Blooming Hearts: Scarred Hearts Prequel Read online

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used factiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locals or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Felicia Tatum Books

  PO Box 663

  Monterey, TN 38574

  www.feliciatatum.com

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any for whatsoever.

  Copyright © 2016 Felicia Tatum

  All rights reserved.

  Editing by Rare Bird Editing

  More books from Felicia Tatum:

  The White Aura Series

  Scarred Hearts Series

  Intoxicating Passion Series

  Dark Sorceress Trilogy

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  Blooming Hearts is a prequel to Mangled Hearts. You’ll read journal entries from Francesca and Cade during their high school days, following them from the day they met to the day it all fell apart. Mangled Hearts is where they meet ten years later, both still longing for the other. Though this particular story doesn’t end in happiness, the two do get their happily ever after in Entangled Souls.

  Continue reading for their journal entries from high school days and drama, first loves and heartbreaks, and an undeniable bond that continues no matter how much time has passed.

  It was a hot September day that changed my life forever. Nothing about me would be the same. Ever.

  Sophomore year started a few weeks before and as usual, it was dreadful. The classes weren’t bad, but the people. My peers weren’t much fun to be around and I hated going to school. Girls made fun of me, were mean to me, and talked behind my back for no reason. I didn’t even talk to most of them. And boys didn’t even notice I was alive. High school wasn’t what I thought it would be. Much lonelier than I expected.

  Like today, for example. I was eating lunch by myself because my best friend Daphne didn’t have it the same period. I was in honors classes, she wasn’t, so we passed notes during breaks. High school would be more fun with her around all day, but there was nothing I could do. She was brilliant, but would rather have fun than study.

  So I was mostly alone.

  I hated it. Luckily, it was the end of the day and the school bus dropped me at my second bus stop of the day. County buses didn’t run in my neighborhood, so I waited on this bench every day for a good twenty minutes. I walked to the bench oblivious to my surroundings. My nose was stuck in my current romance novel. I followed along as the girl fell in love with her best friend (the bad boy), wishing life was really that way.

  I didn’t even notice when he walked by me on the sidewalk. Or when he stopped a few yards from me, and came back in my direction to take a seat beside me.

  “Hey. Do you want a cracker?” a velvet voice asked me.

  I didn’t look up, I wasn’t sure if he was even talking to me. Why would an attractive senior be talking to me?

  “Hey, I’m talking to you,” he said, a chuckle in his voice.

  I slowly lifted my head, peering at him from under my long lashes. His dark brown hair swept across his forehead, and his deep blue eyes made me gasp. He wore the ultimate laid back style, a white t-shirt and jeans. All he needed was a black leather jacket, and he would be the bad boy from my book. The smile on his face was breathtaking, and I found myself unable to speak.

  “Hi, I’m Cade,” he said, a huge grin on his handsome face. He sat beside me.

  “Hi, I’m Francesca.”

  “Why are you always sitting here alone, Francesca?” he asked, placing his hand on my knee.

  Shivers went up my spine while butterflies flew rampant in my stomach. A hot senior guy had his hand on my knee. My eyes looked at it, wondering what was happening. Was the world ending? Was this a prank? Did he mean to do that?

  “I like to read,” I stated lamely. God, I sounded stupid.

  Laughing, he replied, “I can see that. You didn’t hear me ask if you wanted a cracker.” He held out a pack of peanut butter and cheese crackers. I always thought they were disgusting, but I considered taking one in that moment.

  “No, thanks,” I said, shaking my head. I gave him a warm smile.

  “Ok,” he said. Before he could say more, my bus pulled up. Right on time, of all days.

  “That’s my bus,” I told him.

  “Ok,” he said, finally lifting his hand from my leg. “Do you mind if I come back sometime?” he asked, a twinkle in his eyes. Standing, he held a hand out to assist me.

  “Not at all,” I said, giving him a genuine smile. He seemed nice. New friends weren’t a bad thing. Why was his hand so warm? Was my palm supposed to be tingling?

  He walked me to the bus. “Ok, good. Maybe I’ll see you around school sometime. You should say hi.” He sauntered off, looking back long enough to wave.

  I barely made it up the stairs. I stared after him until I couldn’t see him anymore. I couldn’t stop the smile from filling my whole face as I leaned back in the seat. Did that really just happen?

  The ride home was spent with me dreamily staring out the window wondering why Cade spoke to me. Why’d he even notice me? It was a nice feeling, though, to have someone be kind to me for a change. His blue eyes haunted me the rest of the night.

  Would I see him again tomorrow?

  It was Monday when I saw him again. All weekend, I thought of the next meeting. What would we do? What would he say? Would he even come back? Would I see him in school?

  He didn’t show up on Friday. My best friend, Daphne, spent the night with me and we chatted about boys all night.

  “He is pretty cute,” she said as she stuffed her mouth with popcorn. “And a sewior.” Daphne had been my best friend since we were little. She was always there for me, always the one I went to with any problems. She was more sister than friend. My other half. The brunette to my blonde.

  “Gross,” I laughed. “He is really cute. And his voice.” I sighed thinking about our encounter.

