Free Novel Read

Fragile Love (Fragile Series, #3)




  Fragile Love

  Fragile Series, Volume 3

  Lexy Timms

  Published by Dark Shadow Publishing, 2017.

  Also by Lexy Timms

  A Chance at Forever Series

  Forever Perfect

  Forever Desired

  Forever Together

  Alpha Bad Boy Motorcycle Club Triology

  Alpha Biker

  Alpha Revenge

  Alpha Outlaw

  Alpha Purpose

  BBW Romance Series

  Capturing Her Beauty

  Pursuing Her Dreams

  Tracing Her Curves

  Beating the Biker Series

  Making Her His

  Making the Break

  Making of Them

  Conquering Warrior Series

  Ruthless

  Diamond in the Rough Anthology

  Billionaire Rock

  Billionaire Rock - part 2

  Dominating PA Series

  Her Personal Assistant - Part 1

  Her Personal Assistant Box Set

  Fake Billionaire Series

  Faking It

  Temporary CEO

  Caught in the Act

  Never Tell A Lie

  Fake Christmas (Coming Soon)

  Firehouse Romance Series

  Caught in Flames

  Burning With Desire

  Craving the Heat

  Firehouse Romance Complete Collection

  Fortune Riders MC Series

  Billionaire Biker

  Billionaire Ransom

  Billionaire Misery

  Fragile Series

  Fragile Touch

  Fragile Kiss

  Fragile Love

  Hades' Spawn Motorcycle Club

  One You Can't Forget

  One That Got Away

  One That Came Back

  One You Never Leave

  One Christmas Night

  Hades' Spawn MC Complete Series

  Heart of Stone Series

  The Protector

  The Guardian

  The Warrior

  Heart of the Battle Series

  Celtic Viking

  Celtic Rune

  Celtic Mann

  Heart of the Battle Series Box Set

  Just About Series

  About Love

  About Truth

  Justice Series

  Seeking Justice

  Finding Justice

  Chasing Justice

  Pursuing Justice

  Justice - Complete Series

  Love You Series

  Love Life

  Need Love

  My Love

  Managing the Bosses Series

  The Boss

  The Boss Too

  Who's the Boss Now

  Love the Boss

  I Do the Boss

  Wife to the Boss

  Employed by the Boss

  Brother to the Boss

  Senior Advisor to the Boss

  Forever the Boss

  Gift for the Boss - Novella 3.5

  Christmas With the Boss

  Moment in Time

  Highlander's Bride

  Victorian Bride

  Modern Day Bride

  A Royal Bride

  Forever the Bride

  Outside the Octagon

  Submit

  RIP Series

  Track the Ripper

  Hunt the Ripper

  Pursue the Ripper

  R&S Rich and Single Series

  Alex Reid

  Parker

  Saving Forever

  Saving Forever - Part 1

  Saving Forever - Part 2

  Saving Forever - Part 3

  Saving Forever - Part 4

  Saving Forever - Part 5

  Saving Forever - Part 6

  Saving Forever Part 7

  Saving Forever - Part 8

  Saving Forever Boxset Books #1-3

  Southern Romance Series

  Little Love Affair

  Siege of the Heart

  Freedom Forever

  Soldier's Fortune

  Tattooist Series

  Confession of a Tattooist

  Surrender of a Tattooist

  Heart of a Tattooist

  Hopes & Dreams of a Tattooist

  Tennessee Romance

  Whisky Lullaby

  Whisky Melody

  Whisky Harmony

  The Brush Of Love Series

  Every Night

  Every Day

  Every Time

  The Debt

  The Debt: Part 1 - Damn Horse

  The Debt: Complete Collection

  The University of Gatica Series

  The Recruiting Trip

  Faster

  Higher

  Stronger

  Dominate

  No Rush

  University of Gatica - The Complete Series

  T.N.T. Series

  Troubled Nate Thomas - Part 1

  Troubled Nate Thomas - Part 2

  Troubled Nate Thomas - Part 3

  Undercover Series

  Perfect For Me

  Perfect For You

  Perfect For Us

  Unknown Identity Series

  Unknown

  Unpublished

  Unexposed

  Unsure

  Unlucky Series

  Unlucky in Love

  Standalone

  Wash

  Loving Charity

  Summer Lovin'

  Christmas Magic: A Romance Anthology

  Love & College

  Billionaire Heart

  First Love

  Frisky and Fun Romance Box Collection

  Managing the Bosses Box Set #1-3

  Fragile Love

  Fragile Series Books #3

  By Lexy Timms

  Copyright 2017 Lexy Timms

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to an actual person, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  All rights reserved.

