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CHAPTER1
Draven
Sighing, I tossed my pen down, the sounds of the bar muffled in my office. I couldn’t fucking concentrate even though my work environment hadn’t changed; I was too worried about Jayden and Cameron, my best friends.
Jayden had roped us into this pen pal thing that he found on social media. I hadn’t wanted to do it, but I knew if I’d refused, he would be upset. And if there was one thing I hated in this world, it was seeing Jayden upset, especially with me.
So, I’d done it.
But while I knew how to keep my heart out of shit—had been doing it all my life since I’d been a foster kid—my best friends did not. Jayden wore his heart on his sleeve, and he was all too eager to give it to someone else to take care of—someone who usually was never worthy of his love or his heart. Jayden was too sweet for this cruel world.
And Cameron… He tried to hide the loneliness he felt, but I knew he wanted someone, too. And he’d been all too eager to sign up for this stupid pen pal thing when Jayden mentioned it.
What if they got attached to these people, and these people wound up hurting them?
Reaching up, I rubbed at my temples, silently cursing Jayden in my head. I didn’t even want to do this, but I knew if I got approved, Jayden would be upset if I didn’t follow through.
Fucking Jayden.
I snatched up the pen again and dug the heels of my boots into the floor so I could scoot my chair closer to my desk. I needed to get these books done—preferably before the bar got even busier and I was needed out on the floor to help make and serve drinks.
My phone, face-down on the desk near my computer, pinged, but I ignored it. The only people who might need me for anything were Jayden and Cameron, and both of them knew to call the bar if they needed to get in contact with me immediately.
Whatever was on my phone could wait.
I tossed my keys down on the kitchen counter before unlocking the drawer in my kitchen to pull out a blunt I’d rolled before going to work so I had something to smoke when I got home. My boss didn’t do drug tests, and he was clear when he said he didn’t care what we did in our spare time, but we better not show up to work high.
I hadn’t since I started working for him a few months ago.
I walked out onto my balcony and settled into one of the loungers before lighting up. Then, I unlocked my phone and checked the notifications.
Jayden: I got approved for the pen pal thing. Maybe you will soon, too!
Draven: Maybe.
I swiped a few more notifications off the screen, but I paused, my finger hovering over my phone as I stared at the email.
Goddammit, I’d been approved. I’d been hoping I wouldn’t be, and then I could just let Jayden down easy and tell him it wasn’t meant to be. But of course, my luck was shit.
I clicked on the email and sighed at the sight of the man I was meant to write. He looked like a classic, all-American good boy—hazel eyes, broad shoulders, thick biceps. He’d submitted a new picture, one in which he was out of his military uniform. His dark hair was short on the sides, but the rest was covered by a ball cap.
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered. Sighing, I set my blunt in the ashtray and then headed inside, grabbing a yellow notepad and a pencil I found lying around. I didn’t have notebooks—threw all of them away when I graduated college. And all of my pens were at work because I kept fucking losing them.
I settled back on the lounger and propped the notepad against my knee before lifting the blunt back to my lips. I glanced at my open phone screen, frowning at the guy’s name. He even had an all-American name—Ethan Ripley. Jesus.
Ethan,
I paused, my pencil hovering over the yellow piece of paper. What the hell was I meant to write to a complete stranger? Groaning, I leaned my head back against the back of the lounger, glaring up at the night sky.
This was killing the buzz I’d just started getting. Fuck.
I don’t know what to write. To be honest, the only reason I’m doing this is because my best friend will be upset with me if I don’t. I’m sorry you’re away from home during the holidays, I guess. And I don’t know—thanks for serving our country?
Sincerely,
Draven
I ripped it off the notepad and then folded it. Setting it aside—the notebook on top of it so it wouldn’t blow away—I closed my eyes.
