He jumped up from the chair, I almost thought he was going to pounce on me but he was gentle as he wrapped himself around me. “I love you so much. I love you so damn much, Amberly. I’m so sorry.” He backed up and took my face in his hands, making me feel small. “I promise I will never keep anything from you ever again. I will make it a point to tell you everything. I just want you. That’s all. I’m so fucking sorry.” The tears struck again, an orchestra of desperation reciting themselves and making themselves known.
We held each other, both crying and both relieved that this one thing, among so many others, still wasn’t enough to break us. Being through what we had, was a recipe for two broken hearts, yet we weren’t approving it’s request to draw us to an end. If I could ever feel one with another soul, this was the exact moment it was happening. Right then. Right there. Bryant and I become one, united through the trials. Merged by the tribulations. Bounded by the release of any secrets that could destroy us. We had a long road ahead of us, one that was paved in sharpened glass and against gusts of tornadic winds, unprepared and unafraid. Others would have it easy. Bryant and I? We were one force to be reckoned with. One force that would claim the future as our own. We had control of our destiny, regardless of which way it was meant to go.
“I want to marry you.” He whispered, a country love song in those five words.
I smiled, inside and out. “Really?” That was all I could come up with. Me and my stupid words that made no sense.
Six months later…………
The sun was out, raining its golden rays down on us without any apologies. I leaned down, replacing the wilted flowers with new ones. I kissed my fingers before placing them over the headstone. For the first time, in so long, I felt at peace being in the graveyard. It’d taken me a long time. I visited Haylie at least once a week, tradition forcing me to the store to buy new flowers to place at her grave. I could feel her, her happiness covering me.
I’d done what I had set out to do. It was something that wouldn’t have been possible without Bryant’s help. The plan I had for myself was bigger than I could have imagined. Trent, the man who had assisted Ian in his twisted plan confessed to everything. He took a plea deal, outing everything to the detectives. Haylie’s case was reopened after a search warrant was put into motion to go over the entire length of Ian’s house. He hadn’t been smart enough to get rid of the evidence. Everything from that night, and more, had been recovered. Rumor had it that once things died down, he planned to put everything back into the file, making it look like nothing had been tampered with. Trent had been on duty that night when he received a phone call while he was writing the report, detailing everything he’d witnessed on the scene of the wreck. Mac had been arrested that night but was released the very next day after several people had been paid off to keep quiet. Ian pleaded his case with Trent, making him falsify the report. According to what we had found out, Ian had forked out so much money to keep everyone quiet and Trent was promised more after Mac received Bryant’s retirement.
Ian and Mac were both carted off to prison for an indefinite amount of time. Unfortunately, Lucas lost his position with the force because he had shared confidential information with Bryant. They both got into trouble for entering the police station that night, but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. The chief of police was more concerned with compiling the evidence against both Ian and Mac.
Bryant received temporary full-custody of Delia. A court hearing was scheduled in the next two weeks to make it permanent. Mac wasn’t getting out for a long time.
None of that brought Haylie back. It did bring us both peace of mind, which was worth more than anything money could buy.
I stood up, closing my eyes to take everything in.
“How are you feeling, sweetheart?” Bryant came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
I leaned into him. “I’m feeling kind of sick, to be honest.” I smiled, knowing what that would do to him.
“We should go then. I’ll start a fire and we can have some hot chocolate and binge watch some movies.”
I laughed. “It’s the middle of summer, not near cold enough to start a fire.”
He kissed my cheek. “True. But, I’ll do anything to make my love the happiest woman alive. I’d give you the moon if I could.”
I took in a deep breath. “You’ve given me so much more than that.”
He released me. “Oh yeah?”
I turned around in enough time to see him down on one knee. He’d managed to pull a ring out at the same time. “Then, can you give me something? Will you give me the honor of being your husband? I promise to love you at your best and at your worst. I promise to be your everything when you feel like nothing. I promise to give you all of me without asking for anything in return.”
