Protector's Second Chance: Clean Contemporary Friends to Lovers Romance (Abraham Cousins Book 1)

Prologue

16 years ago

Anastasia (nickname Stacie)

Sunlight streamed through large windows lining the wall, casting a golden glow on the white grand piano seated at the center of the room.

The black and white keys gleamed in the late afternoon sunlight. Despite being surrounded by cases of varied sizes that held instruments fit for an orchestra, the piano sat lonely in the quiet room.

The slow creaking of a door broke the silence and was followed by a soft voice. “Do you think Mr. Jacques would mind us being here after school?” Anastasia asked cautiously.

“Of course, he wouldn”t,” a masculine voice replied. “But music is one of my extracurricular activities. He wouldn”t mind his favorite pupil practicing his keys, would he?” James smiled.

“Maybe he wouldn”t...” she conceded.

“He wouldn”t. Now come on, just one song.” James coaxed gently.

The creaking became louder as the door yawned open on its hinges. “Just one song, Jamie.” The girl spoke shyly to the boy beside her. She was trying to hide her excitement.

She was twelve years old and wore her red curls in pigtails. Freckles dotted her cheeks, and she wore a smile of angelic innocence. Her fingers twirled the hem of her cotton maroon dress, and she lifted her hazel eyes to the boy.

He gave her an easy smile and said, “Just one, Stacie, I promise. I want to show you how much better I’ve gotten at playing our song,” The shiny wood floor creaked underneath his large shoes as he made his way towards the piano. Although he was only two years older than Anastasia, he was quite big for his age. People often mistook him for a seventeen-year-old.

He walked in more confidently than she did. As the son of wealthy parents, he was accustomed to getting what he wanted and getting away with mischief at school.

His white dress shirt’s top button was undone, and his sleeves were cuffed at the elbow. The wrinkles in his brown slacks indicated he had been wearing them all day. He dropped the two backpacks he had been carrying.

He settled onto the white bench in front of the piano and then scooted over for Anastasia to sit beside him.

“C”mon,” he urged her.

She shook her head, hugging her hands around her middle. She feared being caught playing music after school hours. Instead, she stood at the doorway and watched Jamie flex his slender fingers over the keys.

She was always aware that her parents did not have influence at the school. As a result, she knew that she wouldn’t receive the same lenient punishments that many other students received. Hence, she never wanted to get into trouble in school.

Jamie, however, had the confidence of a person accustomed to teachers bending the rules around his transgressions.

He touched a few keys, and the room came alive with beautiful sounds. His honey-brown curls swayed, almost blonde in the sunlight. He turned and cast her a smile. A heartbeat later, his fingers descended on the piano, and the room exploded in a melody as familiar to Anastasia as her mother’s voice.

A calm feeling washed over her, and her fears seemed to fade. Letting the music release her fears. She began to walk towards the source of the song. Soon, she found herself standing by the bench on which Jamie sat.

She watched him. He swayed. Lost to the music, with his eyes closed. She smiled, letting out a soft sigh. She was content now, and she sang in her high-pitched soprano voice. “I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom, for me and you. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world…”

Anastasia had first heard Louis Armstrong sing ‘What A Wonderful World’ when she went to Jamie’s house for the first time. His stepmother had hosted a party for all the kids in his class in honor of Jamie’s twelfth birthday.

His mother had a ballroom dance theme for the party. All the kids had been from affluent families except Anastasia. They all had known the common ballroom dance steps—all except Anastasia.

At that party, Anastasia had worn her favorite green dress and polished her black shoes until they shone, yet no one had asked her to dance. She had sat at the far end of the spacious room, watching everyone else laugh and dance to the music playing from the speakers.

With tears shimmering in her eyes, she had wanted to go home. But then, Jamie had come. He had arrived just when the speakers had stopped playing music. He had asked her to dance with him as a small group of musicians had taken over.

He had smiled at her, happy she had come to his party, and had offered his hand like she saw princes do in cartoons. She had taken it, and he had pulled her to the center of the room.

While they danced, James had explained to her what a string quartet was. All eyes had been on her: the girl James Sorenson had asked to dance with him for his mother’s favorite song.

He had told her jokes to ease her nerves. When she laughed, he remarked on the dimple that appeared sometimes on her left cheek. Then the quartet started to play the most beautiful song she had ever heard.

