We're excited to introduce a new Rock Star Author and her amazing debut, Beautiful Broken Rules! We have an exclusive scene re-written from Jaxon Riley's POV, if you haven't met him yet, you will love him. Also, Kimberly's Dream Cast and inspiration for Jaxon & Emerson. This is a touching, sexy, angsty and brilliantly written love story - we cannot recommend it enough. Excerpt from Jax's POV:
Chapter Seventeen Football game scene
When Jace and I were sixteen, college recruiters began coming around to watch our games. Since our school had started winning the state championship every year, they wanted to know the players responsible. I remember laying out on the lawn one night after catching all of my dad’s passes and talking to him about the future.
“One day, you’ll be suiting up in your University jersey and stepping out onto the field to play a championship game in front of thousands,” he said while tossing the ball in the air and watching it spiral back down.
“Those are some pretty big dreams, old man,” I remember laughing.
“Don’t doubt your abilities, Jaxon. You and Jace are a force to be reckoned with together on the field, but I know you’ll do a damn fine job without him.” He sat up to look at me. “Just promise me that when that day comes, no matter what’s going on in life, you’ll leave it off the field. Chances like that won’t come around often. Keep your head in the game and make sure everything else stays out.”
Now here I am, suited up in our brand-new, special edition NCAA Championship jerseys and I’m trying my damnedest to remember every word my dad said to me that day. I need to recall the tone of his voice and the way he emphasized the words ‘no matter what.’ If he were here today he could repeat all of this to me, but he’s not. Even though Jace is not my biggest fan right now, he still tried to give me a pep talk me this morning. But for some reason, nothing is sticking. She is the only thing I can think about.
When my cleats connect with the freshly manicured grass on the field, I try to push her out of my head. I love you like crazy Emerson, but damn it, you don’t belong here right now. I’ve worked too hard for this moment and I can’t even enjoy it. I’m so fucking pissed... at myself for not being stronger, at Emerson for running away, and at the fact that I won’t be getting a good luck kiss. Damn, Jace would tear me a new one if he heard how whipped I am.
When I step up to the metal barrier in front of my brother and Quinn, they both give me pitying looks. If they could stop doing that as soon as fucking possible, that would be great. I don’t need any more pity. I got enough of that from mom today when she called to apologize for not being here, and then continued to talk about Emerson.
“You ready for this?” Jace asks.
I ignore his question and ask Quinn, “How is she?” Why the hell am I asking this?
“I know I shouldn’t be but I’m pissed at you, Jax. Don’t ask me about her right now,” Quinn snaps back, but I can see the apology in her face too. She’s protective over Emerson and I'm glad; she needs that.
“I just need to know.” Do I need to know that she’s doing as piss-poor as I am?
“Dude, she cried all night. Is that what you wanted to hear?” Cole says, from behind me and then walks away, obviously not wanting to hear my answer. He has some kind of brotherly-protective instinct over Emerson that’s really starting to piss me off.
And call me an asshole, but that’s exactly what I wanted to hear. Because if someone tells me that she went out, partied her hot little ass off and ended up in some dude’s bed last night, I won’t make it through this day without ending up in jail. I saw the looks she got every time we walked into a room. I saw the lust in their eyes and the jealousy, knowing that they couldn’t touch her anymore.
Like a magnetic pull, I look over, just in time to see Emerson step up into the stands. Fuck me. She looks completely amazing and utterly terrible at the same time. I’m gutted and I can’t pull my eyes away from her. She’s wearing the cowboy boots I bought for her in Texas and that dress... I’ve been salivating thinking about her wearing it since my mom pulled it off the rack. Just like I remembered in the dressing room, her tits look fucking phenomenal in it. I’m not the only schmuck who thinks so either. In my peripheral, I can already count five idiots who are about to get their lights knocked out if they don’t avert their gazes.
I could hop over this barrier right now and end our pain. I could tell her how big of an asshole I was yesterday and how I should have never let it get that bad. I could tell her how, every second since then, I wish I hadn’t let Cole carry her away or how her CD ripped my heart from my chest last night and I cried like a baby listening to it.
But none of that would be fair to either of us. She’s already started her grieving process and the fact remains that we aren’t good for one another. Contrary to what I thought, I was never making her stronger. I don't want to be the one to tear her down and have her panic again like she did the other day. I also can’t handle being constantly pushed away. I thought that once we were officially together, it would be all sunshine and rainbows. Obviously, I was fucking delusional.
Before any of my friends yell at me for publicly drooling over Emerson, I make my way back to the team to get ready for kick-off. When I’m out on the field, I allow myself one more glance. Jace has her wrapped in his arms and her sexy little boots are dangling off the ground. My fists clench and I silently curse her for creating these murderous intentions toward my own brother. As I watch him whisper something in her ear, she peers over his shoulder to look at me, and I can see the agony in her eyes.
I did that. I put that there. Every cell in my body is telling me to screw this game and fix this, but I know she’ll get over it. Once the shock of it all wears off, she’ll realize that we’re better off apart.
“Keep your head in the game and make sure everything else stays out.” I hear my dad’s words repeat in my head.
That’s exactly what I attempt to do. For the entire sixty minutes of game-time, I manage to think about football and only football. She was only able to sneak in during halftime and timeouts. Just as Cole crosses the end zone for the winning touchdown and I hear the final whistle, I give a fist pump and smile toward him. When he gives me an exuberant one back, I know he’s not as mad at me as he's trying to make me think and that we’ll be okay. I let him run off toward Quinn and the gang, and I turn toward the locker room to go change.
My dad always taught us to be humble. "Celebrate your victories son, but don’t make yourself look like a jackass." He would have wanted me to stop and appreciate this moment, but right now I just want to go home.
As I’m lost in thoughts of how much better this would be if my dad could have actually been here, I misstep when Tatum jumps in my arms. My helmet falls from my hands as I fumble to keep her from crashing to the ground. What the hell is she doing?
She runs her fingers through my sweat-soaked hair and says, “Congratulations! You were so great out there.”
When I realize I’m still holding her and she has her legs wrapped around my waist, I immediately set her down, not caring about the pouty look she’s giving. I quickly look back to see if I’m out of sight from Emerson, and am thankful that I am. “Uh… thanks Tatum.” I continue toward the locker room but she follows.
“Let’s go out tonight. You need to celebrate.”
“Not going to happen.”
“I’ll let you come home with me,” she purrs nauseatingly, while grabbing my bicep.
“I’ll pass.”
“Jax, get over her. Em is nothing special.”