I covered my mouth with both of my hands, emotions getting the best of me. I couldn’t even speak without feeling like it was going to disappear if I bothered opening my mouth. I nodded instead. I nodded so hard I was on the verge of looking ridiculous.
He stood up, placed the ring on my finger, and lifted me up into the air. We spun in circles, feeling every bit the part of a lifetime movie.
He sat me down, gently. He was always so gentle with me. It never ceased to amaze me how fragile he thought I was. How careful he was with me didn’t offend me, instead it made me understand he would do everything he could to protect me, be my savior if I asked that of him.
“Let’s get you home so you can relax. Do we need to go get some medicine on the way home?”
I’d gotten so involved in the unexpected proposal, I almost forgot what I wanted to tell him. “I don’t need medicine.”
“If you’re sick, you do. I have to take care of you.”
I put a hand on his chest and looked at him. I made him stop everything he was thinking, everything he wanted to say.
It took him a millisecond to form his own conclusion. “Wait, are you?” A very accurate conclusion.
“I’m pregnant.”
I’d seen so many emotions from him over the time we’d gotten close, but this one wasn’t one I had been exposed to. It was beautiful. I didn’t think he could get any happier.
“I thought the doctor said you couldn’t?”
I bit my lip. I had kept it a secret for so long. I’d been getting checkups with my doctor without his knowledge, making sure it wasn’t a fluke. I didn’t want to tell him and then have a miscarriage. The doctor had been puzzled by how it had been possible because he’d reiterated to me I had a ten-percent chance to carry a life again. I reminded Bryant of that. “I never said he said I couldn’t. He said I had a ten-percent chance.”
Bryant got down on his knees and placed his hands on my stomach. “Our baby is in there?”
It was cute. “Yes.” My head fell back. I let out a giggle, putting my hands over his. Keeping secrets wasn’t something I was good at, but this secret was one I had to keep, at least until my doctor and I were sure the baby was healthy and would be carried to full term. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I wanted to make sure everything was fine.”
“How far along are you?” He stared at me and back down at my stomach. I couldn’t feel any more loved.
“Twelve weeks.”
Being there, at the front of Haylie’s headstone seemed like the perfect place for him to propose and for him to find out we were going to have a child together. It was where I felt her presence the most.
“I feel bad that Delia isn’t here.” It would’ve been nice to have both of the girls with us.
Bryant stood up, without moving his hands from my stomach and kissed me. “Delia knew about me proposing to you because I asked her how she would feel about it.”
“And?”
He smiled a goofy smile. “She said that she approved. Do you want to go pick her up on our way home?”
Every time we came to the graveyard, Delia got to spend some time with Cricket. We weren’t trying to exclude her, she’d been
through so much already we didn’t want her to endure the emotions that came along with visiting Haylie. In time, she would come with us but she’d gotten used to going to Cricket and Adam’s that she always looked forward to it.
“Yes! We can tell her she’s going to be a big sister.” At that point, I could not contain my excitement. I’d been bursting with having to hold back the news for so long.
I started to walk to the truck and Bryant tugged on my wrist, pulling me back to him. “I can’t wait to marry you.” He stated before crushing his lips against mine.
It felt good. His touch, his kisses, his confessions, his smiles, his words, his everything never got old. He had the power to unbreak me. And he did.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Hey you, yeah you, the one reading this portion of the book. You rock! Thank you! Thank you for sticking through to the end of Bryant and Amberly’s story. I know it wasn’t an easy one to read. It wasn’t an easy one to write either.
The idea for Unbreak Me came to me in December of 2013. It started out as something simple and blew up into something so much bigger. I never knew what was going to happen each time I sat down to write. It took me four years to write this book. Four. Years. At times, the motivation wasn’t there. It felt boring and scripted, forced even. Then, I sat down to finish it and each chapter kept evolving and developing into something so much bigger than I had planned. Amberly had lost her daughter from the beginning and Bryant had lost his job. Those two events were always in the final plans for this book. Everything in between was still being worked through. I never knew that Bryant would get framed or that the loss of Amberly’s daughter would turn into some twisted nightmare. They told me their story. It broke my heart to the point I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue. But, I had to. I needed them to finish their story because I wanted to know what happened.