  Fragile Love

  Fragile Series # 3

  Copyright 2017 by Lexy Timms

  Cover by: Book Cover by Design

  FRAGILE SERIES

  Fragile Touch

  Book 1

  Fragile Kiss

  Book 2

  Fragile Love

  Book 3

  Find Lexy Timms:

  Lexy Timms Newsletter:

  http://eepurl.com/9i0vD

  Lexy Timms Facebook Page:

  https://www.facebook.com/SavingForever

  Lexy Timms Website:

  http://lexytimms.wix.com/savingforever

  Want to read
more...

  For FREE?

  Sign up for Lexy Timms’ newsletter

  And she’ll send you

  A paid read, for FREE!

  Sign up for news and updates!

  http://eepurl.com/9i0vD

  Fragile Love Blurb

  CAYDEN SHOULDN’T BE the one.

  Not the one with Lillian. He’s tall, dark, handsome, and strong. She’s... well, she’s fragile. In every sense of the world.

  They’re nothing alike.

  He’s outdoorsy, adventurous, a personal trainer, loves to party, has social skills that would make a celebrity jealous, and in love with Lillian. She’s quiet, a bit of a lost soul, learning to manage her Crohn’s disease, and still suffering from the loss of her best friend.

  When Andrew, the brother of her best friend, is hurt in an accident, Lillian drops everything to help him. Convincing Cayden that she feels obligated, that Andrew isn’t in love with her, that she has everything under control, might be nearly impossible.

  Can their love survive distance, mistrust, and hurt? Or will the pain of the past drive a wedge between Cayden and Lillian forever?

  Contents

  FRAGILE SERIES

  Find Lexy Timms:

  Fragile Love Blurb

  Chapter 01

  Chapter 02

  Chapter 03

  Chapter 04

  Chapter 05

  Chapter 06

  Chapter 07

  Chapter 08

  Chapter 09

  Chapter 10

  FRAGILE SERIES

  Find Lexy Timms:

  FREE READS

  More by Lexy Timms:

  Chapter 01

  CAYDEN’S HANDS WERE huge compared to Lillian’s. As they sat there in the quiet of the middle of the night, she looked down at how her hands seemed to disappear when he held them. The way the shadows rippled across his skin made him look even stronger than he already was, including his hands. She never realized people could have hand muscles. Cayden was certainly teaching her a lot.

  She sighed, timidly looking at him out of the corner of her eye. He was staring into the distance, some small, mysterious smile lingering on his lips. It made the corners of her mouth turn up as well.

  “Hey.” She lightly tapped his shoulder. He looked down at her. “What’s that smile for?”

  He blinked, like he was trying to understand what she was talking about. The grin got bigger. “Oh, this thing?” He pointed at his mouth. “This means I’m thinking of you.”

  Lillian blushed.

  Cayden leaned down and whispered, “Is it real?”

  “Yes,” she whispered back.

  “We’re not broken anymore? You and me, we’re together, right?”

  “No, we’re not.” She felt slightly embarrassed about it. “I mean, we’re not broken. We’re together.” All that trouble of breaking up with him, the silly arguments, the energy she’d spent trying to get rid of her true feelings towards him. When she realized getting rid of her feelings was impossible, she tried to conceal them. That was equally impossible for them both.

  I guess fate can’t be reckoned with, she thought.

  “If we weren’t in a hospital right now,” Cayden murmured, his breath tickling her ear, “I would get up and dance.”

  “Would you now.”

  “I would.” He looked serious about it.

  “What kind of dance would you do?” Lillian threw the question at him, trying not to giggle.

  “Some sort of jig, definitely,” he replied, without skipping a beat.

  Her eyes widened. “Wow, you certainly have given it some serious thought.”

  “What do you think I’ve been envisioning, staring into the distance over here?” He winked, moving his arm to wrap around her shoulders. The hospital room was freezing; she hadn’t realized how cold she was until the warmth of his body began to thaw her out.

  The clock ticked. She felt herself nodding off and didn’t fight it. The past couple of days she had barely slept, staying in this room twenty-four hours a day to make sure Andrew was fine. He looked so much better already. Lying here in the faint light in this hospital bed surrounded by machines ensuring he was stable, he looked so much like his sister, Amelia.

  Lillian felt her lips form the shape of her best friend’s name. Amelia’s face appeared in her mind, smiling and laughing like she always was unless she was sharing some existential truth with someone. Only a couple of years ago, Amelia had been lying in a bed in this very same hospital. If she had been allowed in the ICU, Lillian could have walked directly to the room Amelia had been in for a day before she let go.