“Man, that’s a great way to get me in bed, Tatum. Insult the one girl I would walk through fire for. It’ll always be her, you’re not even--”
“Whoa… hey there, buddy!” Cole interrupts me by jumping in between us and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “Great game. Let’s go get dressed!” When we get out of earshot of a sad-looking Tatum, he continues, “You were just about to make a royal ass out of yourself.”
“She was being a bitch.”
“No, she was being normal. You’re just a heartbroken asshole. Let's just keep that pretty little mouth of yours shut till you're over Emerson and won't run the risk of pushing away every eligible girl on campus," he says, grabbing my mouth and pinching it hard.
"Dick." I punch him in the arm as we walk toward the locker room, knowing deep down inside that there's a good chance I won't ever completely get over Emerson.
Book Synopsis  What happens when you create rules to keep others out?
One thing Emerson Moore has come to terms with is that she is the school slut. She knows her way around a frat house and how to get what she wants. She doesn’t make any excuses for her actions and she doesn’t pretend to be anything different. She is who she is and with that she knows how to have a good time. She’s made rules to keep relationships at bay and avoid the demons of her past.
When her best friend, Cole has his two friends from back home move in with him she begins to think she has met her match with Jaxon Riley. Jax is the perfect mixture of tattooed muscle and a sweet-talking mouth. With “hand” written notes, a voice that exudes sex and knowing just how to get under her skin, Jaxon learns how to break all the rules. But will he just end up breaking her heart anyway?
DREAM CAST: Meet Jaxon Riley and Emerson Moore
We're excited and honored to have Nicole Edward's ZANE blog tour stop on our page today! We've been huge fans of Nicole's steamy and heartfelt novels for a long time and she's outdone herself with her new Alluring Indulgence series. It does not get any HOTTER than these Walker brothers! If you haven't met them, we highly recommend you do! We fell hard for Kaleb and even harder for Zane.
On a serious note, May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Nicole wants to remind you that you can help support Keith Milano Memorial Page Fund which benefits the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
If you haven't purchased your copy of ANY of Nicole's books and you plan to, please consider doing so this month because this is such an important cause. Alluring Indulgence Book Summaries | Zoey Stranford might’ve had a crush on the sexy boy next door since middle school, but she’s a woman now, and that crush has turned into a full blown case of lust. So why is it that at twenty nine, her libido decides to ramp into high gear and the only thing she can focus on is the intensely sexy, scorching hot boy next door who is definitely not a boy anymore?
The only problem is that Zoey and Kaleb have been best friends for as long as she can remember. Not to mention, Kaleb and his brothers are working on buying Stranford land to build a new resort, and she’s more than a little hesitant about his intentions.
Kaleb Walker has had his eye on Zoey for close to twenty years, but never before has he considered taking their friendship to the next level, no matter how many fantasies he’s had about her over the years. That doesn’t explain why Kaleb is hell bent on having her – in as many ways as possible.
Kaleb finds himself in a precarious situation. His brothers have nominated him to pursue Zoey’s father about purchasing the land needed to get their new resort off the ground. Finding out that Carl Stranford is on the brink of foreclosure and Zoey might just lose her house and the land, Kaleb now has to convince her to put aside her pride and let him help her.
It doesn’t take long before the flames start burning bright and hot, and the two of them burn up the nights and the days as they explore each other’s forbidden fantasies. But can their friendship survive a business transaction or the new friends with benefits clause? Or will they realize that they’ve been overlooking something much deeper that’s been right in front of them all along?
| Vanessa Carmichael will never forget that horrible day for as long as she lives. With Zane fully on the mend from the brutal attack he suffered right in her very own yard, she knows she should be grateful, which she is. She also knows that walking away from Zane might be the only way to keep him safe. Despite her denial, V knows she can’t trust her own heart, especially when it comes to the youngest Walker brother, but he’s not the kind of man who will walk away when there is something he wants. He wants her even if it isn’t safe for him, and she’s not sure she is strong enough to walk away.
Zane Walker might have been brutally attacked and after months in the hospital, walked away with his life spared, but now that he’s out of the hospital, he has only one goal in mind. Getting the girl. From the first time he kissed her, Zane knew V was the one for him. He also knew that getting her wasn’t going to be as easy as he hoped. She’s stubborn and the walls she has erected around her heart are nearly impenetrable. However, there’s one thing about Zane – he never gives up. And he’s not about to start now.
Can V learn to open her heart to the one man who is desperate to get past those walls she has erected, or will she walk away to protect him? How long will Zane allow her to deny what he knows is growing between them? Or is the only option to obscure the underlying emotions with spine tingling lust?
When V and Zane come together, smoke detectors go on the fritz, but when they bring Zane’s best friend Beau into the mix, extra fire extinguishers are needed.
| GIVEAWAY: WIN 5 ZANE EBOOKS!
M. Leighton Author Appreciation!
"Who are YOUR Cash and Nash & Trick?" Contest,
"Why We Love M. Leighton" Blog Posts,
and SIGNED Giveaway! We, at The Rock Stars of Romance, obsessively LOVE us some M. Leighton! How much you ask? SO much that we're dedicating the weekend to celebrating the books, the author, and most importantly, the amazing person behind all the stories and characters we've grown to adore! Let's have FUN shall we?!
TODAY'S GIVEAWAY: "Who is YOUR Trick?" Contest
Visit our FACEBOOK EVENT (Go HERE) to Join the Sexy Fun. Post who YOU think! your Trick Henley is... be specific and include the name of the person with the picture if possible. The winner will win their choice of ANY Bad Boy series or The Wild Ones ebook!  Passion as hot as midnight in the South and love as wild as the horses they tame.
The darling daughter of a champion Thoroughbred breeder, Camille “Cami” Hines has a pedigree that rivals some of her father’s best horses. Other than feeling a little suffocated at times, Cami thought she was happy with her boyfriend, her life and her future—until she met Patrick Henley.
“Trick” blurs the lines between what Cami wants and what is expected of her—and he just happens to be so sexy she can’t keep her hands off him. While they both know that Trick would lose his much needed job on the ranch if anyone finds out, they can’t resist the lure of their scorchingly hot encounters.
But when Trick stumbles upon a note from his father, it triggers a series of revelations that could ruin what he and Cami have worked so hard to overcome. It turns out there’s more to Trick’s presence at the ranch than either of them knew, and secrets with the power to tear them apart…
YESTERDAY: "Who are YOUR Cash & Nash?" Contest!
