Loving the Wrong Guy (Love Unintended #2)

CHAPTER ONE

TAYLOR

Gray fur floats through the cool air and idly I watch it while continuing to stroke my tabby cat Monica’s sinfully soft fur.

Now and then my eyes flicker down onto my phone innocently lying next to me on the couch.

The screen has gone dark, thank you battery saver mode, but if the display was on, I’d see I have a message, possibly more than one. And I really, really want to read them.

But I can’t. I shouldn’t. So instead I sit here petting Monica while my bestie Amelia happily chats, and I pretend I’m not an emotional wreck inside but instead a strong, independent woman.

Except Amelia is my bestie for a reason and sees right through my forced nonchalance.

“You haven’t listened to a single word.” Letting out a frustrated huff, she grabs at my phone before I can stop her.

Valiantly I throw myself across the couch while snatching at the air, upsetting poor Monica, who takes off with a yowl, while I don’t quite manage to grab my phone that Amelia teasingly holds just out of the reach of my outstretched hand.

I land face first into the end cushion and stay there with my face buried in the soft tan microsuede. “Some friend you are,” I mutter.

“I’m the very best kind of friend,” she retorts, giving my legs a pat.

Obediently, I lift them and feel the couch dip as she sits down in the space I made. Rolling to my side, I pull my legs up and let out a huff of my own. “How are you the very best kind?”

Her grin is wide and instant, her bright green eyes sparkling with glee. “I’m the kind that stops you before you do something stupid.”

“I wasn’t going to do anything stupid,” I lie. Because yes, absolutely I was going to do something colossally dumb. Probably one of the most asinine things a woman can do after a break-up. I was going to answer one of my ex’s texts and probably agree to see him again.

“Taylor.”

At my name, or rather Amelia’s tone, I scrunch down further into the couch and pout. I hate when I get called out on my bullshit.

“Fine, whatever. I was going to see what Jeff wanted.”

I can almost hear her eyes rolling. “You know exactly what he wants.” Amelia’s voice becomes an annoying falsetto. “Taylor, I just need to see you. We can work this out. I promise I’ll stop ironing everything in sight. Except your thongs, those I need to iron.”

My teeth pinch my lips so hard it’s amazing I’m not ripping them to shreds. Finally, I can’t hold my laughter in any longer and let it out, pounding the couch as tears roll down my eyes. “OMG he would! He really would iron my thongs. If I wore them,” I say, still gasping from laughing so hard.

“And you want to go back to that?”

Sighing, I sit up and wipe at the moisture on my face. It feels so good to laugh. Not that I’ve been crying over the breakup. It was my decision after all, but I haven’t been in a good place in my head since I ended things.

“No, I don’t want to go back. It’s just…

” I trail off and cast a look at her cute little bump.

How do I admit to my friend that I’m jealous as hell?

Maybe not of her being pregnant, especially not the morning sickness.

No thanks! But of having someone that is crazy in love with her.

Someone that she loves back just as fiercely.

Here she is building a life and I’m at a standstill.

And I’m older. Shouldn’t I have found ‘the one’ before her?

“Hey, it’s okay,” Amelia says gently. “Breakups are tough. But Jeff wasn’t the one and wasting time thinking about him is keeping you from maybe getting out there and finding the right guy.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You walked right up and boldly propositioned Mark.”

A satisfied grin settles on Amelia’s face. “That I did. For a one-night stand, not this,” she says, giving her belly a rub.

“Maybe if you two could have kept your hands off each other, you wouldn’t have ended up with a bun in the oven,” I tease. Amelia and Mark are crazy in love and excited about being parents. The baby might not have been planned, but this little one is very much wanted.

“Resist Mr. Big Dick Energy?” she fires back, using the nickname I gave to her boyfriend the first time I saw him at Matty’s bar.

I laugh. “Okay, good point. How could you resist such a jerk?”

Normal people would have launched into how their boyfriend, the father of their unborn baby, isn’t a jerk.

Not Amelia, because she knows it’s true.

Hell, even Mark has admitted to it. He owns it and I gotta say I couldn’t imagine him not being a snarky jerk.

Besides, he’s not a jerk to Amelia or else his face would be meeting my size eight foot, repeatedly.

“Exactly, I couldn’t.” Amelia gives a nod and then shows me my phone, which is lit up with another notification alert. “Jeff isn’t a jerk; he’s a nice guy that isn’t right for you. Block him.”

How simple she makes it sound!

“I know,” I admit, holding out my hand for my phone.

Amelia drops the phone into my upturned hand. “Knowing and doing are two different and separate things.”

Wincing, I drop the phone into my lap. “Your right. Ugh, why must you be right?”

“Because I’m smart like that.”

My phone vibrates as another text comes in.

Amelia’s finely arched black eyebrows smoothly glide up, the silver piercing in her left brow catching the light streaming in from the windows. “You know what you need to do.”

“Other than blocking him?” I mutter, trying to take the edge off what a messed up situation this is. I know Jeff isn’t the right guy for me. I knew that from the first date. He’s not a bad guy though and I hate that I hurt him.

Yet isn’t talking to him and giving him false hope also hurting him? The voice of reason bluntly chimes in.

“You need to either block him or tell him it’s over and that’s final.”

I open my mouth, but she holds up her hand. “And,” she continues, “you need to get your ass out there and go on some dates.”

“Ahhh… yes, the old get over a guy by getting under someone else.”

That hand reaches out and gently taps me on the forehead. “I didn’t say it. You did. Also where’s the woman whose motto was ‘Have some fun’?”

She has a point. Before Jeff, I had recently gotten out of a three-year relationship that did a number on my head.

I swore I wouldn’t let myself fall into that trap again.

That I would let loose and live a little and that a relationship if it’s boring, or I felt in any way constricted, then I’d get out of it asap.

And look at me, not following my own advice with the first guy I got serious with.

“You’re right.” I grin. “Actually, I’m right.” I pick up my phone and go to my contacts and block Jeff. It’s the best move for both of us.

“Go, girl!” Amelia cheers. “Now let’s talk about Mark’s coworker, Gabe. He’s single, attractive, loaded.”

I roll my eyes at that.

And Amelia gives me the stink eye right back.

“People can say that it doesn’t matter all they want, but you have a great career.

Why shouldn’t you go for a man that’s successful too?

It certainly makes life easier and who wants to be with a guy needing to crash on your couch because he can’t afford rent? ”

Laughing, I hold out my hands. “Okay, okay. Agreed, no lazy bums that lay on the couch all day and live with their parents because they don’t want to work.”

My laughter dies and I cross my arms. “If this guy is so great though, why is he single?”

“Why are you?” Amelia asks with a smirk. “Why is anyone? They haven’t met the right person yet.”

“Ugh. Why is it so easy to fall in love with the wrong guy?” I moan.

“Then imagine how much easier it will be to fall for the right one.”

Skepticism drips from my voice. “And Gabe’s the right one?”

“Hell girl, I don’t know!” Amelia exclaims. “I just want you to stop moping about Jeff and get back out there and have some fun.”

“Fine!” I toss my hands in the air. “Give him my number.”

Getting up, Amelia brushes the cat fur off her black pants. “Super. Mark already did.”

“What?!” I explode, getting to my feet and following after my friend that’s striding toward the door in a clear attempt to avoid me.

“Bye Taylor, let me know when you and Gabe set something up,” Amelia tosses over her shoulder as she steps out the door, giving me a jaunty wave before the door thuds closed behind her.

“What a rat!” I grouse, even as I grin. I’m not expecting miracles from this setup, but it will be good to get out and be reminded that there are tons of men out there just waiting for a woman like me.