The Sweet Series Box Set
by Bailey Ardisone
Table of Contents
Sweet Oblivion (Sweet Series #1)
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Epilogue
Sweet Escape (Sweet Series #2)
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Epilogue
Elvish Guide
Sweet Requiem (Sweet Series #3)
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Epilogue
Elvish Guide
Sweet Redemption (Sweet Series #4)
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Epilogue
Elvish Guide
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Sweet Oblivion
(Sweet Series #1)
by Bailey Ardisone
Copyright © 2012 Bailey Ardisone
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
www.BaileyArdisone.com
Cover art created by Bailey Ardisone
All rights reserved.
Editing services provided by Helen Boswell.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please visit a retailer and purchase your own copy.
Thank you for respecting and supporting the hard work of this author.
To all fellow Lord of the Rings fanatics -
May this be your One, your Only, your Precious.
Prologue
A single tear snuck down my cheek. I was too scared to move to wipe it from my face so I let it slip down and land on Teddy. His soft fur soaked it up, and I hugged him tighter.
Teddy was my best friend. He was not just a toy, he was my Teddy Bear. We had been through a lot together. He was all I had, I was all he had, and it was my duty to protect him. We protected each other - wasn’t that what friends were for?
When I looked into his eyes I could see his love for me, his desire to protect me. He was more than just a stuffed bear, he was Teddy; my Teddy.
I dared not open my eyes for I knew I was surrounded by darkness. But if it was dark, maybe he wouldn’t be able to find me. I had crawled to my closet, trying not to make a single sound. I quietly shut the door and scooted back as far as I could. Quickly I tugged my baby blue Care Bears nightgown over my knees, and as I stroked Teddy’s fur, I whispered in his ear, “It will be alright, Teddy; don’t be afraid.” My voice quivered at the end.
I was terrified, but I had to be br
ave for Teddy. I wouldn’t let him see how scared I was.
The sound of footsteps in the hallway near my door made my eyes clench tighter. I prayed that he wouldn’t come in the room but would just ignore me and forget I was there.
A loud crash like glass shattering in pieces made me jump. I heard his disturbing laughter, and he mumbled something but I couldn’t make out any words from his stumbling slur.
All of a sudden, it went quiet. I opened my eyes against the darkness and hugged Teddy tighter to my chest so that he couldn’t see the terror on my face.
The door of my room opened, and thick hard footsteps on my wood floor caused me to tremble. Instantly those footsteps came closer to the closet door. I shut my eyes real tight and pretended that I was not there. I was somewhere else, somewhere warm, safe, far away from there.
The handle turned, and the closet door opened slowly. It felt like hours sitting there, clutching Teddy like it would be my last.
Reluctantly, I opened my eyes and looked up to see the dark brown eyes of the person who neglected, hated, and emotionally tortured me over a mistake that changed both our lives forever.
But what I saw in his eyes terrified me more than anything had ever in the past. My eyes widened, and I suddenly felt a gut-wrenching terror when I realized that he wasn’t looking at me.
He was looking at Teddy.
“NO!” I screamed as I clutched Teddy even tighter.
“Give me that stupid bear,” he drunkenly slurred. He ripped Teddy from my arms, and I kicked his shin as hard as I could. I had to save Teddy. He trusted me, only me. I couldn’t let the monster take him.
“Stupid little brat,” he said as he grabbed my arm tight. He shoved me back in the closet and slammed the door.
I grabbed my arm, which throbbed from being held so tightly. As I landed on the floor, pools of tears huddled in my eyes. I felt so sad and started to tremble.
“Teddy?” I struggled to get out. But Teddy wasn't there. It was just me all alone…again.
As the overwhelming feeling of loss and sorrow came crashing down on me, it was enough to slowly stir my sleeping consciousness awake. I didn’t have to open my eyes. I knew I was just having the same nightmare I always had. In fact, instead of opening my eyes from the remembered fear, I closed them tighter and clutched my chest, while I balled my blanket up in my fist, burying my tear-soaked cheeks.
I was awake, it was over, and I waited for the leftover feelings from that traumatizing day that haunted my memories to subside. It was a long time ago. I’d grown since. It was silly for me to still be mourning the loss of that darned teddy bear. But still, every night, I relived that awful day in my dreams and woke up back as that helpless eight-year-old girl on her birthday. Eventually, I came to my senses and realized it had been over nine years since that day; I wasn't that little girl anymore. But even still, it never failed to feel so real.
It was more than just the loss of a simple teddy bear.
Much, much more.
Chapter One
~Nari~
Is it bad to skip your first day of school as a senior? If you really think about it, out of all the days one attends school, does the first day of the last year of your high school career really matter? Hadn’t I accumulated enough days to be able to skip…one?
Those questions kept rolling around in my head as I sat back and basked in the sun. The ocean in the distance was calm with heavy fog overlaying the small waves.
I reluctantly smiled as I watched rays of sunlight dance upon the cold grey stone slab in front of me. I began twirling my long hair in between my fingers; "dark chocolate"—that’s what she used to call it.
It was only September, but there was a slight chill in the air, and I knew I would get cold sitting on the ground, but I didn’t care. Nothing would move me from this spot, not on this day.
I grabbed the two strawberry-filled pastries sprinkled with powdered sugar and the two bottles of chocolate milk out of the bakery bag and gingerly set one of each on the grey stone. I smiled as we had breakfast together.