For a lot of you, you may hate this book. For others, it may have helped you heal…in the same way that Amberly healed throughout the course of it. Love it or hate it, thank you for giving this book a chance. Thank you for picking up a book from an unknown author and reading it, front to back. I wouldn’t be writing if it weren’t for the people reading.
MORE FROM
ALICIA CICORIA:
Greekorian by Lacole Kinter
This book is written under my pseudonym.
Adrasteia Lakent is on the verge of her 18th birthday when she decides to take a chance and find her father, a man whom she knows nothing about apart from his first and last name. Driven by never having a father figure in her life, she devastates her mother with a planned trip to Oregon, her place of birth and the last place Derek Lakent was seen.
Before she can even pay for her plane ticket, things start going horrifically wrong. Soon, her boyfriend is being accused of murders she knows he didn’t commit, and her mother is ushering her to the airport before she has the chance to graduate high school.
After arriving in Oregon, the truth is uncovered and it isn’t anything close to what she envisioned. Everything she’s ever been told has been part of an intricately spun deception. She finds herself wrapped up in a destiny she never fathomed. Will she embrace the fighter within or give into her predetermined fate? Greekorians: a world she never knew she was a part of.
Gorgorian by Lacole Kinter
This book is written under my pseudonym.
Estimated Release Date: October 2018
Adrasteia Lakent wasn't supposed to survive. She was created merely for the sake of selfishness and the hunger for power. Six months after the death of her father and five months after her transformation into a Greekorian hybrid, she stands as Queen of Greekorians. At the age of eighteen, she must work with a council to maintain a peace within all Greekorians, all while trying to preserve the human race.
With several Greekorians coming forth to oppose their queen, many are destined to a life of imprisonment, being used as target practice to further Adrasteia's special abilities. But, as Adrasteia soon learns, there are those hiding in the shadows threatening her monarchy and it could be someone close to her.
Emotions are running high with the demand she pick a suitable king, but how can she focus on that when her world is turned upside down, one betrayal at a time?
Greekorians: A world she's destined to rule.
Survive Betrayal. Seek Revenge.
Perceptions of Me by Alicia Cicoria
Estimated Release Date: May 2018
Blurb Coming Soon!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alicia Cicoria lives with her husband and four kids in the state of Oklahoma, where if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute. She spends most of her time reading, writing, and enjoying the time with her family.
Paired with writing, she loves anything OU, coffee with Italian Sweet Cream, leggings, and gaming.
Alicia wrote and published her first book, Greekorian in October 2013. While writing Unbreak Me, she decided she wanted to toss away the pseudonym, at least for her more adult titles. She is currently working on the second part to Greekorian called Gorgorian and another Adult Romance titled, Perspectives of Me.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
How To Save a Life
Chapter 2
What If You
Chapter 3
Crash
Chapter 4
Hurricane
Chapter 5
Five More Minutes
Chapter 6
Meant To Be
Chapter 7
Different For Girls
Chapter 8
HeartBroke
Chapter 9
Let It Go
Chapter 10
Pretty Beautiful
Chapter 11
Gonna Wanna Tonight
Chapter 12
I Just Want You
Chapter 13
Written In The Sand
Chapter 14
How Not To
Chapter 15
Playing With Fire
Chapter 16
Thinking Out Loud
Chapter 17
Love You Like That
Chapter 18
Heaven
Chapter 19
RollerCoaster
Chapter 20
Get To You
Chapter 21
Black
Chapter 22
Man Enough Now
Chapter 23
What’s Mine is Yours
Chapter 24
For Her
Chapter 25
Speak To a Girl
Chapter 26
Found You
Chapter 27
Yours
Chapter 28
Grave
Chapter 29
Vice
Chapter 30
Give Into Me
Chapter 31
Craving You
Chapter 32
Greatest Love Story
Chapter 33
Yours If You Want It
CHAPTER 34
Lost In This Moment
Unbreak Me Page 23