my work clothes, which were a little too much for small-town errands. These past few days, I’d been chilling in my jammies since it wasn’t like I was going anywhere. When I walked into the trailer, I found my grandpa snooping through the kitchen window.

  “Tell me that’s not the man you left behind,” he grumbled.

  “Ew, he’s old. He could be my father.”

  My Grandpa made a noise, completely ignoring my cringing. “Well, you never know. What do you call them—candy daddies?”

  “You mean a sugar daddy? You should really go out more.” I pinched Gramps’s cheek before grabbing his hand to take him to meet Victor—you know, so he could make sure he wasn’t my “candy daddy.” When we made it to Victor, the back of the U-Haul was already open.

  Holy crap.

  The size of the truck should have been my first warning, but apparently, I wasn’t thinking clearly.

  “All this crap yours?” Grandpa asked while he looked at the truck in horror.

  “I didn’t even know I owned this much stuff,” I said, a little horrified and in awe. The truck was huge—according to Vic, it was the biggest they had. I couldn’t even go in there and look. It was full from top to bottom. The movers had played Tetris with my stuff and succeeded.

  “It’s okay. I can just go to the hardware store and ask for one of those movable sheds. No biggie.” I dismissed my grandpa and Vic’s dubious stares. I went inside to get my stuff before heading into town, thinking I would at least have help unloading later. When I came outside, I asked if they were ready to head out. Grandpa said no. I was flying solo since Grandpa was going fishing, and since Victor was here on vacation, my grandfather said I shouldn’t put the man to work. He was right, so I told Grandpa to take Victor with him.

  Victor was excited to be in Wisconsin. Our town wasn’t huge, but it was beautiful. With a national park and Lake Superior on the coast, it was a sight to see, especially in the fall.

  “You’re sure Old Red won’t break down on me, right?” I asked for the fifth time since getting in the truck. Grandpa didn’t bother to answer this time. He was more worried about my heel getting stuck while shifting gears. Like I said, I only had my work clothes, and Grandpa made sure to tell me I looked like a prissy. To be honest, I was also a little scared my red Christian Louboutin stilettos might get stuck as well. Well, moot point now, I thought as I drove away. When I got to town, I was thankful that Old Red didn’t break, and even though I was craving a cup of coffee, I had other pressing matters now. Also, Old Red would fit better stationed in front o
f Pete and Son’s than it would in front of Emma’s Coffee.

  When I walked into Pete’s, it smelled just like I remembered—a mixture of wood, metal, and pine fragrance. I let out a relieved breath when I saw the handsome man behind the counter.

  “Hey, Bear, long time no see!” I couldn’t help to smile at my old friend Jake Carson. His dad owned the shop and wasn’t a fan of mine; neither was his younger brother Clark.

  “Holy shit! Freya, girl, is that you?” Jake came out from behind the counter. He was still tall and muscular, reminding me why we called him Bear. Back in high school, he was a hell of a linebacker; getting hit by him was the same as getting attacked by a grizzly.

  “Bear… I can’t… breathe.” I patted his back until he put me down. “I’m glad you’re here and not your dad or Clark. I don’t think they would have been as welcoming.”

  “In their defense, it was your fault Clark’s new car got crashed.”

  “But the damage got paid for. Anyway, I need your help. I have a problem.” I needed to steer the conversation away from the past. “I need one of those portable sheds, not the wooden ones but the other ones.”

  He looked at me like he had forgotten how crazy I was. “You mean a plastic shed?”

  “Yes.”

  “We don’t carry many of those. Not real popular around these parts. They aren’t as resistant to the snow as the ones made from wood. What size do you need?”

  “A big one?”

  “How big is big?”

  “There’s a huge U-Haul truck parked in front of Grandpa’s lawn that is bursting with boxes. I need a place to store them ASAP.”

  Bear whistled, and it didn’t make me feel any better. When we got to the aisle with the plastic sheds, none would do.

  “I could order you one, but I think it’s better if you got one built. They are a little pricier, but they can do it in a few days. Have you talked to Rusty? He knows guys that can have it done by Saturday.”

  I grimaced when he said Rusty’s name. Rust was my brother. I had no idea what to say to him. At least my grandpa got a goodbye, but Rust got nothing but radio silence. I would hate me if I were him.

  “I don’t mind paying extra. Get me the biggest one you have,” I mumbled while my mind went to Rusty. When Bear told me to give him a few and he would put the material in my grandpa’s truck, I left for my caffeine fix. When I walked into Emma’s Coffee, the first thing I did was look at the wall to see if there was a new quote. True friends are never apart, maybe in distance but never in heart. Well, didn’t that just hit me right in the feels? Damn these quotes were spot-on with my life. When I walked up to the counter, Emma had her head resting on the table with her arms over her head.

  “Hey, Emma, are you okay?” I poked her head, causing her to jump back. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” I said when I noticed her panicked expression.

  “Oh no, it’s okay.” She fixed her cute yellow apron. “What can I get you?”

  “I don’t know. I want something strong today, something to get me through the day, the week, this year.” I pulled up a nearby stool and sat down in front of the register since there were no customers.

  “Here. I think we can both use an Americano right now.” I grabbed the yellow mug she handed me and drank with gusto. “How do you choose what quote to write? Do you write one every day?”

