Shattered Echo (The Shattered Echo Series Book 1)
Page 14
She lays there tracing each mark on the tan ceiling with her eyes, creating shapes and animals out of the design; locked behind her thin white bedroom door. She releases a sharp breath, affected by her nightmare.
It has been exactly five years since that night, today marks the day it happened, and she can still see it as clear as day. Every now and then, she wonders what he is doing right now, at this very moment. There has been no response update on his case or information for his upcoming trial, not that Sam is keeping tabs on him because that would be foolish, right?
At least she would never admit it, if she is.
Truth is, she is scared. She is afraid that despite all these lonely painful years she can't seem to erase him from her head or her heart. It doesn't matter, too much time has passed; eventually she needed to get on with her life and that is exactly what she has done. She's given herself to someone that treats her well and is there for her, someone who she is happy with.
Are you really happy?
The voice is always there, always questioning her.
“It's too late,” she repeats to herself.
The remake of “Love me like you do” by Ellie Goulding sounds off on her phone, buzzing on top of her headboard, her mom’s picture appearing on her screen. A picture taken a year after the incident, it is one of her mother standing in her bright red sleeveless shirt with a large happy smile on her gorgeous face, next to her stood Officer Preston who came to the rescue when they needed it and who took her mother into his arms and made sure that she knew what happiness felt like again. The idea of her mother being tangled in the sheets with him use to make Sam cringe, but now that she has gotten to know him as the man he is and not just the officer that stopped her from falling into Jake's arms, He is a good man. Her mother ended up moving with him into the Eastern part of Texas where she is now living the life that Sam has always wanted to give her.
She picks up the phone, “Hey mom.”
“Hi honey, I was just calling to check up on you and see how things are with the new apartment,” her mother replies, her voice full of joy.
“It's going, just got settled in last night,” she responds, twirling her hair around her finger. No energy to pull herself from her warm sheets. “Got an idiot of a neighbor who thinks playing the drums at three in the morning is okay, but besides that so far so good!”
You can hear the smile in her voice, “That is great to hear dear. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to help you get settled in. It was a long ride.”
“I can Imagine, at least you both made it there safely.”
Sam talks herself into getting out of bed, just hours later she is supposed to be performing at the club and she hasn't yet prepared herself today, not finding the courage to pull herself from bed. Shuffling into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee she shifts the phone to her other ear placing it between the crease of her neck and shoulder as she uses both her hands to get the batch started.
For the last year Sam and her friends decided to begin a band of their own, obsessed with Sam’s voice they eventually talked her into being the lead singer, not that she had much choice in the matter. Her friends can be very persuasive.
Her mother speaks, “I haven't heard much from you lately; any new, news on Jake?”
“Mom, I told you. Jake and I are over, I'm in are relationship now. I don't spend my time finding out information on him.”
Somehow, her mom can't let go hope of the possibility of Jake and Sam. She isn't afraid to push it by bringing it up in every conversation they have. It is like she wants her to have this fairy tale-based relationship, but doesn't she know that is only in the movies like Juliet and Romeo, minus the killing each other part, the perfect star-crossed lovers. Jake and Sam could never be that, not just because she hasn't an idea when the hell he will be released or that she is in a committed relationship but because together they are toxic, a beautiful disaster waiting to erupt. They would never work.
She says, “I know, Zane is a wonderful man, but you don't look at him the way you use to look at Jake.”
That was it, the painful truth. The undeniable connection between them that neither her nor Jake could ever ignore.
“I love him, mom.”
“Jake or Zane, dear?” There it is the question that everyone is wanting the answer to.
Sam can hear Preston laughing in the background, telling her mother to stop giving her shit. It is hard to believe that five years have passed since the incident and the officer that held Sam back from falling into the arms of the man she loved is now curled in the sheets with her mother.
Ewww, she cringes just thinking about it.
She can't help but imagine what life would have been like had her father never been in the picture, where their lives would be right at this very moment. Would she and Jake be together? Would her mother have found love in an Officer? She'd never know the answers. That is something she was never able to control, it controls you.
She hasn't heard anything on him, no news on his case recently other than he did have a trial date come up that she intentionally missed, avoiding him. She doesn't know why she wants to avoid him just that she needs to right now. She is unsure whether she wants to even see him and that isn't even the half of it.
Sam has felt nothing but guilt since she watched them take him in that police car. The only reason that he even got involved in that mess and ended up there was because of her.
Because she fell for a man that would do anything to protect her. She is the one that called him and made him come over, had she not? Maybe he wouldn't have been locked away for so long, but maybe her mother or herself would have been shot. She just can't face the truth. Not now, not yet.
She sips on her mug warmly between her hands, burning her tongue on the steaming dark chocolate; ruining her taste buds for the day. With her back to the counter she lets her mother blabber on some more, deciding whether she should stop being lazy and get ready. Today is the first day of her performance. By that, what I mean is Sam always had a hard time with her emotions, keeping them bottled up inside where they just built up and eventually exploded. Well, now; Sam has been able to take all those emotions and horrible thoughts and throw them into something real, music.
She could still hear the warm sound of Jake singing as he held her just after he stopped her from ending it all. His voice was like an angel, calling for her and shielding her from the darkness. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. She can hear it clearly now as she zones out on her mother’s conversation. She could picture his cocky smile and icy blue eyes, shaggy hair that she loved so much.
She could imagine running her hands through that shaggy hair as he held her close. God, how did she miss that feeling?
Stop, she thinks to herself harshly, you’re with Zane and you love him that is all that matters right now.
Pushing her mother off the phone with some tad lame excuse, Sam rushes to get ready. It seems that is all she ever does is rushing but then again, Sam Echo has never been on time.
She steps into the burning rays of mid-morning, latching the door behind her she takes in the sweet scent. As she makes her way toward her car backed on the curb the sound of a motorcycle revving up its ignition as it sits parked at the corner of the block drifts her way.
It is not the annoying sound the motorcycle itself holding her attention however rather the man or woman that sat on it. Dressed in holey dark jeans, leather jacket and black studded boots – it was almost clear it was a man. His face is covered by a skull helmet, but his attention is clearly pointed at her.
Why is he watching me?
Stopping, keys in hand before her car; she watches him in return. Moments later he kicks his feet up and pulls from the curb zooming down the street and out of view. Sam left with an eerie feeling and uneasiness.
Shaking it off, she slides into her black leather seats, starting the engine she takes off down the road leaving the mysterious man and conversation with her mother behind her
as she heads for her destination.
Today is the beginning of something new, something great and for once Sam feels like she can finally be happy. It has been a long time coming but Sam has faced her demons head on, there is no stopping that. It is her turn to have the ride of a lifetime. It is her turn to experience what it is like without being held down by depression or fear.
It is time for her to live.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Acknowledgements
Extras