“I want to stay here. It’s my home.”
“Good, because I just got a raise.”
She kissed me on the mouth this time, crawling up my body to straddle me. Rocking her hips, she teased me with her movements, pulling a groan from my lips. I loved having her in my arms, her weight on my body. “We have to go up to the main house,” she whispered, kissing my neck.
I growled, rolling her over to lay on top of her. “No, we don’t. They don’t care. We can go up later.” I bent down to nip at her collarbone.
She giggled and playfully smacked my ass. “But I want to see Ava open her gifts.”
“I bet she won’t even remember it.” I ran my hands up her sides, trying to convince her that staying with me was more important than watching a baby open her Christmas presents.
“I haven’t even seen Cal yet,” she whined.
“All right, but we’re not staying long. I want you all to myself.”
I gave into her, simply because I couldn’t deny her. I didn’t want to. I wanted to give her everything she wanted, and then some. I never wanted her to feel empty or unwanted again. I never knew this could be my truth, but it was. Happiness and satisfaction filled me to the brim.
Everyone went crazy when I walked in with Sophia. It was all her, that’s what she did. She put smiles on everyone’s faces. Ava was especially glad to see her. Soph couldn’t believe how much she had grown.
“Aww, I want one,” she gushed, as Ava gave her sloppy kisses.
“Wedding first, babe,” I chuckled. I knew we were young, but it was going to happen. And I didn’t care what anyone thought.
“Wedding?” she turned and asked.
“Hell yeah. You’re stuck with me now.”
She smiled and everyone laughed. It felt so good to have her home. It was like my family was back together, and all the pain I’d endured just disappeared. I was glad everyone was so supportive of mine and Sophia’s relationship. Everyone at the ranch accepted us, even though they first had thought we were siblings. It wouldn’t have mattered if they didn’t, we would have just moved, because I wasn’t ever going to be without her again.
It felt good not to hide anymore. I’d spent most of my life carrying different secrets for different reasons, but now I didn’t have to. It was liberating.
We said our goodbyes four hours later, even though I whined for three of them, and finally headed home. I placed the gifts we’d received, along with the leftover containers Tonya insisted we bring home, away in the kitchen. Walking into the living room, I found Sophia sitting on the couch. I smiled at her and took her in.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because you are beautiful and I missed you.” It would never get old, telling her that.
Sophia giggled. “I missed you too, but right now, all I want is your shirt off and you in bed with me.” She got up and moved from the couch to our bedroom.
I did as she asked, holding her tight as her head rested on my bare chest. Sighing contentedly, I breathed her in.
“What is this, Abram Scott?” She lifted up my arm so she could inspect the tattoo better. It was tucked away on the underside of my arm.
“It’s kind of a funny story,” I said laughing. Although, it wasn’t a funny story. It was one of my weakest moments to date. “I sort of got drunk one night, and talked Paco into driving me to get it.”
She pulled my arm up so it was eye level with her. She studied it for a long time before she said anything. “I thought you said it was lame?”
“That was before I actually understood the meaning. When you left? When I hurt you? It was like the only word I could think of. Losing you was the most diffican’t thing I’ve ever gone through.” I’d felt stupid at first about tattooing a damn word that didn’t even exist on my arm, but the more I’d thought about it, it actually made sense.
“See? Your girl is smart.” She leaned up to kiss me.
“Yes, she is.” I kissed her hair and figured since we were being honest with each other, I might as well let her know my true feelings. “I was serious earlier, when I mentioned a wedding.”
“After college?” she asked.
“How about in the middle of college? You know we don’t ever do anything the traditional way,” I joked.
“So, you want to compromise?”
“Baby, all I’m saying is, I’m not waiting four years to make your last name Scott again.”
She laughed and we rolled around the bed. “Deal. A wedding in two years would be diffican.”
My chest rumbled with happiness at her statement. I would never let this feeling die. I’d coddle it, nurture it, and make damn sure it grew every single day. Little did she know, loving her would be the most diffican thing I’d ever do.
Since I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with people who go through tough times and push through those times. Even as a teenager, I would constantly look around at school and wonder what each classmate went though once they went home. Did their parents fight? Did they have running water? Enough food for dinner? These questions went unanswered as I never asked and even without confirmation, I felt I had some idea. I’ve always been curious about others misfortunes. Not in a demeaning way. I worried about them. I wanted to fix what was wrong. Growing up, my parents never had copious amounts of money by any means, in fact, they had very little, but we always had what we needed. I can still hear my mother telling me in the second grade not to judge anyone because we didn’t know what they went home to. That stuck with me.
I went back and forth about writing a book about abduction. I didn’t want anyone who had actually gone through such a tragic event to be offended. I didn’t want someone who’d been through something like that to think I was making light of it. It’s heavy. It’s awful. It’s scary. But most of all, it is many people’s truth. It is their experience and a moment in their life time where they had to dig deep, and overcome something horrific. Some victims never make it out alive and others have to go through life dodging every memory they have about someone taking them from their family. Each time they close their eyes, they remember. When they go to sleep, they dream about their captor and everything he or she did to them. A part of them dies, yet they still live. They trudge on, living life, learning somehow to overcome the experience.
The strength in that…in overcoming it, is why I wrote this book. I’ve read books, magazine articles and watched too many documentaries to count on the subject. To watch these brave souls talk about their experience guts me every time. I have no idea how they made it through. I have no idea how they figured out that they even wanted to. I can’t imagine what that kind of fear looks like.
With this book, I wanted to show that sometimes we’re able to make it through more than we think we can. Sometimes being tough has nothing to do with how many rounds you can go in a fight. Sometimes being strong has nothing to do with how big your muscles are. In life, we’ve all dealt with pain, loss, and most of us grief, but it’s how we deal with those moments and move forward that counts. It’s how most of us show what we’re made of. It’s how all of us grow.
I have to thank my husband, Caleb for supporting me from afar and keeping my head up when I wanted to let it fall. I love you and I’m just as proud of you and your accomplishments as you are of me and mine. Thank you for being the man you are and teaching our boys how to treat their future wives. That means more to me than you’ll ever know. We are all lucky to have you.
My boys are my life. Coby and Ayden, I love both of you more than you will ever know. I am so proud of who you are growing up to be. You make me proud.
Thank you to my parents for keeping me humble. Now that I’m a parent, I understand how difficult this task is, but you both kept me grounded. You held me accountable for everything I ever did and it’s made me who I am today. I can’t give a shout out to my folks and not mention my husband’s. They are awesome. As in the best. Thank you so much for raising such a wonderful man and being the BEST GG
and Pop around.
My sisters. I love you guys and I’m so glad that both of you are game for anything I throw at you. Thank you for being there for me.
Thank you to all my author pals and reader pals who pass out advice, support, reviews and shares. Your friendships mean the world to me. Our dinners and events are some of my best memories.
Thank you, Victoria Schmitz for editing Travesty. You’re a boss.
Thank you, Emily Wittig. I love my cover. You are going to do great things, doll.
Thank you, Nadege Richards for making the interior of my book look amazing.
Thank you to the reader. I appreciate you taking your hard earned money and time to purchase and read my novel. I hope you enjoyed it. :)
Carrie Thomas is the author of young adult and new adult romances. When she’s not writing or reading, you can find her at home with her boys or traveling the U.S. with her family. She lives in the South with her husband and two sons. Aside from traveling, any time spent with her family she considers a good day. She’s a firm believer that book lovers should stick together.
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Travesty Page 21