The Union

by T. H. Hernandez

  Dear Reader

  Thank you for reading The Union. As an independent author, gaining exposure relies on readers spreading the word, so if you have the time and are so inclined, please consider leaving a short review on Goodreads or your favorite site for books.

  To stay up to date on the latest releases and get access to exclusive content, including the story of The Union from Cyrus’s point of view, be sure to sign up for my newsletter: http://thhernandez.com/newsletter.

  Also by T.H. Hernandez

  The Ruins (Book 2)

  The Uprising (Book 3)

  The Invasion (Book 4)

  Acknowledgments

  This has been a long journey and so many people helped me along the way, so this is going to be long. Might want to use the bathroom and grab a beer.

  First and foremost, a huge thanks goes to my long-suffering husband, Ernie, who not only participated in brainstorming sessions with me, but also countless rounds of edits to the “final” version of my manuscript (there were lots of final versions, for the record).

  It was nearly four years ago when, recently laid off as a proposal writer, he asked me if I could do anything I wanted what would it be. When I told him I’d like to write a novel he asked me what was stopping me. Sometimes you just need to be hit upside the head with the obvious to truly get it.

  Thanks to my family for never letting me give up. To my daughter, Mattea, for inviting her friends to read and provide feedback. To my sons, Noah and Grayson, for sharing the story with their classes at school. To my parents, Jim and Judy, for always encouraging my creativity.

  A special thanks goes out to my beta readers, Cori Griswold, Elizabeth Parks, Elizabeth Shulok, Emily Kelton, Gen Curry, Judy Trageser, Kat Wills, Kim Guarnaccia, Lia Trageser, Marcie Sheriff, Mattea Hernandez, Natalia Moorehead, Pam Richardson, and Ripal Patel. You all read early versions and provided invaluable feedback, which helped me realize that writing proposals and writing fiction are NOTHING alike.

  Thanks to my fabulous critique group, Amanda, Cao, Jen and Sally. My story would suck without you.

  Thanks to my wonderful editor, Barbara Trageser, you taught me self-control when it comes to comma usage and to never, ever go towards anything in the United States ever again.

  To my fabulous cover artist, Mark Sgarbossa for creating a work of art that belongs on a wall and not just the cover of a book.

  To the many wonderful young adult writers I met at SwoonReads, including Jennifer DiGiovanni, K.A. Cozzo, Sally White, Jenny Elliot, and Katie Van Ark. Getting to know other writers in my genre has been the best part of the journey.

  And finally, to the best writer friends anyone could ask for, Jen, Karole, and Sally, for holding my hand through countless rejections, for pushing me to continue submitting, and finally for not telling me I’m batshit crazy for pursuing the indie route (although I might actually be).

  Bonus Material

  FOUND

  * * *

  FOUND is the story of The Union from Cyrus’s point of view. To read the rest of this story, get access to exclusive content, and get advanced notification of upcoming releases, cover reveals, and ARCs, sign up for my newsletter.

  Life in the Ruins is turbulent, and no one knows that better than Cyrus Matthews. After a tornado destroyed his hometown, killing most of his family, he needed a fresh start. Along with his older brother, Lucien, and a handful of friends, he migrated west to start a new life.

  Now eighteen, Cyrus drifts through life, knowing he hasn’t fully come to terms with the tragedy of his past. He finds plenty of consolation in the arms of the girls in the valley where he lives and at the annual Festival he attends with his brother and friends.

  When a mysterious girl lands in their lives, seemingly out of nowhere, Cyrus’s life is turned upside once again. He finds himself falling for the beautiful redhead with the incredible past and thinks maybe he’s found what he hadn’t even realized he’d been looking for.

  But when tragedy strikes once again, he discovers that maybe what he’s really found, is a reason to go on.

  Chapter 1 - Hero

  “When are you leaving?” Lucy asks, running her fingers through my hair.

  “Tomorrow.”

  She slides her hand under my T-shirt, skimming my stomach. “Then I guess we shouldn’t waste any time.”