  Her green eyes widened. “Ooooh his voice,” she mocked.

  “Shut up!” I yelled. Tossing my pillow at her, I rolled to my stomach. Sprawled out on the bed, I kicked my legs in the air and glanced at the clock. 2 a.m. “Are we going to sleep tonight?”

  She shook her head. “Nah. Did I tell you Jacob asked me out?”

  “No!” I sat up, crossed my legs under me, and begged for more details.

  She mirrored my position, settling the bowl in her lap. “Well, he came up to me this morning at my locker. He was all nervous and adorable when he asked me, but I dunno. He’s a year younger. I mean, he’s a freshman, Franny.”

  Growling, I rolled my eyes. “Don’t call me that,” I reminded her for the thousandth time. “And who cares if he’s a freshman?”

  “I do,” she said seriously. “He can’t drive.”

  “Neither can you.”

  “Exactly!” she squealed. “Neither of us can drive. I need a boyfriend who can.”

  “Really, Daph? Priorities.” I rolled my eyes again. She was really shallow sometimes.

  “Cade can drive,” she murmured. “Let’s watch Footloose.”

  Ignoring her comment about Cade, I jumped up and dug through my movies until I found Footloose. We settled in and fell asleep soon after.

  ###

  The heat from the sun’s rays beat on my shoulders. When I got home, I knew my arms would be pink. The bus was late and I was considering walking home when Cade strolled up.

  “Hey, sweetie,” he said.

  I smiled awkwardly. “Hey.”

  He s
at surprisingly close to me. “Whatcha doing?”

  “Waiting for my bus,” I said. “How was your day?”

  “Good. I skipped two classes,” he smirked.

  Nervously, I chuckled. “I couldn’t do that.”

  “Cause you’re a good girl.” He said it slowly, almost seductively.

  “So?”

  “Shouldn’t be friends with a guy like me,” he said.

  “Hey, you started talking to me,” I pointed out.

  He started to stand and said, “Should I stop?”

  My heart clenched in panic. “No!” I shouted, then realized how desperate I sounded. “I mean, not unless you want.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t wanna.” He planted his butt back on the bench. His hand crept over and found my knee again.

  Warmth spread through me when his palm spread over my kneecap. “O-o-o-k,” I managed to sputter out. Just then, the bus pulled up.

  “See ya later, Francesca,” he grinned. His hand slipped from my leg and he stood, walking with me to the bus door.

  I started up the steps and turned briefly. “Bye, Cade.” I smiled and his eyes sparkled in response.

  I was quickly sinking into the depths of his blue eyes.

  I’d watched her every day since school began. She moved with grace and confidence, yet I could see hurt behind her eyes when she surveyed her surroundings. I didn’t know who would want to hurt a beautiful creature like her, but it angered me. A lot. I watched her from a distance for as long as I could, until the longing in my heart to hear her voice speaking to me was too much.

  I knew it was stupid and reckless to bring myself into her life. I was the worst kind of guy for her, into all the wrong things, but something about her made me want to be…more. The first time I saw her beautiful face was during lunch. She was stuck in a little hole in the wall, her nose deep into a book. Her dark blonde hair fell around her face, and she absentmindedly pushed it behind her ear, not once looking up from her book. People walked around her, came close to stepping on her, completely ignored her…and all I could do was stare. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Two weeks after that, I’d followed her bus to the next bus stop. I prayed to be the one driving her home someday soon.

  As I approached, she hadn’t moved. She leaned back against the bench, her eyes furiously devouring the book she gripped. After I finally got her attention, my heart had almost stopped when her deep, rich brown eyes looked into mine. Her voice sounded like it came from heaven, her words singing a song to my heart. I laid a hand on her leg, and sparks shot straight into my soul.

  I’d followed her to the bus stop every day since then. The week after our first meeting, I’d gotten the nerve to meet her at her locker. She was bent, rummaging through her belongings, when I slid up and relaxed behind the door. I heard her groan as a book fell to the floor. I stooped in to pick it up, smiling at her as I handed it over. Her eyes widened as she whispered my name.

  “Francesca.”

  “Cade…you never talk to me in school,” she accused me.

  It stung. It was true. I didn’t want my friends getting the wrong idea or anyone saying things to her about how screwed up I was. It was selfish, and it appeared to hurt her.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know if you wanted to….” I admitted, taking her book bag from her.

  “What are you doing?” she questioned, eyeing my hand.

  “Walking you to class?”

  Her eyes stared down, and a small smile curved on her gorgeous face. She peered up at me, her lashes dark and framing her eyes perfectly. My breath caught when she did that. She walked around me, turning after a few steps to make sure I followed.

  “Of course I want to. We’re friends, right?” she said, sauntering off.

  Her voice hummed in my mind, sending smoke signals to my heart. I think I would have followed her anywhere. I’d walk off a cliff if it’s where she led. “Of course. I offered you my crackers.”

  She giggled. “Gross crackers.”

  Mouth falling open, I stopped in my tracks. “What did you just say?”

  “You heard me,” she smirked. “Come on, we’re going to be late.”

  “I’m always late.” I shrugged and grinned.

