Truly Mine Read Free Page B

loser. Sadly, gossip travels fast in a small town, and even sadder is that everyone believes what they hear.
    But here I am, driving my Lexus LFA, while wearing a white sleeveless Gucci pantsuit. My earrings cost more than some of the houses in this town, and my shoes cost more than the cars I’m sharing the road with. But more important than any of the expensive things I own is that I love my life. I love what I do for a living even if the people in this small town would not approve.
    Just off Main Street is my destination. The Burke Law Firm is as old as Fallport. The brick building looks the same, aside from the new sign hanging in the front window— Burke and Burke Law Firm .
    The Burkes ran this town when I was a kid. Mr. and Mrs. Burke were both lawyers. The whole family knew their status in town and made sure that everyone else knew it as well.
    The only people who had a higher rank around here were Dr. Bord’s family. The two Bord daughters, Christina and Jennifer, were the prettiest girls I’d ever seen. They wore expensive clothes and jewelry, and they carried themselves with poise and confidence. I was in awe of them…and maybe a little jealous.
    They had a queen for a mother, and I had a dirty whore for a mother.
    Mrs. Bord had been crowned Miss Fallport long before each one of her daughters won their titles. And, no matter how much money they had or how perfect their lives appeared, they were kind. Even to me.
    I pull into the parking space in front of Burke and Burke and just sit in my car. In my warped mind, I fear I will be tainted again the minute I step out and expose myself to this town. I’ve worked my ass off to get to where I am today, and I toe a fine line to ensure I’ll never end up as the girl I once was.
    After several cleansing deep breaths, I exit the car and make my way down the sidewalk to the law office. The warmth of the sun beats down on my bare shoulders, and the smell of chlorine coming from the swimming pool a few blocks away permeates the air.
    As if I’ve been smacked upside the head with a brick, childhood memories flood my mind. I stop dead in my tracks and lay my arm across my stomach as a miserable punch of insecurity hits me. As clear as day, I see flashbacks of myself as a child walking on this exact sidewalk. The crumbling concrete curb I would inevitably trip over at least once a day has been fixed, and there are no more cracks to step over so that I won’t break my mother’s back.
    A skinny little girl with long dark hair and an attitude for miles, I was always up to no good. The smile I wore hid my deep pain.
    Much the same as today actually. I guess some things never change.
    I remember, even that young, I could be in a crowd of people that I called my friends, yet I’d feel so alone. I think about who or what could have stopped me from myself. Surely, someone knew what was coming, long before it became my reality. I will forever wonder why not one single person wanted to save that good little girl before all the bad consumed her.
    “Are you okay, ma’am?”
    I snap out of my haze to find a familiar face. Golden boy Tyler Burke is staring at me.
    My heart pounds in my chest. I was praying I could get in and out of this town without opening old wounds—specifically ones caused by Tyler.
    In high school, Tyler was gorgeous and smart and funny. He had the attention of every girl with a pulse.
    I swear, he’s not aged one bit. His dirty-blond hair is messier than I’ve ever seen it, and his shoulders are broader than they were the last time I saw him. The tight black T-shirt clings to his chest. His muscles bulge under that tee like artwork. He still takes my breath away.
    It’s not that I don’t see stupidly hot men every day in New York. The difference is, those men are stuffy and proper. Tyler is rough and rugged, unrefined at best. They wear suits, and Tyler wears…whatever the fuck he wants.
    In high school, he looked good in workout wear, sports uniforms,