Accidental Heartbreak (The Accidental Series, Book 2)

ACCIDENTAL HEARTBREAK

Book Two of the Accidental Series

Tina Martin

Copyright @ 2013 by Tina Martin

All rights reserved. No part of this book may
be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means,
including information storage and retrieval systems, without prior
written consent of the author.

This is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places and products are used fictitiously. Any
similarity to actual events is entirely coincidental.

Visit the author’s website at:
www.tinamartin.net

Book Cover Design by Dynastys CoverMe
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)

*PLEASE NOTE:
This novel
is the second book of The Accidental Series. The first book in the
series is, Accidental Deception.

Accidental Heartbreak

“Carter,” Terrance said, then tossed back a
shot of Tequila. After squeezing a lemon wedge to his mouth and
shaking off the burn in his throat he continued, “You look real
pitiful right now, dawg. Real pitiful.”

The men were sitting at the bar, one o’clock
in the morning, at their favorite night spot in Uptown Charlotte,
one of those restaurant-by-day, club-by-night joints. The hip hop
music was cranked up extremely loud, to the point where Carter
could feel the vibration of the beat through his bones. And with
the additional noise of loud, rowdy patrons (his best friend
Terrance included) it’s a wonder he could hear his own thoughts. He
couldn’t focus on them, though. Every time he tried, someone bumped
into him. Or Terrance said something stupid. Or a woman was trying
to hit on him.

What am I doing
, he thought. He
didn’t want to be here. Not tonight. Not any night for that matter,
but to appease Terrance, he met him at the place, still rocking his
business attire – a black Michael Kors suit tailored specifically
for his frame with a white shirt and purple silk tie. He longed to
be at home, lying on the couch in sweats, relaxing after a long day
while thinking about the only woman who was special enough to have
successfully dug through the layers of concrete that barricaded his
heart from the rest of his body.

Shayla Kline.

He hadn’t seen Shayla in roughly two months
since deciding to cut ties with her. Early into his decision, he’d
been on the fence about it, wanting to see her some days, then glad
he made the choice to move on with his life on others. His
indecisiveness bothered him so much, he sought out Shayla’s
therapist, Dr. Westbrook, for advice. But he didn’t like the
doctor’s suggestion – that he tell Shayla who he really was – that
Jacob, her deceased fiancé whom she was in love with once upon a
time, was his brother.

He often wondered why it was so difficult
for him to say the words. He’d never been in a predicament like
this before, never had a problem with articulating his thoughts to
anyone – to upper management, his direct reports, even his Mother.
But yet, he failed to find the strength to tell Shayla one simple
thing, all because he didn’t know how she would react to the news.
And because he’d fallen hopelessly in love with her.

It wasn’t intentional and it wasn’t supposed
to happen. Love wasn’t his
thing
, but when he’d found Shayla
on the sidewalk that day in February of this year, something in him
changed, permanently. She was sick and frail and he knew she needed
help. So he stopped, spread his coat over her and gave her CPR. A
couple days later, he found out that she used to belong to his
brother, Jacob. And Jacob, who had committed suicide last year,
left word for Carter to take care of her. And it was during this
process, the nurturing and caring for her, that he fell for
her.

He often asked himself why. Why did he fall
in love with her? Maybe it was due to the fact that she kept the
memory of his brother alive. Or perhaps it’s because he never spent
more time with any other woman than he spent with her. It could’ve
been the innocence of her that he found so refreshing. And he’d let
his guard down. He let her in to navigate unchartered territory –
his heart.

Too bad he had to let her go. It didn’t
matter that Jacob was deceased. He still deserved to be respected.
And he’d specifically asked Carter to take care of her.

Terrance looked at Carter through his glossy
eyes, wondering why he hadn’t responded to him.

Carter was zoned out, tossing all of this
Shayla
business around in his head, trying to think about
what any other guy would do in this predicament. He couldn’t ask
Terrance for advice because he hadn’t told him about Jacob and
Shayla’s connection or the suicide note. And he didn’t know if he
wanted to tell him. Terrance was his boy and all, but he was
extremely annoying at times, even had Carter reevaluating their
friendship, especially after the things Terrance had said about
Shayla.

“Carter, you good?”

Carter wrapped his hand around his glass of
Coke and Rum. “Man…I’ve been up since four in the morning,” he
grumbled, finally breaking his silence. “I’m exhausted.” What he
wouldn’t mention is he was up so early because he couldn’t sleep.
He hadn’t had a good night’s rest since Shayla moved out. His mind
was constantly occupied with thoughts of her. No matter what he did
to forget about her, something always reminded him of the time they
spent together, something as simple as her sitting on the couch
next to him or standing in the foyer, waiting to greet him after he
came home from work.

Shayla Kline.

When he lost his temper that day and told
her to leave, he didn’t think she would go. He had expected her to
stay and put up with his temporary loss of self control. Maybe the
two of them would hash it out and move on with life as they did any
other time a disagreement arose.

That didn’t happen.

Shayla had had enough and moved in with
Rebecca, the owner of the flower shop in which she worked, a move
that surprised Carter. He didn’t think they were close enough to
share a living space. But that’s where Shayla ended up, living with
Rebecca, and no longer needed to stay with at his place, and
something about that pissed him off. He was the one who had helped
her and got her back on solid ground and now she was gone. And he
was angry.

“Why’d you get up so early?” Terrance asked,
looking at his absent-minded friend.

Carter shrugged and decided to make up
something just to shut Terrance up. “I had to be to work early for
a meeting.”

“You and that job…” Terrance shook his head.
“I swear you have more meetings than Barack Obama.”

“Meetings are an integral part of my job
function,” Carter said with a straight, serious face.