  Her eyes grew wet, but no tears fell. She straightened her back and leaned her head on Cayden’s chest. His arm hugged her tighter, helping ease some of her emotional discomfort. Andrew’s okay, she told herself, looking at his sleeping face. He’s still here after a couple of days. The doctors said he’s going to be fine. His wreck wasn’t nearly as bad as Amelia’s.

  All of a sudden, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Shifting her weight to the side, she pulled it out of her sweatshirt. Frances Waters. Andrew’s mom.

  “Hi, Frances—Mom,” she croaked. “Are you two sleeping okay down there?”

  “These chairs are terrible,” Frances complained, sounding just as tired as Lillian felt. “How is he?”

  “Nothing has happened. He’s fine. Still asleep.”

  Frances hummed. “Good. The doctor came and found us down here; I guess he didn’t know you were in there tonight.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He said they’re really pleased with how strong Andrew is. I don’t remember everything. All good things.”

  “Great.” Lillian breathed a sigh of relief.

  “You were out of the room earlier when they came in to check his sutures,” Frances continued, sounding like she was half-asleep already. “They’re going to take him back in around six. He’s got something leaking and they want to clean it up and make sure everything looks okay inside. Said it was normal. However, I might be getting all the details wrong.”

  “It’s okay. It’s not a big procedure, is it?”

  “No. It’s nothing serious, the way the doctor made it sound. It shouldn’t take very long, either.”

  “Okay.” She rubbed her eyes. “Are you going to try to get some more sleep now?”

  “Actually, we’re going home to rest for a few hours. I’ve given the doctor your phone number. I told him you won’t be far away.”

  “That’s fine. Yeah, I’m going to try to get some more sleep.” She looked at Cayden. The bags under his eyes were getting darker and darker.

  “Is Cayden okay?”

  “He’s good.” She held the phone up to his mouth.

  “Hi, Mom?” he said. “I love you.”

  Lillian lightly pushed him. “He’s getting weird. Lack of sleep is getting to him.”

  “It must be getting to you, too. Promise me you’ll get some rest.”

  “I will.”

  “And you won’t come home with us to rest?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’ll just stay here. I’d rather one of us is here in case he wakes up.”

  “Thanks, sweetie. But you do need to go home and rest eventually. You can’t wait at the hospital forever. Every time I ask you say no, but I thought it was worth a try.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Just sleepy.”

  “I’ll take care of her, Frances,” Cayden called into the phone.

  “Good,” Frances said. “Okay, we’d better get going before we faint. See you tomorrow.”

  “Take an easy morning, okay? I’ll call you if we need you.”

  “Okay. Talk to you when we wake up.”

  “Sleep well.” Lillian waited until Frances ended the call before putting down the phone. She turned to Cayden. “She sounded terrible.”

  “You also sound terrible.”

  “I think Andrew’s mom likes you.” She knew they wanted her t
o call them ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’. It just hadn’t always stuck.

  “That’s a relief, because I like her. Andrew’s dad, too.” Cayden cracked his knuckles and stood up to stretch. “Hey, I have a wacky idea.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “So, I’ve been doing some searching on my phone,” he started, holding his cell phone in front of her face, “and, as it turns out, there’s a hotel just down the road.”

  “Are you going?” She didn’t wait for a reply. “You should go.”

  “You should come with me.”

  Lillian pointed at Andrew. “I need to stay with him.”

  “What, to watch him sleep?”

  She scowled.

  “Come on,” he pleaded, taking her into his arms. “Come snuggle with me. You need a good rest and a hot shower. No offense.”

  “Stop tempting me.”

  “There’s a free breakfast...”

  Slowly, she turned and stared at Andrew. His chest rose and fell steadily. “I don’t know.”

  “Please?” He made a pouty face. “Just tell him we’re going to rest so we can be more present for him when he wakes up.”

  “Do you think he can hear me?” she asked quietly, feeling like a child.

  He nodded. “I’m absolutely sure he can hear you.”

  Lillian sighed, unable to keep the visions of a hot bath and a warm bed out of her mind. She could almost feel the steam from a hot shower tickling her skin. Pulling away from Cayden, she sat on the side of Andrew’s bed. “Hey, Andrew,” she whispered, pulling the sheets up to his neck. “Cayden’s trying to get me to leave you.”

  “No, I’m not,” he contradicted. “I’m trying to take care of her.”

  “It’s working,” she told Andrew. “He’s very convincing.”

  “I’m going to give her a shower and a good sleep, and an awesome free continental breakfast. You would approve, Andrew.”

  “I think I’m going to do it,” Lillian whispered.