Let Hate Go, page 8
This picture, though, was one I’d yet to see and had me opening and closing my mouth like I was a fish out of water. I guess when I didn’t answer her, she made her way into the room to find me staring at a picture of her and her dad.
“Cute, huh?” she asked. “I found it while I was going through my things,” she explained even though I had yet to say or ask her anything. “You know,” she said as she eyed the picture of herself in a frilly pink dress, her hair up in a bun, looking like the perfect little girl, right next to her dad, who’d been in his uniform. “That was taken the day I knew I wanted to be a cop.”
At that admission, my head snapped up to look at her.
She’d told me before her father was a police officer and that he was the reason she became one too. Now, though … her words had a lot of meaning … a lot more meaning than I think she even realized.
“Remember how I used to love to play hide-and-seek?” she asked. I nodded lamely because I’d yet to find my voice. “Well, that day, me and some of my friends were at the park and decided to play hide-and-seek. I was always the best,” she bragged with a bit of a smile. “I was going to hide in the alley by the park. No one would find me there because no one was brave enough to go there. When I got there, though, there was a guy beating up some little kid. They both looked haggard, but the boy couldn’t have been older than me, a scrawny kid who tried to shield his body from the blows, but he was outmatched as he huddled on the floor, his knees up to his chest, his arms wrapped over his head. And I saw a woman on the ground crying. They didn’t see me, so I turned and ran home,” she told me. I was listening raptly to her story, my heart hammering in my chest.
“My dad was getting ready to go to work, but he hadn’t left yet,” she continued. “I told him what I saw, and he ran back. Even though he told me to stay put, I chased after him.” In another time, I would have laughed, not surprised. But right then, I didn’t have it in me to do anything but listen to her words intently. “I know it wasn’t anything too crazy that he did now, but he didn’t hesitate at the time to pull the guy off the little boy. I hadn’t seen him in action before that. To me, he was a superhero, and I wanted to be just like him.”
“That man was the woman’s drug dealer,” I told Evie. “She didn’t have the money to pay, so he went after her. But the boy couldn’t stand by and watch, so he intervened. He ended up getting his ass handed to him until a little girl with golden hair ran to get the cops to come save him. And save him, she did.”
“How did you …?” she started before she saw the look on my face. “Eddie, no …” she said as she trailed off. “It couldn’t be.”
“You saved me, Evie.”
“No,” she said, unbelieving.
“My mom was drugged out of her ass, and I’m sure her drug dealer boyfriend was too. He wasn’t letting up, and I wasn’t sure how much more I would have been able to take.”
“No, Eddie, it can’t be true.”
“Yeah, Evie,” I told her as I dropped the picture on the bed and pulled her toward me, cradling her face in my hands. “You saved me when I was a boy, and you saved me now by being mine. I love you,” I told her and then captured her lips with mine. When we pulled away, I pressed my forehead to hers, and we stayed that way, breathing each other in, taking in the magnitude of our past, the impact on our future until we heard the doorbell ring.
We broke apart, and I walked to the door, opening it to find her dad, mom, brother, and brother’s wife staring at me.
“Officer Drew,” I said before even saying hi to any of them. “I doubt you remember me, but now that I know who you are, I need to tell you thank you. Thank you, sir, for saving my life.”
“I … uh …” he stuttered, completely unsure of what to say. I’d remembered the cop with the kind eyes who had tried to call child protective services for me, who tried to give me some chocolate and soda, the little girl who trailed him with a bright smile on her face, who’d rescued me without even realizing it. But the names, the details, they’d escaped me, much like a lot of my childhood had. That hadn’t been the first time like that, and sadly, it hadn’t been the last. But it had been a time when someone stepped in. I just didn’t know it was my future that was stepping in.
“Long story, Dad,” Evie said beside me. “A small world story, to be exact,” she said. “But we’ll get to that another day.”
And we did … another day. But that day, we met, we talked, I fell in love with her family, and according to her, they approved of me. And when we saw them a few weeks later, we told them exactly how we were intertwined, and her dad simply clapped me on the shoulder and said, “Fate, Eddie. It’s all about fate.”
I looked at Evie, knowing full well he was right. “No, sir, it’s about the future.” And I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, just what my future held.
Eight months later…
Evie
“What the heck?” I asked as Nelson drove the squad car with me in the passenger seat. “This isn’t our route,” I added as we passed by the hospital.
“Got a call while you were in the restroom,” he said with a shrug. I’d gone to the restroom over thirty minutes before during a quick stop. Sounded odd to me, and I gave him a look, but he wasn’t watching me. “Look at that fucking asshole,” he said instead of answering my silent question.
“What?” I asked, still confused about what was going on.
“Speeding,” he said as he nodded forward. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked straight ahead, and sure enough, there was a car going way too quickly down the road. Nelson flashed the lights as I ran the plates. Rental car.
The car pulled over, and we stopped right behind. Nelson made no move to get up.
“Oh, all right, I got this,” I said reluctantly.
I made my way to the car as Nelson finally got out of our car, trailing just a little way behind me.