Congrats to Ginger! Visit our FACEBOOK EVENT (Go HERE) to Join the Sexy Fun. Post who YOU think are Cash AND Nash Davenport! Be specific and include the name of the person with the picture if possible. The winner will win their choice of ANY Bad Boy series ebook! | The scorching tale of one girl, two brothers and a love triangle…that’s not. Olivia Townsend is nothing special. She’s just a girl working her way through college so she can return home to help her father run his business. She’s determined not to be the second woman in his life to abandon him, even if it means putting her own life on hold. To Olivia, it’s clear what she must do. Plain and simple. Black and white. But clear becomes complicated when she meets Cash and Nash Davenport. They’re brothers. Twins.
Cash is everything she’s always wanted in a guy. He’s a dangerous, sexy bad boy who wants her in his bed at any cost. He turns her insides to mush and, with just one kiss, makes her forget why he’s no good for her. Nash is everything she’s ever needed in a guy. He’s successful, responsible and intensely passionate. But he’s taken. Very taken, by none other than Marissa, Liv’s rich, beautiful cousin. That doesn’t stop Olivia from melting every time he looks at her, though. With just one touch, he makes her forget why they can never be together.
Black and white turns to shades of gray when Olivia discovers the boys are hiding something, something that should make her run as far and as fast as she can. But it’s too late to run. Olivia’s already involved. And in love. With both of them. Both brothers make her heart tremble. Both brothers set her body on fire. She wants them both. And they want her. How will she ever choose between them?
| Happily ever after doesn’t come easy. But for love, it’s always worth the fight.
Olivia finds bliss unlike any she’s ever known in Cash’s arms. He sets her skin on fire and melts her heart right inside her chest. Unfortunately, their happily ever after is short-lived when a shadow from Cash’s past threatens to turn their world upside down.
Dangerous people from his father’s world have discovered that Cash holds information that could put them away for a very long time. And they’re willing to do anything—and hurt anybody—to get it back. Giving it up means Cash must choose between the life of his father and the life of Olivia.
Having nearly overcome her wariness of bad boys, Olivia’s trust is shaken when this new threat arises. Now she finds that Cash is not only a danger to her heart, but his family has associations that are a danger to her life as well. She soon discovers that there are some situations in life where trust is a girl’s only option. And this is one of them. If she’s to live, she must trust Cash with her life. But to Olivia, that’s much, much easier than letting go and trusting him with her heart
| Giveaway: SIGNED Down to You Paperback
or Ebooks of Your Choice! Three Winners!
Purchase your copy of Trophy Husband HERE  Sometimes you can't help falling in love, even when you try to do the opposite...Successful fashion blogger McKenna Bell has spent far too long protecting herself after the way her ex-fiancé left her at the altar for a college chick he met the night of his bachelor party. Loving again, trusting again, well, that's just not in the cards. Especially now that her ex is back in town with his new woman, demanding custody of McKenna's favorite creature in the whole world--her dog. No effing way. McKenna's had enough of him, and she decides to even the score by finding her own hot young thing -- a Trophy Husband. Sure, she's only twenty-seven, but doesn't that make it even more fun -- and infuriating to her ex -- to pursue a younger man? When she declares her intentions on her daily blog, her quest quickly skyrockets in popularity, and that's when Chris enters the picture, and he’s got all the assets. He's handsome, successful, and turns her inside out with a kiss to end all kisses, the kind that makes you feel like a shooting star. But loving again could mean losing again, and it's so much easier to focus on getting even, isn't it? Unless, you just can't help falling in love. Which means McKenna will have to come face to face with what she really wants in life -- protecting her heart from hurt, or letting go of her fears of a new beginning.
Go to Lauren's "Rock Star" Author page for more book summaries and purchase Links HERE ENTER TODAY'S GIVEAWAY - 3 Winners to Receive an ecopy of Trophy Husband and Scroll Down to Enter the 10K giveaway for a chance to win a SIGNED Paperback!
Emma Chase's Debut Book, Tangled: Book Excerpt, Dream Cast
and SIGNED Giveaway! We are pleased to have Emma Chase and her recent release Tangled joining us today! There is a lot of BUZZ around Tangled and it is WELL DESERVED! Trust us, Get This Book Now! Check out an excerpt from Tangled, a dream cast & a SIGNED Paperback Giveaway! Exclusive Tangled Excerpt We grab a table in the bar area and order. The waitress brings our drinks, and Kate takes a sip of the margarita I ordered for her. “Mmmm. This is just what I wanted right now.”
I told you I was good at the drink thing—remember? We talk comfortably for a few minutes, and then…watch this.
Kate’s eyes go wide as saucers, and she dives under the table. I look around. What the hell? I duck my head and take a peek at her. “What are you doing?”
She looks panicked. “Billy’s here. Upstairs, in the loft over the dance floor. And he’s not alone.” I start to lift my head when she yells, “Don’t look!”
Jesus Christ—this is ridiculous. So much for being over the dickwit.
“It’s just…I can’t let him see me like this.”
Now I’m confused. “What are you talking about? You look great.” She always looks great.
“No, not in these clothes. He said it wasn’t attractive that I was so driven. It was one of the reasons he wanted to break up. That I…he said I was too…masculine.”
You have got to be fucking kidding me. I’m masculine. Hillary Clinton is masculine. Kate Brooks doesn’t have a goddamn masculine cell in her body. She’s all woman, believe me.
But I know what the fucker was going for. Kate is intelligent, outspoken, ambitious. Lots of men—like the shit-eating asshole, for instance—can’t handle a woman like that. So they twist it around. Make those qualities seem unappealing . Something to be ashamed of.
Screw this. I grab Kate’s hand and drag her out from under the table. She looks around quickly as I lead her to the dance floor.
“What are you doing?”
“Giving you back your dignity.”
I bump into several people on the way, making a slight ripple, so I’m sure Douchebag will notice us. “By the time I’m done, Billy Warren will be kissing your feet, your ass, and any other body part you tell him to, to get you back.”
She tries to pull out of my grasp. “No, Drew that’s not really…”
I turn to face her and put my arms around her waist. “Trust me, Kate.” Her body’s close to mine, her face so near I can see the green speckles in her eyes. Why the fuck am I doing this again?
“I’m a guy. I know how we think. No guy wants to see a girl that used to be his with someone else. Just go with me on this.”
She doesn’t answer. She just raises her arms around my neck, bringing us together—chest to chest, stomach to stomach, thigh to thigh.
It’s agony. Exquisite, delicious agony.
