Circus in a Shot Glass

by Beth Overmyer

  I blush and change the subject to something safer, if not safe at all. “What about your deal with my—my brother?”

  He explains how he had planned to pay off James’s debts as long as he treated me well. When he saw me sitting on the bench, slumped over in the rain, he said some rash things to James but decided to keep his word and help him get back on his feet. But first, James will spend time in rehab and in prison. We'll have to talk more, Ardal and I, and maybe James. But it can wait. Now it’s just him and I. He calls me Julianna, and now I remember. The elephants no longer niggle at the back of my brain; the place is now too full of hope. And as I once ran for nothingness, I now set down my baggage and let him lead me over the threshold of acceptance. It’s good being home.

  About the Author

  Beth Overmyer writes romance, fantasy, and more for adults, teens, and tweens. Her first book, In a Pickle, a middle grade adventure, came out from MuseItUp Publishing in 2012. Circus in a Shot Glass is her first novel-length work of fiction for adults.