Third Wheel (Elton Hall Chronicles Book 3) Read online

  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

  Epilogue

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  Elton Hall Chronicles:

  third wheel

  By Sarah Fischer

  Elton Hall Chronicles: Third Wheel

  Copyright © 2017 by Sarah Fischer.

  All rights reserved.

  First Print Edition: August 2017

  Limitless Publishing, LLC

  Kailua, HI 96734

  www.limitlesspublishing.com

  Formatting: Limitless Publishing

  ISBN-13: 978-1-64034-201-9

  ISBN-10: 1-64034-201-X

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to my friend, who ditched the perfect guy for the bad boy because she was following her heart. Here is the story of the time she stopped listening to her head and decided to live with her heart.

  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

  Epilogue

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  Chapter 1

  “So we’re officially on a break,” I told Annabelle. We were sitting on the grass outside of her new campus apartment. I begged my parents to let me live on campus with her, but they refused. After they heard about Violet’s attack, I was lucky they let me on campus without my father holding my hand. Though, I wouldn’t be surprised if I had a bodyguard hiding somewhere in the bushes, or if one of the kids in my class was really a trained army ranger or something like that.

  “What does that mean, exactly?” Annabelle took a big swig of water and opened her bag to get her sunglasses.

  “It means I’m free. I can do what I want, who I want, and how I want. We’ll reevaluate in a few months and see what we want.” It felt amazing to say, but weird at the same time. I had no idea what the future would hold for me. Goosebumps broke out on my arm as I pondered the idea of the unknown, but it was hard to even imagine a future other than the one my parents and Rob had planned out.

  He’d graduate from Holt’s Military Academy down in South Carolina in May, and then be shipped to basic training in June…but not before we had a spring wedding at the plaza. I’d be twenty years old, living in military housing by myself while my husband bravely fought for our country. I wasn’t sure which part of that life scared me more.

  Most people would consider themselves lucky to have such a clear and happy future ahead of them. Rob would be able to support me and his family’s money would keep me in the designer clothes I liked. By twenty-three I’d have two beautiful children who would be brought up in a traditional Irish Catholic home. I’d drive a minivan and Rob would have his fancy sports car in the garage for weekend trips. Between the PTA, charity events, and being a stay at home mom, I’d have no time for anything else, but I also wouldn’t have to worry about money, or conflicting career goals. In fact, I really wouldn’t have to worry about anything. Yes, this was the American dream for some people, but I felt trapped.

  “Is there anyone you have in mind, or are you just basking in the glory of singledom?” she asked, bringing me back to reality.

  “That’s the beauty. I don’t know, and I kind of prefer it that way. I mean, I’m not about to go work the corner or pick up johns in some ritzy hotel. But I’m going to enjoy the next few months while I can. Once we’re married, my fun will be a lot more subdued.”

  “When is Rob back?”

  “November. We have a deal to be on a break until Thanksgiving. He’ll be back from this big secret senior project where he goes off into the wilderness and works on those macho survival skills, and I’ll have had a little fun before I settle down with a baby in one hand and a 1950s style vacuum in the other.”

  “Well, I guess it’s time to have a little fun. But first, show me your schedule. I want to see if we have any classes together.” She pulled her phone out and pulled up her calendar. Of course she already had all the classes set for each day, the time, and the professor. Annabelle was quite possibly the most organized person I’d ever met.

  I took my phone out and went to the school’s website to pull up my schedule. I wasn’t as ready for our first day of sophomore year. As I reached to hand her my phone, something hit my leg. I dropped my phone out of surprise and looked down to see a football.

  “Sorry, guess I didn’t see you there,” my assailant said. I instantly recognized his voice. It had haunted me all summer. Even when I was in England with Annabelle and Violet, his husky voice filled my dreams. Not that I’d ever let him know that.

  Shane Choi was standing about thirty feet from a couple of his friends and he wasn’t wearing a shirt. His pecs glistened with a sheen of sweat and his abs looked flawless. I’d felt them last semester when he’d given me a ride on his bike, but I hadn’t gotten a look under his leather jacket. I was thrilled to know they lived up to my expectations.

  “Maybe you should get glasses,” I sneered, standing up and walking over to him.

  “Can’t, they’ll ruin my swagger.”

  “Does that line work on anyone? Are there people who actually think you have ‘swagger’?” I asked, putting air quotes around the word.

  He stepped up closer to me and leaned down so he was inches from my face. “I don’t know. You’re here, aren’t you?”