With a mind of its own, my thumb draws slow circles on her lower back. The music swirls around us, and I feel buzzed—not from the drinks, but from the feel of her. I want to ignore the perfect way her body fits against mine. I try to remember my noble intentions. I should glance up to see if Dirtbag is watching us. I should, but I don’t. I’m too caught up in the way she’s looking at me.
Maybe I’m deluding myself, but I swear it’s desire I see swimming in those dark beauties. Naked, uninhibited want. I lean in and brush my nose against hers, testing the waters.
I’m not doing this for me. Really. I’m not doing this because being this near to her is the closest to heaven that I’ll ever get.
This is for her. Part of the plan. To win back the scumbag who doesn’t deserve her.
I press my lips against hers softly. It’s tender at first, and then she melts against me. That’s when I start to lose it. She opens her mouth, and I slide my tongue in slowly. Then harder, firmer, more intense, like the downhill of a rollercoaster.
I forgot how good she tastes. More decadent than the richest chocolate. Sinful. It’s different from the other times we’ve kissed. Better. There’s no anger behind it, no frustration or guilt or a point to prove. It’s unhurried, languid, and fucking sublime.
Our lips separate, and I force myself to look up, catching Warren’s devastated glare before he disappears into the crowd. I turn back to Kate and touch my forehead to hers. Our breaths mingle—mine panting, hers gasping slightly
Tangled Book Summary
Purchase your copy HERE  Drew Evans is a winner. Handsome and arrogant, he makes multimillion dollar business deals and seduces New York’s most beautiful women with just a smile. He has loyal friends and an indulgent family. So why has he been shuttered in his apartment for seven days, miserable and depressed?
He’ll tell you he has the flu.
But we all know that’s not really true.
Katherine Brooks is brilliant, beautiful and ambitious. She refuses to let anything - or anyone - derail her path to success. When Kate is hired as the new associate at Drew’s father’s investment banking firm, every aspect of the dashing playboy’s life is thrown into a tailspin. The professional competition she brings is unnerving, his attraction to her is distracting, his failure to entice her into his bed is exasperating.
Then, just when Drew is on the cusp of having everything he wants, his overblown confidence threatens to ruin it all. Will he be able untangle his feelings of lust and tenderness, frustration and fulfillment? Will he rise to the most important challenge of his life?
Can Drew Evans win at love?
Tangled is not your mother’s romance novel. It is an outrageous, passionate, witty narrative about a man who knows a lot about women…just not as much as he thinks he knows. As he tells his story, Drew learns the one thing he never wanted in life, is the only thing he can’t live without.
Tangled Dream Cast:
Meet Drew and Kate Drew Evan | Katherine (Kate) Brooks | Enter to Win a SIGNED Paperback or Ebook of Tangled
GUEST APPEARANCE AND GIVEAWAY!
We are honored to be the next stop on Amanda Bennett's blog Tour!
Today is Release Day for THIS TRUST OF MINE and we can not wait to read more about Madison Raine and Kayla! Don't forget to enter our giveaway! Visit Amanda's "Rock Star" Author page
Click HERE for more information!
A.L. Jackson Come to Me Quietly Exclusive Excerpt
and Giveaway! Guess what?! We have a sexy excerpt from A.L. Jackson 's upcoming release Come To Me Quietly. You will LOVE Jared and Aleena. Jared. Wow. He kinda gave us chills - a norm for all A.L. Jackson leading male. If you haven't read A.L.'s books we Highly Recommend them - she is an amazing writing and your heart will thank you!
 Scheduled for release early 2014!
EXCERPT
Silence settled over us for a few minutes, and I could feel the shift, the way he’d tucked our interaction somewhere inside himself, as if maybe I’d earned a token of his trust.
Then he looked at me with an amused smile, gesturing to my sketch pad with his chin. “Can I see?”
Shaking my head, I buried a smile by biting my lip. “You should know better than that, Jared.”
A throaty chuckle filtered into the confines of my room, and he lay back on my bed. My toes were pressed into the covers just at his side. And I loved it, loved that he wanted to be here with me, loved that what I saw in him was kind.
Even if he couldn’t see it himself.
He wove his fingers together and rested them on his chest, the incongruous numbers tattooed across his knuckles meshed, and Jared seemed to drift away in his thoughts.
I drew, keeping my regard on my page, until I felt the gravity of his stare burning into my forehead. Drawn. I always had been.
When I turned to him, the grin on his face was something I almost didn’t recognize because it’d been so long since I’d seen it. But I had, so many times before. I’d witnessed it in the carefree boy who had meant everything to me. Blue eyes danced as they flitted from my sketch pad to my face. “It used to drive me fucking crazy that you wouldn’t let me see what you kept hidden inside those books.”
I gasped when he suddenly moved. He twisted onto his knees in almost a crouch, his chin tucked and his gaze peeking at me from just above the top margin of my book. Predatory. As if at any second he was going to pounce and wrestle it from me. My breath caught. Tingles sped under the surface of my skin, and he hadn’t even touched me.
My hands tightened around the edges of my sketch pad like a vise.
“And you know what, Aly?” His eyes darted everywhere, absorbing, taking in the lines of my face, my mouth, my hands, the pad I clutched to my chest, before they fixed firmly on my own. “It still drives me fucking crazy.”
Strength bunched in the muscles rippling along his shoulders, but in his movements was this playfulness, so much like I remembered. An echo of our childhood sounded in my ear, the way he’d pestered and begged me to let him see, but never forced me into anything I didn’t want to do.
At that time it was because I was embarrassed and had been afraid he might make fun of me. I didn’t want him to see the inexperience in my drawings.
Now it was because it’d be like slicing my heart open and exposing everything I wasn’t ready for him to see.
It’d scare him as much as it scared me.
Shock stunned me when he abruptly grabbed me by the ankles and dragged me down, forcing me flat on the bed. The sketch pad slid of my lap, face down on the bed.
Suddenly, I was staring up at Jared’s gorgeous face as he hovered over me. He straddled my waist, and I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, could only feel the blood coursing through my veins and pounding in my ears.
His nose was an inch from mine, his hands resting on either side of my head, but he was everywhere—everywhere—sinking into my consciousness and my spirit.
Then he smirked, all cute and smug, and my eyes went wide when realization hit me. “Oh my God, Jared Holt, don’t you even think about it. Don’t you dare,” I begged through a whisper, my voice strained with need and a little bit of old childhood fear.
He knew exactly how to get me.
