The Pieces that Built Me

by Amber Lacie

  Just on the corner, not too far from where our limo was currently waiting, was a pie shop. You could walk in any time of the night to order a slice of pie. My favorite was the apple. I hoped he took her there. She probably needed more than pie, but at least she would be warm.

  Life is like a puzzle. Sometimes, it’s hard to see in the beginning the picture they would make, but part of the fun is building it. August was the piece I didn’t know I was missing. I had pushed him away so many times, and yet, he always fought to come back.

  Brushing my fingers through his hair, I leaned down and placed a kiss on his lips.

  “What was that for?”

  “Just because I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  We need a bigger bed. Do they even make bigger beds than an oversized king? I stared down at the feet tangled in the sheets. August was lying in the center, with Jack curled against him on one side, while Maximus was tucked against him on the other. My boys. I loved them so much. August had given me everything.

  A picture of our wedding day was sitting on the nightstand. August was in a black tuxedo and I was wearing a white dress, with lace tracing up my neck, ending just over my shoulders. My entire back was exposed. I remember reveling in the feeling of his touch on my bare skin when we kissed for the first time as husband and wife. Jack and Max were both wearing matching tuxes. August had asked Jack to be his best man and Max was our ring bearer. Blake had to help him walk down the aisle, but they looked adorable doing it.

  It had been two years since our wedding and I was still soaring high from the memories. Max twisted a little in his sleep, balling his tiny fist up. I wonder what he is dreaming. I also wonder how their worlds would change when they woke up.

  I had gotten up and made breakfast early, and on their plates, I had spelled out the word ‘baby’ with strips of bacon. Max might not have been able to read it yet, but Jack and August would get a kick out of it.

  My fingers danced across the soft silk gown covering my stomach. Snuggled in our bed were all the pieces that had built me. I loved my life, and I couldn’t wait to spend every moment with them. I bounced on the bed, waking up the boys. August moaned a bit, but he didn’t wake. I couldn’t wait any longer. I crawled over him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

  “Baby, I need you to wake up.”

  “You okay?”

  “I’m fine, but you’re going to want to sit up for this.”

  August propped two pillows behind his back and pulled me into his lap. “What’s going on? I was having this amazing dream of us, on the beach, and you were wearing my favorite outfit.”

  I playfully smacked at his arm when he gave me a wink. I knew what outfit he was referring to. It was the same outfit that got me into the position I was currently in.

  “I’m pregnant.”

  “What? Are you serious? When?”

  “I think it was the beach, or at least I like to think it was when we were on the beach.”

  “So, sand being stuck in all the wrong places was worth it?”

  I laughed, as he pulled me down on top of him. We were a dog pile of love. Jack popped his head up and looked me squarely in the eyes. “Wait, you’re having a baby? Like another one? You need to stop having babies.”

  “What? Why? I thought you would be happy.”

  “I am, but I’m drawing the line. They’re cutting into my Christmas money.”

  August’s head fell back with laughter. Jack was becoming his own person with an attitude to boot. I loved it. I loved all of it. I loved all of them. They were my pieces and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

  The End

  Continue reading for a sneak peek of The Pieces That Built Him

  Coming Soon

  Fuck me. She was gorgeous. She always was. Jim told me everything she had been up to, but he left out how sexy she was. Maybe he didn’t notice. Maybe he didn’t want to tell me because he knew how pissed I get. Maybe it didn’t matter. After all, she wasn’t mine anymore.

  Everything changed the day they came for me. I knew they were coming. They weren’t expecting that. Turns out, I had a guy on the inside, too. It wasn’t just them. I knew I was being set up, and I also knew there wasn’t shit I could do about it. When your old man is the one who sets up the fall, it doesn’t matter how hard you try to fight it, he’s going to bring you down. He knew what I was doing. Fuck, it’s what he did. When it came down to him speaking the truth, protecting my mom and sister came first. ‘Deny. Deny. Deny.’ That’s what he told me to do. ‘Deny it all, Benny. I’ve seen what they got and it ain’t much. Just lay low and I’ll get you out of there. Deny. Deny. Deny. Your Uncle Aaron will pull through. You’ll see.’

  Lies. The only thing I saw was a cement wall and a lot of ugly ass faces for years. The only time I had even been able to talk to her, she pushed me away. She wanted me to let her go. I agreed, but I knew better––and so did she. There was no way I was going to let her go. Not my Gemini. She belonged to me.

