by Tara Brown
I loved her, and I would forever, but I needed to be happy for her.
It was the only way I would ever be happy with the life I’d chosen.
I’d loved.
I’d set her free.
I’d made sure she couldn't come back to me.
I told myself the fact she would come back to me if she could was enough.
And that was that.
Because in the end, if Evie and I had stayed together, I would have been the end of her. And that would have been the end of me. This was the path I could live with. And sometimes a person had to choose the path they could live with over the path they couldn't live without.
The End
This Was Never About Me Anyway
Why should I feel shame, because you were stronger physically?
Why should I keep secret your perversions because you’re respected now?
Why should I lie to protect your deficiencies from your family?
This was never about me anyway
I can’t have sex with someone while they cry.
I can’t force something on someone with pleasure.
I can’t pretend I am in any way responsible for your flaws.
This was never about me anyway
My ability to overcome what you have done makes me stronger mentally.
My ability to speak about it proves you’re a monster.
My ability to recover takes back the power.
This was never about me anyway
No amount of my looking unattractive would have persuaded you.
No amount of clothing would have discouraged you.
No amount of crying or pleading stopped you.
This was never about me anyway
Afterword
Thank you for reading this series and if you can spare anything, the Polaris Project is a truly noble one. Also, the Brownie Box is real. It’s in Stratford-upon-Avon in England. And Monsoon Coffee is real too. Check them out!
The Polaris Project – https://polarisproject.org
The Brownie Box – http://boxbrowniecoffee.com
Monsoon Coffee - https://www.monsoonestatescoffee.co.uk
If you liked this book, check out Blood and Bone.
BLOOD AND BONE
What would you do if your life was a lie and everyone knew but you?
Jane has come a long way from the dark days of the horrific car accident that robbed her of many memories. Living the life of a shopgirl with a charming boyfriend—a handsome, green-eyed doctor named Derek—is so satisfying that she doesn’t want to revisit her past.
But the past insists on revisiting Jane. People keep mistaking her for Samantha, a dead girl who looks exactly like her. Now, Jane is determined to discover her connection to the girl, leading her to question everything from her relationship with Derek to her own sanity. Should she believe Rory, the man who insists she truly is Samantha? Or should she depend on Derek who offers her love and shelter but may have other reasons for keeping her under wraps? Who’s telling her the truth—and what are the others hiding?
About Me
I believe growing up in a really small town gives a person a little advantage when it comes to the imagination. You need one or you go mad.
Needless to say, mine saved me. After it got me into trouble first, that is. That's the problem with a vivid imagination, all the lies you tell.
According to my age, I am meant to be a responsible adult, but it isn't going well at all. I would still head off to Hogwarts tomorrow and I suspect there isn't a single wardrobe I haven't crept into, hoping to find the door to Narnia. And don't even get me started on the King's Road, I get lost.
Fortunately, I am an international bestseller so I have wormed my way into a quirky or eccentric category.
Thank God for that.
I am happily married with two daughters.
I have two giant dogs, two savage cats, and a penchant for a glass of red.
I am represented by Natalie Lakosil from the Bradford Literary Agency and am published traditionally with Montlake Romance and Skyscape Publishing.
https://www.tarabrownauthor.com
http://TaraBrown22.blogspot.com