  I smiled sweetly at him and then shoved the football into his stomach, causing him to fold over. “I guess you’re right.” I turned around and walked back to Annabelle.

  “Do you serve fries with that shake?” he called after me.

  I spun around, flipping my hair in the process. “Depends on whose askin’. Know anyone?”

  “I think I know a guy who may be interested, but he’s not sure if you could handle his huge, uh, personality.”

  I looked him up and down, trying to pretend his perfect body didn’t impress me. “Well, seeing as you don’t seem to have that problem, why don’t you send your friend my way? I’ll try not to eat him for lunch.”

  He laughed and waved his foot
ball at me. “I would, but you didn’t give me your phone number.” Shane took his phone out of his pocket and waved it at me.

  I picked mine up off the blanket and made a big show out of putting it away in my purse. “Probably because you didn’t ask.”

  He walked over to me slowly and stopped right in front of me again. My breath caught in my throat as I waited for him to ask, unsure what I would do if he actually did. I know I said I wanted to have some fun, and Shane looked like he knew exactly how to play the game, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous. I’d kissed the same guy for four years. I was comfortable with that…but nothing about Shane said comfort. Maybe that was why my heart was racing. I also may have been a little scared of rejection.

  “Hmm.” He appraised me, leisurely taking me in. “I guess I haven’t. Usually, girls are beggin’ me to call them.”

  “Funny, I don’t see a line of them fawning over you.”

  “Probably because they know it’d be a waste of time.”

  “And why’s that?” I asked in just above a whisper.

  “You’ll have to wait to find out.” He backed away slowly, and then went back to playing with his friends.

  I sat back down next to Annabelle and cursed under my breath. That boy was too much. It’d been about a month since Rob and I had shared a bed. Now, my hormones were raging as I watched his back muscles flex when he tossed the football to his friends.

  “So, I’m gonna guess that he threw the football at you on purpose,” Annabelle managed to say before she started laughing.

  I rolled my eyes at her and gave her arm a little shove. “Let’s go get some food.” We gathered our things and headed to the cafeteria.

  ***

  Jason was sitting at our usual table by the windows with his roommate, Kyle. Annabelle and I sat down, and instantly, we knew something was wrong. Violet always sat between us, and now that seat was empty. We talked about our upcoming classes and which comedian we hoped would come to perform at the school in October. Kyle gushed about his latest trip to Hawaii and where he wanted to go over winter break. We talked about everything but the fact that we missed Violet.

  She was studying abroad in England. Her boyfriend was a twenty-seven-year-old professor, David Berneli, who worked at the university last year. He’d gone back to finish out his contract in London, and she went with him, but only for the semester. Well, we hoped it’d only be for one semester.

  “Are you going to the Welcome Week event next weekend?” Annabelle asked me.

  “Wait, I thought it was this weekend? Why is Welcome Week after school has already started?”

  “Originally it was. During the E-board’s summer meeting, we changed things. We got this crazy illusionist, but he was booked this weekend, so we decided to just do it next week. This guy has some videos online and he put an entire crowd under hypnosis. I’m really excited,” she explained.

  “I can tell, but I’m not sure if I believe in that kind of thing. His tricks all have to be set up,” I insisted, ignoring the look of disappointment on her face when I said it. “Besides, what happened to the Casino Night plan? Isn’t that what we talked about at the last meeting?”

  Casino Night last fall was where Violet met Berneli. Clearly, the event had its merits. Maybe I’d meet my own professor and begin a torrid affair.

  “We originally decided on that, but the executive board met over the summer and we wanted to splurge a little.” Annabelle was practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

  “What she means is that she wants to get hypnotized,” Jason told me. “She saw the video online and has become a little obsessed with it. But even I have to admit it sounds pretty cool.” He smiled at Annabelle, and then gave her a little kiss on her nose.

  I looked at Kyle, and we both acknowledged the awkwardness. Those two, now that they were finally together, were a little too cute sometimes.

  “I’ll go, but just to prove to you that it doesn’t work.”

  She rolled her eyes at me. “Of course it won’t work. You have to be open to it. That’s what Gerry says in the video. If you aren’t open to it, then it won’t work.”

  I felt that this was a little silly. If it worked, then I’d be a lot more open to it. It seemed to me that it should work the other way, but what the hell did I know about this shit, anyway? “Fine, I’ll open my mind to it and then prove it doesn’t work.”

  We hung out a bit longer, and then parted ways. Annabelle and Jason were going to have a date night, Kyle was meeting up with some friends, and I guess I was going home.