  “I like the way you think,” I murmur, lowering my face and brushing my lips against hers. Lucy’s hot, like seriously hot. I’ve been chasing after her for weeks, but she likes to play hard to get. We always seem to take two steps forward and one giant step back. She opens her mouth, inviting me in. Maybe today will be different. I test the waters, my fingers venturing beneath her shirt. When she doesn’t push my hand away, I get more daring.

  “This is the perfect way to say goodbye,” she breathes. “Sealing our relationship before you go.”

  My hands stop their exploration and I pull back, staring at her. Her eyes are closed, pale lashes fanning rosy cheeks.

  Her eyelids flutter open and brilliant blue eyes lock with mine. “Knowing you’re coming back to me will help get me through the long, lonely days without you.”

  I back away, putting some distance between us. “Luce…I like you and this has been fun, but…”

  “Oh.” She sits up, tugging her shirt down.

  How did we go from messing around and making out to “sealing our relationship”? I stand and run a hand through my hair. “I ummm…I should get back, help with packing…and stuff.”

  She turns and begins jamming the leftovers into her picnic basket. I reach a hand down to pull her up, but she recoils from the gesture. She can’t possibly think this is personal, I’ve never had a relationship with anyone.

  “Let me walk you home”

  “That’s okay. I’m fine.”

  “Lucy…” I take the picnic basket from her hand. “Don’t be mad. It’s just…we’re leaving tomorrow—”

  “No, I get it. There’ll be all kinds of girls at the Festival, and you don’t want to be tied down.”

  “It’s not that…” Except that’s exactly it. Lucien’s been whipped by Draya for as long as I can remember. And Marcus has only ever been with Sonia. I don’t think he’s even kissed another girl. I want to settle down someday. But someday when I’m a lot older.

  Lucy’s quiet as we walk. When we get to her house, she takes the picnic basket back from me. I weigh my options, wanting to apologize but not wanting to give her the wrong idea. I might not be the best guy in the valley, but I’ve never lied, never told a girl what she wants to hear so she’ll sleep with me.

  I’m still struggling with what to say when she suddenly throws an arm around my neck and kisses me. Before I even get a chance to react, a deep voice calls out, “Lucille!”

  Shit, shit, shit. I bolt away from her, shoving my hands into my pockets.

  “Hi, Daddy,” she coos, giving me a knowing smirk over her shoulder before bouncing up the front steps, the picnic basket swinging on her arm.

  Her father glares at me from the porch and I spin, heading home without a glance back. Soon, though, my feet are directing me past the house and toward my hideaway. I should go home and help the others pack, but the need for time and space to clear my head wins out.

  A network of cobwebs greets me when I step onto the wood planks that make up the floor of my secret retreat. I built it four years ago when we first got here. It’s the only place I can truly call my own. Based on the layers of dust and spider infestation, I guess it’s been awhile since I was last here. After cleaning up some, I grab my fishing pole a head down into the ravine to the creek.

  The water rushes past, blending with bird songs, creating a soothing harmony. While I wait for a bite, I replay my afternoon with Lucy, trying to figure out which signal I sent that made her believe I wanted to get serious.

  My parents had this great relationship, the kind I want for myself. My fourteen-year-old self saw perfection, but my eighteen-year-old self sometimes won
ders if I only saw what I wanted to see.

  Jamming the end of the pole into the mud, I lie back against the grass, my hands behind my head and doze off. The sun hangs low when I wake groggy and disoriented. My fishing pole is in the water, caught between two rocks.

  I grab the pole only to discover whatever dragged it down into the creek got away. With a heavy sigh, I trudge back up to put the pole away and head home.

  “Where’ve you been?” Draya demands as I climb the steps from the front door up to the main floor.

  “Out.”

  “Nice of you to finally join us. There’s a lot left to do. Go find Lucien. I think he’s out back.”

  I head outside, making my way around to the back of the house where my older brother is chopping firewood. My boots crunch against dead leaves and twigs. He glances up, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his arm.

  “Hey,” I say.