  Jim had told me she moved on. I was okay with it, for the most part. When I got out of here, I was going to show her how good I could be for them, but seeing her the second time, it fucked me up. She wasn’t mine. Hell, she was never mine. That rock star of a boyfriend came back and swept her off her feet. He offered her a life I never could. I was sitting in a hard ass chair, behind some dirty plastic, watching her explain everything. Her hand brushed across her stomach. The first thing I noticed was the ring. The second was the way her hand lingered.

  Arlington was pregnant, and it wasn’t mine. That changed everything. I had already fucked up her life, and I wasn’t going to be responsible for ruining another. She could leave and I would never talk to her again. It’s what she had always wanted, and I was too stubborn to let her. I still remember the look of shock on her face when I let her go.

  I looked her in the eyes and told her everything I had wanted to for years. “I knew when I had you it was too good to be true. I kept telling myself that one day someone else would come along and give you the life I couldn’t, the life I threw away. I guess I should’ve listened. I guess I should’ve done a lot of things. Take care of our son. I love you, Gemini.”

  We were done. There was no sense in me sitting there and letting her watch me break. So, I got up and walked away. I didn’t look back until the door was already closed. I told the guard putting me back in my block to call Aaron Spears. I had some things I needed to say, regarding the fuck who got me locked up. If I had anything in common with my Uncle Aaron, it was the amount of hate we had combined for my dad. One more year and I was going to make sure everything my dad had, burned to the ground. I didn’t care who I hurt doing it. My life was ruined, and it was his doing.

  Shadows

  Book one of The Love Ever After Series

  Eve was content getting lost in her books, while living with her best friends. She’s a beautiful girl surrounded by her friends and family. In her twenty-six years of life, nothing exciting has ever happened to her. Everything is going perfectly for her. Little does she know, one summer at the beach could change her life forever…

  Theron is the son of a cutthroat multi-billionaire business tycoon. He thought he left behind the world his father created, but things change. Now, he’s devoted himself to his eccentric grandma. His only hope at overcoming his past, is finding the one person he lost so very long ago…

  When Eve bumps into Theron, their worlds collide. Nothing can prepare them for the instant fireworks and roller coaster ride waiting for them.

  But…One has a secret. Can their love overcome tragedy, lies, and secrets?

  Light

  Book Two of The Love Ever After Series

  Shadows are surrounding Theron burying him in their darkness.

  Despair and hatred cling to him. His only thoughts are of Eve and vengeance…

  Eve desperately tries to save Theron from the path he is on, but secrets are kept. When evil starts to surround them, intent on destroying t
hem, Eve runs into trouble…

  Theron’s world shatters around him, but he’s not giving up without a fight…

  Can Theron and Eve find Light among the Shadows? Or will evil win?

  pretty;

  After a lifetime of torture from a man set out to destroy her, Andie finally finds herself surviving on her own, free of his grasp despite her past still haunting her dreams.

  Laith had his own demons to fight, but now he's thriving in Chicago as the owner of City Ink Tattoos.

  When Andie and Laith meet, their worlds shift as they find strength in each other. Will they be able to build with the pieces of their hearts they have left, or will their love crumble and fall, leaving them both completely shattered?

  Breathe

  Sometimes, love is fated in the stars. You know you are destined for each other. Your souls entwine, and you can’t imagine your life without them. Sometimes, it’s found when you’re not looking for it. It peeks around the corner when you least expect it, sweeping you off your feet, carrying you off into the sunset. Sometimes, there are a lucky few, who get to experience both. I was one of the lucky ones.

  Indigo

  Some girls are born independent and fierce. They constantly shock the world, bringing it to its knees. Indigo Bryant is one of them. At the young age of thirty, she has already bought and sold a highly successful design business. Needing a change of pace, she up roots herself from New York City, to move near her best friend in a small town in Alabama. What was supposed to be a relaxing summer, starts to change into something different when she meets Alexander Clark.

  Despite his many talents and charming personality, Alexander Clark can't move forward and let go of the guilt from a horrible accident. His once promising baseball career, has now faded into the shadows. He's paralyzed by the nightmares of his past. That is until he meets Indigo…

  Not every girl needs a knight in shining armor. Not every girl needs to be saved.

  Not every boy is a knight. Sometimes, they are the ones that need to be saved…

  You can contact Amber Lacie at amberlacieauthor@gmail.com

  Amber Lacie grew up in Chicagoland and now lives in a quaint little town in Northwest Indiana. She has two beautiful children and a husband who worships the ground she walks on (or at least he should). She is an avid reader and coffee drinker. The love of being able to be transported into another world and experience adventures through someone else’s imagination has always captured her attention. Now, she is expanding that love into writing and is looking forward to producing many books.

  Website: www.amberlacieauthor.wix.com/author-blog

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/amberlacieauthor

  Twitter: @amber_lacie