Filed To Story: The Perfect Spiral Book PDF Free by Ashley Constantine
He leans forward, resting on his elbows, and nods. We sit in silence, watching the navy blue sky, the stars twinkling above us. The soft yellow glow of the surrounding lights allows me to soak in the quiet, the only sound being the distant chirping of crickets.
“When I was in college, I attended a football team party at one of the frat houses. The girl I’d been dating for a year vanished for a while.
“I searched for her, checking all the restrooms, the party rooms, even outside, but she was nowhere to be found. I called her repeatedly as I continued my search, eventually finding myself upstairs.
“I heard moans coming from one of the rooms. I recognized them. They were hers.
“I opened the door to find her naked in bed with another guy…” He takes a long swig of his beer, as if trying to wash away the bitter memory.
“God, Ben, I’m so sorry…” I cover my mouth, looking at him with empathetic eyes. I know what it feels like to witness such betrayal. To be wounded by it.
“You know what the worst part was? The guy she was cheating on me with was my best friend…”
My heart aches for him. I can’t fathom doing that to someone. It’s such a cruel act.
“I haven’t spoken to either of them since that day. The ironic part is, they started dating after I broke up with her, only to split three months later. Their relationship was built on the thrill of sneaking around.”
He finishes his beer and leans back, taking in the view. The empty bottle clinks as he sets it down on the side table.
“After that, I became a bit of a playboy. I partied nearly every night and slept with half the college. If a girl approached me in a tight dress, I’d take her upstairs without a second thought.
“None of it meant anything to me. My heart was completely shattered after that relationship. I haven’t been in one since. I couldn’t feel any emotion for years after it, never got attached to anyone.
“I was the king of the ‘Nail and Bail’ scene. I didn’t feel any enjoyment being around any girl. Until I met you.” A small smile tugs at my lips at his words.
I lean back to join him, pulling my legs up onto the sofa and resting my head on my palm, my elbow propped against the back of the seat. I turn to face him.
“I felt an immediate connection with you, Alex. It’s never happened to me before. When I saw your commercial during halftime at a friend’s house, I thought you were sexy as hell.
“When I met you at the beach, I had to talk to you, mainly to get your number. But when you responded with such ease, it felt natural between us.
“You had this look in your eyes, like you were broken inside. A look I’d worn for years. When we were out on the water and you opened up to me, I knew you didn’t like talking about yourself.
“But you needed it. I knew we’d hit it off.” His hand reaches out to touch my arm, the one propping up my head. He shifts closer to me.
“I could’ve sat there listening to you all day. Even when you spoke about Carter. When you wanted to know about me, even though we’d just met, I knew you felt a connection too. I knew then that I loved know about me, even though we’d just met, I knew you felt a connection too. I knew then that I loved you.”
My eyes widen at his declaration. What? He starts to laugh at my reaction and leans in, cupping my face in his hands.
“Relax, sweet cheeks. I love you, but I’m not in love with you.” He gazes past me, and I realize he’s in love with someone else.
“You’re in love with Hannah, aren’t you?” I ask, and a smile slowly spreads across his face. He nods in confirmation.
“I know we’ve only been on one date, but getting to know her when I came down was one of the best experiences I’ve had. She’s the first girl I’ve wanted to commit to in years.
“I love everything about her, Alex. She’s perfect for me.” He stares past me, lost in thought.
“Great, I can’t marry Andy, Hannah, or you! Guess I’ll just have to wait for Adam.” I laugh, patting his hands that are still on my face.
“Believe me, you’re perfect for someone, Alex. If you haven’t found that someone yet, I think you already have. And if not, I can always have two wives in the house,” he teases, giving my hands a squeeze before dropping them onto my lap.
I roll my eyes, making him laugh even more.
“I thought Drew was the one. But I must’ve been blinded by that. I thought I was so in love with him. When I caught him cheating on me, I was devastated. But…” His hand squeezes my leg in a silent show of support.
I can’t believe I’m about to say this out loud. “But it hurt even more when I saw Knox and Lauren together. I went to my grandfather’s grave and cried for eight hours.
“I rocked myself back and forth, wishing I’d never gotten involved with him. The night before it all happened, he kept telling me how beautiful I was. We ended up making love-“
“Making love?” Ben interrupts, his shock evident. “Is that what he said?” He rubs the side of his face, disbelief etched on his features. I can see the anger simmering beneath the surface. I nod in confirmation.
“Yes, he said that. Then the next day, we told everyone about our date. But when I came home with Sam and Tyson… Seeing that… I can’t get the image out of my head.
“I wish I’d never come home that day. I was half-tempted to book a flight back to Cali to see you after the wedding. I can’t stand seeing them together. I should’ve known he’d use me-“
“I’m sorry.” His voice froze me in place, my head snapping around to find Knox leaning casually against the railings of the steps. against the railings of the steps.
Ben was on his feet in an instant, storming over to Knox, grabbing him by the collar, and slamming him against the wall. I sat there, shocked into silence.
“You made love to her and then had the audacity to sleep with Lauren the next day? Are you fucking kidding me, Carter? After everything we discussed on the deck that night! You did that to her?” Ben’s face was inches from Knox’s, his voice dropping to a whisper that I couldn’t decipher.
The air was thick with Ben’s fury, his words laced with more curses than I’d ever heard from him. I remained on the sofa, completely taken aback by his reaction.
Ben’s chest heaved with his rapid breaths, and I finally found the strength to rise and approach them. As I did, I locked eyes with Kyle over the railings.
His gaze shifted from me to the scene unfolding between Ben and Knox, his brows furrowing in confusion before he sprinted up the stairs.
“What’s going on?” Kyle demanded, his eyes darting between Knox and Ben, clearly expecting an answer. I was praying for the opposite. The last thing I wanted was to explain everything to Kyle and watch him explode at his best friend.
Ben released his grip on Knox and stepped back. In unison, they both muttered, “Nothing.”
“Alex, Andy, go back inside now,” Kyle ordered. I felt Andy’s hand on my arm, pulling me away from the boys. As I was led away, I glanced back to see Ben’s hardened expression soften.
Once we were out of sight, Andy spun around to face me. “What the hell was that about?” she demanded, but I kept walking towards the room where everyone else was gathered.
“You don’t want to know,” I replied, but she yanked me back into a secluded area under the stairs.
“Alex, tell me! I’ve never seen Ben so angry before.”
“We were talking, and Knox showed up. Ben got angry at him,” I said, pleading with her through my eyes to drop it. It was embarrassing enough that I’d confided in Ben about that night. I didn’t need anyone else knowing about it.
“Alex, there’s more to it! I know there is!” she insisted, pushing me to reveal more.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.