  He nods, but doesn’t say anything.

  “Sorry,” I say when he doesn’t respond. “How can I help?”

  He studies me for a moment and shakes his head. “I’m about finished. Check with Draya.”

  “She sent me out to you.”

  “Check with Ally, then, Cy.” If I didn’t know him so well, I’d miss the trace of annoyance in his voice. I guess he’s got a right to be pissed, though.

  I find Ally in the kitchen working on dinner. “What can I help with?”

  She stares at me for a second like I just told her I discovered her secret super power. C’mon, I’m not that bad, am I?

  “You…you, um, you…” she stammers. “You can make the salad.” A rare smile graces her lips, making me feel for a moment as if I’m the one with a super power.

  We work in companionable silence until Will enters. He glances between me to Ally, his eyes widening.

  “Hey, I help out in the kitchen. Sometimes,” I say.

  “Whatever, dude,” Will says before heading outside and returning with a bucket of water, placing it over the fire.

  Over the past few months I’ve been spending less time here. I’m not sure why other than I’m restless. This is my family and my home, but it’s like I’ve got an itch I can’t isolate enough to scratch.

  Once we clean up the post-dinner dishes, we pack all the crap we’re taking with us and place the bags by the door. I say goodnight to the others on my way up to my room, too excited to sleep. I love the festivals with all the new people to meet, foods to try, games to play.

  Reminds me of the first one our whole family went to when I was a kid. They’re bittersweet memories. It’s not as hard to think about them now as it used to be. Sometimes I let myself remember small glimpses of my old life. Like now.

  I smile thinking about how I carried Penelope on my shoulders into that first Summer Fest all those years ago. My hands were wrapped tightly around her shins as she wiggled and giggled, her little fingers laced under my chin in a death grip. In her three-year-old eyes, I was a hero. She might be the last person who ever looked at me that way.

  Chapter 2 - Wingman

  By the end of the second day of hiking, everyone is pissing and moaning about something. Everyone except Ben, that is. The kid is non-stop energy. Never complains about anything. I shift my pack to the other shoulder and stretch out my neck.

  Ben walks beside me, a steady stream of words pouring out of his mouth. I gave up trying to keep up with the verbal diarrhea a long time ago, just making sure to nod and smile every now and then.

  Tent tops appear on the horizon, and when the wind shifts direction, the sounds of music and voices carry to us along with the mouthwatering scent of grilled meats. My heart rate picks up in anticipation. No more hiking or grumbling, just good food, new friends, and lots of bullshitting. Ben takes off, and knowing him, he’ll try to run all the way there.

  “Ben, hang on. Wait for the rest of us,” I call to him.

  The others soon catch up to us. Sonia and Marcus bring up the rear, leading the calf we’ll trade for supplies. He’s been handy, carting most of our gear on the way here. Too bad we’ll have to lug it all home ourselves.

  “Hey, Cy,” Draya calls from behind me.

  I turn and glance at her over my shoulder. “Yeah?”

  Lucien’s arm is draped over her, their fingers twisted together. “Try not to sleep with everyone in camp this year, okay?”

  I roll my eyes as Lucien whispers something in her ear.

  “I’m just looking out for the family,” she says with a laugh.

  I think she’s secretly thrilled I’m in no hurry to settle down. That would mean another body in our house, or worse, me moving out, leaving the rest of them to carry the workload I currently handle. Doesn’t stop her from busting my balls every chance she gets. I may not have an older sister, but sometimes it sure feels like it.

  “Don’t listen to her, Cy,” Marcus says. “We need to live vicariously through you single guys.” Sonia elbows him in the ribs and he lets out a loud “Oof.”

  Will falls in step beside me, not saying anything at first, then clears his throat a few times. “So…do you think…maybe…” he stammers, his face beet red.

  “Spit it out, Will.”

  He drops his gaze to his feet and mumbles something. Will and his younger brother, Ben, haven’t been with us all that long. We found them on our way home from Summer Fest a couple years back, shortly after Union officials killed their parents. We brought them along, and they’ve been living with us ever since. But after two years he shouldn’t still be this uncomfortable around me.