“What?” he asked with feigned innocence, before his fingers began to tap at my chest with his index fingers. His legs cinched around my sides to keep my arms pinned to the bed. This had been Christopher and Jared’s favorite form of torture.
I bucked up, trying to throw him from my body, or maybe I was trying to bring him closer, I couldn’t tell. “Jared. . .stop. . .oh my god, you’re such an ass.”
I made an attempt at flailing my arms. His thighs held them down. Held me down.
Oh my god.
He laughed, quiet and low. “You’ve tortured me for years. Don’t you think it’s only fair I pay you back a little?”
The taps came harder, faster, his touch no longer enacted by a boy’s fingers but heavy and strong. But somehow it felt the same.
How intensely had I missed this?
The push and pull. The tease and the taunt.
I’d missed my friend.
Furiously, I squirmed. Tears gathered, streaked down the sides of my face, and dripped into my hair. A low whine rose from deep within my throat and mixed with the quiet laughter I couldn’t hold back.
A hushed chuckle tumbled from Jared’s mouth, so thick it was almost a pant, his expression so soft, like just maybe he was seeing the exact same thing as I was.
As if every cell in his body shifted, Jared slowed then stilled. Mesmerized, I watched as his tongue flicked out to wet his full lips. Suddenly I was hyperaware of every inch of his body that touched mine, the fire that lit under it, how our chests rose and fell in sync. Raising a cautious hand, his attention pitched between my eyes and his intent. A dense hesitation weighted his movements before he seemed to give in and gently ran the back of his fingers along the trail of tears that had slipped down my temple.
A fragmented sigh stuttered from my lips as they parted. Never had I felt anything better than what I found in Jared’s touch.
His gaze captured mine before his fingertips traced down my cheek, swept along my jaw, and barely glanced over my lips. “You grew up on me, Aly,” he murmured, the words rough and abraded, almost in awe.
 SYNOPSIS
Aleena Moore is content with her life. She has goals and dreams and an easy smile. She also has a secret she holds locked inside.
Jared Holt believes he doesn’t deserve to love or be loved. He destroys everything he touches. Haunted by the mistake that shattered his life, he’s fled from the memory of that pain.
Jared doesn’t know why he’s compelled to return, but finds himself drawn back to the place where it all began. The exact place where it ended. When he runs into his childhood best friend, Aleena’s older brother Christopher, he agrees to share Christopher and Aleena’s apartment while he looks for a place of his own.
Aleena is no longer the little girl Jared remembers from his past and evokes feelings in him he never wanted to feel again. Terrified of destroying her, he fights to keep her away. But her touch is something he can’t resist—the touch that sealed his fate.
Their pasts are intertwined and their futures uncertain. The only truths they know are the secrets they whisper in the night.
A.L. Jackson Beautiful & Powerful Books!
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Jasinda Wilder Exclusive Excerpt: Falling into Us Release 7/2013
SIGNED Giveaway! EXCERPT from Falling into Us, Book 2 of the Falling series
"It’s isn’t really a sequel and it isn’t a POV change. It’s more of a expansion. When Kyle dies it didn’t just change Kyle’s life but everyone’s. I think that this book will give you more Nell and Colton but also examine some other characters that also have a story to tell."
- Jasinda
Chapter TWO: Second Choice; a First Date
Becca de Rosa
September, sophomore year of high school
I swore under my breath as I tried to hurry through the last ten questions of my calculus homework. I hated calculus. It was tedious and difficult, but I had to be in all advanced classes to please Mother and Father. Or, rather, to maintain their approval, since pleasing them was all but impossible. The loud bass thumping of my brother Ben’s stupid rap music made it even more difficult to concentrate, especially since he’d turned it up louder after I’d asked him to turn it down. I loved my brother, but he was so very difficult, especially when he was in one these moods, the depressed, angry times.
I had to finish this Calculus, because if I didn’t, I knew I would never do it, and that meant I could not leave the house. My parents were hideously exacting when it came to my academics. They demanded a weekly progress report, including all up-coming tests and exams, completed homework assignments and those due, and any possible extra credit. I was allowed three hours of personal “free” time every day, but only after all homework was completed. Which, seeing as I was in all AP courses, meant that I often did not get even as much as a single hour to myself. I usually worked on homework until nine or ten every night, and after ten, I was not allowed to leave the house. I spent much of my time in my room, away from my constantly-bickering parents. When I was not doing homework, I would write, read, or watch a television show on my laptop. I had precisely zero social life outside of school.
I had never been on date, nor would I ever, I often despaired. My life would be consumed by studies, words, numbers, tests and exams. Even as I hurried through the last problem and then turned opened my notes on required terminology, I found my mind wandering. Calculus terms became something else, became what most things became, in my mind:
Poetry.
I watched my mechanical pencil scribble across the page of my journal, which was always open near me, no matter where I was. I did not try to understand the things pouring onto the page. When my pencil stopped moving, I reread the thing I’d written:
THE CALCULUS OF BOREDOM
The average rate of change
Seems to define my axis of rotation.
The area of an ellipse
Definitely defines the constant term
Of my life.
My daily pattern of being
Is the end behavior of my
Bounded function.
Degenerate, derivative, differential,
Essential discontinuity,
Explicit differentiation,
Explicit function:
Exponential Decay.
I have no me,
I have only
The conditional convergence
Of their constant term
Of continuous function
Of disapproval.
Each decision seems to be
Part of a chain rule,
An annulus,
Or,
The region between two concentric circles which have different radii; or,
In other words…
My
Fucking
Parents.
I sighed, feeling a whisper of pleasure at the words. They expressed a part of me. I had four notebooks filled with poetry from the last few years, and the current one was two-thirds filled already. Poetry was my only pleasure in life, the only thing that allowed me any personality, any expression. Everything else was school and speech therapy and piano lessons. I liked the piano, and I knew I was good at it, but it wasn’t for me. It was expected of me, demanded of me.
I shook myself out of my reverie and returned to memorizing the terms for the current lesson, as well as the ones for next week. If I got next week’s homework at least started, if not finished, I might even manage some kind of free time. I finished the calc terms and moved on to economics, which was easy enough that I could put on headphones and listen to music. The first song to come up on my Pandora playlist was “Demons” by Imagine Dragons, and god, it was so apropos. So perfect.
I finished Econ and was halfway through my reading assignment for my Eighteenth Century Lit class—which actually counts for college credit—when my phone rang. My cell phone was the one concession my parents made toward me having some kind of social life. I was allowed to have a cell phone and an unlimited text and data plan, so I could text as much as I want. The only catch was, my parents would, without warning, take my phone and read through my text messages to make sure there is nothing untoward occurring in my life, where untoward equals fun or exciting or in any way interesting.
