Page 165 of From Rivals to I Do

Be blessed!

Skylar

Love Unlocked

Enemies-to-Lovers Clean Romance Novel

Skylar White

Copyright 2023 by Skylar White - All rights reserved. In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of

this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited, and any storage

of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

Contents

1. Chapter One

2. Chapter Two

3. Chapter Three

4. Chapter Four

5. Chapter Five

6. Chapter Six

7. Chapter Seven

8. Chapter Eight

9. Chapter Nine

10. Chapter Ten

11. Chapter Eleven

Thank You

Chapter one

Chapter One

"So, this is it, huh?"

Abel peered through the windshield at the restaurant, his nose wrinkled. He was sixteen when he walked through the prison doors ten years ago. He had been a junior in high school, and while he was not a Straight-A student, he was on the honor roll. Abel Delgado, in high school, was on his way to bigger and better things in his life.

Abel had aspirations and dreams, and going to prison was not a part of his foreseen destiny. His life was supposed to turn out differently. Abel was never supposed to be an ex-convict at twenty-six. And he certainly wasn't supposed to be working for minimum wage. He caught sight of his reflection in the rearview mirror and grimaced. The years had not been as cruel to him as one might expect. He still had his same youthful puppy dog eyes, but his hair was longer, and his round jaw was square, giving him a more rigid, more brutal look. He was not a skinny little kid anymore. In prison, there was not much to do other than work out and read, and Abel did plenty of both. The result was a stronger mind and body. By any stretch, he was not a frail man, but he was, as they say, these days, stacked and buffed. Still, as he leaned against the open window, his muscular arms swam in his brother's oversized shirt.

"Hey, fix your face," said his brother, Rafael. He'd been the one to drive him there. In fact, according to Rafael, he had to call in a favor to make this happen in the first place. Nobody was looking to hire a felon, after all.

"Please do not feel bad about working at a restaurant; you have to start somewhere," Rafael said. "This could end up being a good opportunity if you give this job a chance. Some guys in your position do not even get a chance at freedom and normal life."

"Whose fault is that?" he muttered bitterly and immediately regretted it. Rafael went silent, and Abel's face flushed with embarrassment. He had not meant to fire a shot at Rafael. Especially not now. "Sorry, I didn't mean that."