Into Her Life: (The Complete Taboo Story of Forbidden Love) by Jill Soffalot Read Free Book Online

You should get your brother to introduce you to some musicians. Not for anything serious, but just as a rebounder. Musicians aren't usually boyfriend material, but they can be fun for one-nighters."
    Keryn laughed. "Yeah," she said. "I'll think about that."
    By the end of the night they were both wasted. At one in the morning Keryn stumbled out of Stacey's apartment, leaving her friend passed out on the bed with her clothes still on. Keryn found a cab and managed to get home safe.
    She did her best to make it inside quietly, but in her drunk condition she bumped and clattered her way in, shut the door with a thump, and finally made it to her bedroom. C.J. was on the couch, but she passed by without even a glance, heading straight to her room and closing the door behind her. Moments later she was asleep.
     
    Keryn slept in late the next morning. C.J. was up when she finally stumbled out of the bedroom, and she moved like a whirlwind around the apartment, never pausing to let him speak more than a word to her. In no time flat she was out the door, leaving him standing in the kitchen.
    Now everything was just as bad at work, except with the added fun of a crushing hangover. Plus, C.J. kept calling and texting her, asking her to call him back. She ignored everything, cursing herself that she would have to find another place to live. He could have her apartment and all her stuff. She couldn't go back there and face him. It was all too weird. She would have to just give up, let him have the place, and she would find somewhere else. Of course, she wasn't serious, but she dreaded the idea of the inevitable conversation that would have to take place between them.
    That night she gathered herself and went straight home from work. He had his show tonight. Maybe he would already be gone by the time she got home, but she expected to find him there, looking sad and confused, and they would have to have some really painfully awkward discussion about her choice to give her adult brother a hand job.
    But he wasn't there. She breathed a long sigh of relief when she walked in and found the lights off, except for the one over the breakfast bar in the kitchen. She dropped her bag and wandered in there. On the bar was a folded piece of note paper with her name written boldly across the back.
    Keryn poured a glass from the bottle of wine they'd opened on Wednesday, then sat down at the table and read what her brother had to say.
    "Hey Keryn," he wrote in small, clear printing, "I'm sorry we haven't talked since the other night. I guess you're pretty freaked out by what happened. Maybe we can say it's just something that neither of us planned, and if you don't want to talk about it, I understand and that's okay with me. I don't want you to feel bad about anything. I've really enjoyed spending time with you here, and I hope everything's not all screwed up now, because I really want us to be friends."
    She took a sip of wine. So far so good. He's okay with not talking about it. Good. She read on: "I have my show tonight," he continued, "and it would be great if you could make it out. It would be nice to see a familiar face there. Bring some friends if you want. It's at Sliders Bar. We're on at ten. Hope to see you. If not, we'll talk later. Love, C.J."
    Keryn put the letter down. Tears welled in her eyes, and she realized how selfish she was being, cutting him out the way she had. She'd been embarrassed because she'd acted on a foolish impulse, but she hadn't thought about things from his point of view: alone in the city, relying on her not just for a place to sleep, but for some kind of friendly human contact, someone in his corner. She'd been even worse than the bitchy snob he'd remembered. She'd acted like a lunatic.
    The wine was taking the edge off the lingering remains of the hangover. She got her phone from her purse and texted Stacey, inviting her out to the bar. Keryn gulped the last bit in her glass and went to change. She was better than