Even my private thoughts sound like calculus equations.
The only thing that private from my parents was my poetry, and I hid those notebooks in a shoe box buried in the depth of my closet, and the notebook currently used was never out of my sight, either in my purse or my backpack, disguised between textbooks and notebooks filled with school notes. I’d rather burn my notebooks than let anyone read them; they express my every thought, my every emotion, all my deepest, darkest demons. To read my notebooks would be to read the very substance of my soul.
I answered my phone without checking looking at it, since only Jill and Nell had my number. “Hello?”
“Uh…hey. Becca, it’s Jason…uh…Jason Dorsey.”
Jason Dorsey was the very last person on the planet Earth I’d ever expect to call me at seven thirty on a Friday night, especially when I knew for a fact he had a date with Nell tonight.
“Jason? How did you get my number, and why are you calling me?” I couldn’t help sounding a little bitchy; I’ve been in love with Jason Dorsey since we were in fourth grade and he punched Danny Morelli in the nose for making fun of my stutter. I’ve been in love with Jason Dorsey since forever, but he doesn’t even know I exist, except as Nell’s awkward friend.
 Falling into You (Book 1) SynopsisI wasn't always in love with Colton Calloway; I was in love with his younger brother, Kyle, first. Kyle was my first one true love, my first in every way.
Then, one stormy August night, he died, and the person I was died with him.
Colton didn't teach me how to live. He didn't heal the pain. He didn't make it okay. He taught me how to hurt, how to not be okay, and, eventually, how to let go.Nell Hawthorne is in love with her life-long best friend, Kyle Calloway. Their young love is invincible and life is full of promise; then one night Kyle dies suddenly in a tragic accident and Nell is forever changed. She meets Kyle’s older brother Colton for the first time at the funeral. They both struggle to move on with life as best they can. Years later, they meet again in New York City, and Colton realizes that Nell has never really gotten over Kyle’s death. She seems to be harboring a deeply rooted pain, a heavy weight of guilt and regret. He knows he shouldn’t get involved, but he can’t help himself. Trust doesn’t come easily for either of them, and they both have demons. Together, they learn the purpose of pain and the meaning of healing, and the importance of forgiveness.
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R.K. Lilley Bad Things Exclusive Synopsis & Teaser  SYNOPSIS
Bad Things is about Tristan and Danika, and their train wreck of a love story. This series can be read as a standalone, but of course I recommend reading the Up in the Air trilogy, as well.
Danika hasn’t had an easy life. Being insanely attracted to bad boys has never helped make it easier.
One look at Tristan, and every brain cell she possessed went up in smoke. This man was trouble with a capital T. It was a given.
She knew better. Bad boys were bad. Especially for her. Considering her history, it was crazy to think otherwise. So why did crazy have to feel so damn fine?
For as long as she could remember, Danika had been focused on the future with single-minded purpose. Tristan came along and taught her everything there was to know about letting go, and living in the present. She fell, hard and deep. Of course, that only made her impact with the ground that much more devastating.
 EXCERPT
I made my way to the living room, Dot dogging my steps. Mat was sitting on his kid-sized couch on the floor, Pupcake in his lap. He was staring in confusion across the room, and as I stepped into the room I saw why.
I padded quietly across the room, switching on the TV and finding a channel with some cartoons. Mat fixated on the television, and I walked quietly over to the shirtless hunk of a man that was sprawled out on the sofa. I was so fuzzy headed that I’d forgotten he was even crashing here.
He was lying on his back, a pillow pulled over his face, and another one draped over his lap. He’d completely kicked off his thin blanket. I could just make out that he was at least wearing boxer-briefs, which was good, but the rest of him was all tanned, bared, tattooed skin.
Not good, I thought, taking him in. I’d had no doubts that he would look good naked, and I certainly didn’t need to see just how good.
Even at rest, I could see the hard ridges in his abdomen. And his arms. Fuck. His arms were huge, which was kind of a thing for me. I thought they might have been bigger than my waist, and for sheerly perverse reasons, I wanted to measure them to see if I was right. And the tattoos…God, the tattoos. I didn’t have a bit of ink, but I loved his. He didn’t have full sleeves, like his brother, but he wasn’t too far off. His arms were covered with intricate designs, and it wasn’t all black, either. I loved all the color. It stood out startlingly against the other black ink, as though the black was just there to frame the color.
I told myself it was totally necessary as I reached out and touched his bare shoulder. I nudged him, and if I enjoyed the feel of his muscular flesh, what was the harm?
“Tristan,” I said quietly, nudging him again. My hand stayed there, and I tried to shake him a little, but he was too big for that…
He started, pulling the pillow off his eyes and blinking up at me. “Fuck, Danika, it’s early.”
“He said a bad word, boo!” Mat called out, clearly affronted.
“Fuck, sorry,” Tristan said, then winced.
I couldn’t hold back a grin. “You can use my bed to sleep it off. This living room is about to turn into a war zone, and I need to make some blueberry pancakes.”
“Is that what you want for breakfast?” he asked, sitting up.
I backed away like he was on fire. Which he kind of was…
“Huh?” I asked him, totally distracted by the sight of that perfect body, practically naked, and moving around. I went to the gym often, and I stayed in good shape myself, but I didn’t think I’d ever seen a body so perfect in my life.
He stood up, and I took another step back. He started to move around the couch, and something he was doing finally snapped me out of my trance.
“Why are you still holding a pillow over your lap?” I asked.
He sent me an wry smile, bending down to pick up his duffle bag, which he’d set behind the couch. “Can’t you guess? I’ll give you a hint; the first word is morning, and the second rhymes with hood.”
I blushed, feeling stupid. “Oh…Well, you can use my bathroom, and you can stash your bag in there, so it’s not in the way.”
“Okay. Thank you. Just give my five minutes, and I’ll cook breakfast for everybody.”
I waved him off. “Go back to bed. I’ve got it. I know you must be feeling rough.”
He sent me a rather stern look. “Give me five minutes. I said I’d cook for you. I’m cooking. And you have to be feeling just as rough.”
“I’m fine. I’ve got this.”
He pointed at me. “Don’t go near the kitchen until I get back.” He strode away, and I made a face at his retreating back, though I was secretly pleased, and still shamelessly checking him out. I’d seen what he could do with cookies. I wanted more.
Normally I just had a yogurt for breakfast, but hungover and hungry, I was already planning to indulge.