“Do you know how …?” I trailed off, the words dying on my lips as I took in the face of the driver. “Eddie?” I questioned. “What the hell?” I asked.
“This is how we first met,” he pointed out. “Same route, same spot, same violation,” he said with a smirk. I looked around, and sure enough, he was right.
“Okay?” I asked, unsure what he was getting at.
“If it weren’t for that, I would have never met you, never have fallen in hate with you”— he chuckled—“and then fallen in love with you. So it only seemed fitting that I did this where it all began,” he said and started to open the door. “May I?” he asked as he began to get out. I just nodded, stunned and shocked as I watched him get down on one knee beside the rented car, which I realized was probably so that I wouldn’t recognize him. He pulled out a little box and opened it to reveal a ring with a large diamond in the middle and two small bands of tiny diamonds extending from it. I gasped.
“Evie Drew, you literally saved my life when we were kids, and then you saved my heart by showing me what it was like to love someone wholeheartedly. Will you save my soul by attaching yours to mine for eternity? Will you marry me?”
The tears made their way down my cheeks, the shock overwhelming as I found my voice. “Yes, Eddie. God, yes,” I said. “I love you.”
“Thank God,” he said as he grabbed my hand, slipped on the ring, and then stood, wrapping his arms around me and kissing me with all the love he had.
“Smile for the camera,” Nelson said, breaking the moment.
“Shit, I forgot you were there,” I answered. “Way to ruin it, Nelson,” I said as Eddie chuckled.
“It’s a good thing I’m here,” he responded. “Or you wouldn’t know you got the day off. Now, go celebrate. And I’ll send you a copy of this so you can share it with the world,” he added.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Thank you so much, Nelson,” Eddie said, and Nelson nodded in acknowledgment.
We watched as Nelson got in the car and drove away. “So it all began here, huh?” I asked when we were alone.
“Yep, this is where you hated me,” he said with a laugh.
“No, Eddie. This is where I said yes to our future.”
“I like that beginning,” he responded.
“And a beginning it is … to our future.”
“To us.”
The End
If you’ve read any of my acknowledgments before, you know I’m a broken record. But, that’s simply because I’ve been lucky to have the same steady stream of people watching my back for what seems like forever.
Thank you to my family. Their never-ending support and belief in me is why I get to continue to write. Thank you to my hubby, my baby girl and baby boy, my sister (you all know she’s my muse), my parents, my in-laws, and my nieces & nephews.
Thank you to my editor, Jenny Sims at Editing4Indies, to my cover creator extraordinaire, Rebecca Pau at The Full Wrap, and my formatter, Elaine York, at Allusion Graphics. You all are more than just book fairy godmothers, you’re friends!
Thank you to the amazing women I have come to know and love: Rebecca Bennett, Janett Gomez, Jen Wilder, Monica Peres, Brianna Maddox, Heather Cicio, Suleika Santana, Cat Gray, Tiffany West, Christina Gragg, Shelly Wygant, Emily Goodman, Kacie Spiros, Stephanie Caldwell. I’m sure I’m missing some people, and for that, I’m SO sorry!
Thank you to my Diamonds! You gals rock!
Thank you to the other girls in the Cupid’s Aim series for your help and for letting me be a part of this series!
And thank you to all the blogs, bloggers, groups, fellow authors, and readers that have helped me with my book journey, and for helping to promo/spread the word/read Let Hate Go. I would still be a girl hiding behind a computer screen if it weren’t for all of you!
LET ME GO
Rape. One word changed his life. Mason Tredwell had it all. He was a good looking, well-respected doctor. He had money, power, and friends. He never worried about finding a woman to warm his bed. But that all changed when he was wrongfully accused of rape. And now, after five years in prison and the loss of everything he cared about, he wanted revenge.
Abandoned as a baby and bounced around different foster homes, Kat Gingham never really had a charmed life. But now, things were really falling apart. She had no money, no job, and even her lying, cheating boyfriend was gone too. She allowed herself one night to cry about her situation before she picked herself back up. But when she woke up, she was no longer at home, and she was no longer alone. She was facing Mason, a guy who claimed she ruined his life. And he’s hell-bent on breaking her down, humiliating her, making her feel like he has all these years.
With tension flaring, questions arising on both sides, and answers truly vague, one question remains: Will Mason let Kat go or are they both in too deep?
LET IT GO
Benny’s story...a long novella...stand alone & sequel to Let Me Go
A street thug with a heart. That was Benny Negrete. To the outside world, he looked like bad news, but anyone who knew him knew he was intelligent, honest, and most importantly, caring. He looked out for the people he loved. But it hasn’t always been that way.
Sophie Basi, a successful doctor with a promising career, has tried hard to put the past behind her. It even worked for a while, but she never expected to run into Benny again. He’s the one person who can summon the past and unravel her perfectly crafted life.
When avoidance doesn’t work, the two are forced to relive their recollections of a past they are both desperate to forget. Can they let it go? Or are they forever going to live in their memories, with the future just out of reach?
A BRUTAL BETRAYAL
Past. Everyone has one. It shapes the person they become. It determines the present. It even contributes to the future. And sometimes, people are thrown together in spite of it.
