Rebel Heart (The Westwoods #6)

Chapter 1

BEAU

Mere seconds stood between me and a death-defying plunge.

This was who I was, who I had been for as long as I could remember. The guy who always sought a thrill, even if it left others disappointed.

It was strange how something completely unrelated could take me back to those moments in time when I learned the truth about what I meant to the people whose opinions should have mattered the most.

I couldn’t recall precisely when it started, but it was when I’d reached the age of twelve that I noticed what was happening.

By the time I turned fourteen, I got undeniable proof that my hunch wasn’t unfounded.

And there was no going back to a time when I didn’t feel the crushing weight of being such a disappointment once I turned eighteen.

Higher and higher, I moved along the track. Within seconds, I was halted at the top. My eyes scanned the area around me, the drop below, and the corners of my mouth tipped up in a smile.

A moment later, I heard the release. Then the wind was rushing past me as the rollercoaster cart plummeted to the earth. Just before it would’ve made impact, it banked along the curve in the track and sped along the corner, the cart tilting to the right side.

Maybe I should’ve been screaming like half of the other passengers, but I wasn’t. I wasn’t even allowing shouts of excitement to spill out of me.

In a strange twist, I found myself lost in thought about what those two people who’d brought me into this world would say if they saw me now.

Granted, this seemed a bit crazy. Not the idea of being at an amusement park and riding a roller coaster, but the simple fact that I was here at my age with my best friends. Like I hadn’t ever grown up.

It was strange. So many years had passed, and I still sought adventure, still looked for the thrill.

Somehow, my grin grew.

I didn’t care how anyone else felt. I was having fun and enjoying myself. I loved my life. And I wasn’t about to let anything ruin it.

When the coaster came to a stop and the lap bars released, my friends and I climbed out to exit the ride.

“I’d say that one is worth standing in line for again,” Talon declared.

“Agreed,” Vic said. “But I could use some food before we make that happen.”

“Works for me.” I expected nothing less from Jamie. He was agreeable to just about anything.

When three sets of expectant eyes came in my direction, I suggested, “We could head over to the building where they do the chocolate tours. They’ve got food there as well as spots with milkshakes.”

Vic groaned. “Oh, man. Burgers, fries, and shakes. That sounds amazing.”

Without another word of debate, the four of us made our way in that direction.

It was a warm spring day at the beginning of May, and my friends and I had decided to spend our day at Westwood’s. We’d arrived this morning and skipped the museum and chocolate-making tour, opting to head right for the amusement park.

Perhaps to adults with children, that might have seemed ridiculous. But to the four of us, it was just another typical day in our lives.

Fun.

Obviously, we all had experienced our fair share of bad days, but mostly, we were simply enjoying life. We’d all worked hard enough to be able to do that.

No sooner had we gotten in line and ordered our food, Talon pulled his phone out of his pocket.

“That’s Trisha,” he said. “Can you grab my food when it’s ready, so I can take this?”

“We got it, man,” Jamie assured him.

Lifting his phone to his ear, Talon said, “Hey babe.”

As he walked off to find a table while he talked to his girl, Vic, Jamie, and I gave each other knowing looks and shook our heads.

Of the four of us, Talon was the only one seriously involved.

Jamie had just gotten out of a year-long relationship about three months ago, and like me, Vic was simply having a good time.

Though, to be fair, Vic likely wanted to have something like Talon had. He just hadn’t found the right girl.

By the time we’d gotten our food and met Talon at the table, he had just finished his call.

“Everything okay?” Jamie asked.

Talon nodded and reached to take his food from Jamie’s hands. “Yeah. Thanks for bringing this over for me. Trisha’s on her lunch break, so she wanted to call and see how things were going here.”

“Is she pissed?”

“About what? That I’m here, and she’s at work?”

Vic jerked his chin down. “It’s not unreasonable to assume that could be the case.”

I sunk my teeth into my burger as Talon lifted a fry to his mouth and said, “Well, I don’t think she’d want to intrude on this specific gathering, but she certainly wishes she was having a day of fun instead of having to work.”

Before anyone else could respond, Jamie declared, “See? You’re lucky, Talon. I always think I’m upset about things ending with Sara, but then I recall these moments and get a good slap in the face.”