Before leaving his party that night, she had asked him about the song the quartet had played on their instruments. Jamie had taken her to a piano room in his house and played the song for her on his piano. The lyrics had made her eyes sting with tears. Jamie’s rich voice had brought the music alive.

Her family was far less wealthy than Jamie”s, so she knew she might never learn to play music. But having it in her life made her life seem more beautiful to her.

After his birthday party, Jamie had played recorded versions of the song for her countless times and also played it for her on instruments at every opportunity. Jamie didn”t know many instruments and couldn’t play any without fault, but he still tried. He said he wanted to see her smile.

Together, they had mastered every word of the song, every riff. When they had gotten bored of singing along to the recorded version, Jamie had vowed to master the song on the piano.

These memories of the ball and the past few years with Jamie fluttered through Anastasia’s mind as Jamie sat on the bench playing their song. Anastasia’s eyes fluttered open, and she fixed her hazel eyes on him.

His eyes were still closed, and his features were tense as his fingers slowed over the keys. Then, they stopped altogether, bringing the song to a close. The air stood still, resonating with the aftermath of the music.

Jamie”s eyes flew open, and he turned to see her behind him. A wide smile broke on his face, and his green eyes shone with glee. “What do you think? I‘ve almost perfected it.”

“I think it’s perfect,” said Anastasia.

“Of course you do,” Jamie said. A shake of his head scattered his brown curls even more. “You love this song no matter how it’s played.” He stood up and stretched his arms in front of him. “Just a few more months, and I”ll be an expert at it. Then I”ll play it for you with a full orchestra on your birthday. Violins, harps, and everything. So, you”ll cry and call me the best thing to have happened to the world since Barbie dolls.”

Anastasia laughed, “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Jamie leaned down, brought his face close to hers, and nodded.

Anastasia stared wide-eyed at him, and her face turned red. Her breath caught in her throat as Jamie’s lips curled into a smug smile. She was used to Jamie being close to her. They frequently talked together and studied together. Once, they had even wrestled each other over a plate of cookies.

But in times like these—when time stopped, and all she saw was Jamie—Anastasia’s heart would flutter in her chest, her face would go all red, and her tongue would get stuck to the roof of her mouth. She hated it because she would always act dumb.

Jamie’s full eyebrows wrinkled at her silence, and he broke his gaze. “Now, c’mon. You have to tutor me. That way I can pass math and become rich and successful like my dad.”

He straightened himself and went to pick up the backpacks. His was black, and hers was emblazoned with a Hello Kitty patch.

“And then I”ll build a big house for you.” He hung the bags over his shoulders and held out his hand. She took it, and they made for the door. “And we”ll have a big room just for the piano. I’ll teach you to play it–”

“Normal people don”t need a whole room to keep a piano,” she giggled as they stepped into the hallway.

He continued, “I asked the principal again to convert the courtroom in the playhouse into a piano room.”

She laughed and reprimanded him playfully in the same way she always did, “You can be happy at court in that room. You could be King James the Fifth, or Sir Jamie Sorenson, the valiant knight of Ashton land.”

It was after school hours. The school was empty save for a few students who had extracurricular activities or had stayed behind to study.

Their school, Ashton McKellen Academy, was a regular school if your parents were senators, owned their private jet, could afford ten vacation trips a year, or owned half of the town.

Anastasia’s parents were not wealthy, but she went here because she aced their admissions exam and received a fully funded scholarship. Her simple outfits and meager belongings betrayed the fact that she was poor. She was invisible to the other students. All except Jamie. When they returned to school the week after his birthday party, he noticed that she sat alone during lunch. Quickly, he became her friend.

“We aren”t normal people, now, are we?” said Jamie, breaking her out of her thoughts. “We can have a room just for a piano. We can have life-size playhouses, like the one at the playground if we want to.”

They strolled down the shiny hallway to the nearest door and exited the building into a large yard. The yard held stone-cut tables and benches scattered across a playground. Jamie and Anastasia walked past the swings and monkey bars to the playground’s main attraction: the large playhouse. Inside, it contained child-sized versions of everything that a real house would have.

Anastasia thought the designer of the playhouse must have wanted everyone to see that the children at Ashton lived large. She loved the playhouse and loved walking through it. Jamie would often walk with her to keep her company, and they would discuss how the architect should have designed each room differently.

“A room just for a piano still isn”t normal,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Yes! You get me so well!” He gave her a wide smile.

