Chapter 1

Todays the day I'm moving into my new home. I wanted a change in my life. I started to hunt down cheap houses for sale in a different town. I got lucky when I came across a small brick home that just went up for sale.

The owners ended up moving away, and the son wanted to get the house sold quickly. I bought it for 80,000 dollars, not too bad, right? I couldn't believe my luck but I came down last week to sign the paper work and grabbed the key from Victoria.

I didn't just come up and decide to move away from my home. I'm 24 years old and needed a change in my life after all the heartache I have been through. My parents got into a car crash two years ago and sadly they both passed away that night at the hospital due to a drunk driver. I was the primary on both of their life insurance which is what I had used to buy me this new home. At first I had absolutely no thought of moving away until one night I came home from my shift from the 911 operation company to my boyfriend of three years having sex with my best friend.

In our bed.

I did not cry, I did not scream I had just asked them calmly to both leave my house. That night I packed up all of Brad's shit and tossed it out my bedroom window onto my front lawn.

That night it had ended up raining while I was curled up on my sofa shoving ice cream into my mouth and cried my eyes out. The only happy thought going through me was that all of his things had gotten soaking wet.

He begged me for weeks to take his sorry ass back and I refused to. My best friend well my now ex best friend kept blowing up my phone apologizing saying it was the first time. They would never do it again.

Yeah, like I would actually freaking, believe that.

I told them to both get lost and to both lose my number, I will not lie though losing my best friend like that fucked me up pretty good. Stacy and I had become friends way back on our kindergarten class. That was a long ass time to keep a friendship and I never thought she would be the one to betray me like that but sadly she did.

I didn't curse her out like I should have, I told her that I wish her and Brad the best and to forget about inviting me around either of them again.

My relationship was over.

My friendship was over.

That was okay, I mean it wasn't but what else could I have done? Acted the bitch and screamed their heads off? Bashed them in public for being a cheater and a horrible best friend? No. I don't like drama and that definitely would have gotten me some.

I was fine at first going about my life but when I would set foot out of my house everyone's eyes were on me. Pity filling their gaze and everywhere that I would go someone would ask me how I was.

It was like I was the laughing stock of the small town I lived in and that's what I could not take anymore. I wanted to get away and start freash and my parents' house was holding too many memories. I decided one day that I was going to move and I started to hunt down other small towns and found one that seemed to be perfect. The name is Darlington, South Carolina. It is actually only 6 hours away from my previous home. I definitely did not want to leave the state just wanted to start over somewhere that nobody knew my fucked up story.

That's where I am now, driving my car loaded down with clothes, photos and little bear decorations that my mother loved and a few of my father's tools. I did not pack much at all. I wanted a complete fresh start and ended up putting my parents house up for sale with all the furniture because luckily that's what the owners did for my new home.

I have a bit of money saved up but I will need to get a job sooner rather than later. I have a interview already set up at the locol nine one one center tomorrow I have enough years from my old job that with my experience, I should definitely get hired if they have a position available of course.

I must have been lost in my many thoughts because when I looked up in my rear view mirror. To see that I am apparently being chased by a cop car, the red and blue lights flashing brightly behind me.

"Shit. I did not even make it fully into town yet and I'm getting pulled over. Just my damn luck," I grumbled to myself as I slowly drive my car onto the side of the road, throwing my car into park and waiting to be giving a damn ticket.

I lean my body to the side a bit looking through the car mirror on the drivers side, watching the cop car door open and a handsome man steps out. Not even bothering to close the door as he begins to walk my way.

Holy shit.

This man is freaking gorgeous.

Tan skin, dark black hair and muscles for days covering his body making his Police officer uniform stick tightly to his arms.

Don't freaking drool Avery.

God that would be so dang embarrassing.

"License and registration," the handsome man grunted out, bringing one hand to his face taking off his sunglasses before looking down at me.

I don't say anything for several seconds, his eyes hold me captive, the words struggling to come out to ask what he pulled me over for.

"Maam?" he asked his tone, turning hard. "License and registration."

I mentally shake my head and the thoughts of how good he looked from my head. Slowly picking up my purse and digging my wallet out. I plucked my drivers card from it before holding it out with my shaking hand.

I have never been stopped by a cop before.

I hope I dont go to jail. I don't even know what he pulled me over for.

"Avery Scallan?" He asked, raising one of his dark eyebrows.

"Y-yes. Can you tell me what you pulled me over for officer?" I asked softly, leaning over my passenger seat, opening the glove box and grabbed my insurance and regeneration out.

"Speeding. The speed limit is 45 and you were going 55," he said as he snatched my paper work out of my hands.

"Oh? I'm sorry. I'm not familiar with the road. I actually just moved here. Today. I did not notice the speed limit change," I rushed out, hoping my explanation will make him let me go with a warning.

I obviously did not mean to speed, I just really did not see the damn sign.

"Hold on," he grunted at me before stepping back from my car, and headed towards his. Probably to run my name and plate number.

Good luck buddy.

I have never been given a ticket before.

Several minutes I wait, feeling nervous as shit and I have done bit my fingernails to the meat while waiting for the officer to come back to my car.

This is definitely not a good start in my fresh life, getting pulled over by a cop on my way into town, I haven't even set foot inside my new home yet.

This is great, just freaking great.

I have the worse luck apparently.

Parents dying.

Boyfriend cheating.

Best friend being the woman my boyfriend cheated with.

This is all just a sick joke and I'm not laughing.

"Here," the officer's rough voice breaks my mind free, jerking my head up I see that his handing me my information back.

"Am I free to go? I promise now that I know the speed limit I won't speed again," I tell him, hoping he will just let me get on my way now.

"You are free to go, but I will be giving you a ticket. That's 10 miles over the speed limit, Mrs.-," he starts, but I cut him off. For some damn reason I did not want this cop to think I was married and definitely not married to my cheater of an ex-boyfriend.

"Miss," I tell him, harshly.

"Miss Scallon," the officer said before giving me a weird look.

"Can't you just let me off with a warning? I'm sorry, but it's my first day in town. I just moved here," I tell him once again, explaining the situation.

"You want me to let you go when you was going 10 miles over the limit?" he chuckles out making my temper flare up, I'm not a red head for nothing.

"Yes, officer," I started, but paused to hear his name before I continued any further.

"Officer Chandler," he adds raising up that damn eyebrow again, placing one hand on the hood of my car and waited.

"Well, officer Chandler. I have had a rough few years and I would appreciate it if you just gave me a damn break. I'm sorry for speeding. I really am. I did not see the sign " I snarled out, tossing my paper work into my passenger seat without taking my eyes off of him.

"That will not be happening, Miss Scallon," he grunts out, raises his clip board up and begins writing me a ticket.

Wow.

Asshole.

I understand I was speeding but for the love of god I did not even know it, he could at least let me go with a warning.

"If you don't want tickets, then I would suggest slowing it down. It's not my job to give people breaks when they break the law," he says as he hands me over the paper, he wrote on.

My ticket.

Fantastic.

I don't even know where the damn police station is to even pay for the thing. Hell I don't even have that much left over in my savings after buying the house. My parents' house has not been sold yet, hopefully it will soon be.

"Fine, whatever," I tell the officer, as I move my hand to the shift, ready to be on my damn way.

"Welcome to Darlington." Officer Chandler chuckled before walking back to his police car, I shoved my car in drive and got back on the road to my new home.

The handsome asshole of a cop following me the whole way into town.