by Chloe Walsh
“You fucking rat,” Cam glowered before he swung around to face me. “Mom, I swear I didn’t . . .”
“I don’t want to hear it, Cam,” I moaned as I covered my face and backed out of the room. “Your father can deal with you. With all of you.”
“The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, does it?” I heard Derek chuckle.
“You’d better hope your apple fell into another goddamn orchard,” Kyle growled. “Or we’re gonna have some real problems, douchebag.”
Closing out the kitchen door in dismay, I turned around and sighed. “Jordan,” I said in a soft tone when I saw Derek’s son standing stiffly at the front door. The small boy with the big green eyes, who had spent countless summers playing in a paddling pool out back with my kids, and camping out in the living room, was no more. Jordan Porter had grown into handsome young man.
His raven black curls were cut short, the gray sweater he wore emphasized his sun kissed tan, and his eyes . . . oh god, he seemed to hold the weight of the world in those green depths. “I’m so glad you could come,” I told him as I stepped forward to give him a hug. “How’s your mom?”
“Thanks for having me, Mrs. Carter,” he mumbled with a formality I’d spent years trying to break down but to no avail. “And mom’s doing better,” he added softly, stepping out of my hug. “Uncle Danny’s keeping an eye on her until she gets back on her feet.”
“That’s good.” It didn’t escape my attention Jordan had flinched when I put my arms around him. “I hope things get better for her. For all of you.”
“Yeah.” Jordan nodded stiffly as he rubbed his side. “Me, too.”
Worry settled in the pit of my stomach.
This wasn’t the first time I’d seen him flinch away from contact.
“Jordan,” I said in a coaxing tone. “Are you . . . is everything okay?”
“I . . .” Jordan paused and pinched the bridge of his nose. Clenching his eyes shut, he grabbed the back of his neck and exhaled heavily. “Is she here?” he croaked, his voice laced with pain. Opening his eyes, he looked down at me, his expression full of anguish and secrets. “Is she okay?”
“She’s upstairs.” Kyle’s voice came from behind me and I jumped.
Wrapping an arm around my waist, Kyle pulled me into his side, never taking his eyes off Jordan. “You can go up,” Kyle added and my mouth fell open in shock.
I watched as Jordan pulled himself up to his full height, masking his surprise quickly with a curt nod. “Thanks, Mr. Carter,” he acknowledged quietly before heading for the staircase.
“Don’t hurt her,” Kyle called after him. “And I won’t hurt you. You got it?”
“Never planned on it,” he said with quiet conviction in his tone.
When Jordan rounded the staircase and was out of sight, Kyle let out a deep sigh. “Tell me I’m not making the biggest mistake of my life here, Princess,” he said softly.
“You know you’re not,” I told him. “You’re just accepting the fact that our children are almost adults, and we’re starting the next phase of parenthood.”
“The next phase,” he chuckled as he pulled me into his arms. “And what’s that?”
“Prom.” I smiled. “College, Weddings . . . Grandchildren.”
“Grandchildren,” Kyle croaked out. “Can’t wait . . .”
“We’ll survive,” I said with a smile as I sighed in appreciation for the man holding me in his arms, for surviving almost implausible odds, for never giving up hope, for keeping his promises, for fighting to stay alive and for winning.