  ***

  I pulled into my driveway and my mom greeted me at the door. Her pink frilly apron was wrapped around her waist and her blonde hair was pulled up in an elegant bun. She really was from a different time. My mom was raised in Georgia with a traditional family. She moved to New York to go to art school and met my dad one day when he had volunteered to model. He needed the extra cash since he was putting himself through school. They dated for six months and were married four months later. She quickly dropped out of school and began managing our home.

  Every now and then, she’ll get her supplies out and paint a still life, or she’ll go to the park and sketch couples she sees. But she never does anything with the paintings. Sometimes she’ll hang one on the wall, but they never stay up long. She insists that her work isn’t good enough and it ruins the award winning décor of the house.

  While she seemed to be happy, I wondered how she felt about giving up on her dreams. I don’t know. Maybe her dream changed when she became a mom. I’m sure that would happen to me. After all, I didn’t have any grand dreams or aspirations. I was studying business with a concentration in marketing. I figured that would be a good skill to have, but I didn’t really have a dream to go along with it. I thought it’d be great to run a charity, and marketing would obviously help out with that. I guess it was hard to have a family ruin your dream when you didn’t have one in the first place.

  “So, darlin’, how was school? Did you see your friends?” Mom asked when I walked in the door.

  “Yeah, it was weird that Violet wasn’t there, but it was nice to see everyone,” I told her.

  “I know. I can’t imagine you going off abroad like that. I’d miss you so much. Besides, how safe can you really be? Do they even screen those host families? You could be living with a murderer or a rapist. No, I’m much happier with you here at home.”

  “Right, but I’ll be leaving at the end of next semester. When Rob and I…” I couldn’t even say it. That was probably a bad sign. “After June, I’ll be following him around the country.”

  “Yes, but I know he’ll take good care of you, and you’ll be living in such a safe area. It’s probably safer than our house,” she said and started to laugh.

  I chuckled along with her, because I knew that’s what she wanted me to do. But I was a little tired of being safe. I needed to make a list of some crazy things to do before I settled down. Annabelle would be so excited if she heard me talking about making a list. Though, it probably wasn’t the type of list she typically worked on.

  “There are some leftovers in the fridge if you want some dinner. Those school dinners probably don’t fill you up. Too many carbs.”

  “Thanks, I’ll check it out later.”

  I looked at her for a second longer. She had started scrubbing the counter with her yellow rubber gloves like she did every night after dinner. My dad would come in after the news, grab a beer, and watch some television in his office, and then they’d watch Jeopardy together. When that was over, Dad would do whatever to do list Mom had come up with and she would start laundry or vacuuming.

  It had been their routine for as far back as I could remember and they seemed to love it. Seeing them like this made me have hope for Rob and me. If my parents could be happy like this, then so could we. But I had several months before I’d be starting that life. This was my first Saturday single in four years. However, I had no idea what to do. Instead of liv
ing it up, I just headed to our basement and watched television before falling asleep. Clearly, I was the life of the party.

  ***

  I parked my car in the school’s parking lot for my 9 a.m. class. Before getting out of the car, I checked my makeup and hair in the mirror. I rarely left the house without a full face done up or my hair styled. If I tried, my mom would probably have a stroke because, as she would say, “The world gives you what you give it, so always give it your best side.” I smiled at my reflection and climbed out of the car with my designer tote bag filled to the brim. As I slung it over my shoulder, I looked to the left and couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed

  The motorcycle spaces were empty. Last semester, Shane had given me a ride on the back of his bike when I was having a bad day. It was exhilarating and I’d loved it. Part of me really wanted to do it again. In fact, it was going to be the first thing on my list, but I would change it a little. I ripped a sheet of paper out of one of my notebooks and started my list.

  Drive a motorcycle

  I was done sitting in the passenger seat. It was time for me to take charge. I smiled and packed the list away in my planner. With a little pep in my step, I put one high heeled sandal in front of the other and continued across the lot. Then I heard a loud motor and it sounded too close…way too close. Spinning around, I saw a guy on a motorcycle driving straight at me. Too shocked to move, I stared and prayed he’d stop in time.

  A few feet from me, the driver dropped his foot to the ground and kicked the back tire around so he stopped just short of me. He lifted the visor on his helmet, and Shane smiled back at me.

  “Did I impress you yet?” He raised his eyebrows suggestively, but didn’t wait for my response. He climbed off the bike and walked it over to one of the reserved biker spots.