First Love, Once Removed Ep. 2

By Laci Maskell

Livia has been in love with exactly two men in her lifetime.
Jean-Luc was her first. He was the passionate, whirl-wind romance she never quite got over.
Lucas is her second. He is her rock, her safe place, her forever. At least she thinks.
Until Jean-Luc re-enters her life and splits her heart in two.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laci Maskell
• Release date: Feb 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005947484

Laci Maskell

I was born and raised in Nebraska. I fell in love with reading when I discovered Harry Potter. I began writing in the sixth grade. The four loves of my life are reading, writing, watching movies, and listening to music.

Book preview

First Love, Once Removed

Laci Maskell

Published by Laci Maskell at Smashwords

Copyright © Laci Maskell 2021

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Dedication

To all of you who stuck by me through the hard times.

Other books by the author

Still Life Moving

So . . . That Happened

The Phoenix Trilogy

Phoenix Born

Phoenix Burn

Phoenix Rising

First Love, Once Removed

Episode One

Episode #2

Chapter One

Jean-Luc?

From my spot several feet away from him, I can see his body still. Several moments pass. Then his head lifts and turns in my direction.

My heart slams into my rib cage. It is him. It is Jean-Luc. It’s been three years but I would recognize that face after any length of time.

A breath shudders out of me when he takes a step toward me.

Time stops. The world slows on its axis. My breathing cuts off. I am in agony while Jean-Luc paces towards me.

I’ve forgotten about the world around me. I’ve forgotten Sara, my group, Mr. Kline, the foreign students, Lucas. I’ve got tunnel vision for Jean-Luc.

He charges for me, clear intent in his eyes. This is a moment I’ve thought about for three years but never dreamed would happen.

He’s ten steps from me. My heart restarts with vigor, slamming into my rib cage. Nine steps. My palms clam up. I have to wipe them on my dress. Eight steps. Lucas looks at me, confused, then turns to look at Jean-Luc. Seven steps. Sara glances from me to Jean-Luc and back again. Six steps from me. My brain pulses against my skull. Five steps. I side step Lucas, who still kneels in front of me. Four steps. I’m afraid I might die of cardiac arrest if he isn’t to me in the next second. Three steps. I stop breathing.

Two steps. I take a step forward.

Thunder rumbles as we collide. Or is that in my head?

Our lips crash into each other’s. Pleasure explodes in my mouth and rushes through my body. Synapses fire in my brain and flood my system. My knees buckle but Jean-Luc holds me upright with his strong arms.

His smooth hands slide up my arms to cup my face. Fistfuls of his shirt are clutched in my fingers.

He smells the same as he did three years ago. Like old books and coffee. Even after two airports, a plane full of people, and the trip here, he smells the same. I breathe him in greedily. I have been to countless second hand bookstores trying to find a whiff of him but to no avail. He was only to be a memory. Until today. Until this kiss.

His lips are soft yet hungry against mine. I kiss him back with as much fervor. His tongue tangles with mine. The taste of him is sweeter than I remember. The kiss is deep and pure and filled with three years of longing and desire and need. It is everything I didn’t realize I had been missing from my life. Jean-Luc is the water I need to drink. He is the air I need to breathe.

I suffer from JLA. Jean-Luc Affliction. With treatment I thought I had it under control. I wasn’t just coping with the disease. I was managing. I was past recovery and into remission. That is, until this kiss. Until I was again directly infected. My name is Livia and I suffer from JLA.

I gasp for air as Jean-Luc is pulled away from me. Like he has taken the breath from my lungs.

Quickly the world around me returns to focus. Fast enough for Lucas to pull Jean-Luc off of me and to punch him in the face. Our kiss lasted all of fifteen seconds. But even quicker my world descends into chaos.

Girls yell from all the commotion. Guys from our group pull Lucas away from Jean-Luc. Others from our group pull Jean-Luc to his feet. Mr. Kline is calling for order. Sara is fuming at me. The foreign exchange students look on with shocked expressions. Jean-Luc wipes at the corner of his mouth, a line of blood trickles down his nose. Mr. Kline, finally gaining some sort of control, forces Lucas from the party, warning him he will be discussing this with him.

Lucas looks at me expectantly. He holds out his head and says, Come on, Livia.

I turn briefly to Jean-Luc who stares back at me. He closes his eyes and nods, giving me permission to leave him and forgiving me at the same time. It is only then that I walk away with Lucas.

Lucas holds my hand as we walk back to his dorm room, though neither of us says a