Shattered Hearts ePub

by Pen Name

  Neither of us wanted the kiss to end. That much was clear from our body language. But very few things last forever, and the kiss was no exception. When we parted, Nate stared into my eyes, a lock of his hair hanging sexily across his forehead. I reached up and gently brushed it to the side. He smiled at me.

  “I’m not sleepy yet. Are you?”

  I shook my head.

  “Do you want to go sit on the front porch?” he asked, clearly not wanting to say goodnight any more than I did. “We can watch the sunrise.”

  Nodding, I allowed Nate to lift me down from the fence, feeling like I was floating as he easily picked me up and then gently set me on my feet. Hand in hand, we walked to the front porch. Nate sat down in one of the wooden armchairs but this time I didn’t sit in the one next to him. Instead I curled up in his lap, resting my head against the crook in his neck as his muscular arms closed around me.

  Waiting for the sun to rise was often a tedious chore for me. It was in the darkness that my nightmares lurked, waiting to terrorize me time and time again. But now when I closed my eyes, all I could focus on was how good it felt to let Nate hold me. I may have nodded off for a while as he cuddled me there in the darkness because when I opened my eyes next, I saw that dawn was breaking.

  The sunset was hands down the most beautiful one I’d ever seen in my life. The sky lit up with brilliant hues of peach and lavender as the sun emerged from the darkness, reborn and magnificent. Its rays shone down on us, warming our skin and making a promise. It was a new day full of potential, and it was ours.

  These days, Penny looked me in the eye. I was convinced there was hope for me to undergo a similar transformation. Maybe one day Nate would be able to touch my face without making me flinch. Maybe one day he wouldn’t have to think about where he was putting his hands or what buried emotions he might inadvertently unearth. Was it really so crazy to think that one day we could have a normal, healthy relationship unmarred by my past experiences?

  I used to wait for the sunset alone in the dark, anxiously pacing as though trying to outrun my past. It had been exhausting.

  But now I had Nate to keep me company, his quiet presence reassuring and invigorating all at once. He made the night seem less dark, less threatening. In fact, he made everything seem brighter. Leaning into him, I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him hard, wanting to reassure myself that this was real. I felt him kiss the top of my head and then, with a smile on my face, I fell asleep in his arms.

  ___

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  COMING SOON

  Shattered Dreams (Shattered #2) by Octavia Wildwood

  PREVIEW

  It was the perfect day. The sun was warm and the clouds had disappeared. A gentle breeze kept us comfortable. As I took a seat next to Maggie on the metal bleachers, I strained to find Nate down below.

  I spotted him at once and my heart did a little backflip when I laid eyes on him. I wondered if that feeling of pure joy I experienced any time we made eye contact or brushed against each other would ever go away. I hoped it wouldn’t.

  Nate was standing by the gate holding the reigns of a large black stallion. He looked damn sexy in his leather chaps, a real live cowboy. And he was mine. My heart swelled with pride as he led the horse into the rodeo arena. He looked strong and confident and, well, ready.

  It wasn’t long ago that Nate hadn’t been able to get on a horse at all. With my help, he’d managed to overcome the affliction he’d suffered from ever since his parents’ death. Now he was about to do what he loved for the very first time since the car accident. It was a big moment for him, and I couldn’t have been happier for him.

  The cheers for Nate were loud, a reminder of what a name he’d made for himself in the world of rodeo. Everyone was on his side, wanting to see him succeed after the tragedy that had struck his family. I was right there with them, a big smile on my face as he climbed up on the horse and prepared for his event.

  I watched him carefully, wanting to commit everything about this momentous occasion to memory. But something was wrong. The expression on his face wasn’t one of triumph. It was one of emptiness. That vacant stare worried me and I leaned forward in my seat, on pins and needles.

  And then Nate was thrown.

  He went flying over the top of the horse, hurtling through the air. Maggie cried out in alarm and I heard gasps from some of the people around us, but I couldn’t make a sound. As I sat there watching the horror unfold, helpless to do anything about it, all I could do was silently scream inside.

  There was an audible bang as some part of Nate’s body connected with the fence. Then he slumped to the ground, facedown in the dirt. Wide eyed, I waited for him to get up. So did everyone else. But he didn’t move a muscle. In fact, I wasn’t sure he was even conscious.

  Beside me, Maggie was screaming, tears streaming down her face. “Get up, Nate!” she howled. “Get up!” The woman sitting next to her, who she’d been happily chatting with only minutes earlier, reached out and hugged her in an attempt to provide some comfort.

  I couldn’t even react. I was frozen in place, fear threatening to consume me. It wasn’t until paramedics arrived on scene with a stretcher that I sprang into action, pushing my way through the crowd until I reached him. I hopped the fence and no one tried to stop me – it was chaos down there.

  As the paramedics lifted Nate onto the stretcher, I didn’t like the way his entire body flopped around like he had no control over it. His eyes were open but vacant, staring at something only he could see. Blood was gushing from his nose, intermingling with mud and dirt. His left arm was bent at an impossible angle. It must have been excruciatingly painful but worryingly, he didn’t seem to be the least bit aware of it.

  “Nate!” I cried out, running to his side.

  His eyes didn’t even move. Even as I peered into his face anxiously, there was no recognition.

  “Nate, look at me! Please, just look at me!” I wailed, desperate for some indication that he was still with me. When I got no response whatsoever, I grabbed hold of his ripped shirt, but one of the paramedics stopped me.

  “We’ve got to get him out of here now,” he told me, firmly pushing me aside.

  As the paramedics carried Nate away, I stumbled after them. Everything was a blur. They loaded him into the back of an ambulance and one of the men hopped in the back alongside him, preparing him for the drive to the hospital. I climbed in too, my whole body shaking in fear. I took Nate’s hand, but it was clammy and cold. When I squeezed, he didn’t squeeze back.

  “Yeah, this is Bill,” I heard the paramedic in the driver’s seat say as he radioed ahead to the hospital. “We’re coming in with a critical one. It’s not looking good.”