Out Of The Friend Zone Read online

  OUT OF THE FRIEND ZONE

  by

  STEPHANIE NICOLE

  OTHER BOOKS

  Building Something Hot

  Taste of Love

  Miles of Pleasure

  Out of the Friend Zone

  Note: This book was based on a previous story named 'Mending the Soul'. It has been edited and revised for content/grammar.

  Copyright © Stephanie Nicole 2013. All Rights Reserved.

  Cover Art and Design by Humble Nations

  Book Formating Services Provided by Brad Wilson KBG Authors Ecosystem

  This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locations are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, either by electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is for a reviewer who may quote brief passages in the review. This publication is presented to you for informational purposes only and is not a substitution for any professional advice.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Also By Stephanie Nicole

  Chapter 1

  Chandler Tiller carried his daughter Willow up the stairs to her bedroom. He lay her sleeping body down on the bed before he covered her up. "Goodnight Princess," he whispered, then kissed her forehead. He stood by her bed for a few minutes, watching her sleep. Even at seven years old, she looked so much like her mother.

  Chandler wished Brooklyn could have seen Willow lying there, looking so much like her. She would be so proud of her daughter. It had only been two years since Brooklyn's accident, since the night she was taken from her family.

  That memory was as fresh in Chandler's mind as if it had happened yesterday: He remembered the way lightning lit up the sky and pouring rain flooded the streets. He could still see the way his best friend, the sheriff on duty at the time, looked when he told Chandler the news. The words were still fresh in his ears.

  "I'm sorry, Chandler, but Brooklyn was in an accident. She was driving too fast for the wet roads, and as she went around the bend on Millers Road, her car spun and hit a telephone pole. The impact was on the driver's side door, and..." His friend paused, certainly knowing that the next words would change lives forever.

  "She was killed instantly. I'm so sorry, man. If there's anything I can do, let me know."

  The words ripped through him, decimating his future, compromising his memories, changing everything. Chandler felt like his world had ended right then and there.

  If it weren't for Willow, he would have given up and died right along with Brooklyn. But his daughter needed him.

  Two years felt like an eternity, but at the same time it felt as though it was only yesterday. Chandler had spent that entire time in mourning, constantly sifting through the memories of the only woman he ever loved. The only time he was able to feel joy was when he was with Willow. She was the only one who could make him smile, make him feel like life was worth living. He had a few friends he hung around with, and he went to work daily, but Willow was now the center of his life. He had no interest in dating, or 'finding a new mom for Willow', like his friends suggested. He was content to remain single for the rest of his life. Chandler didn't think he'd ever find another love like he had shared with Brooklyn, so there was no point in looking.

  He smiled down at Willow as she slept. She was a particularly carefree child. For a time shortly after her mother died, she was sullen and withdrawn, not really understanding why she would never see her mother again. Death is a rather hard concept for a five year old child to comprehend.

  Sometime after the accident, Willow rebounded and went back to being the bubbly five year old she had been before. Two years later, her life revolved around cartoons, baby dolls and Barbies. She loved school and never gave her father a fight about going. She was one of the smartest kids in her class, something her father was very proud of.

  Though Willow liked her dolls, she was also somewhat of a tomboy. She preferred jeans to dresses, and loved to play in the dirt. Her long, corkscrew blonde curls were usually tied back in a ponytail to keep them from bothering her while she was playing. She chose to play sports with the boys during recess most days, rather than playing with the girls.

  Looking at Willow, you could tell that she was Brooklyn's daughter. She had Brooklyn's eyes, nose, and hair, but her personality was all Chandler. From the time she was born, Willow was a definite Daddy's girl, which helped her deal with her mother's death with fewer emotional scars. She missed her mother, but the memories of her were fading fast. All she had now was her father, and Willow seemed to be adjusting to that reality.

  Chandler walked out of Willow's room and went to his own. In doing so he passed by the hallway wall, where pictures of him and Brooklyn hung. He paused and looked at the pictures, feeling the familiar sting behind his eyes.

  "I wish I could hold you one more time," he whispered to the photographs.

  It was the last thought on his mind as he fell asleep twenty minutes later. He dreamt of a different time, a time when he was happy, and a time when Brooklyn was still alive.

  Chapter 2

  Brynn Chase sat on her couch waiting for her no-good husband to come home from 'work'. It was 10:30 at night, but she knew he had left the office hours ago. How did she know? Brynn had seen Nico walking down the street holding hands with some bleached blonde bimbo in a very short, tight skirt.

  Brynn had been driving down Main Street, on her way to pick their son Barrett up from t-ball practice, when she saw them. She parked on the side of the road and watched them from her rear view mirror as Nico pulled the woman into a tight embrace and kissed her. It was a long, deep, passionate kiss.