I swallowed a bite of my burger. “To be fair, Trisha is not like Sara.”

“Thanks, Beau,” Talon said, a proud smile on his face.

“It’s okay, Jamie,” Vic assured him. “You’re back to enjoying things again. You were miserable with Sara.”

“That’s the truth.” I sipped my chocolate milkshake.

Westwood’s was known for a lot of things, but they did chocolate like nobody else.

The milkshake was proof of that perfection.

“You’re so much happier now. But I guess that’s to be expected when you’re spending your time with us. We’re a blast, aren’t we?”

“Shut up.”

His words indicated he wasn’t amused, but the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth said otherwise.

Jamie knew we were just yanking his chain.

When it all boiled down, we’d been there for him throughout it all.

During the relationship, he’d gone from that honeymoon phase in the beginning to the misery he endured every time he wasn’t devoting each second of his life to Sara.

He’d done things to make her happy that none of us would have done, and it still wasn’t good enough.

In the end, despite how we felt about her, we’d been there to see him through the breakup.

“Still haven’t changed your mind on the topic, Beau?” Talon questioned me.

“The topic of dating?”

He gave me a nod in response.

I shook my head. “Not at all. I think I have pretty good reasons for never wanting to go there. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be happy or supportive of any of you if and when you decide to tie the knot.”

Jamie held his hands up in surrender. “Hey, let’s not get too carried away.”

“Seriously,” Vic grumbled. The look on his face revealed just how disgusted he was at the thought of marriage.

Whether it was that he’d always been the most optimistic of the four of us or that he was with someone who made him happy now, I didn’t know. But Talon reasoned, “Maybe it’ll change if you meet the right one.”

“That’s unlikely to happen for me,” I countered, plucking up three fries. “While you know I’m always down for a good time with a gorgeous woman, I have absolutely no desire for a serious, committed, long-term relationship.”

“Sorry, but I’m with Beau on this one,” Vic lamented. “It’s going to be difficult to find the right one when I don’t go into anything looking for more than just some fun.”

While I didn’t think he was judging us, Talon was certainly disappointed. Even though I couldn’t exactly understand where he was coming from on this particular topic, I could understand having a specific hope or expectation about something and things not being the way I wanted.

Jamie stayed in the middle of the road. “I can’t say I don’t want that one day, but it can’t be like it was with Sara. If I’m going to make a commitment like that again, she’s going to have to be someone incredible.”

“I hope you find her,” I told him. “As for me, I’m not interested in giving up this life for anyone.”

“And which life would that be, Beau?” Talon pressed, holding the last bite of his burger in his hand. “The one where you wake up on a random Thursday morning and head to an amusement park with your three best friends?”

I shrugged, wiping my fingers on my napkin.

“Why not? What you’re doing, what Jamie is hoping for, I’m happy for you.

It’s too much of a risk for me. I’m perfectly content answering to myself, doing what makes me happy, and not having to worry about catering to someone else’s demands.

I’ve been done doing that for a long time now. ”

That did it.

I hadn’t wanted to go there, but the reality was that no amount of convincing would ever get me to change my mind.

“Fair enough.”

With that discussion over, Vic took the opportunity to shift it to work. The four of us spent the rest of our time at lunch discussing upcoming work tasks, all thoughts of relationships fading far into the background.

“You guys want to head back out?” Jamie asked after we’d finished eating.

“I think I’m going to head over there and grab some dessert first,” I said, getting up from my seat and jerking my chin in the opposite direction. “Want anything?”

The guys looked over to where I’d indicated, but none of them were interested in having anything sweet. Sadly, I could admit it was one of my vices. I was a sucker for treats of any kind, but anything that was freshly baked would always be at the top of my list.

“I’ll be right back.”

Without waiting for a response from my friends, I took off and crossed the space, winding my way through the tables and past several options for desserts to the one spot that was most appealing to me.

Not only had there been a long line the entire time I’d been inside the building having lunch, but there was the perfect opportunity to prove to my friends—especially Talon and Jamie—just how fun it was to be in my position when it came to dating and relationships.

No commitments, no responsibilities. Just good times all the time.