It was no secret that Megan Verona was raped. It crippled her being, turning her from a vibrant young woman to someone who feared intimacy. After years of struggling, she decided to seek help with a therapist, Declan Connors, in hopes of being able to finally have a relationship. Declan wanted to help Megan; he wanted to help everyone who sought his aid, but she was different. She consumed his thoughts until he could no longer deny his feelings. He hadn’t expected to fall for her and fall hard, but he did. It was a wonder when she returned some of his sentiment. But, like everyone, Declan also has a past, one riddled with pain and anguish, one he hadn’t fully dealt with.
If helping Megan brought out his own shadows, what did loving her do? How do both their pasts play a role in their future? Most importantly, can they conquer the past that threw them together?
BOOK BOYFRIEND
What would you do if you ran into a real life book boyfriend?
You might scream or maybe giggle.
You might play coy or maybe stare.
You might ask for a picture or maybe an autograph.
You might call your girlfriends or maybe post about it. What did I do? I ran. Literally.
Kim was a typical college student with a splash of dorky, a dash of funny, and a pinch of clumsy…well, maybe more than a pinch. After making a fool of herself in front of her classmate Brent, and his friend, Travis, a dead-ringer for one her book boyfriends, she tried to stay away. But after a few hilarious chance encounters, they became fast friends.
And then came the bet. It was Travis versus Brent, but somehow Kim got roped in to help team Travis. He was supposed to find and woo his real life book girlfriend. What could go wrong with a couple of college kids and an innocent bet? Let the shenanigans and laughter ensue! And maybe add in a bit of friendship, fun and most definitely, love.
THREE LOVING WORDS
I hate you. I heard those words so many times from his mouth that they lost their meaning. His “three loving words” is how I mockingly referred to them. It didn’t bother me, though, because I hated him, too.
He was gorgeous, with dark tousled hair, full lips, a strong jaw, and a body deserving of a magazine cover. He was rich and cared for his mother deeply. On paper, he was the perfect husband. The problem? He was my husband.
I dreamed of a fairytale love story for as long as I could remember. I dreamed of a boy to fall head over heels for me and treat me like the sun rose and set at my feet, especially after living in the shadow of my perfect sister and never feeling good enough for my family. When I decided to earn my parents’ love in a dramatic fashion, I’ll admit that I never imagined marrying him would end up part of the bargain.
The kicker? Enzo Faust didn’t want to marry me, either. And yet, here we are, a man that I both fear and loathe is my “I do…for better or worse.” I just didn’t anticipate that it’d be more ‘worse’ than ‘better.’
I’m Paige Stiles, and here’s my story.
THE BEAUTY BENEATH
Ugly. Freak. Fatty. I had been called those things and more for as long as I could remember. I didn’t mind it, though, because to the outside world, those words described me perfectly. But it was all a charade, a façade to keep people away. Never let anyone get too close. It had worked for twelve years of my life, ever since I caused my father’s death.
And then Carter Anderson pushed his way into my world. Gorgeous, of course, charming, naturally, and cocky, a given—he called himself my friend and broke through every one of my carefully constructed walls.
Cue the “happily ever after,” right? Wrong.
This isn’t some fairy tale where the ugly duckling turns into a beautiful swan, and once the beauty beneath is revealed, all is right in the world. This is real life. When things seem too good to be true, it’s because they usually are. And when people say your past will come back to bite you, they mean it. And trust me, it does.
SHAPE OF MY LIFE
I was dating Grennan Larter. The Grennan Larter, lead singer and guitarist of The Rising Sun. It had happened so fast, but somehow, plain old Brooklyn Cooper had captured the rock star. It was wonderful and fun; he was caring, attentive, and as cliché as it was, he thought I was the rising sun … and setting sun, and everything in between. I was in love and so was he.
And then it all fell apart.
All I thought I knew … well … let’s just say I wasn’t sure I could trust myself anymore. I had a war waging in my head, and I wasn’t sure who would win, or rather, who I wanted to win. I felt like I was going crazy. And then it all finally clicked. I finally understood why my life had gone in the direction it had. It was the shape of my life.
SCARS OF MY PAST
My life was one of those teen angst rom-coms where the ugly high school student transforms herself into the beauty queen. Except there was no cute guy helping me along, no series of makeover shots with fun background music, no scene where I walked into the room and all heads turned to look at me while wind blew through my hair. I was the ugly high school student, and I did transform, but it wasn’t all peaches and cream.
Bullied so badly in high school that it ruined my life, I spent my senior year in therapy. It was there that I transformed – not just physically, but mentally as well. I wanted a fresh start and going to college across the country was my ticket to that. It was a whole new world, and things were great …
… and then came the blast from my past.
And he didn’t recognize me. What was a girl to do? Revenge, of course! My plan was to make him fall for me and then break his heart.
Sounds simple, right? Wrong. If only revenge was black and white … too bad a lot of gray was in the mix. But one thing was for sure – I needed a way to heal the scars from my past. I just hoped I could.