  A whirlwind of thoughts went through Brynn's mind. He doesn't even kiss me like that! Has he ever kissed me like that? Who the hell is she? Does she know he's married? Is she? What the hell is he thinking, not hiding it at all, doing that on the street? What does that mean about what he thinks of me? What the hell is he thinking?

  Nico then took the woman into a fancy French restaurant, after which Brynn pulled out of the parking spot and drove away, her heart pounding and her eyes filled with tears.

  The door finally opened, and Nico swaggered in. "Hello Brynn. What are you doing awake still? I told you I had to work late, and not to wait up." He leaned down to kiss his wife on the cheek.

  Brynn put her hand up to intercept the kiss before his lips touched her. "Don't bother, Nico. Your bags are packed, we're over. You promised months ago that you were done with that slut, but I saw you with her today."

  Nico's face went pale. "Brynn..."

  "You know, i
t's pretty bad that you don't even try to hide the fact that you're having an affair. What if Barrett had been in the car with me today, watching you kiss that whore's face? Nice role model you are to him!"

  "Brynn, let me explain. It's not what you-"

  Brynn interrupted him. "I know, I know...it's not what I think. It's never what I think. It wasn't what I thought when it involved Madilyn, Sue, Melissa, or Gina." Brynn stood up from the couch. "The only thing I think right now is that you can get the hell out of here. I've already called my lawyer to start the divorce proceedings. I will have sole custody of Barrett, since it's pretty obvious that you care more about the pussy you get on the side than your own family. You can have the house as soon as we find somewhere else to live. Now get out."

  "Brynn, don't do this. Think it over before you do something you'll regret," Nico pleaded.

  "You know what, Nico? I have been very calm about all of this. I haven't lost my temper or raised my voice once. Don't make me start now." She pointed at the suitcases waiting neatly at the door. "Take your shit and get out. Like I said, you'll be hearing from my lawyer. Now, if you aren't going to leave, I'll call the cops. You can go quietly, or cause a big scene. It's your choice, but either way, you're leaving."

  Nico tried more begging, but there was no point. Brynn's mind was obviously made up. He picked up his suitcases and turned to the door, but then looked back with one parting blow.

  "You'll be begging for me to come back. I might be nice and even consider it at some point, if you're lucky."

  "Don't hold your breath. It'll never happen," Brynn said, and slammed the door in his face. The sound was quite satisfying. She listened to it echo through the house and then fade away as her soon-to-be ex-husband walked out of her life.

  A single stray tear slipped down her face and she furiously wiped it away. She refused to shed any more tears over that man. She had shed more than enough in the eleven years she had been married to the cheating bastard.

  She checked in on Barrett, who was sleeping soundly in his bed. At almost eight years old, he was such an innocent little boy. Brynn tried to shelter him as much as she could from her fights with Nico. She didn't want Barrett to feel any negative effects from his parents' marriage, like she did when her parents fought.

  Barrett was never very close with his father. Nico 'worked' late most of the time, and often got home long after Barrett was asleep. Brynn was the one to teach him sports, take him to practices and go to his games. On the weekends, Nico often made excuses to get out of the house and not spend time with his family. Over time, Brynn ended up becoming both Mom and Dad to Barrett. Though Brynn knew the divorce and the move would affect Barrett, she knew that living with a lack of love from his father would be worse for him in the long run.

  Brynn continued on to her room and collapsed into bed. She let her exhaustion take over and was soon asleep, sleeping better than she had in years. As rough as the divorce was going to be, she was convinced that now that she had taken this big step, things in her life were finally looking up.

  The next morning, Brynn and Barrett went out on the road in search of a new house. Brynn tried to explain to Barrett what was happening.

  "Barrett, do you remember your friend Billy, how he lives with his mom and visits his dad on the weekends?" Brynn asked.

  "Yeah, his parents got a divorce, right?" Barrett answered.

  "Yes, they got a divorce. Sometimes moms and dads don't get along, and it's better for them to live apart."

  "Billy said it's really cool. He gets twice the presents for his birthday and at Christmas," Barrett told her.

  Brynn took a deep breath. "Well, honey, your dad and I have decided to get a divorce. We both love you, but Mommy and Daddy can't live with each other anymore. You and I are going to move into a new house in a new town and start over. How does that sound?"

  Barrett was quiet for a moment. "Will I have to go to a new school?"

  "Most likely, but just think of how fun it will be to make new friends. After we get settled, you can still have some of your old friends come and spend the night whenever you want."

  "Cool," Barrett replied.