I sat down on the couch when I heard the shower in my bathroom turn on. There was plenty that I needed to do, but I just sat there for a solid five minutes, my mind on Tristan in the shower…
He was back out quickly, wearing a fresh white T-shirt and jeans, his short hair still wet from his shower.
“Come keep me company while I cook,” he said, tugging me up from the couch.
“So bossy,” I muttered.
He completely ignored that statement, pulling me into the kitchen. He cupped my hips, lifting me onto the counter exactly where I’d sat to watch him bake cookies.
He moved away before I could do more than gape at him.
“So Mat wants pancakes for breakfast. What do you want?”
I opened my mouth to tell him I’d just take that, but he spoke again. “I know you don’t want pancakes. We need something salty and greasy. Let me whip us up some hangover food.”
I had to make a conscious effort to close my mouth. “You read my mind,” I said.
He had the sheer gall to wink at me. “No. I’ve just been hungover enough to know just what to do. So tell me why Mat called you boo? Is that a nickname?”
“Yes.” I didn’t elaborate.
“That’s adorable,” he said opening the refrigerator and studying its contents. “Where did it come from?”
“I don’t remember when it turned into an actual nickname, but we used to play peekaboo a lot. He named himself peeka and me boo, and it stuck. Two years and counting.”
“Well, boo, how does bacon sound?”
“Bacon sounds great, but you can’t call me boo.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re not a rapper, and I’m not your shorty.”
He laughed, a low, deep rumble that made muscles in my stomach tighten. “You’re just making me like the nickname more. Here’s the plan; buttery biscuits, scrambled eggs, bacon, and some hash browns. Oh, and some blueberry pancakes for the kids. Any objections?”
“That sounds amazing,” I said, meaning it. “But it’ll take forever.”
He shrugged. “It’ll take how long it takes. What’s the rush? You got a date?”
I sighed. He was stubborn, to be sure. “Can I help?”
“You can entertain me while I work.”
“If you have this handled, I should probably go work on some chores.”
“If you want bacon, you’ll keep your ass right where it is while I cook you breakfast.”
I did want bacon. “I can’t believe we stayed out that late,” I said, thinking back to the night before. I’d never stayed out that late dancing, and I’d never had a night fly by so fast.
“We going again tonight?”
“Are you joking?” I asked.
“No. Didn’t you have fun? Let’s do it again.”
“You’re batshit bonkers.”
“Sure am. And I want to take you dancing again. What do you say?”
“We barely got three hours of sleep last night.”
“So we’ll take turns getting naps in later, if the kids need watching. What do you say?”
He was giving me his most irresistible smile, his dimples making me want to slap and/or kiss him senseless. I held out for maybe five seconds before I was smiling back at him.
“No funny business,” I told him.
“No funny business,” he agreed. “I took care of that in the shower. Should tide me over for a solid two hours.”
I blushed. I hadn’t even known I had any blushes left in me. “What happens after two hours?”
He stopped what he was doing, setting an egg down to give me his full attention.
He gave me a once-over that was borderline indecent, then went back to cracking eggs. “I might need to take another shower.”
That shut me up for awhile. I watched him work, studying the myriad tattoos on his arms, and the ones that showed through his white T-shirt. As he mixed the pancake batter, the stark muscles in his arms working, I thought that I’d found my new favorite hobby; watching Tristan cook anything at all.
“Bev has this really great frilly pink apron,” I told him. “What would I have to do to get you to wear it while you cook for me?”
“You don’t even want to know, boo,” he said.
That effectively shut me up for a while.
Within ten minutes he had the kitchen smelling divine. I moaned as the aroma of sizzling bacon reached me.
His gaze flicked to me, then quickly away. “Tease,” he muttered.
He had the pancakes done first, prepping a heaping plate for Mat.
“You realize that he’s six, right?” I asked, eyeing up the huge plate.
“Does he like bacon?” he asked, ignoring my comment.
“Yes!” Mat shouted from the living room.
Tristan handed off the plate, and I brought it to Mat in the living room.
By the time I got back into the kitchen Tristan had a biscuit breakfast sandwich waiting for me. He handed it to me with a paper towel, then took a huge bite out of his own.
The smell of the eggs and bacon had me salivating, and I tore into the sandwich. I had to close my eyes with the first bite, chewing very slowly to savor every second of it.
“What do you do to food to make it taste this good?” I moaned.
I opened my eyes when he didn’t answer me. He was staring at me with a look in his eyes that made my toes start to curl.
He set down the uneaten half of his sandwich, striding out of the kitchen.
“Where are you going?” I called to him.
“I’ll be back in five minutes,” he called back.
I wasn’t sure if I was pleased or appalled when I heard my shower turning on.
Up In the Air series: In Flight, Mile High, & Grounded: James & Bianca's story
Lana is a spin-off of the Up in the Air series: Lana & Akira's Story
(Click on the Books to Get Them Now!)
Read This Trust of Mine
Chapter One Exclusive!
Chapter 1
1 Month Later
Madison
"Raine, get your ass out here and warm up, I don't want to have to tell you again."
"Yes, coach." I yelled back as I slipped my cell phone back into my bag. This was the
tenth time I had checked it today, and still nothing from Kayla.
it had now been a month since I had spoken to her last. I called her after the long as hell
twelve and a half hour long drive, but she didn't pick up. After at least twenty more calls
on my behalf, I finally got a phone call back from Cami. She did little to ease my anxiety
by saying that Kayla was sleeping and would call me back sooner rather than later. She
also told me not to worry.
Well it was too late for that. She had seemed so excited for me to call her when I got in,
I guess I just assumed she would pick up the instant she saw my name illuminate the
screen. Apparently not.
I just remember that whole first day of practice was extremely brutal. Not only had I not
worked out at all over the short summer break, but I also couldn't manage to keep my
head on practice. When I got back to the dorms that evening, I took a quick shower and
prayed that the ten minutes I was gone, I hadn't missed her call.
Luck had been on my side that night, because she called the minute I got back to my
dorm. From the moment I answered the phone, I knew something was off with her. She
wasn't my happy, carefree pretty girl anymore. I urged her to tell me what was wrong,
but she just told me she was missing me and to not worry. Unfortunately, when it came
to that girl, all I did was worry. I knew her momma hadn't been back, mainly because I
had my Gran keeping tabs on her, but I would also hope that she would have said
something.
