Saving Quinton Read online

  "Would you get over her?" Dylan scoops up a plastic cup that's by the kitchen sink and throws it at Tristan, who ducks as it zips above his head. "You made out with her one time, and she was fucking trashed."

  "So what?" Tristan retorts as he leans over the arm of the chair to pick up the cup. When he sits up, he throws the cup back at Dylan, but it lands on the floor a few inches away from him. "You're still hung up on Delilah after eight months of her being gone, and I can still have a thing for Nova if I want to. And it's not really even a thing, so much as I'm curious about what she's like now after a year."

  "You're such a fucking liar." Dylan kicks the cup across the floor and jerks the fridge door open. "And besides, Nova's got more baggage than you can handle."

  "You don't know how much I can handle," he mutters, staring down at the brownish orange carpet. He rubs his hand across his face and then blows out a breath, his gaze flicking up to me. There's a hint of anger transpiring in his eyes, directed toward me and what I represent, but beneath the anger there's also pain. Lots and lots of pain masked over by weed.

  It's my cue to leave. I put some of Tristan's baggage there, since I'm the one solely responsible for the death of his sister. I follow Nikki down the hallway, feeling like shit again as my past catches up with me. But I focus on the few steps ahead of me, knowing what's going to happen when I reach the room. It's obvious what Nikki wants, and honestly, I need the distraction. Today's been a rough day, especially after my father dropped me off at the airport. I could tell he didn't want to be there, but I think he felt obligated because I'm his son.

  "See you later," was all he said, and then he left me at the entrance doors.

  I shouldn't have cared that he didn't give me a hug or anything, but I haven't been hugged in a year and sometimes I miss it, the connection, the contact, knowing that someone loves you.

  "So the bed's supersoft." Nikki plops down on the twin bed and gives a little bounce, crossing her legs.

  I drop the bag on the floor of the closet-sized room and stand in front of her, staring down at the filthy mattress. "Oh yeah?"

  She seductively grins at me. "Definitely." Then she reaches up and snatches the front of my shirt, tugging me down to her mouth.

  Her lips are dry and taste like weed, but I close my eyes and kiss her back, shutting myself down as I lean over her and we collapse against the bed. I know it's wrong. Neither of us really gives a shit about the other. There's no meaning to it. It's as pointless as existing and equally as insignificant. But that's exactly what I deserve, and the moment that I do feel meaning--the moment I feel the slightest bit of contentment and happiness with another woman--is the moment I break my promise to Lexi.

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  Smart, sexy, and confident, Micha can get under Ella's skin like no one else. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. If he tries to tempt the old Ella to return, he will be impossible to resist. But what Ella doesn't realize is that when she left, she took a piece of Micha's heart with her. Now he's determined to win back the girl he lost, no matter what it takes.

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  Micha is busy touring the country with his band, seemingly getting everything he's ever wanted. But deep down he knows something is missing. Being away from Ella is harder than he'd expected. And while he longs to have her with him, he won't ask her to leave college just to be at his side.

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  On the surface, Lila Summers is flawless: good looks, expensive clothes, and a big, beautiful smile. But a dark past and even darker secrets are threatening to bubble over her perfect facade. She'll do anything to keep the emptiness inside hidden--which leads her into situations that always end badly. Whenever she hits bottom, there's only one person who's there to pull her out: Ethan Gregory.

  Ethan set the rules a long time ago: he and Lila are just friends. He doesn't do relationships. Although his tattooed, bad-boy exterior is a far cry from Lila's pretty-princess image, Ethan can't deny they have a deeper connection than he's used to. If he's not careful, he could be in serious danger of becoming attached--and he's learned the hard way that attachment only leads to heartbreak.

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  Micha will stand by Ella no matter what she's going through--though he worries that she might leave him standing at the altar again. When he's offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to tour with his favorite bands for three months, Micha knows he can't leave Ella behind. But can he ask her to uproot her life to join him on the road?

  Now Ella and Micha must find a way to balance their fears, their dreams, and their love...if they ever want to hear wedding bells.

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  Ethan has no doubts about his feelings for Lila. His life with her gets better every day--and that's the scary part. How can he walk into a future where he has everything to lose? With Lila, his whole heart is on the line for the very first time. But if Ethan can't give her the promise she needs, his greatest fear might come true: he'll lose Lila for good.

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  The dark secret Kayden has kept hidden for years is finally out. Worse, he's facing charges for battery. The only way to clear his name is for Callie to speak up--something he'll never ask her to do. Instead, he'll do whatever he must to protect her...even if it means letting go of the only girl he's ever loved.

  Callie knows Kayden is going back to his dark place and desperately wants to save him. But that means facing her greatest fear and admitting her own painful secrets aloud. The thought of breaking her silence terrifies her--but not as much as the thought of losing Kayden forever.

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  Quinton once got a second chance at life--but he doesn't want it. His tattoos are a constant reminder of what he's done, what he's lost. He's sworn to never allow happiness into his life...but then beautiful, sweet Nova makes him smile. He knows he's too damaged to get close to her, yet she's the only one who can make him feel alive again. Quinton will have to decide: does he deserve to start over? Or should he pay for his past forever?

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  The Forever of Ella and Micha

  The Temptation of Lila and Ethan

  The Ever After of Ella and Micha

  Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always

  The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden

  The Redemption of Callie & Kayden

  The Destiny of Violet & Luke

  Breaking Nova

  Saving Quinton

  Praise for Jessica Sorensen

  'Sorensen's portrayal of ... relationships and long-distance love, as well as the longing to escape one's past, raises her above her new adult peers'

  RT Book Reviews

  'Heart-breaking, heart-stopping and heart-warming and I couldn't put it down once I started reading'

  onemorepage.co.uk

  'A really sweet romance with the perfect amount of chemistry and sexual tension'

  feelingfictional.com

  'Very complex, intense, emotional characters . . . powerful'

  bookangeltopia.com

  'I really loved this book! A gripping, addictive read, full of passion, desire, secrets, friendship, family, guilt and love. It is a story that will be constantly on your mind when you are away from it'

  Amazon Review

  'I finished this book in two days, I couldn't put it down!'

  Amazon Review

  'I raced through this book, totally hooked and unable to put it down. It definitely left me wanting more . . . I'm ecstatic there will be a sequel'

  wrathqueensbooks.blogspot.co.uk 'The steamy hot relationship is something you won't forget . . . intriguing and unforgettable'

  neverjudgeabookbyitscover.co.uk 'What a beautiful love story, couldn't put it down. This is a fairy tale love story full of passion, lust and emotions. Love it and would highly recommend it'

  Amazon Review

  'I absolutely adored and loved this book . . . I could not put this book down. Wonderfully written about the innocence and heartache of love in a sharp and concise style . . . [A] powerful and captivating read that had me hooked throughout'

  handwrittengirl.com

  'The sultry, tense atmosphere is supported by interesting characters . . . I loved their chemistry and I was championing them from the start'

  solittletimeforbooks.co.uk 'I loved this book - an absolute page turner. Not at all what I expected - didn't want it to end!'

  Amazon Review

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Welcome

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  A Preview of Breaking Nova

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  Also by Jessica Sorensen

  Praise for Jessica Sorensen

  Copyright

  Copyright

  Published by Sphere ISBN: 9780751555363

  All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Copyright (c) 2014 by Jessica Sorensen The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

  The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.

  Sphere

  Little, Brown Book G
roup 100 Victoria Embankment London, EC4Y 0DY

  www.littlebrown.co.uk www.hachette.co.uk