I Didn't Belong to You 3: It Didn't Matter To Me
Author
Elfy G
Reads
152K
Chapters
29
Lauren's life takes an unexpected turn when her high school crush, Michael, reappears, transformed and irresistible. As they navigate their rekindled passion, secrets and past traumas threaten to unravel their budding relationship. With friends and family complicating matters, Lauren must decide if love is worth the risk. Will she and Michael overcome their obstacles, or will their pasts pull them apart?
Chapter 1
Book 3: It Didnât Matter to Me
LAUREN
IN THE PAST
He was so handsome. Every time my eyes landed on him, my heart started beating faster. When he walked into a room, all the girls turned their heads to look at him. All the boys at school wanted to be him.
Juliet rolled her eyes. âCan you stop staring at him for a second? Heâll notice.â She turned to my cousin. âFor Peteâs sake, not you too, Kristen.â
I wanted to make sure that Kristen wasnât looking at Finn. With relief, I saw that she was looking at his friend.
Phew! That was close.
Finnâs friend turned to look at Kristen as wellâwith curiosity, I might add.
Why canât Finn look at me this way?
Embarrassed at being caught staring at Finnâs friend, Kristenâs face turned as red as a tomato. It was funny to watch.
Oh my lord, they are coming this way.
What should I do?
How should I stand?
Finn was coming toward me. I was so excited.
âHey, gorgeous. My name is Will Harrison. Whatâs yours?â Finnâs friendâs eyes danced with humor as he waited for Kristenâs reaction.
Unable to look at him, she hid her face behind the book she had in her hands. âUmâŠKristenâŠKristen Shepherd.â
I glanced at Finn, hoping he would stick around. I dreamed he would greet me the same way his friend had greeted my cousin.
To my disappointment, he never did.
What more could I do to catch his attention?
âHey, Harrison. Whoâs the boy talking with your sister?â Finn asked, looking at a blonde girl.
âOh, thatâs my little brother, Michael,â Juliet informed them. âDonât worry. Heâs harmless.â
Finn raised an eyebrow but continued to keep an eye on them. âI have to go. Nathalieâs waiting for me. See you later, Harrison.â
Will nodded in reply, still looking at Kristen. He only had eyes for her.
Out of nowhere, Juliet grabbed my arm and started to walk away, pulling me along with her. âWe have to go too. See you later, Kristen.â
I didnât have any choice but to follow her. âWhere are we going?â I wondered out loud.
Juliet shrugged. âI donât know. I just wanted to leave the lovebirds alone.â
Tagging along with her, suddenly I felt as if someone was watching me. I turned my head to see who it was, but to my disappointment, it was only Michael, Julietâs little brother.
Humph!
Poor guy. He would never have a chance with me. First, I didnât find him attractive at all. He was two years younger than me, and he was Julietâs geeky younger brother. No freaking way.
That will never happen.
Uh-uh.
Second, I only had eyes for Finn Campbell.
He had a girlfriend, but that was okay. Nothing lasted forever. When the opportunity presented itself, I would make my move, and he wouldnât know what hit him.
âI know itâs a school night, but do you want to hang out tonight?â I asked once we stopped walking.
Juliet shook her head. âIâm sorry. You know I canât. I have to look after my brother since my parents are working.â She scratched the back of her head. âYou can always come over.â
If I went to her place, Michael would be there as well, staring at me again.
I was not scared of him or anything. I just found his attention annoying. One time I thought I had seen drool in the corner of his mouth. Just the thought of it gave me the creeps.
Poor guy. I didnât think he would grow into a handsome man.
PRESENT DAY
Okay, I didnât know what was going on. The girls and I had been having fun in a lingerie store one minute, and the next, Juliet had turned pale as a ghost.
And now, she was in Travisâs arms.
Were they lovers?
Great. If that was the case, I was the only one who was single.
Hooray!
I looked at Jamie, who was standing beside her husbandâthe man I had dreamed of for so long. I was trying to forget about him. After I learned that they had gotten married, it had taken me a while to accept it.
But I saw now that what they had was true love.
I wanted this. I wanted the kind of love that Kristen and Will shared. I wanted what Finn and Jamie had found. I want someone to hold me the way Travis was holding Juliet.
âHe put a mark on my woman, and you expect me to back the fuck down?â Travisâs words interrupted my thoughts.
What? Did someone hurt Juliet? When?
Was this why Juliet seemed so shaken up? She had never said anything. I wondered why.
âPlease, Travis, do this for me,â she tried to reason with him.
Travis looked around him and then back at Juliet. âFine!â He seemed angry, which was understandable.
Juliet wrapped her arms around him. âThank you.â
He kissed the top of her head, caressing her hair. âYou have to promise me you wonât let him approach you in the future, and if he fucking does, call me, or I wonât be able to leave you alone anymore.
âIâm relieved that your brotherâs staying with you, that you arenât alone in your apartment.â
Thatâs rightâJuliet had told me that Michael had moved in with her when he came back.
âCan we please change the subject? I donât want to think about him anymore,â Juliet pleaded.
Travis rubbed her arms. âOkay. Weâll discuss this another time.â
âNo, no, no! Not so fast,â Jamie said lightly.
âSince when has this been going on?â Kristen pointed at Travis and Juliet.
That was exactly what I wanted to know as well.
Suddenly, I spotted a man approaching us. He had red hair, just like Juliet, and was so handsome, with a body to die for. I wondered who he was.
WaitâI think Iâve seen him before, but where?
No, it canât be him.
âHey, sis,â Michael greeted Juliet.
Oh my god! Itâs truly him!
Why did I feel so nervous all of a sudden?
Stop staring, I snapped at myself. Heâll notice.
That was easier said than done.
âMichael? What are you doing here? How did you know I was here?â His sister seemed surprised to see him as well.
Travis wrapped an arm around Julietâs shoulders and pressed a kiss to the side of her face.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, I imagined Michael holding me that way.
What the hell is wrong with me? I canât think of him this way. Even if he is super hot.
âYour boy here called to invite me to your little get-together,â he answered.
Juliet turned her head to look at Travis. âYou did?â
He shrugged. âHeâs your brother. Besides, I didnât want Lauren to feel like the third wheel.â
I felt so embarrassed right now. Why would he say something like that?
The third wheel. Ugh!
Say something, anything, to Michael. Try to act normal.
Third wheel, my ass.
I raised my eyebrows, feigning surprise. âMichael, is that you?â
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
He chuckled, looking at me. âHey, Lauren. Itâs good to see you again.â
I had never noticed before how beautiful his brown eyes were.
No, no, no! I was finally making progress with my feelings toward Finn. I would certainly not start with Julietâs little brother.
No freaking way.
