2016 WATTY AWARD WINNING CHEATER, FAKER, TROUBLEMAKER SEQUEL
Written by Jenny Rosen & Kristen Maglonzo
For rehabilitated bad boy, Elias King, falling in love again means losing everything--including his life.
When a ghost from his past tears him aw...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
*NOTE: Check out the audiobook version of this chapter voiced by kaelking12! Featuring music by Brand New, The Victors, Hidden in Plain View, The Afters, and Paramore.
Elias
Outgoing call to Dan Perry :
DP: Hey, Elias! I was just about to call you. Ready for the big day?
EK: No! I'm freaking out, Dan. I'm sweating through my clothes, I'm jittery as balls, and I've already maxed out my daily limit of anxiety pills. Does it sound like I'm ready to you?
DP: Elias, remember what we talked about. Your head is--
EK: --my worst enemy, I know, I know. But I've got a really bad feeling about today. I'm gonna fuck everything up, aren't I? What if she doesn't want to--
DP: She'll want to, Elias. You've had a great two weeks with her. You're smiling more, laughing, honestly, I haven't seen you this happy in a while. From the sound of things, the both of you have made a lot of healthy progress.
EK: Yeah, but you know how she is. One minute she's all flowers and roses and then the next she wants to chop my balls off, and everything's always my fault.
DP: Trust takes time.
EK: I know! I just--what if--? What if she doesn't trust me today? I need her to trust me today.
DP: I know you do. But you have to have a little faith in her if you want this to work. The problem is, the two of you don't trust each other.
EK: I trust her!
DP: Then why are you calling?
EK: Because I'm scared of her, alright! She's not like other girls, Dan. She shuts me down without batting an eyelash and once she's made up her mind, there's nothing I can do to change it.
DP: And, that's why she's good for you.
EK: That's why she's gonna be the end of me. I've got less than ten minutes before I have to try to pull off the impossible with an impossible woman, and I'm thinking about bailing.
DP: Then leave.
EK: Are you serious?
DP: Are you?
EK: No! I can't back out now, I just need you to give me some confidence boosting advice, D-man. I'm dying out here.
DP: Just be the guy she wants you to be. No ego, no over-the-top showmanship, no seduction tactics--
EK: Woah, woah, woah! Now, that's going too far.
DP: I'm serious, Eli. If you want your plans to work out, you have to be the guy I know. You've gotta show up, not bro up.
