Beyond (BOOK 1.5)
Page 8
Thank you so much for your help and support.
Acknowledgements
Once again, there are so many people to thank. I'd like to give special mention to:
Allison Potter - my editor, publicist and PA. Working with you is a blast. I'm loving it.
Scott & Ruth - I so appreciate your time and advice.
Eden Crane - this cover is gorgeous and captured Dale and Nicole perfectly. Thank you.
Inklings - what would I do without you girls? Thanks for your time, advice and just being such an awesome support to me.
Indie Inked - thanks for making this writing journey SO much fun!!
Karen & Suzy - thanks for your proof-reading skills, your cheerleading and unwavering support.
My precious family - you guys are the sunshine in my day.
My saviour - you make life worth living. Thank you.
About Melissa Pearl
Melissa Pearl is a kiwi at heart, but currently lives in Suzhou, China with her husband and two sons. She trained as an elementary school teacher, but has always had a passion for writing and finally completed her first manuscript in 2003. She has been writing ever since and the more she learns, the more she loves it. Keep an eye out for future projects.
Connect With Melissa Pearl
You can contact Melissa Pearl online:
Website: http://melissapearlauthor.com
Blogs:
http://melissapearl.blogspot.com
http://yalicious.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/melissapearlauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelissaPearlG
A Zealous Design Author: http://www.zealousdesign.co.nz
You can also subscribe to Melissa Pearl's Book Updates Newsletter. You will be the first to know about any book news, new releases and giveaways.
Follow this link to sign up.
Other Books By Melissa Pearl
The Elements Trilogy
Unknown
Unseen
Unleashed
The Time Spirit Trilogy
Golden Blood
Black Blood
Pure Blood
The Mica & Lexy Series
Forbidden Territory
Forbidden Waters (due for release: early 2014)
Betwixt Series
Betwixt
Before
The Masks Series
True Colors (due for release: Dec 2013/Jan 2014)
Find out more on Melissa Pearl's website: http://www.melissapearlauthor.com
Betwixt Excerpt
Beautiful, wild-child, Nicole Tepper, is hit by a car and left for dead. But when she wakes the next morning, Nicole finds herself in bed without a scratch. Perhaps she was more intoxicated than usual, as her mother is giving her the silent treatment and her friends are ignoring her as well.
Things take a turn for the weird when Nicole soon discovers she is actually hovering between life and death. Her body is lying in the forest while her spirit is searching for anyone who can hear her. Unforunately the only person who can is Dale Finnigan, the guy she publicly humiliated with a sharp-tongued insult that has left him branded.
Desperate, Nicole has no choice but to haunt Dale and convince the freaked-out senior to help her. Will he find her body before it's too late? Or will the guy who tried to kill her with his car, beat him there and finish her off before anyone finds out?
Chapter One
My boots make a sharp tapping sound as I clomp my way home. The loose gravel at the edge of the road jumps away from my anger, skirting ahead of me then tumbling down the steep embankment.
I can't believe I'm in this situation. How could my boyfriend be such a jerk? I cross my arms and shiver, trying to block the last thirty minutes from my mind. What will people think? I blink away tears as I imagine the gossip tree shaking with mirth. How am I going to face everyone tomorrow?
I should have just given in and done what he wanted me to. I have before.
I look up at the night sky. It is clear and cold, the stars are brilliant with no streetlights to hinder their glow. I'm guessing it's around midnight. I can't see my watch face in this dim light. I can barely see two steps in front of me.
A cool wind whistles through my clothing and I wish, yet again, that I hadn't chosen to wear a sleeveless shirt with a plunging V-neck that left nothing to the imagination. Maybe Trent was right. I had dressed for it.
I look down at my knee-high boots and skinny jeans so tight they'd have to be peeled off. I suddenly feel like a hooker. My lower lip wobbles. I can feel the melt down setting in. I struggle to hold it together.
I'm stuck in the middle of who knows where. I have no idea how long it's going to take me to walk home... I don't even know which direction home is.
Trent said it would be romantic, the best vista point he'd ever found, but it wasn't a scenic overlook. It was just a clearing of darkness where mischief could never be discovered.
Bile swirls in my stomach.
The metal dog tags clink against my sternum. I can feel them swinging back and forth in time with my march. I grab them through my clothing and squeeze. I'm tempted to take them off and hurl them into the trees beside me, but I can't. I blame them though... well not them exactly, but the person who gave them to me.
Why had I put them on? They had been hidden in my jewelry box for months. My fingers had brushed over them as I was searching for my hoop earrings and I'd been compelled to slip them over my head and stuff them beneath my shirt. If I hadn't put them on, I wouldn't have thought of him and if he hadn’t been swimming around in the back of my brain, I wouldn't be in this situation.
