No Going Back [sample] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BPQXKQP3 [sample]

Chapter One Ebony

Tired doesn't even begin to describe how I feel. 

Beat. Dead. Shattered. Bone Tired. Mix them together and add a side order of exhaustion and you might get close. 

 I've been working at this shitty nightclub all night and yay for me I've got a full day of college ahead. To add to my shit list, my boss has been bitching at me all night thanks to my bad breakout of acne probably thanks to firstly lack of sleep, and the cheap food I exist on. On account of him being a monumental jerk, he is demanding that I cover my skin up as, quote 'it's putting off the customers.' I want to tell him that I'm selling beer not my body, but he's an ass, probably looking for a reason to pay me less. I'd also like to tell him that his body odor and ugly face is probably putting off the customers and at least I can do something about my spots. But despite what I've been taught, honesty isn't always the best policy, so I guess I'm going to have to suck it up and buy some cheap ass foundation, smothering it on before work, that's really going to help the complexion. To add insult to injury, it doesn't help that some weekends I work at a greasy diner, my skin permanently coated in a thick layer of cooking oil. 

 In the distance I see my bus approaching, materializing through a cloud of Houston smog. Sighing and with aching muscles I gather up my stuff and hop on. I'm heading directly to college today with zero sleep. Being broke as all hell means I don't have the money to go home and then get a bus back to college. Like death barely warmed up I roll up to the University of Houston Law department. Walking past the grand statue of Albertus Magnus down to the entrance never gets old, every day I say a silent prayer of thanks that I was accepted on a scholarship program here. Sleep deprivation has black dots jumping in front of my eyes as I rush to my lecture with only five minutes to spare. This is my elective option, so it includes students from other courses, I chose this one for no other reason than the time suited me but if it sucks, I get the opportunity to change it during the first couple of weeks. I grab an energy drink from the vending machine, it will make me feel jittery as hell but at least it will keep me awake. This must be a popular option as the room is already full, but I manage to find a seat, retrieving my laptop from my bag relieved I remembered to charge it up. I'm going to record this lecture in case I start dozing off, it was a busy night at work and I'm not confident I can stay awake. 

 A lull in the chatter has me looking up expecting to see the professor arriving. But oh no, there's only one other person that can silence a room like that, someone far more important. Well in their minds not mine. Strutting down the stairs with the adulation of someone that just returned from rescuing puppies from a burning building is the enigmatic Zac Hudson. Our resident star quarterback, college heartbreaker and Mr. all around perfect. Add to that NFL star potential and hotter than if a fire broke out in hell. If ever there was a check list for perfect, he would tick every box. Adonis like muscles. Tall. Golden Sunkissed skin. Mysterious dark green eyes with flecks of hazel. Chin length dark hair. Big fat checks. 

Everyone knows that he exists. Everyone notices him. Everyone fantasizes about getting down and dirty with him. You get the picture. He's closely followed by my all-time least favorite person, Psycho Barbie. Otherwise known as Chloe Ford. All around American dream girl. Her flowing blonde hair tumbles over her shoulder with effortless bounce and curls. Her body is flawless, everything in precise mathematically ideal proportions. And unfortunately, true to the stereotype of the head cheerleader, she is an A grade bitch. She is also Zac's guard dog, gnashing her teeth at any girl that tries to get close to him. I don't think they are dating but I know they hook up because sure enough every time they do, she will brag about it on her Instagram. I heard through the grapevine that his version of events is that he is too busy being God like to have time to date, plus I'm pretty sure exclusivity is of zero importance to him. Why would it be, the man leaves a trail of swooning girls wherever he goes. I affectionately named Chloe psycho barbie because I often see her being awful to anyone, she thinks is beneath her. That includes most of the student population especially ones that have to work minimum paid jobs to supplement their lifestyle. Only the elite few have the 'privilege' of witnessing her sickly-sweet persona, the one she morphs into when she deems them worthy of her status. Honestly, she can switch personalities quicker than Wonder Woman transforms in a telephone box. One thing I do envy is her clear complexion. If she were to get one pimple, she would no doubt be rushed by ambulance to the best dermatologist that money could buy.