  “Will you be my wingman? I mean, if I see someone I’m interested in?”

  I throw my head back and laugh, draping my arm across his shoulder. He’s started noticing girls but doesn’t seem to know what to do about it yet. With Lucien and Marcus more or less married, I’d love to hang around with Will more. He’s a few years younger, but he’s cool. And he’s got that lost puppy thing that girls eat up. This could be fun.

  “Hell, yeah, I will.”

  He smiles and relaxes, the bright red stain on his cheeks fading. “So, how do you do it? I mean, what do you say to a girl if you like her?”

  I sigh and rub the back of my neck. “Depends on the girl.”

  “Cy doesn’t need to do anything,” Marcus says. “Girls just fall on the ground in front of him.”

  “That’s not true. Just be yourself. Don’t be Dag.” Dag’s a good enough looking guy, but he’s got an edge to him that makes girls wary. “First, get a feel for the girl. If she’s shy, find a way to compliment her. If she’s outgoing, there’s a number of ways you can approach her. But you can never go wrong with honest flattery.”

  “How do you know if she’s interested?”

  I shrug. “You just know.”

  Crazy is in full-swing by the time we make it to the edge of camp. Lucien checks us in and gets a location for our tents. As we make our way over to our designated plot, a girl catches my eye. Man, she’s hot. My head swivels, not wanting to lose her in the crowd, and I slam into Marcus.

  “Hey, watch where you’re going.” He must spot the girl because he says, “Dayum…” under his breath.

  “Yeah.”

  Long brown hair brushes her bare shoulders which are tanned to perfection. Dark chocolate eyes turn my way and she smiles, revealing white teeth. The tiny shorts she’s wearing barely cover her assets, and the little scrap of material she’s got for a top looks like it’s painted on.

  “You guys are disgusting,” Sonia says, walking off.

  Marcus snaps out of his daze and chases after her. I dump my stuff on the ground and head toward the girl. Her smile broadens as I approach.

  “Hi,” I say.

  “Hi. I’m Dru.”

  “Cyrus.”

  “Nice to meet you Cyrus.” She glances over her shoulder at a dozen guys who are staring at her then turns back to me. “You looking for a partner for the three-legged race?”

  “As a matter of fact, I am.”

&n
bsp; “Well then I’ll be sure to look for you later.” She walks back to join her group, swinging her hips with finesse.

  This girl might just kill me.

  After dumping my stuff and securing the calf, I head off in search of Dru. Thoughts of those long, perfect legs and super-short shorts play over and over in my mind. She’s near the grove surrounded by no less than five guys. She turns her head and stares at me, as if she’d sensed me coming. The guys around her continue to talk, but she’s no longer listening. Her eyes are fixed on me, and a small, triumphant smile tugs at my lips.

  She leaves the other dudes behind without a word and walks over to me. “Hi,” she says. “I thought maybe you forgot about me.

  “Never.”

  She hooks her hand around my arm. “So, wanna join me for dinner?”

  “Sure.”

  She leads me over to the mess area where we grab trays. I heap some food on my plate and follow Dru over to the picnic tables. I’m sure we’ll be volunteering here tomorrow morning. Lucien likes to jump right in and get our work obligations out of the way quickly, giving us the rest of the festival to enjoy ourselves. I dig into my dinner, ravenous after two days of hiking. Plus, with the signals Dru is putting out, I’m likely to need the fuel for what I hope is a very long night.

  “I need to go help out back at our campsite,” I say when I’m done eating. “But I’ll catch up with you later.”

  “I’ll save you a seat at the bonfire,” she says.

  Tall trees surround our camp spot that allow only patches of sunlight to dance through the leaves. The dark velvety odor of freshly dug earth clings to the air as Ally grooms the dirt of our assigned plot with a rake.

  Draya glances up from pounding the final stake in her tent. “Oh, glad you remembered where we’re staying,” her words are harsh, but her smile is playful.