“Hey, Kinsley,” Ben said.
“You should go sit with her. Keep her comfortable.”
“I want you to know I not only kept Deb, but I promoted her,” he said. “I quit my job down in Philly and manage my own properties locally. And Deb is my property manager. She’s fantastic.”
“I told you,” I said. “She’s great at it.”
“Thank you… I guess for everything.”
“Go to your family, Ben,” I said. “You have a family now. A busy family.”
“Yeah, I do. Maybe we’ll see you again here with Millie. That’s the name of the puppy.”
“Well, I hope so then. It would be good to see you. If not, take care of yourself and your family. Just go with the ride, Ben. Don’t fight it or try to change anything.”
He nodded and smiled and walked back to Rebecca.
I turned and went to check my schedule to figure out where I was on the day.
A minute later I walked by the waiting room and Ben and his family were gone.
All I could do was smile.
I opened the door and threw my bag to the floor. I stepped out of my shoes and left them right there. I stutter-stepped from the foyer through the dining room toward the kitchen. Brice was sitting on the counter, a bottle of beer next to him, music playing from somewhere.
“Hey,” I called out.
Brice threw himself off the counter and rushed to me. He scooped me up and spun me around as though we hadn’t seen each other in weeks. This was our normal routine. And I fucking loved it.
He carried me to the counter and sat me down, nestling himself between my legs, making sure our eyes were at the same height. He slid his right hand to the back of my head and played with my hair, sending chills through my body, making me melt into the counter. I put my head back a little and sighed. That’s when he kissed my neck, sending a whole different set of chills through my body. He kissed his way to my mouth and we were just there, making out for I don’t know how long.
When he broke the kiss, he touched my cheek. “Hey.”
“Wow,” I whispered. “And I was going to complain about my day.”
“Still want to complain?”
“No. I want to keep doing that.”
“Me too,” he said. He offered a soft kiss. “But… how was your day?”
“Busy, Brice. Feels like the longest day ever. But I’m happy.”
“That’s all that matters then,” he said. “You being happy. What do you want to do right now?”
“Hot shower,” I blurted out. “Then food.”
“Okay. We can go in that exact order. Only I’m going to join you in the shower because I want every detail of your day. No matter how crazy or gross it is.”
I scratched at his face, shaking my head.
It was fall again outside. The leaves changing. The days getting shorter. The nights getting colder. We would sneak away to the cabin on the weekends and I couldn’t wait for the first real snowstorm to get trapped there with him. In our little, perfect life. The life I had with Brice.
We had talked a few times about the future, but not with the intention of rushing anything. I wanted to be a mother. I wanted him to be the father of my children. When that time came again, it would be intense to endure. But I’d have Brice again. That was all I ever needed.
Brice backed away and I slid off the counter. He did some goofy looking dance as he backed out of the kitchen. I shook my head and he turned to lead the way.
I chased him down and took a firm hold of his shirt, forcing him to turn around.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey,” he said, looking down at me.
“I love you so much, Brice.”
“I love you too, Kins,” he said. “More than you’ll ever truly understand.”
I always wondered what true happiness felt like.
It was this. Looking at Brice. Feeling the past behind me.
But I had this feeling all along.
I had this feeling from the moment I met Brice.
Hey darlin’
We did it. Together.
We lived in the world of Brice and Kinsley, and the world of Ben and Kinsley.
This was the hardest story I’ve ever written. What came to me as a love story turned into something very different. As the story grew in my mind and my heart and I called upon my own memories of life, I knew this story was going to be something intense. When I tell you I put a piece of myself into each book, I truly mean it. My writing career has moved around quite a bit over the last year or two, most of it being guided by you darlin’. Your messages and emails are always proof to me that we are doing this together. I write these books and you bring them to life through your own memories.
I wish I had more to say right now but I don’t. I’ll never forget Brice and Kinsley. I hope the same holds true for you. If you have any questions or comments about the story, please email me directly at [email protected].
