Read Online Love, Unwanted (Discovering Love #3) by Ra'Chael Ohara - Free Book Online Page A

the frustration in his voice. I, however, am at a loss for words, so I just turn to my drink and take a big gulp. This was a bad idea. I ordered coffee. Coffee is hot, and I just burned my throat and mouth.
    Thankfully, I only drink about half of the gulp. Unfortunately, I spit the rest of the gulp across the bar when I start coughing uncontrollably.
    “Woah, are you okay?” Phoenix asks. He doesn’t give me time to even attempt an answer before he’s out of his seat and stands next to me, rubbing my back.
    “I’m sorry,” I croak when I finally get my coughing under control. “I forgot it was hot.” Good lord, could I sound any dumber?
    “I see that.” I can hear the smile in Phoenix’s voice, but I don’t look at him. Instead, I look at the grumpy bartender who not-so-nicely tosses a towel down on the bar and walks away.
    “Sorry!” I call to his back.
    I pick up the towel and clean up my mess. When I’m finished, I turn to Phoenix. “I don’t think he likes me very much.”
    “I don’t think he likes anybody, sweetheart.”
    We both look down the bar to see him giving another customer the same cranky look he gave us. We look at each other and crack up laughing when the man grunts.
    “You know what I think?” he asks me once our laughing begins to quiet.
    “What do you think?”
    “I think it’s time we crossed another item off your list.”
    My stomach erupts into butterflies as I wonder what item he has in mind. I don’t have to wonder long.
    “Sing in front of a crowd.”
    My stomach turns in a different way as soon as those words leave his mouth. I don’t want to do this one. Not one single part of me wants to get up on that little wooden stage and sing.
    I clearly wasn’t thinking straight when I said that to Phoenix. I mean, I don’t even know what I was thinking when I put it on the list. Well, I guess that’s not true…I know what I was thinking. I was thinking this list was never going to be completed, so I didn’t have to worry about it.
    “I-I don’t know about that one.”
    “Oh, come on, baby. You can’t be any worse than those two.” He hikes his thumb toward the two college-age girls who are currently singing a Dolly Parton song off-key.
    “You never know,” I joke, which causes Phoenix to throw his head back and release a boisterous laugh. I’m mesmerized by the sound of his laugh, by the way his Adam’s apple bobs, just by him.
    “Listen, even if you are bad, look around. Everybody is drunk. They wouldn’t know either way. It’s the perfect audience.”
    He makes sense, but…“I really don’t think I can do this.” I don’t even waste energy on trying to hide the panic in my voice.
    “Look at me, baby.” Just like with every other command he gives me, my body obeys on its own. “Just like every other time, there’s no pressure. I never want to make you do something you don’t want to do, but I’m gonna tell you something. I’ve seen how strong and brave you are. I’ve seen it, and I know you can do this.”
    It has to be temporary insanity because his words of encouragement are working. I can feel myself caving. “Shut your mind off, birdie. Just live in the moment.”
    Shut your mind off, birdie. Just live in the moment.
    “Okay, I’ll do it.”
    “Woo!” Phoenix cheers and walks up to the stage to talk to the deejay.
    “You’re on next,” Phoenix says a couple minutes later when he gets back to the bar. “Want a shot before you go on? Helps calm the nerves.”
    “No thanks. I’m trying not to throw up all over the audience. I’m afraid that if I start drinking now, that would be inevitable.”
    The deejay calls my name.
    “You got this, baby,” Phoenix reminds me when I stand on wobbly legs. Too scared to open my mouth yet, I just give a small nod and make my way to the stage.
    “You know what number the song you want to sing is?” I hear the deejay ask me. I don’t look at him. I’m on auto pilot.
    “Number forty-five,” I