Out Of My Head

By K.Ries

A one night stand.... An incident neither Liam nor Callie can get out of their heads.
Club owner, Liam Paige had always seen Callie as the girl he couldn't have. She was a light shining bright in the dark shadows created by his friend.
But that all changed one night when Callie came to his club alone looking for a carefree evening of fun.
Now months later, Callie still can't get that moment with Liam off her mind. And while she struggles to find herself, Liam is forced to spend his nights alone with visions of that night lingering in his memory.
Can Liam and Callie find happiness together or will Callie's past destroy their new found love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: K.Ries
• Release date: Jan 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393650928

Book preview

For S.A

Prologue ~ Callie

Heavy footfalls followed by a litany of cursing sounded against the walls of the duplex. Closing my eyes, I breathed a sigh of relief. He was alive. Stoned, likely drunk, but alive nonetheless. Tears fell from my eyes as the front door opened and more curses fell from his lips as he tripped over the threshold. No crash was heard, so he didn’t trip. He was home. He was safe. Wiping my face, I said another silent prayer, how many can one person say in a night? He’d just pass out on the sofa and fighting wouldn’t happen again. The stomping started in the hallway making the breath back up in my lungs. Lying in our bed, I turned my face away from the door and tried to make it look like I was sleeping. Usually if he thought I was asleep, he’d leave me alone.

The door swung open and I jumped giving me away. The stench of alcohol and despair wafted through the bedroom that took me months to decorate and arrange.

Callie, closing my eyes, I hoped if I ignored him, he’d leave it be. Callie, my name sounded out of his drunken mouth. Wake up! I need to talk to you.

More like he needed to yell at or belittle me. Somehow no matter what I did, it was never good for mister ‘I’m a big named actor’. He wasn’t. He’d played on the same show for years. Other parts fell through for some reason or other; but Eric, he usually blamed other people. Nothing was ever his fault. Including the current state of our relationship. I loved him, but he loved women and drugs more. He didn’t think I knew about the other women, but I did.

Callie, get the hell up.

Giving up the hope of peace, I rolled back over to face him. His shirt was hanging haphazardly off his shoulders, his jeans were undone. Bile rose in my throat just looking at him. If he slept it off, tomorrow we’d be okay, right? I’d been telling myself the same lie for the last nine months.

What Eric? I work tomorrow. Can’t it wait.

No!

Rolling my eyes, I sat up in bed and drew the blanket over my legs.

What is it?

I’m moving out. We need to see other people.

If he had hit me again, it would have been less shocking. Where in the hell had this come from? I let him have his women, the house was always cleaned. As much as it disgusted me, I slept with him. He had everything and could still have his dalliances.

Eric, what in the hell are you talking about?

He swayed slightly but managed to stay on his feet. He was drunk. That’s all.

I’m moving out, tonight. I can’t do this with you anymore.

Anger coursed through me and brought me to my feet. He couldn’t do this with me? As if everything was my fault?

You’re moving out when you can barely stand. Just come to bed. We can talk in the moving, I reached out to grab his arm and help him to bed and he recoiled as if I smacked him.

Don’t fucking touch me! I said we’re done. I’m leaving.

He stomped over to the dresser and yanked on the dresser drawer. I stood there stunned, shamed and hurt. Turning and walking back to the bed, slipping under the covers, I watched my world implode around me.

An hour later, he was gone. Every drawer of the dresser sat on my floor, doors were thrown open, some even off the hinges. The final slam of the front door still ringing in my ears. Lying in a bed I used to share with him, I wept for everything I had lost.

WAKING UP TO THE MESS wasn’t any better. After looking at the disarray over a cup of mocha coffee, I figured if Eric no longer wanted me, I would have to start my life over. I let him rule my life; but now, that part was over with.

CHAPTER 1

The music pumps out of the twenty foot speakers the club boasts. The lighting flashes over the sea of bodies on the dance floor. From my perch on the catwalk, I only saw her. Flame red hair flying behind her as she danced with almost everybody. The outfit she was wearing was surely painted on. The patent leather skirt clung to every curve and angle she possessed. The corset was pushing and squeezing to just this side of obscene. Needle thin pumps boosted her height so she stood out against the masses. Callie was also the girl of one of my good friends. I’d lusted after her since our first meeting years ago, though we hadn’t spoken in a while.

I looked around, checking to see if Eric was in the crowd. You couldn’t miss him. He usually towered over everyone, but he was nowhere in sight. Those two usually went out together, I assumed he was around here somewhere. The clingy blonde, whatever her name was, hanging from my arm was easy to detach with a quick promise. Making my way downstairs, I shoved attention away from me. I was on a mission. Stopping at the bar to check on things, I was surprised when she walked up and threw her arm around my waist. Her mermaid green eyes danced with humor as I looked over at her.

Your club always has the best music. How have you been? God, whatever she’d sprayed on could bring a man to his knees. It smelled like something from a midnight forest. It was heady. I had to inch myself away before I forgot she was someone else’s girl. I wanted her, but couldn’t touch her.

Good. Do you want a drink? She laughed, head tossed back.

I haven’t bought a single drink tonight! But you know what, how about a shot? I raised my eyebrows. Was this the same woman who was always shy and quiet when I came around?

Since when do you do shots? She looked at me, pursing her blood red painted lips. Then she laughed again. Her laugh made me feel good, maybe it would happen again if something funny was said.

Since always, just nevermind, she shook her head. A beer would be good. Her eyes went a little clouded, but an instant later all trace of sadness gone. Calling Faith over, each of us ordered a beer. Usually drinking wasn’t on the agenda when I was at work. This however seemed like a special occasion, and Callie was out alone, so she shouldn’t feel as if she was the only one drinking.

So, questions went through my mind but I minded my own business. I searched for something to talk about, but my mind was blank. I wanted to get to know her without the shadow of Eric looming.

So, Eric came home the other night, told me we should see other people. He moved out this morning. I figured you would know how to show a girl a good time. The beer I was drinking on caught in my throat. Damn! She patted my back as I sputtered and coughed; but even over the music, her laughter was unmistakable.

So her and Eric weren’t together. What in the hell possessed him to leave this beautiful woman? She was like a totally new person, now. She laughed at my moment of forgotten speech. Oh come on. It’s not like I was hitting on you! I meant since you owned the club! She rolled her eyes at me, maybe she was teasing.

Well, we are an entertainment establishment. My voice sounded stiff and it wasn’t my intention to sound that way, but she always made me feel like if I didn’t watch my step I could fall down a hole and crawling out wouldn’t be an option.

Wanting Callie violated the bro-code on multiple levels. Even though her and Eric weren’t together, it went against the code to have her. Club girls weren’t my thing and it had been a few months since there was any action between me and the opposite sex. Not wanting to be one of those sleazeball club owners you hear about, there was always some sort of distance between myself and the club bunnies.

She nodded, drinking her beer and watching the crowd just as another song started. She looked over at me and it seemed as if devils danced in her eyes. The breath backed up into my lungs, something was in the air and it felt like changes were coming. Whether they were good or bad, I couldn’t tell