This was our favorite.
Every Monday we would go to Mason’s Bakery over on Maine Street and both order the same exact thing—a strawberry pastry and chocolate milk. I knew she wasn’t really into the chocolate milk and probably would have preferred coffee, but she always got it because she knew it was my favorite. I loved that about her. I couldn’t care less if she didn’t drink the milk and got coffee instead. But the fact that she did it for me, made me love her even more.
The clouds in the sky moved to the East, and the rays of light casting on the cold, grey stone were suddenly gone. I kept my eyes glued it and read the familiar letters there—
Elizabeth Jean Miller
Beloved Daughter, Wife and Mother
1972-2002
It has been ten years to the day since she passed away. I was with her that morning. We had just eaten breakfast at Mason’s Bakery. It was a beautiful sunny day, and she looked so happy and carefree. She had smiled at me and told me to always remember days like these. That was a day I would never forget. Ten years had passed, and I still lived with the guilt. The guilt of knowing she died…because of me.
She wasn’t my biological mother, but she was the only mother I knew, and I loved her as a daughter. I had been fostered with her and her husband since I was a baby. I didn’t get along with Ray at all, but she had been my whole life.
Ray had been furious when he saw the word "mother" on the tombstone. It was just supposed to say Beloved Daughter and Wife, but since Elizabeth’s mother Jean had paid for it and knew her daughter had loved me, she called it in at the last minute and made the changes. Every time I came here I couldn’t help but stare at the word "mother" and wish she were still here.
Being in a cemetery had always bothered me. Death was hard, I got that, but it was only hard for those you left behind. Life was what was really difficult. Everyone here no longer had to suffer, be in pain, relive past mistakes. They were sleeping on, unaware of the problems around them. Death seemed like the easy way out. Life was harder.
I would gladly have given my life in exchange for hers. She deserved better.
I sighed heavily as we ate our breakfast in peace. Hers went untouched, but I devoured mine like I hadn’t eaten in weeks. I had always finished before she did. She would usually laugh and make fun of my growing appetite. She would then tuck her long auburn hair behind her ears, and I knew from that gesture she was about to start another life lesson.
“Nari, listen to me,” she would always start. Then she would say something profound, and I would promise to store it in the back of my head for a later date.
I had been six years old the day she bought me Teddy. It had been my first day of school, and I came home hurt from being relentlessly teased by the other kids. I had no friends and was scared to go outside, even though that is all I really wanted to do. She came to lie beside me, but I knew something was up when she had a big smile on her face and both hands behind her back.
“Nariella, I have a special friend I want you to meet,” she told me. She laughed as she pulled a teddy bear out from behind her back. She put him in my arms and as soon as I looked into his eyes, I knew we would be best friends. I had instantly loved him.
She grinned when she saw how happy I was. I threw my arms around her neck and hugged her close, thanking her a million times and promised to take care of him. We sat on the bed for an hour trying to come up with a good name. I had laughed so hard when she said names like, “Bob, Fred, and Cornelius.” I knew they weren’t the right ones. Finally she had said, “How about Teddy?” And that was that.
The day Ray took Teddy from me was not only the day he took my best friend, but also the day he took away something I had left of her. I had promised I would take care of Teddy, and I had failed. I hated him for it. The feeling was mutual; he hated me for causing the death of his wife. He would never let that go.
As the morning slipped away and the clouds st
arted to disappear, I grabbed the uneaten pastry and the now warm chocolate milk and finished them off. I would carry on this tradition every year for as long as I could.
A sound disrupted my thoughts as I stood up and slung my bag across my shoulder. I turned around and jumped back as I saw Ray standing not five feet away giving me a look that could kill.
I slowly backed away and hoped I could make it out of there without him making a scene. The closer it got to this day, the worse he became. As much as I would have taken her place underneath that tombstone, I didn’t want it to be by his hands.
“What do you think you’re doing here?” he asked me quietly.
I reluctantly looked into his cold brown eyes as he suddenly shouted, “You have no right to be here…No right! Do you hear me?”
I looked down at the ground as my whole body stiffened. This was the only place I had wanted to be today. “I loved her too. She was my mother,” I whispered gently. I wanted him to know that even though it was my fault, I still loved her. She was everything to me.
“She was not your mother, she wasn’t your anything,” he said angrily. “You didn’t deserve to know her. You’re the reason she’s six feet underground instead of by my side. You should be ashamed to be here.”
I breathed deeply and bit the inside of my cheek as a tear escaped. “I didn’t mean to—”
“Don’t say another word,” he interrupted. “You are worthless. Get out of here now. Do not defile her grave by coming here. She wouldn’t want you here.”
That last part hit its mark, and I walked away as fast as I could. I didn’t want to think that was true. I couldn’t bear to think it.
Thankfully, I arrived home before Ray. I didn’t want to deal with him again, so I went straight to my room and locked the door behind me. After I tore off my jacket and threw my bag on the floor, I jumped in bed and vowed to sleep the rest of the day, forgetting it ever happened.
After being awoken yet again from the same nightmare I had every night, reliving my eighth birthday from hell, I finally rolled over and opened my eyes to look at the clock. I wondered how much time I had left before my first day of school began. I decided yesterday that skipping wouldn’t be such a good idea after all, realizing it meant risking Ray's wrath.
The Sweet Series Box Set: Books 1-4 Page 1