AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yep, Nana Bee would’ve risen from the grave and hunted you down if you didn’t show,” Rachel said as she hugged him from his other side. He squeezed both of them back. He missed them so much; it was nearly as painful as losing Nana Bee.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have shown then. I’d give anything to have five more minutes with her,” Bass admitted.
Lia pulled back and gave him a sad smile. Rachel placed her hand against his cheek and looked into his eyes. “Bass, we miss you. Why don’t you fix this fight with Rafe?” Tears fell down her cheeks. He was having to fight his own emotions that were ready to boil over.
“I’ve tried,” he said.
“Try again. The two of you are being stupid. We know there’s more to the story than what we’ve heard.” There was slight accusation in Rachel’s tone.
“There is, I promise,” he said. Guilt still showed through him though, because he’d always wondered what he could’ve done to stop what had happened. He hadn’t tried hard enough.
“Make Rafe talk to you. He misses you too,” Lia said.
“It’s not that easy, Lia,” he told her.
“Yes, it is. Fix it,” she again demanded.
He felt like a thousand knives were slicing into his body, his pain was so vast. He missed all of the Palazzos. He missed Nana Bee, and he missed the ones still alive. Even if he somehow could get all of it fixed, would they ever again look at him with that carefree attitude they’d once shared? He wasn’t sure the answer was yes.
Bass looked up in time to see Rafe moving toward him. He didn’t change his expression, but hope sprang inside him. Would Rafe actually listen to him now? Had it taken losing Nana Bee to bring them back together?
Bass would never sacrifice Nana Bee for his former best friend, but if one good thing came from her death, he wouldn’t be surprised. The woman had given herself for her entire life, it would be fitting she’d want to give again on the day she was lowered into the ground.
Bass opened his mouth to speak when slender fingers wrap around his bicep. He turned and looked down to see her . . . to seeSharron, the woman who’d destroyed his life. She was the epitome of evil, and for her to be at Nana Bee’s funeral was wrong on so many levels it closed Bass’s throat, making him unable to speak.
Sharron, Rafe’s ex-wife, gazed up at Bass with fake adoration and bright red lips. She’d had enough work done that she looked plastic and used. She was trash that even the garbage man left at the curb.
Before Bass could tell her to keep her hands off of him, Rafe passed by both of them. He looked right in Bass’s eyes. “Unbelievable,” he said. He continued walking, his shoulder crashing against Bass, making him stumble a step. He didn’t even attempt to retaliate. This was just the perfect topping to a horrific day.
“Rafe,” Bass finally managed to get past his clogged throat. It was too late. Rafe didn’t even hesitate as he and the rest of his family walked from the funeral, leaving Bass standing there with Sharron. His gaze burned down into her snake-like eyes.
“What in the hell are you doing here?” he whispered fiercely.
“I could ask you the same,” she said before emitting a cackle. “It appears neither of us is wanted around anymore. I wonder why that is.” Her voice was worse than nails on a chalkboard.
“I’m here because this woman changed my life. You’re here to see what you can get out of it,” Bass told her. He physically pulled her fingers from him and took a step back. The feel of her touching him in any way made him sick.
“Oh, Bassy, quit acting like you don’t want me. Now that you’re back in town we should get together . . . for old time’s sake.” She licked her lips in what he assumed she thought was a seductive gesture. She’d always been far too full of herself. It would be her downfall. The wench kept popping back up on her feet though and seemed to never go away . . . and never pay for her sins.
He didn’t say anything more. To argue with a fool only made you that much more of one. He began exiting the crowd who’d paid little to no attention to him and Sharron. They were dealing with their own emotions and they didn’t care what other people were going through. That didn’t make them bad people, it just made them incredibly crestfallen.
Bass looked for the blonde woman as he exited, but she was long gone. He’d probably never know who she was. It didn’t really matter though. He’d soon forget all about her. He made it to his vehicle, then sat inside with his head on the steering wheel. It had been a hell of a day, and he needed a few minutes before he was willing to drive.
The place was filled with vehicles leaving, and he’d rather wait for the traffic jam to ease. He closed his eyes and thought about the last time he’d saw Sharron. It had been the night that had changed him forever . . . the night Rafe had walked in and found his best friend in bed with his wife. The situation hadn’t been what Rafe had thought it was, though, and Bass wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to correct his friend. He wasn’t sure Rafe would ever believe him. Sharron had done her job well, and she’d ended an eighteen-year friendship in the blink of an eye.
An hour passed before Bass left the cemetery. He’d come back again when Nana Bee’s tombstone was placed. He’d probably come back for the rest of his life, even though this wasn’t where her spirt was. He didn’t want to let Nana Bee go. He never would.
Bass had lost everything important in his life . . . he wasn’t sure he’d get over this one. He missed her and there was now a void in his heart that might never be filled again. How could any of them heal with their rock now buried in the ground?
Bass finally started his engine and drove from the cemetery. He wished he could leave his messy emotions behind as quickly as he left the cold, dark place. If life were that easy, though, he wouldn’t be the fighter he was. If life hadn’t thrown him into the eye of a storm over and over again, he might still be a worthless punk giving nothing back.
He wasn’t that desperate little boy, though, he was a successful man . . . it was all because of Nana Bee. He’d prove her right. If it was the last thing he did on this earth, he’d prove his worthiness to her even in death. He just wasn’t quite sure how to do that right now.
Chapter Two
Ella
Ella Jones was completely miserable as she drove away from Nana Bee’s funeral. She knew she couldn’t go home and wallow in misery, so she went directly to work. She needed a distraction. Besides that, her work never stopped. It also had the added benefit at keeping her from being homeless. Ella was a wedding planner at a major firm in San Francisco, and her clients constantly needed something.