Much love,
-Jaxson
About the Author
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Look for heart wrenching, emotional upcoming novels including:
IMAGINE US
GETTING OVER YOU
The True Hearts Collection are all stand alone novels, meaning they have no reading order. They are all different characters, settings, and come with their own complete ending. They are based on similar themes of second chance romances, hard pasts, and love that is real.
Each book in the series has been Top 100 in its category, with half the collection reaching the Top 100 of the ENTIRE Kindle store, including titles award as ‘Kindle Unlimited All-Star’ novels.
Start reading the True Hearts Collection
(in order of date they were published -
THERE IS NO READING ORDER)
5 Years Later
Dear Everly,
Anna’s Dress
Let You Go
When I’m Gone
What You Don’t Know
Every Other Weekend
Check out the books here:
Jaxson’s Amazon Page
5 YEARS LATER
When I was 13, he stole my heart
When I was 18, he took my innocence
When I was 23, he said he loved me forever
When I was 28, he broke my heart
Now I'm 33... and there's a knock at the door. He's back, again. And this time he's not alone.
Read more here: Jaxson’s Amazon Page
DEAR EVERLY
Dear Everly,
We promised each other forever, and now that's gone. My memory of you is our daughter. I said I would never move on, but something happened. Someone moved into the house next door. She works at our daughter's preschool. Everywhere I go, she's there. My forever is changing now... I'm falling in love with her. Loving her means forgetting you. Loving her means letting you go. Loving her... means everything to me.
I love you endlessly,
Jake
Read more here: Jaxson’s Amazon Page
ANNA’S DRESS
He stole my heart long before my sister stole his.
She was the "bad girl" all the guys wanted and I was the "good girl" everyone overlooked.
Now my sister is dead. I'm alone, left in the shadow she cast over me.
He's the last person I expect to see at the funeral.
And now I need him more than ever.
Read more here: Jaxson’s Amazon Page
LET YOU GO
After our first kiss, he moved away.
After our first time together, he confessed it wasn't his first time.
After buying me my first dri
nk, he said he was with someone else... but still loved me.
Now I'm staring at two pink lines on a pregnancy test... and the number he gave me to call?
It's been disconnected. Great.
Read more here: Jaxson’s Amazon Page
WHEN I’M GONE
The night I met her, I had no idea I saved her life.
The night I took her home, I never wanted her to leave.
The night I fell for her, she was running from somebody else.
The night I give her my heart, she doesn't give me hers... and I'm about to find out why.
Read more here: Jaxson’s Amazon Page
WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW
When I fell for you, tragedy ripped us apart.
When you came to save me from myself, I pushed you away.
When we said goodbye to the town that ruined us, we never wanted to go back.
Except now, someone else needs your heart more than I do.
But what you don't know... is now I'm coming to save you.
Read more here: Jaxson’s Amazon Page
AND AS PART OF THE ‘TRUE HEARTS COLLECTION’…
EVERY OTHER WEEKEND
Every other weekend, my mom gets a break. At least that’s what she tells me. My mom has a new friend too. I’ve only met him a few times. She tells me she only sees him every other weekend. It’s nice to see her smile. She used to be sad after my dad decided he wanted to live somewhere new, by himself, and only see me every other weekend.
My mom’s new friend makes her happy. I think they want to see each other more than every other weekend. Which doesn’t bother me at all. I just want my mom happy. I’m pretty sure everything is going to be okay, like my mom always tells me.
Except now, something happened. My mom is crying again. When I ask her why, she says her new friend won’t be coming around anymore - not even every other weekend. And that my dad is sick again and he won’t see me every other weekend either. I gave her my favorite toy to make her not cry, but I don’t think it’s going to work.
My name is Sam, and I’m just a kid, and maybe this isn’t my story to tell.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. (This also includes the cover image and/or cover model(s) appearing on the cover. The context of this book does not in any way depict the personal life of said cover model(s). Image is licensed and used purely for fictional purpose only.)
First electronic edition October 2018
Copyright © 2018 by Jaxson Kidman
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part of any form.
Copyright image DepositPhotos
Copyright cover Mayhem Covers
Nobody Else Page 29