  “I’m not. Let’s go,” she urged.

  Who could deny that sass? I fell into step beside her, catching a whiff of vanilla. Maybe her perfume or lotion. It smelled good. We didn’t say much as we walked through the hall and down the stairs, but talking wasn’t needed. Being near her was enough. We stopped by the door to her classroom where she leaned against the wall. She clutched her notebook to her chest and looked anywhere but at me.

  “Here you go.” Handing her bag to her, I made sure our fingers brushed. I loved touching her.

  “Thanks again,” she smiled.

  She disappeared into the classroom, but I peeked through the window and watched her make her way to her desk. Right in the front, naturally. The bell rang and she turned her attention to the front, so I decided to make my way to class. Halfway through math, I was bored and eager to do something else. School sucked. It was a lot more fun to skip and do something else, but they I wouldn’t see her. When Mr. Eggerd turned to write on the board, I slipped from the room and silently closed the door behind me. Tiptoeing down the hall, I stopped in front of the door and looked in at Francesca again.

  She chewed on her pencil and glanced my way, then back to her paper. When it registered, her head snapped back up and she stared at me wide-eyed. I winked and waved to her, then stood outside the door.

  Would she take the bait?

  A few minutes later, the door opened and she slipped out. “Cade,” she said somewhat surprised. “What are you doing?”

  “I was bored. Thought you might wanna skip with me.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “Skip? You mean just leave my stuff and don’t go back to class?”

  I nodded and gave her a half grin.

  “I told Mrs. Maynard I was going to the restroom.”

  I shrugged. “So you already lied. Why not leave with me? We can go somewhere.”

  Her cheeks grew flushed. “No,” she spat out. “I mean, I can’t do that!”

  Flustered and she was still gorgeous. I laughed. “Ok. You better go back then.”

  “Are you leaving?” She asked in such a small voice it tugged at my heart.

  “Nah. I’ll slip back in when he’s not looking.”

  Relieved, she grinned. “Good. See ya.”

  That moment was when I knew I’d do almost anything to make her happy.

  I let myself be talked into going to the school dance by one of the girls I talked to in class. Why? I had no idea. A small part of me, like a microcell, hoped Cade would come. It was unlikely, but I was kind of dumb when it came to him. I looked down at my white tank dress, placing a blue cardigan the color of his eyes over my shoulders. I left my hair down, naturally wavy. It annoyed me most of the time, but he told me once he liked it that way. The things this boy did to me…it was ridiculous. And exciting.

  I twirled in front of the mirror, somewhat satisfied with my appearance.

  “You look great. Cade will drool alllllll over you,” a young voice said from the door.

  I spun around, seeing Josie standing in the frame with a smirk on her face. “Josie,” I said, “what are you doing? Quit spying on me. I do not like Cade,” I scoffed, biting my lip at the lie.

  “Yes you do,” she taunted, dancing around in my room laughing.

  “Get out!” I yelled, diving for her.

  She escaped just before I reached her, giggling all the way down the hall. I rolled my eyes at her immaturity, then slipped on the kitten heels. I tried to slow the quickened pace of my heart, but it was impossible. I just had a feeling that Cade would be there.

  ###

  The school transformed the cafeteria into a dance floor. The lights were dimmed with a strobe of multi lights spinning on the walls. There were teachers in every corner, though no one did anything about the
grinding on the floor. I rolled my eyes at the cheesiness, while standing by the door, contemplating a quick exit. I felt so out of place and awkward.

  “Well, don’t you look lovely,” his voice dripped behind me, his breath tickling my ear as his words trickled in my brain.

  Turning slowly, I saw him in his usual attire, a white t-shirt and jeans, but he looked incredible. His dark hair appeared darker in the dimmed lighting, his eyes shone with eagerness.

  “You’re here,” I said dumbly. Like he didn’t know he was here. I was such an idiot sometimes.

  “I am,” he said, a sexy smirk showing on one side of his mouth. “Wanna dance?” he asked, his leg shaking nervously, his eyes desperately searching mine for an answer.

  I nodded, unable to speak. He grabbed me, pulling me to a spot close to where we stood. Warm fingers of one hand circled around my waist, while the others held my hand. He pulled me close, every inch of our bodies touching. His eyes never left mine as we swayed and spun. I was lost in all that was Cade Kelling.

  Slowly, he leaned me back, dipping me and following until our noses almost touched. His breath was warm, his breathing intense. I stared at him intently, willing him to put his lips on mine. Almost as suddenly, he stood us upright, putting a small distance between us.

  “There’s a teacher watching us,” he said, his head leaned against mine, his voice speaking into my hair.

  I nodded again. He was ripping me in pieces. He knew how to turn me into a puddle with a simple glance. I couldn’t take much more.

  Cupcakes were in my locker and I had no idea why. My first thought was Francesca, because she was kind like that, but why me? I saw the glances, the smiles. I knew she liked me on some level.

  However, no girl had ever baked for me.

  Of course, all the girls I’d been with thus far were basically whores. Slut nuggets who would do anything and everything to get a pounding. None of them meant anything. Which is why Francesca scared the ever living shit out of me.