Dale Finnigan.
Dale Finnigan and his "you should know better look" had a lot to answer for tonight. I hitch my bag higher onto my shoulder. My march is getting faster and the need to be out of here burns. I start the long descent down the winding road, my mind playing tricks with me.
Maybe you should call, Dale.
I grimace.
You know he'd come and collect you.
"No he wouldn't," I say to the air. "He hates me."
I frown.
Scarface.
The word sends a shudder through my system and I slam the door on my brain. It can just shut up right now.
I won't be calling Dale.
I reach into my bag and fish around for my phone. I stop in my tracks to have a better look, but with no light, the endeavor is hopeless. It looks like I won't be calling anyone. I grit my teeth and keep walking, picking up my pace as I round the corner. The wind whistles through my clothing again and I shiver. I should stop and put my jacket on, but I don't want to. If I just keep walking I won't have to stop and really analyze the crap I'm in.
My brain doesn't play fair and I analyze it anyway.
It's Tuesday night. Most normal sixteen year olds would be home in their beds having done their homework, watched a little TV, and said goodnight to their parents, but not me, right? I always have to do things differently.
I can feel my mouth pinching into a tight line as the simplicity and bliss of that kind of life feels a million miles away.
I shake my head.
"What am I talking about? My life rocks." I say the last word way too loud as I continue to convince myself. "I have just been at study group."
I laugh. Why did we even call it that? We never studied. It was basically Tuesday night party time. Matt's parents were out of town, so we had blasted the music and stood down by the lake goofing around and laughing until our bellies ached.
I grin as I picture the scene in my head - friends surrounding me, Trent's arm around my shoulders making me feel safe.
I wish his arms were around me now.
I cringe.
The second part of the night had not been so great.
I wrap my arms around myself and squeeze, trying to eradicate the memories, the look of annoyance scouring his perfect features, the harsh words of disgust and the sound of gravel spray as he drove awa
y from me.
Stupid jerk!
Who needs him?
I ignore the "you do" in the back of my mind and sniff. Lifting my head, I pick up my pace again as I enter a dark patch of road. The trees loom overhead and I try really hard not to think of ghosts and demons as my breath quickens.
The distant sound of an engine distracts me. The faint glow of headlights appear behind me and I smile. Trent feels guilty. Yes! Man, was I going to give him hell for this.
I glance behind me and disappointment sears my insides. The headlights are sitting way too low on the car to be Trent's. He drives a Jeep Cherokee, this car looks more like a sedan? Or maybe a sports car?
I toy with the idea of sticking out my thumb as it draws near. I'm sure it would be safe enough. I'd just ask for a lift to Big Bear Village then walk from there. No big deal. Maybe I could even ask for a ride to L.A.. The idea of running away skirts through my brain as I squeeze my thumb inside my fist.
It fights to break free, but I won't let it. I even start filling my mind with every hitch hiking horror story I can think of. That works like a charm and my thumb relaxes into submission.
The car is cruising down the hill towards me when a sudden fear rips up my spine. I can see it swerving out of the corner of my eye and turn to watch its erratic movements. I move to the very edge of the road, my boots pushing piles of dirt and stone off the edge of the embankment. My legs hit the guardrail. With eyes the size of dinner plates I watch the car swerve. Hasn't it seen me? Doesn't it know I'm vulnerable on the side of the road here?
I turn to make an escape, but it's too late.
The headlights illuminate my body for a second, before the car violently swerves away, but not before clipping me. Pain sears through my body and I scream as I'm thrown over the guardrail.
It's like being in a tumble drier as I roll down the hill, scratching myself on pinecones and nature's debris. My descent comes to an abrupt end as I crash into a tree trunk. A loud crack rings like a gun shot inside my head, rattling my brain. I roll away from the tree with a groan and reach for my temple then scream as pain radiates up my arm. My stomach jerks and I feel its contents shifting north. I cover my mouth, but it's pointless.
Out of breath, I try to shift away from my puke, but moving hurts too much. I lay back on the bumpy earth and look up at the sky. The stars are fuzzy and shifting wildly. I blink to bring them into focus, but that just makes it worse. I feel as though the world is falling on top of me. As the stars and treetops come crashing down I hear a young girl scream my name.
"NICKY!"
For every copy of Betwixt sold, $1 will be donated to Love146.
Love146 works to end the trafficking and exploitation of children who have been thrown into circumstances beyond their control. Their mission is to prevent these atrocities from happening and to help the children who get free, start on a new path — to give them a life filled with hope and promise.
Learn more about Love146 at:
http://www.love146.org
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