  Her smile was sincere but tired when she looked at the wall. “At first, I did it, but one day I was so busy I forgot. My first customer of the day noticed, and when I had no clue what to write, he grabbed the chalk and wrote his quote of the day. Since then, the first or the second customer write it.”

  I couldn’t help but smile along with her. That was awesome. “Tell me what has you so drained?” I pried.

  “I’m exhausted. I’m here at the crack of dawn, and I leave around midnight trying to get everything ready for another day.”

  “Why don’t you hire someone?”

  “I did, but since they are in school, it’s after school and on weekends when they help me out. I tried hiring someone for the morning shift, but that didn’t work out too well.” She made a face.

  “Who did you hire?” I asked out of curiosity.

  “Layla Vanhorn.”

  I snickered at the thought of Layla Vanhorn as a barista. Homegirl was a total princess back in school. I couldn’t imagine her cleaning tables at all.

  “She wanted me to give her a raise, and she didn’t even do any work, complained that she ended up smelling like caffeine after her shifts, and flirted with all the single men.”

  “I can see how that affects your business,” I mumbled.

  “Yeah, I think I will have to take a loss and raise the wage.”

  Don’t ask me why or how, but my mouth just did its own thing.

  “I can help you. I’m up early. I can come at rush hour. That way you aren’t too tired. It’s not like I have anything to do. I’m pretty sure I’m driving Gramps nuts by now.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew I couldn’t take them back, especially when I saw the smile on Emma’s face. I was trying to avoid people, not get a job in the favorite and only coffee shop in town. The only way I could get more in everyone’s faces would be by going to church on Sunday.

  “That would be awesome, but the pay—”

  I waved my hand at her. I didn’t need money. I still had a few weeks left on my vacation, so that wasn’t an issue yet. “I’m just helping you out, and in return, I get free coffee. You feed my addiction, and I’ll ease your load.”

  “Deal.” We clinked our mugs in agreement.

  6

  Freya

  Fifteen years old

  Driving lessons weren’t going as I expected. How was I supposed to learn if Grandpa was shouting at me for every little mistake I made? No one could learn to drive with an old man yelling nonsense in their ear. If I didn’t learn to drive, then I had no freedom. And the way things were progressing, I was a long way from independence and Rusty would be my ride indefinitely.

  “Hurry, Gabby, we’ll be late,” Rusty shouted from outside my window.

  I know it was silly, but I couldn’t help the extra effort I put into my outfit today. I hated Mondays, but today wasn’t just any Monday. It was the first Monday after that kiss. God, that’s all I could think about.

  Max kissing me.

  His lips on mine like soft velvet.

  Dammit, I needed to stop myself from thinking about that or else I would blush, and I didn’t need Grandpa asking if I was having a heat stroke. One last look in the mirror, and then I ran off to meet Rusty. I wore small short shorts, combat boots, a fitted black, long-sleeve shirt, and some necklaces.

  I was smoking hot.

  “How was driving around with Eugene?” I didn’t like the mocking tone in Rusty’s voice, but this was a good sign because this meant he didn’t see me sucking face with Max at the bonfire. I loved Rusty, but he could get overprotective.

  “It didn’t go so well. Maybe you should come with us and try to chill Grandpa out. He gets dramatic.” Wasn’t that just the truth? I wanted to learn to drive, but it isn’t like I even had a car to drive around in. I wasn’t Abigail Newton; her daddy gave her a new Mustang for her sweet sixteen.

  We were parking at school when Rusty cleared his throat. “Gabs… there’s a rumor going around.” I looked at him expectantly because there was always a rumor and most of the times it involved him or me or the both of us. “Did you take Max away from Nikki?”

  “What?”

  What was Rusty talking about? Nikki? I must have heard him wrong. There was no way Max was with Nikki. That would imply Max had a girlfriend. Just the idea horrified me because I never even talked to guys who had girls. I didn’t need that drama. It didn’t matter if we were just friends; no one ever bought it.

  Then I got angry as hell. I didn’t care that I got called a whore, or easy Freya, slutty Freya, or one-day-is-going-to-be-a-stripper Freya, because as much as it hurt, I knew that I had
integrity even though all those who judged me didn’t realize it. I never flirted with guys if they were dating. Heck, I never had a serious boyfriend. I didn’t think going to the movies with Rusty and his boys counted as me having an active dating life. Despite what everyone thought of me, I wasn’t screwing Rusty on the side and then flirting with all the jocks to kill time between sessions. This was my fault for putting Maximilian Dunnett on a pedestal. I should have known he was too good to be true. I couldn’t be furious at Max when I threw myself at him. I was to blame in this scenario, but the asshole never mentioned a girlfriend.

  “Of course, he wouldn’t mention a girlfriend when my tongue was making friends with his tonsils.”

  “Gross,” Rusty muttered. Then he sighed and put his hands on the steering wheel. “Shit, Gabby, he’s a junior with a girlfriend. What were you thinking? Not just any girl, but Nikki Dwight. You know she’s Juliet’s best friend. Those girls will be even nastier to you.”

  “You know what, Rusty? You don’t have to tell me what I already know. Sticks and stones, my friend, sticks and stones.” The last part came out low on the verge of tears because sticks and stones had been my life motto ever since I could remember. I felt silly, stupid even. Here I was trying to look suitable for a boy who only saw me as a piece of meat like all the other boys at school. When I walked in, the nasty looks didn’t surprise me. It was Monday, after all. Nothing new. I took a deep breath and carried on until someone put their arm around me.