They walked past the outdoor tables, past the enormous playground, past the cast iron fence that separated the school from the street. Then they walked across the street to a park. They headed towards the first trees that lined the grass. The students of Ashton McKellan knew the park well. Because of the park’s proximity to the school, teachers sometimes had outdoor classes there. Behind the park was a small, protected forest that the students called ‘the woods.’

Anastasia didn”t like the woods all that much, but she did love a particular oak tree just by the border of the woods. Her favorite thing to do after school was to sit under the large tree. From there, she could see everyone in the park.

They made it to the oak tree with Jamie going on about his plans for building a large house for an orphanage that had every room imaginable. Like a room filled with slides, one with white walls for painting on only, one filled with beds, one for an indoor swimming pool, one made for a huge trampoline. Anastasia laughed at his bizarre suggestions and gave a few of her own.

Once they settled underneath their tree in the park, James pulled two packs of apple juice out of his bag and handed one to her. Apple was her favorite flavor. She closed her eyes as it made her better able to taste the sweet flavor.

He wanted to chat, but Anastasia shushed him and ordered him to focus on their math homework. He obeyed her and quieted down to work on his equations.

As much as Anastasia enjoyed his company, it was difficult for them to stay friends as his parents didn”t approve of her family’s poor status. Jamie had convinced his parents to let him spend time with her as he had told them she was the smartest person in his class, and he wanted her to be his tutor.

His grades had been bad then, so his parents had called Jamie’s friendship with Anastasia a business deal. His parents had said that he could stay friends with her as long as his grades improved steadily. Anastasia wanted to stay friends with Jamie and took her job as a tutor very seriously. She was sure he wanted to stay friends with her, too, and when she instructed him to focus and study, he obeyed.

They worked on their homework together late into the evening. It didn”t bother her much, as the restaurant where her father worked was close to the park. He knew she was studying with Jamie after school. When the sunlight began to fade, Jamie produced a small reading lamp from his backpack. Anastasia urged him to finish his work before the sun set completely.

As the last golden rays of the sun vanished, Anastasia turned off the lamp and finally agreed to take a break to watch the sky light up with colorful stars. Soon, her father would come by to pick them up.

Stargazing was one of her favorite hobbies. The park was noticeably quieter now, and most of the lamps in the park were beginning to come on. Anastasia knew there were still people around, but the oak tree was so secluded that it felt like they were alone. This was just how she liked it.

“Look,” Jamie said, pointing to the sky. “The stars are coming out.”

Anastasia followed his finger and gazed at the sky. The last rays of the sun that had bathed the horizon in a mosaic of pink, lavender, and blue were disappearing and leaving the sky dark. Anastasia liked the darkness because it gave way for the dull moon to shine and for the colorful stars to twinkle brighter.

She dropped the book that was on her lap on the grass and lay down on the grass underneath the tree. She had lain in this exact spot for so many nights, staring at the stars and imagining what her future would be like. Jamie called this her stargazing spot.

She didn”t mind his teasing, as his spot was right beside hers. He believed that being an astronaut was his dream. She didn”t doubt he could become one, but that was only if his parents would let him.

“Oh, look, over there,” Jamie pointed to her right, and she turned to see a cluster of stars above. “What do you think that”s called?”

Anastasia hadn”t studied much astronomy, but she did know the cluster was called a constellation and that different constellations had different names and showed up at different times of the year. She hadn”t yet learned all their names. “It looks like… like a bow,” she said.

“Then a bow, it is!” Jamie announced, “We’ll call it Cupid’s bow.”

“I like that,” Anastasia turned her head to smile at him as he lay beside her. As she did so, she caught a glimpse of a group of boys walking towards them. The boys were all dressed alike in baggy jeans and leather jackets. One of the boys stood tall among them. He had long blonde hair and gold chains around his neck. She recognized him.

She decided to warn Jamie, “Don”t look now, but troubles are coming,” Immediately, she sat up and began putting her books into her backpack.

Jamie sat up straight, his brown curls a mess, and looked behind him at the group of boys. He grimaced and grabbed his backpack, too. “Martin,” he sighed and began pulling his books into his bag. “What’s he doing here?”

“Dunno,” Anastasia answered quietly and zipped her bag shut. She scrambled to her feet as Jamie did the same. “And I don”t want to find out,” she never liked Martin. He was Jamie”s stepbrother, older than Jamie by three years, and thought the world should worship him. He was also a bully.

She had reported his bullying to the principal numerous times. Each time, he had gotten away with a warning. However, the last time she reported him and his friends—just a few days ago—the boys had gotten suspended.