“Well, all I know is, if I had to get up
that
early for a meeting, I’d be looking for new employment.
I don’t know how you do it.”

“If you were making a hundred and fifty
thousand a year, you’d do it.”

“You doggone right I would.” Terrance
laughed, as his eyes flit around the club.

Carter didn’t need the job for the money.
His Mother had left him plenty in the will – five-hundred thousand
to be exact, some of which he’d invested and was due to make
excellent returns. He could quit his prestigious position if he so
desired, retired at age thirty-five and lived a comfortable,
stress-free life. But he wanted the job mostly for status, to be
important, to have people looking up to him as a successful black
man that made it. That was educated. And on top of that, he was a
master at his profession and he took pride in the fact that he’d
been responsible for mentoring several associates who moved up the
corporate ladder.

“Ay, Carter,” Terrance said, slapping
Carter’s arm with the backside of his hand. “You know that woman
over there in the corner has been trying to get your attention
since we stepped in this joint.”

“Terrance, chill. I didn’t come here for
that.”

“I know. You still thinking about that girl,
right?”

“What girl?” Carter asked frowning, as if he
didn’t know who Terrance was referring to.

“Shayla. I thought you said she was off
limits.”

“She is.”

“Then why are you still thinking about
her?”

“Why am I what?” Carter said leaning closer.
Sounded like the music had gotten louder.

“If she’s off limits, why are you still
thinking about her?” Terrance hollered.

“Who says I’m thinking about her?” Carter
countered, though he thought about Shayla so much he felt like he
was going insane at times. He’d even asked his aunt, Jacqueline,
earlier in the day if she’d heard from her. Jacqueline told him
she’d spoken to Shayla briefly one day last week at the flower
shop. Said Shayla was looking good. She was wearing makeup now and
her hair was done differently. He wanted to ask if Shayla had asked
about him but refused. He didn’t make it a practice to sweat a
woman and he certainly wasn’t going to start now.

Carter took another sip of his drink. He had
enough of pretending. This wasn’t the man he wanted to be. Not
anymore. And all he wanted was to see Shayla. Just how different
did she look from the last time he laid eyes on her? He could still
see her long, black curly hair, her light skin, pink lips and big,
innocent eyes. He recalled their long talks. Dinners they’d shared
together.

“You know what…I’m out,” he said to
Terrance. “You coming or you gettin’ a taxi?”

“Dang, man,” Terrance said. “You leaving
already?”

“Yeah. I’m leaving. You riding or what?”

Terrance blew a frustrating breath. He
wasn’t ready to leave just yet.

“Tee, you don’t have to ride with me,”
Carter fired off, highly annoyed by Terrance and this ordeal. He
didn’t want to be here, partying it up, picking up chicks and
drinking alcohol. It was juvenile to him now.

“Who I’ma ride wit’ if I don’t ride wit’
you?” Terrance drawled out.

Carter took his wallet from his back pocket
and slid out a twenty dollar bill, handing it to Terrance. “Just
get a taxi.”

“Nah, nah, nah. I’ll ride wit’ you.
Man!”

“You sure, because I’m leaving right now.
Not ten minutes from now…right now.”

“Ah’ight, ah’ight.” Terrance said.

Since Terrance didn’t take the twenty,
Carter placed it on the bar counter with a few other bills to cover
both of their tabs. The two walked out to the parking lot and
hopped in his cream-colored Escalade. Carter started the engine and
began the drive to Terrance’s place.

Terrance watched Carter silently drive down
the road. Carter’s mind appeared to be in a million places, and did
he not realize that he just blew through a red light?

“You okay to drive?” Terrance inquired,
strapping on his seat belt. He was a little tipsy, but had enough
common sense to realize red meant stop and Carter sped right
through it.

“Yeah. I had one drink. You on the other
hand…”

Terrance chuckled. “You
do
realize
you ran that light back there.”

“No I didn’t.”

“Yes you did, man. Why you think I got this
seat belt nice and snug?” Terrance laughed a deep belly laugh,
gripping the door handle with his right hand.

Carter glanced at him, then back to the
road.

“What’s with you, dawg?” Terrance asked,
mildly amused.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you don’t seem like yourself.”

Carter couldn’t get to Terrance’s apartment
fast enough. Much to his chagrin, Terrance was a pain to be around
at times. And would he ever stop talking?

“I know what’s going on. It’s Shayla, isn’t
it?” Terrance surmised. “Tell the truth, Carter.” Terrance elbowed
him again.

“Will you stop doing that? I’m trying to
drive here.”

“You
trying
to change the subject.
That’s what you
trying
to do.”

“Do you want to get out right here?” Carter
said testily, slowing to a stop.

“Nah, nah, nah. I’m just playing wit’ you,
Carter. Lighten up, man.” Fifteen seconds hadn’t even gone by
before he added, “So you trying to have a thing with Shayla or
what?”

Carter frowned. Why was Terrance pushing the
issue? He was the one who told Carter that Shayla wasn’t on his
level because she used to be homeless. She wouldn’t fit in with his
lifestyle
he said. So to shut him up, Carter answered, “No,
it’s not Shayla. I haven’t laid eyes on her in two months.”

“Just because you haven’t seen her doesn’t
mean you don’t think about her.”

Carter stopped in front of Terrance’s
apartment complex and put the truck in park. Seemed every time he
and Terrance got together, Terrance always had something to say
about Shayla. Shayla this, and Shayla that.
Shayla was a cool
girl, but she wasn’t right for you. Shayla was waiting for me to
teach her how to play cards and you kicked her out. I wonder what
Shayla had to do to get the keys to the Lex?
Fed up, Carter
looked over at him sitting in the passenger seat and asked, “Why
are you always bringing her up around me?”