The Bookworm Meets the Prince
Page 20
Stuart Sullivan paid no mind to his son, his eyes fixed on the pile of paper before him as he struggled to calculate the cost of his journey.
The sound of wood scraping against cement pulled Stuart’s attention to his restless son who was now on his feet.
“Do you intend to ignore me this entire time, Father?” Howard ran a weary hand through his hair.
“Do we have to go over this again, Howard?” Stuart frowned, his attention returning to the task before him. He was trying his best to work out the cost of his journey, but it didn’t help that his eyes were failing. Frustrated, he pushed the document aside.
“Will you have me repeat how important this is to your mother?”
“Mother?!” he spat. “The last time I checked, I have no mother, and you certainly have no wife.” His words were nothing new; it was the same response he gave to conversations involving his mother. Yet, they had a different effect on Stuart every time they were spoken. This time, the effect was pain. It was like a stab to his chest, draining him of whatever energy he thought he had left.
Stuart leaned forward and placed his tired hands on the wooden desk before him. “Would it make you happy if I didn’t go, if I didn’t give your mother this one last wish she had?” He rubbed his aching eyes.
“It would help if you wouldn’t bother spending so much on an ungrateful, undeserving woman who only returned to you when she needed you. When she knew she was dying…”
“Howard!” he warned, anger rising to his chest. His limbs trembled, and he was thankful for the fact that he was seated.
Howard stood before him, lips pursed. He ran his gaze down the length of his son and shook his head, saddened. He could hardly recognize the man who stood before him: the man who had become embittered and burdened by grief. For it was grief that led to Howard’s unbecoming attitude, grief rather than anger. Grief for a mother he never had, a mother whose absence in life left a void widened by death. It was the consequences of his mother’s absence that was slowly but surely turning him into a drunk—a sad, bitter alcoholic who spent most of his time in the brothels.
“You will respect your mother’s memories.” Stuart knew his admonition would mean nothing to his son.
“If you insist on this journey of yours, Father, then I’m coming with you to San Francisco. Not for her,” he spat, “but for you. I’m coming along to make sure nothing terrible happens to you on the way.”
Stuart offered a tired smile. “Alright son, we’ll go to San Francisco together to sprinkle your mother’s ashes.”
“I have no mother” ―Stuart heard Howard’s low growl― “and you had no wife.”
The words made their way into his heart, filling him with great sadness for his son who was spiraling quickly down the path of destruction.
If you enjoyed this sample, look for
Faces of Love
on Amazon.
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Imagine a sworn enemy who constantly one-ups you in everything—from your looks to your dream guy. Imagine having to look at her face every day because she happens to be… your twin sister.
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Try and Catch Me is sure to hit the goal for those who want to boost their self-confidence and open one’s self to the idea of love. With Sarah Kirchner’s wit, humor and knack for romance, you’re sure to have a kick out of this read!
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Carmen is satisfied living with her heart under wraps, but then she meets Asa, who wears his heart on his sleeve—and he reminds her that even after the darkest of nights, comes the breaking of light.
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And when two people, regardless of the intensity of their feelings, are in complete-ly different points of their lives…
…is love really enough?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my parents, Rudy and Marilyn, for their undying love and support in everything I do. My family for always cheering for me. My friends, you know who you are, who were always there to listen to my random stories. My editor, Julius, who had to go through my first draft and fix it. The marketing experts, Winnie and Mary Joy, who always helped me with announcements and contests. My agent, Michelle, who took a chance to have my work published. BLVNP and Typewriter Pub for publishing my work. Extremity Arts, International for the author picture.
And, of course, to the best set of fans in the entire world, my BookBanners. This wouldn’t happen without you and I can’t thank you enough. Love you guys! ️
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Thank you so much for reading The Bookworm Meets The Prince! I can’t express how grateful I am for reading something that was once just a thought inside my head.
Please feel free to send me an email. Just know that my publisher filters these emails. Good news is always welcome.
klarika_nuque@awesomeauthors.org
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One last thing: I’d love to hear your thoughts on the book. Please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads because I just love reading your comments and getting to know you!
Can’t wait to hear from you!
Klarika Nuque
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Klarika fell in love with reading at a young age and started writing in her teens. Growing up she would hide her novels in between text books during class just to know what happens next. Now, she's still a bookworm but has since expanded her reading to different topics under the sun. When she's not reading, she's bonding with her two favorite people: her parents.