It was unlikely that they would ever get expelled because the school valued the monetary contributions his rich family made. So, it was surprising when the spoiled, entitled bunch had gotten a suspension.

Since then, the group of boys had started hating her, and she had avoided them.

Jamie spoke quietly to her, “Don”t worry, he won”t bother you while I”m here, or I’ll tell Dad and then I”ll punch him in the face,” Jamie said and pulled her behind him as they got closer.

The boys came with the smell of sweat and loud laughter. Anastasia crushed herself behind Jamie’s back, trying to make herself as invisible as possible.

“Hey, li’l bro,” Martin said with a slur. “You are on a date with your girlfriend, little miss tell-tale,” he laughed, and his friends joined in, making catcalls and jokes at them. Anastasia pursed her lips and took a deep breath. Her grip tightened around Jamie”s hand.

“She”s not my girlfriend and this isn”t a date. We were studying for a test,” Jamie said defiantly, “but it”s not like you would understand. I don”t think you have studied for anything, ever.”

The boys around Martin let out a collective gasp and asked Martin if he was going to let his little brother talk to him that way. Anastasia glanced around Jamie at Martin’s face.

He stared Jamie down for what felt like forever. Finally, he looked away with a sneer. “My discussion is with the girl. It shouldn”t concern you, since she”s not your girlfriend. Now, move away, li’l bro.” He clicked his tongue, and the boys moved closer to them.

Anastasia’s heart felt like it would jump out of her body when the boys moved in for the attack. Two of them made for her, and the other two lunged at Jamie. Her screams pierced the quiet evening, and she held on tighter to Jamie”s hand. Jamie struggled to keep the four boys away from them.

He was big for his age and strong. That was likely why the boys seemed cautious when trying to get close to him. Martin had also likely ordered them not to hurt his brother. Eventually, seeing that he would not give up on blocking them from Anastasia, the four boys all lunged for Jamie directly. His hold on Anastasia lessened.

Anastasia shrieked as they pushed Jamie to the ground. His backpack fell off his shoulders, and his books spilled out. Three of the boys held him down, and Martin approached her. Her eyes flitted across her surroundings, looking for something with which to defend herself. There was nothing. She hugged herself around her middle.

“Stay back!” Her voice sounded foreign to her, more high-pitched and shakier than normal. “Stay back! I”m warning you.”

“Oh, you have no authority to warn anyone,” Martin said with a wicked smile on his lips. His wild eyes observed her with amusement, and he moistened his lips with his tongue. “Now, what should we do with you?”

“Don”t you dare touch her!” Jamie screamed, struggling to release his arms from his captors. “Don”t you–” He tried to say again, and Martin turned and waved his hand at Jamie. Anastasia watched as one of the boys punched Jamie in the stomach. He fell back limply, groaning with pain.

Anastasia’s eyes stung with tears, but her feet stayed glued on the spot. She trembled as Jamie raised his head, but another punch sent him falling back to the ground. They didn”t let him. Martin smiled as the boys pinned Jamie to the ground, his face right in the dirt. “Run… Stacie, run,” Jamie managed to say.

“Oh, don”t be overly dramatic, li’l bro. I just wanna talk to her. See?” Martin said. He moved closer to Anastasia, who was still stuck in one spot and was watching Martin’s approach through wide, teary eyes. “I just wanna talk and a small punch or two, but talk is still talk, right?”

“Stacie!” Jamie screamed her name again, and she looked at him now instead of Martin. “Run,” he said barely above a whisper.

But she heard it, and it sent a wave of energy through her. She looked at the three boys holding Jamie and then at Martin in front of her and turned to the woods behind her. With one last look at Jamie, she took a deep breath and ran straight for the dark covering of the woods at night.

Frantic with fear, she forced herself to run faster when she heard Martin sigh and say, “Oh c’mon. It’s not like I want to beat her up or something. Bring her back for me, will ya?” She didn”t need to turn back to know that the boys were chasing her. Her house was just behind the woods. If she could navigate the woods, she could make it home.

“Run, Stacie! And hide! Don”t come out until I come for you!” She heard Jamie yell, and she willed herself to run faster.

From what Jamie had told her about his brother, he was unpredictable. If he said one thing, he could do the other. Instead of slowing down after hearing Martin’s last comment, she would listen to Jamie instead.

Thunder rumbled from a distance as she ran faster and faster into the trees, Jamie’s scream still on her mind.

Run!