Entice (Hearts of Stone #2)
Page 23
Here it is in black and white.
I see you. I notice you. Not the parts of you other people see. Not the swagger and the sarcasm. Not just your body or your beautiful face. The real you. The you you're scared to show people because you think it's ugly.
I want you to know, the real you is beautiful.
I want you to know I'm in love with you.
Maybe that's crazy. Maybe I'm crazy. But it's how I feel and no matter how much I try to convince myself it isn't true, or isn't smart, or possible, it just doesn't change.
So there it is. I'm in love with you, Emily. And I hope you'll seriously consider giving me a chance to prove it. I promise it'll be worth it.
Owen
A teardrop falls onto the center of the page. "Shit," I say, rushing to blot it with the corner of my blouse, relieved the ink doesn't smear.
My breathing is uneven as I lay the letter down and pick up the little black box, opening it. The necklace is a recent purchase. I know this not just because the box is as sleek and new as the item inside, but because there are four diamonds dotting the curves of the pendant. Owen wouldn't have been able to afford it at the time he wrote the letter. The letter, of course, is more than enough. But this necklace? The infinity symbol hanging from it?
It's more than just a symbol. It's a promise. The promise he scribbled on that torn sheet of paper a few weeks ago.
Always.
I pull the chain over my neck and the metal cools the skin of my collarbone. My fingertips come up to my lips as I laugh, realizing I had it wrong before.
I'm not the chink in Owen's armor. He's the chink in mine.
The weeks that follow are wonderful and sometimes terrible. Realizing just how much I've come to depend on drinking, especially at night. Having to admit to Owen when I feel particularly tempted. Acknowledging that blatant weakness in me, isn't something that I like to do. But it's necessary and Owen understands. He's patient and caring and supportive.
This town is familiar and somehow feels brand new. Something in me shifts with every passing day. Whatever it is, it's good. I'm aware of it even when I'm trying not to be. And if I ever feel my focus waning, I bring my fingertips to the infinity charm at the end of the necklace. A reminder I need to work on myself every single day. A reminder someone is counting on me. I'm not accountable just for myself anymore. The things I do, they affect Owen and Landon.
These days, my life is fresh with possibility as the grime I allowed before washes away slowly, but surely.
Things really are changing. I'm starting to like myself more and more, learning not to pick at scabs, allowing the lightness to be real and not an act.
One night, I wake up alone in bed. My loft is silent, streaks from the moon cut through the window behind my bed. A certainty tears through me like a beam of light. It finally feels real.
This is my new beginning.
The real beginning. It's not weighted by the constant fear of impending doom, or the subconscious desire to pull on the threads until things unravel. I'm wrapped in a sensation of worthiness. Standing on top of everything I've been through, everything I've earned, and no longer teetering near the edge, feeling the urge to jump. No longer needing to fear the things that come my way.
Those things should fear me.
Because I am determined and a force to be reckoned with. And if, even for just a moment, I ever question which way is north, I'll anchor myself with the help of my compass.
The good things in my life. The good people.
And, of course, myself.
<
Thank you for reading.
Please consider leaving a review.
Stay tuned for news on the next installment of
the Hearts of Stone series…
Coming later in 2015.
Other books by Veronica Larsen:
Entangle (Hearts of Stone, Book 1)
Do you like to be teased? Be the first to receive exclusive giveaways, excerpts, cover reveals, and news on my upcoming novels. Please consider joining my mailing list.
You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and my website.
But the good stuff will be available through my mailing list.
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I want to thank my readers, from the bottom of my heart, for taking a chance on this new author and embracing my stories. You have no idea the difference your words of encouragement made on me during the writing process of this novel. I'm not going to lie. This book kicked my butt. It was hard to write for so many reasons. In the moments I felt like giving up on the story, you'd lift me up again by expressing your excitement about reading it. Your support lit a fire under me to push past the last walls and deliver.
A huge thanks to ALL of the Bloggers who have read/reviewed my books and/or offered to help spread the word. I truly appreciate your passion for books and all the time and work you all put into your blogs and Facebook pages on a daily basis, helping stories find their audience.
There's a group of incredible women who I'm blessed to call my friends, and who offered their invaluable insight to help me bring Entice to it's fullest potential. Ariane, you're my twin-soul and this novel is proof of that. Stephanie, just when I was starting to lose sight of the story, you shone a light that served as my beacon back to my narrative voice. Courtney, you're just always there to tuck my sanity back in. Karyn, your last-minute, top-secret beta-read made all the difference.
There are also some hardworking, talented women who have stood behind Entice and propped it up onto it's proverbial legs. Lea, you took amazing care of this story. Your genuine passion and talent for editing blew my expectations out of the water. Neda, your vote of confidence means so much to me. Thank you for believing in my story enough to represent it. Julie, thanks for being my last pair of eyes, making sure this baby is ready for the limelight.
To my sister and mother, thanks for showing me what strong women are and for promising to never read my sex-ridden stories. I love you guys and can't possibly imagine a world without your relentless teasing.
My husband, this novel wouldn't exist without your unconditional support and encouragement. I don't know what else to say. You are simply everything.
I like to include a section in my acknowledgments where I mention any conscious influences the novel might have derived. As with Entangle (Hearts of Stone, book 1), this book drew inspiration from Brene Brown 's TedTalks. This time, her insight on what she refers to as 'scarcity' was what unlocked what I identified as the root of Emily's issues. I should also mention that the entire time I was writing Entice, I listened to Taylor Swift 's album '1989' on repeat. I believe the tone of her album shaped the tone of Emily's story. The songs that come to mind at the moment are Wildest Dreams, This Love and Clean. Along with the bonus tracks: You Are In Love and New Romantics.
Last but not least, when Owen scribbles a single word onto a piece of paper, it seemed natural for the word to be always. But as soon as I typed it, I was reminded of Snape and Lilly, from the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling . I almost deleted the word to think of something else, because I knew other fans of the series might draw the same parallels. In the end, I decided to keep it in, as a homage. Because Snape was my favorite character in that series. And I really wish his story would've ended differently. I wish he would've gotten the girl.