  Brynn felt relieved, and drove toward the first house on her list. She watched Barrett in the rear-view mirror. He had taken the news much better than she thought he would, and now she was just hoping that it was real acceptance, and not just an act.

  "Here we go sport," she said as they pulled into the driveway. "Let's go see if we like this house."

  Chapter 3

  Four weeks later, Brynn and Barrett pulled up behind a big moving truck. Their new house was in a town half an hour away from where they used to live. The school district was one of the best in the state, and the neighborhood was in a low crime area. By living here, Brynn could afford more house for her money, so that she and Barrett weren't stuck in a tiny box that the realtors had the nerve to call a house.

  Instead of the box, they found a large three bedroom, two-story house with a full basement and a big back yard. It was a charming house and in great shape, as it was only three years old. It had an attached two-car garage and big storage shed in the fenced back yard. One of Brynn's favorite features was the hot tub that sat on the back deck.

  Barrett was excited about the new house, too. Brynn let him pick out the paint for his room, and he was even going to get a puppy. There was so much room to play in the back yard; he could already picture the intense games of wiffle ball and kickball.

  Brynn and Barrett spent their day unloading the moving truck and bringing boxes into the house. New furniture was being delivered, as Brynn didn't want any pieces from their old house. She didn't want to bring the bad memories to her new home.

  While they were carrying some boxes, Brynn looked and saw an SUV pull into her neighbor's driveway. She pretended to be busy with the boxes but in truth, she was sneaking peeks at the neighbors. The man who stepped out was amazingly handsome. He stood a little over six feet tall, and had wavy brown hair and a goatee.

  He went around to the passenger side and helped a little girl out of the Nissan. The little girl had the most adorable blonde ringlets; her hair was so light it was almost white.

  The man saw Brynn and smiled an almost sad smile. He held onto the little girl's hand, and walked toward Brynn. Barrett walked up at the same time, and Brynn put down the box that she was carrying.

  "You must be the new neighbors. I'm Chandler Tiller, and this is my daughter Willow," Chandler said, and held his hand out to Brynn.

  "Hi, Chandler, nice to meet you. I'm Brynn Chase, and this is my son Barrett." They shook hands and after, Brynn squatted down so her eyes were level with Willow's. "Hi, Willow, nice to meet you. How old are you?"

  Willow smiled wide and said, "Nice to meet you too, ma'am. I just turned seven years old."

  "Wow, you're very polite. Maybe you can teach my son some of your manners. Barrett is seven years old, but he'll be turning eight in two weeks. Maybe he'll be in your class at school."

  Willow turned to Barrett. "You want to play? I have a swing set in the back yard that my dad built for me."

  Barrett looked at his mom, pleading with his eyes. "Can I Mom? Please?"

  "Well, as long as it's okay with Mr. Tiller. You've helped me a lot today, you deserve some time to play," Brynn said, and the three of them looked at Chandler.

  "I don't mind. You're welcome anytime, Barrett. Just be careful," he said, as the two kids ran toward the back yard.

  "Thanks for letting him play with Willow. I think he's going to need all the friends he can get right now. This move may be kind of rough on him," Brynn told Chandler. "He really has been working hard today. I think he was trying to act all macho in front of the movers, since I told him he was the man of the house now."

  Chandler smiled. "Do you need any help with anything?"

  "Oh, no thanks. I only have a few more boxes."

  "I don't mind at all. Let me grab what you have left," Chandler said and walked to the movin
g truck. He stacked the remaining boxes and picked them all up together.

  Brynn picked up the box she had been carrying and led him into the house. Boxes upon boxes were scattered throughout the house, leaving hardly any room to move. "Just put them wherever you can find a spot," Brynn said, as she looked around, a little overwhelmed. She looked at the stove, which was hidden by boxes. As if on cue, her stomach growled loudly enough that they could both hear it.

  "Somebody's hungry," Chandler said, again with a smile.

  Brynn blushed. "Well, since there's no chance of me cooking tonight, how would you and your family like to come over for pizza? We can eat out on the deck and enjoy the nice weather we're having? I think there's a picnic table there somewhere."

  "That sounds good, as long as it's not too much trouble."

  "No trouble at all!" she said. "What's your wife's name?"

  Chandler hesitated for a moment. "It's just me and Willow. My wife died about two years ago."

  "Oh, I'm sorry. I had no idea," Brynn apologized. "I'm sorry I assumed..."

  "That's okay; you had no way of knowing. It's a legitimate question when seeing my daughter and me, to think I would have a wife to join us." He shrugged and tried to make it seem like no big deal. "What about you? No husband?"

  "Well, as of yesterday, none. The ink is finally dry on the divorce papers. Ah, sweet freedom!" Brynn said with a smile. "Barrett and I are much better off alone."