Natalie Merchant: My Skin
Kate Nash: Nicest Thing
Florence and the machine: Never let me go
Carrie Underwood: Blown away
Rudimental: Free
Colbie Calliat: Never told you
Tracy Chapman: Fast Car
Beyoncé: I was here
Beyoncé: Still in love (Kissing you)
Ella Henderson: Hold on we’re going home-Love me again
Taylor Swift: Enchanted
Ellie Goulding: Dead in the water
The Band Perry: If I Die Young
No Doubt: Underneath It All
Demi Lovato: Skyscraper
David Guetta and Sia: Titanium
Nelly Furtado: Try
Avril Lavigne: Slipped away
Halestorm ft. James Michael: Private parts
Gabrielle Aplin: The power of love
Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding: I need your love
A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera: Say Something
The Script: You won’t feel a thing
The Pogues: A rainy night in Soho
Ed Sheeran: Small Bump
The Blizzards: Fantasy
Green Day: Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Velvet Revolver: Fall To Pieces
Ed Sheeran: I See Fire
Kings of Leon: Closer
Aslan: Fall On Me
Staind: Outside
Tinchy Stryder ft. N-Dubz: Number one
Placebo: Running up that hill
U2: With or without you
Radiohead: Creep
Oasis: Stand By Me
McFly: The heart never lies
Staind: It’s been awhile
Sister Hazel: Your winter
Eminem: Lose yourself
Ed Sheeran: Give Me Love
Finley Quaye: Dice
Foster the People: Pumped up kicks
Crazy Town: Butterfly
The Clash: Should I Stay or Should I Go
Eminem & Rihanna: Love the way you lie 1&2
Kodaline: High Hopes
Jack Johnson: Sitting, waiting, wishing
The Offspring: Original Prankster
The Script: Nothing
Guns N Roses: Sweet Child O’ Mine
Luke Bryan: Country Girl
James Arthur: I’m sexy and I know it
Lea Michele: Cannonball
The Script: Breakeven
Ed Sheeran: Drunk
Gabrielle: Rise
Tyler Hilton: Missing You
Matchbox 20: I’m not crazy
Nine Inch Nails: Hurt
The Script: Six degrees of separation
When I wrote Break My Fall I had no intentions of writing a follow up. No ideas, plans or clue of how their story would go. I remember spending night after sleepless night staring at my computer and willing the words to come out of me. Thankfully they did and Fall To Pieces and Fall On Me were born. Looking back now I can safely say that without the support and encouragement from my girls on Facebook it still would be an unfinished project.
Kyle and Lee’s story kept going deeper and darker and while I’m sad their story has come to an end, I’m excited about my other projects. I am absolutely shattered from writing these books–in a good way–and can’t thank you enough for reading them. I never thought I could write one book, let alone four books in nine months. It’s been a crazy journey, one with plenty tears, smiles–and bald patches.
Rhiannon, I owe you a huge thank you for all your kindness, help and friendship.
Lorrie, Alycia, Barbara, Dania, Lisa, Corrine, Jacky Quirke, Deborah, Nikki, and all of the girls on Facebook and Twitter. Girls, you are the best bunch of readers/friends a person could ask for. Thank you so much for standing by me—these books are for you.
To my father. Dad, thanks for answering every one of my frantic phone calls over the past few months. Your patience–with me–is limitless. To my mother for providing me with an unlimited amount of reading material throughout my childhood, and for giving me the tools to pursue my dreams in adulthood. To Sinead for your support and the calming effect you have on me. To Aunty for being so incredibly loyal and dependable. John and Julie. I love you guys. Thanks for putting up with my craziness throughout our childhood. For pushing me. For believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. For listening to my endle
ss drivel and for seeing what no one else could see. No sister ever had better siblings than you.
And the biggest thanks of all is owed to the wonderful people who have read my stories.
This series is for you, because of you, and dedicated to you.
I am both humbled and blessed by your kindness.
Thank you.
Chloe Walsh is a twenty-five year old wife and mother from County Cork, in the south of Ireland. The youngest of five children, she used reading and writing as her escape as a child.
In January 2014, she started to write about a cocky, self-assured man named Kyle Carter, and five weeks later, on Valentine’s day 2014, she self-published her debut novel, Break My Fall, for a handful of her friends who had called over for tea, read bits and pieces of Kyle, and wanted to read the story on their e-readers rather than printed sheets. Shockingly—and no one was more surprised than her—the book was a huge success, reaching No 1 in the UK bestsellers lists, and Chloe followed it up the sequel Fall To Pieces in April 2014, vowing that book two would be the final chapter for Kyle and Lee.
The demand for a third instalment was overwhelming and alas a series was born. The final book became two and Fall On Me, released in August 2014, became the third book in the accidental broken series. Forever We Fall was released in October 2014.
An avid reader, she enjoys lurking in a corner with her kindle, and playing sports.
Please feel free to contact her on her Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChloeWalsh