Chained: A Bad Boy Romance by Nora Flite, Leah Holt Read Free Book Online

hour before I needed to be at work. A good friend of mine, Sara, was meeting me here so we could catch up some.
    I had gone to school with her, we'd had a class on group therapy together. After school she'd moved here, to Greene.
    Seeing her would be a relief. It's a good feeling, having a friend so far from home.
    I glanced around the room, looking for her recognizable red mane. I'd never been here before. The walls were pasted with famous people, bright red chairs were perched at every table. There were multiple outlets against the walls of each nook.
    This place has some character for a coffee chain.
    “Hey, Charlie! Over here!” Her loud New Yorker accent filled the room. Sara stood and waved me over. Every head in the coffee house turned, their attention on me and my friend. Around here, the folks were quiet and reserved.
    They weren't ready for women like Sara.
    Sara had a very different type of personality for this area; she was bold and outspoken. Here, everyone talked behind closed doors. It was an old school town were whispers crept as you walked by.
    We both had a tendency to say too much. I think that's what made us such good friends.
    “Hey lady, how are things?” she said as she leaned in for a hug.
    “Ah, they're good I guess.” My nose wrinkled when I spoke the words. I had so much conflict with the feelings I had for Owen. I knew I couldn't tell her about it. It was unethical for me to have any desire for him at all. Unethical, and illegal.
    But I couldn't stop thinking about him.
    She blinked, holding me by the shoulders. “What's wrong?”
    “It's nothing really, just the usual stuff. New job, new town, new boss. A whole lot of changes for a southern girl.”
    “Yeah, well, it could be worse,” she said with a hollow laugh. “You could be in the midst of an ugly break up, like myself.” Sara released me, toying with her hair. “Frigging jerk, doesn't call me for two days and I'm the bad guy. I don't think so.”
    I bit back a small smile. “Isn't this the third or fourth time you guys split?”
    “It's the third, but that's not the point!”
    Eyeing her pout, I shook my head and chuckled. “You really are something. Well, I'm sure you guys will work it out.” As much as the world around me might have changed, other things stayed the same.
    “Yeah, we probably will,” she said. “I guess I love him. A little.” Her laugh echoed through the building. Again, every set of eyes turned to us. “So tell me about your new job, how do you like it? I can't believe you're working there. That prison is creepy, even from the outside.”
    I watched her pour three sugars into her coffee and sip it. “Still have a sweet tooth, huh?” I had to say it, the woman had been sweetening everything for years, even her vegetables. It was no wonder she was so high strung.
    “Ha! Yeah. It's good, I swear. I don't just do it to help me get through the morning.” Sara squinted at me, pointing with her coffee cup. “Don't change the subject. How's work?”
    “I like it, it's definitely different. I don't really care for the warden, but overall it's going well.” I wanted to yell, I have a crush on an inmate! I can't get him out of  my head! But I couldn't do that. She would definitely disapprove, and probably smack me.
    Maybe I should tell her, I could use a good slap to bring me back to reality.
    Even the mere idea of touching—god, fucking—Owen was breaking a major rule for patient and doctor relationships. I really wished I could tell someone what was going on in my head.
    “That's it, huh? That's the reason you give me when I can see things for you suck face? I don't buy it. When you're ready to tell me, let me know.” She sipped her espresso and rolled her eyes. Sara knew me too well, she'd realized I wasn't being honest.
    I sighed violently. “It's complicated, let's just leave it at that.”
    We spent the rest of the time catching up on her social life and laughing about our college days. It