Our conversation that night was short and sweet, with the promise that she would call
me the next night around the same time. That was exactly twenty-nine days, eight hours
and five, now six minutes ago. Believe me it wasn't for a lack of trying. I had picked up
my phone countless amounts of time, but it always went straight to voicemail.
Voicemails I knew she wasn't receiving or at least not listening to, because her
voicemail box had been full for a week now.
I hated the fact that I had let a girl do this to me. I know I was the one who all but broke
it off, but we had promised to at least talk. We only had a few weeks left before school
now, and I was starting to go a little nuts. What if she found someone else, but couldn't
bring herself to tell me? Ugh, this shit was starting to get really ridiculous.After practice came to a close, I gathered my things and high tailed it back to my dorm. I
knew coach was ready to give me a verbal lashing, but I just wasn't in the mood to deal
with his shit today. When I opened my door, I half expected my roommate to be there,
but he had yet to show up.
Oh well!
I threw my gym bag onto my bed in the far corner and quickly grabbed my cell phone
checking it for messages. Still nothing. Damn it, Kayla. If I didn't have practice and if
school wasn't about to start, I would've drove my ass down there, demandin' she talk to
me. I scrolled through my phone for Glenn's number and dialed. After the third ring, I
was about to hang up but then I heard Glenn's voice.
"Hello?" There was a lot of commotion in the background and I wondered where the hell
he was at.
"Hey, what's goin' on?" I shouted.
"Madison, bro, how's it goin' in the big AZ?"
"It's goin'. Hey bro, I need to ask you a question." i didn't want to involve Glenn in my
drama, but from what I had gathered from the last time we talked, he was still talkin' to
Cami.
"Shoot."
"Have you still been talkin' to Cami?" I regretted asking the minute the words left my
mouth.
"On and off, yeah. Why what's up? Is somethin' wrong?" I could still hear an array of
voices in the background and I was starting to get pissed.
"Where the hell are you?"
I heard him shush everyone and it suddenly went very quiet. "We're havin' a little going
away party for everyone headed off to college. We're all down at the swimming hole.
Cami's actually here, do you wanna talk to her?"
A wave of relief washed over my body, but it only lasted for a second because then my
mind went to wondering where Kayla was. "Yeah, put her on please."
The line went silent for a minute and then Cami's small girly voice echoed through the
line.
"Hello?"
"Hey Cami, how are ya?" Ugh, I just wanted to get straight to the point, but I also
needed to handle this conversation with finesse, so I could get as much info out of her
as possible.
"I'm doin' good, Madison. How are you? Sorry, dumb question. I'm guessing you want to
know where Kayla is?"
She didn't sound irritated at all by this, so I went for it. "Yeah, if you don't mind. I've been
tryin' to call her for a month now, and I get nothin' back. Is she okay, Cami?"
She let out a loud sigh before answering me. "She's doing good, Madison. She's just
been busy getting ready to start school and all. She's actually here with me."
My mouth dropped open and my mind ceased to work. I was also having a hard time
breathing. What did she mean she was with her. Kayla could find time to go to the hole
with everyone, in a bikini, but couldn't even pick up a phone to talk to me? What the hell!
"Serious, Cami. Are you serious?"
"Yeah, Madison. I'm serious, she's on the other side of the hole right now swimming with
Dennis.She was at the swimming hole, and she was there with Dennis. I'm surprised smoke
wasn't billowing out of my ears, because I was fuming. I felt like I was about to pass out,
with all this new information. And, I was suddenly beginning to worry that Kayla was
slipping back into her old ways. I could only hope that Cami wouldn't allow that to
happen.
"Madison, you still there?"
"Yeah. Alright well, as long as she is okay then I'm gonna let ya go. Thanks Cami."
Before she could respond, I hung up. I wasn't interested in knowing anything else that
was going on with all of them. Obviously, what I thought we had, was totally different
than what she thought we had.
I chucked my phone across the small room, shattering it against the wall. I threw myself
back onto my bed and covered my eyes with my left arm. How could it have gotten to
this point. Everything seemed fine when I was saying good-bye and leaving. What the
hell had happened between then and now.
I knew it was still early in the night, but I was bushed and had no reason to stay up
anymore. She wasn't going to call, and I sure as hell wasn't going to push her any
further by trying to call her. I was officially done trying to make her want to be with me,or
even talk to me. I shoved off my clothing, keeping only my boxer briefs on, before rolling
over and drifting off to sleep.
*****
She was there standing in front of me. Her beautiful, brown curly hair hung down to the
waistband of her super tight, short white cut offs. My eyes raked down her body, taking
in every single detail of her so I could commit it to memory. Her pale pink shirt clung to
her sweaty body in the mid-day sun and when my face finally met with hers, she was
smiling.
I wanted to reach out and touch her, but I had been having these dreams long enough
to know, that if I tried she would disappear and this time I wanted her to stay. "Why have
you been away from me so long?"
I knew she wouldn't answer, she rarely if ever, did. But, I needed to hear her voice. I
needed to hear her to say something, anything. I was dying not being able to touch her,
feel her or listen to her.
"Say something, Kayla. Please." I stood back staring at her. Her face went from elated
to sullen in less than a second. I wanted to comfort her. Something was wrong and I
could tell she needed me. "Kayla, please tell me what's wrong."
She turned briskly and started walking towards our place. I followed slowly behind her,
but she was gaining distance. The more I tried to catch up, the further she would go.
"Kayla, wait! Come back!"
I stopped mid-stride as she came to a halt and slowly began turning in my direction. Her
face was covered in black, and I could only assume it was from her mascara because
she looked as though she had been crying. Just as she was about to turn away again, I
caught sight of a large bruise over her left eye. I began running faster than I had ever
ran before, but it wasn't enough.
Just as I reached out to grab her, to pull her into me, to comfort her, she was gone.
I shot straight up in bed, drenched in sweat. I checked my phone and it flashed a bright
blue twelve, zero, zero. I wiped my hand down my face and then back through my hair,
trying to catch my breath.The dreams had only gotten worse since the first time. It was about a week after I had
spoken to Kayla, when she started appearing as the star in my nightmares. She was
always wearing the same thing and her face always went from happy to sad.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts enough to go back to sleep, but nothing
was working. I reached for the bottle of water I had left in my sports bag and the
sleeping pills that my doctor had prescribed to me. I wasn't a fan of taking medication to
sleep, but it was the only thing that seemed to keep her away.
I popped the small white pill and swallowed the remaining contents of the water bottle. I
laid my head back down on my pillow and counted, waiting for sleep to take me under. For More Books by Amanda Go To her "Rock Star" page HERE
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