Guest
Blog
Thanks for hosting! The Final Straight
is the story of Max and April’s friendship, and how it is torn apart when her
ex, AJ, comes back onto the scene. With lies, betrayal, and secrets coming out,
it shows the angst felt in a love triangle, and that is the subject of today’s
guest blog.
Anyone who has been in that situation
knows how painful it can be. In the case of The Final Straight, April is torn
between her ex and her best friend, both of whom profess to be in love with
her, and neither of which could be titled The Ideal Man. AJ comes across as a
self-obsessed businessman, one who can provide for her, but is known to be less
than caring. Max cares for her, but is known for being a womanising cheat. The
two men are rivals right from the start, there is certainly no love lost
between them.
Some women may dream about having men
fighting for their attention and love – the idea of two men wanting you can be
erotic. But the reality of it can be heart-breaking.
Many years ago, I was friends with
someone who I started to date. It became an on-off relationship, but eventually
we split up and agreed to remain friends. It worked for a long time, but I knew
how he really felt about me, and I will admit that I played on that. If I
needed something, or a lift to somewhere, guess who I rang? Then I met someone
who I truly did fall in love with. I hoped that my friend and boyfriend would
get on, and for a while they did. But it became strained. It was obvious that
my friend was jealous, and one drunken night things got out of hand. Although
we’ve stayed in contact, we haven’t really spoken since. And I miss that.
Even though neither of them ever told me
to make a choice, I knew that I had to, and I chose my boyfriend. I don’t
regret that decision. But I do miss my friend sometimes. I grew up in a house
full of women, and he was the closest thing I had to a brother. I miss that
relationship.
That’s why love triangles are never a
good thing. Despite the initial grab of attention, despite the adrenaline and
endorphine flood at the sight of two men arguing over you, it’s going to end
with at least one person being hurt.
Fortunately, life goes on and we are all
happily married with children now. Read The Final Straight to find out how
April resolves her love triangle...
Excerpt
Max
stood in the doorway, watching April as she slept. She shuffled under the
weight of her nightmares. Stepping to the side, he let a shaft of light sweep
from the landing to the bed. April rolled to her side, her arm flopped over her
face. She murmured. Her breathing quickened.
“It
can’t be morning,” she groaned, turning onto her stomach and burying her head
in the thick pillows.
“You
were having a nightmare,” he said, as if that would explain his voyeurism.
Turning
to face him, she forced herself to sit up. “Was I?” She pressed her knuckles
into the corners of her eyes, then reached across for the pair of black rimmed
glasses on the bedside table.
Max
half-smiled as she placed them on her nose and peered at him. She’d stopped
wearing them in public, ever since he’d teased her for having four eyes when
they were younger.
“You’re
going to have to tell me at some point.” He shoved his hands into the pockets
of the loose tracksuit bottoms he wore, and moved into the room.
“Tell
you what?”
“Whatever
it is that’s bothering you. You’ve been even more pissy than normal.”
April
reached up to rub her shoulder and neck. “What time is it?”
“Four.”
“Couldn’t
this have waited until the morning?” She swung her legs out of bed, tugging at
the hem of the oversized T-shirt she’d borrowed from his drawer.
“Technically
it is morning.” Max rubbed his toes into the carpet, staring at his feet. “I
couldn’t sleep.”
“So
you thought you’d wake me.” April stood, raking her fingers through her hair
and pulling it into a tight ponytail before letting the curls loose. She walked
past him, towards the bathroom. He followed until she shut the door in his
face.
Leaning
against the frame, he pressed his head against the wall. “I don’t believe that
this is all over the Banks girl. Or the board meeting. Something else is
bothering you.”
She
opened the door, releasing the sound of a flushing toilet, and looked up at
him. Something burned in her eyes. Her green irises glistened, a sheen of
sadness and regret. He’d seen it before.
“Have
I done something to upset you? I mean, really
upset you,” he added on seeing the look she gave him.
“No.”
She headed back into the bedroom. “Please Max, I have a banging headache and
need to sleep. I’ve got to ring the college tomorrow, and there are still a
thousand and one things I didn’t do yesterday.”
“I
need to know what’s going on, April.”
She
licked her bottom lip, then ran her teeth over the smooth edge. It was a bad
habit of hers, one she did when she had a secret she wanted to spill. She took
a breath and opened her mouth, but closed it before any words slipped out. She
blinked.
“In
the morning,” she assured him, rubbing her hand up and down his arm. She turned
and walked back to her room. The hem of the T-shirt rose with each stride,
showing the curve of her backside.
He
felt himself stirring. Not for the first time, he found himself thinking of
something mundane to try and avoid the temptation to grab her and kiss her,
hard. But he couldn’t risk fracturing their friendship.
She was
right when she’d said they wanted different things. April wanted marriage, an
official and legally binding commitment, added pressure to a relationship. And
children? Well, that was an altogether different problem. Kids were hard work.
Kids meant sleepless nights and a funeral for his social life.
Blurb
/ Buy Links
April
Miller works for her best-friend, Max Knight on his livery and competition
yard. Their friendship has withstood many turbulent times, and while April is
deeply in love with Max, she is also aware of his womanising ways and has
refused to succumb to his flirtatious charms. When her ex, AJ, suddenly comes
back with a business proposal, April finds herself torn between the two men.
Bio
/ Links
Charlotte lives in Somerset with her husband, two children, and
growing menagerie of pets and can always be found with a cup of tea in her
hand. When she's not writing or running around after small people and animals,
she loves to eat curry and watch action films.
Charlotte is an active (and vocal) member of the Yeovil Creative
Writers.
choward2614.wordpress.com
https://instagram.com/choward_author/
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