Read Online Powerplay by Cher Carson - Free Book Online

distribute the sandwiches before Callie asked, “Forget about how he feels. I want to know how you feel.”
    Jen took a small bite of her bagel, piled high with cream cheese and lox. She took her time chewing as she tried to find the words to justify her feelings for her ex. “I’m not gonna lie to you guys…”
    Trace snorted. “Not that you could. You know we’d see right through you.”
    Jen smiled. “You’re right.” She took a sip of her diet soda. “I still have feelings for him. I don’t know if I can label them, but I’d be lying if I said I felt nothing for the man.”      
    “Are you in love with him?” Trace asked.
    Callie nudged her with an elbow. “She just said she couldn’t define it.”
    Tracey sat back in her seat, eyeing her critically. “Yes, she can. She’s just afraid to.”
    Jen took another bite of the bagel, which was now sitting like a stone in the pit of her stomach. Both women stared at her until she was forced to say something. “Fine, I may be in love with him, I don’t know. I’m confused, all right?”
    “You know what this means, don’t you?” Callie said quietly, leaning forward. “You can’t marry Kevin. Not if you’re having these doubts.”
    Jen felt a flutter of panic in her stomach. Her parents had spent a fortune giving her the wedding of her dreams; how was she going to tell them she was having second thoughts? They would never forgive her.
    “You can’t worry about what other people are going to say, Jen,” Trace said, as though she were reading her thoughts. “This is your life. You have to be the one to decide what or who is going to make you happy.”
    Jen pressed her fingertips against her trembling lips. “What if I have no idea what I want?” she whispered.
    Both women reached around the small round table to offer their support.
    “You need to take the time to figure it out,” Callie said. 

 
    CHAPTER SIX
     
     
    By Monday, Mark was a mess. They had an out-of-town game on Saturday night and the following day was a designated travel day, but that didn’t stop him from trying to contact Jenna.
    Text messages, voice mail messages, emails… all to no avail. It was like déjà vu, but this time he wasn’t willing to accept her decision without a fight.
    He called the middle school where Callie was a teacher, only to be told she was in the middle of a class and could only be disturbed in the case of an emergency. Instead of leaving a message, which she would likely dismiss, he asked the receptionist when she would be taking a lunch break. With Callie, a face-to-face meeting would definitely be more productive.
    Walking through the halls, students stopped to stare at him, pointing and whispering to their friends. Some of the pre-teen boys were brave enough to approach him, asking for an autograph. When they did, he asked for directions to Callie’s eighth grade classroom.
    He waited just outside the door while she dismissed the class, which he realized too late was probably not the most pragmatic decision. Pandemonium ensued when some of her students caught sight of him.
    Callie simply glared at him while issuing a stern warning to her students that they could make their way outside without delay or risk spending their lunch hour in detention.
    She raised her hand to beckon him inside once the kids had filed out of the classroom. “Get in here before you cause a riot, Atwell.”
    He grinned and extended his peace offering. A paper bag containing lasagne and garlic bread from his favorite Italian restaurant. He figured if he was going to intrude on her lunch hour, the least he could do was buy her a meal.
    She rolled her eyes, trying to conceal a smile. “I’ve been dieting all week; I’m trying to lose five pounds before Jen’s wedding. But I’ve got to admit this smells heavenly, thanks.”
    He tried to ignore his physical reaction to the mere mention of Jen’s impending nuptials. He was angry, frustrated, and desperate for