“Aubrey, sweet girl. You’re going to make me get all gooey in front of my brothers,” he smirked at her, “Before I met you, I thought I knew who I was and what I wanted in life. And then I. Saw. You. I didn’t teach you strength. You’ve always been the strongest woman I know. You didn’t need me to teach you to be brave either. Brave was getting on the bus and showing up here. Brave was carrying on and fighting for Ari. And brave was opening your heart up to me and letting me love you. I promise with everything I am to always do right by you. I promise to be the man worthy of your love. I promise that every morning and every night, and maybe sometimes in the afternoon. I’ll hold you and remind you how much you mean to me. I wasn’t alive until you walked into that shop and breathed life into me. You’re everything to me and I promise to love the hell out of you for the rest of our lives.”
Aubrey had a few stray tears, and then two were making out and kissing like crazy before the Justice of the Peace even had a chance to tell them to kiss. He mumbled, “I now pronounce you man and wife” and gave up on the rest of the ceremony, knowing that everything the pair needed to say was said.
Daws’ family started hooting and hollering, even Jenny joined in. The rest of the night was a mix of bikers dancing and carrying on with all of our new Italian family. It was one of my favorite nights, but one of the best moments for me happened at the end of the night.
Gino had a dress shirt on rolled up to his elbows and dark navy dress pants, grabbed me from a table where I was sitting by myself. He looked shy for a second before he spoke, “Dance with me Ari?” He didn’t have to ask me twice, I was up so fast in his arms. Even at twelve, Gino made my heart beat faster than I ever could have imagined. “You look so pretty tonight Ari. Don't tell Aubrey, but you’re the prettiest girl here.” I blushed and put my head against his chest, “You’re not so bad yourself.” This was the first of many nights that I had wished that Gino would kiss me.
Bang, bang, bang. Gino beats on the door again breaking me from my day dream. “We gotta go!”
I throw open the door, and I swear I see something in his eyes change when he looks at me. I’m wearing a yellow sundress and my hair is down in soft waves. I’m wearing makeup, but not a ton. Jenny says that for someone my age, it should be subtle. I’m turning sixteen in a few weeks, maybe then I will experiment more with it. Nonetheless, I feel pretty. My body is starting to fill out more and feel more like a woman’s than that gangly in-between stage I’ve been stuck in for the last few years.
“Okay, let’s go.”
“You know I’m going to have to speed like crazy, if we’re going to make it on time.” Gino acts like this is a hardship for him, but I know that given the chance to race in Daws’ Charger that he would gladly do it.
I admire him while we drive. He is focuses on the road and it gives me a chance to ogle over him. I wonder if he knows how I feel about him? I wonder if he’ll ever feel the same?
We get to the ceremony just in time. I don't miss the glare that Daws gives Gino for being late. Aubrey is being called across the stage. There are so many people here who hoot and holler for my sister as she accepts her degree. She has come so far. I’m so proud of her and so grateful for all of these people in the audience. They helped give us this future, one where I get to watch my sister fulfill her dreams, and be married to the man she loves. A future where I get to fantasize like normal fifteen year-old girls do and that one day Gino will love me like Daws loves Aubrey.
Thank You
I have a lot of people to thank, because writing isn’t a journey one accomplishes on their own. I need to first thank my husband, who said to me during this process that he wanted to be a part of my dream, not standing on the sidelines watching. I love you and I love what we have been building. Thank you Nicole Reid for helping edit and being there these last few months. Thank you Dawn Robinson for being you and pushing me to follow my dream. Thank you Jessica and Shana for being the best friends a girl could ask for. My sisters Katie and Melissa, thank you for supporting me, and Fred I love you too. Thanks Mom for being so very helpful. Thank you, Angie Richards, Mary Sanchez Cortez, Cheryl Wilkins, Kristine Onufrak, Dawn Costiera, Chrissy Weston and Renee Mckinney with Book Happiness, Summers Book Blog, Lisa Hines, Book Babblin, Mary Tater, Book Babes Unite, K&S book Blog, Flirty Subs PR and Erin Mikolic for being so supportive. Thank you Hang Le so much for making such beautiful covers. Thank you so much to the amazing bloggers who have helped pimp me. Authors rely on you. What you do is incredibly important. Lastly, thank you so much to you, the reader, for reading my words and hopefully finding some strength, courage and love within these pages.
Note to reader:
Fight You has some hard scenes that include rape and child abuse, but mostly this is a story of survival, love and strength. I grew up in a household with a single mother who was widowed with four children. My mom was sexually abused as a child and raped numerous times as an adult. Years passed, and she dealt with her abuse the best way she knew how, by becoming an addict. She suffered early on from PTSD and because her symptoms went untreated for so long, she now suffers from many other mental illness and their challenges. My Mom, despite her struggles with mental illness from repeated abuse, has always had one of the biggest hearts. She has made mistakes. Many, that as a parent, I struggle to not let the damage she has left behind bleed into another generation. However, she is strong. She is a fighter and after fifty or so years, she has really focused on dealing with her mental health issues because of her abuse and we have a very strong relationship. You don’t need to wait fifty years. There is help out there. If you are a victim of sexual abuse in any form, please seek help. The quicker you seek help, the sooner you will begin to heal. I understand that it may feel like you are all by yourself in your abuse, but you are not. Please call this number if you are the victim of rape, 1-866-END-RAPE (1-866-363-7273). There are numerous organization to help. You are not alone.
Abby McCarthy is reader and a lover of words. She is a blogger turned author and released her first novel in May 2014. She is a mother of three, a wife and a dog person. She has always written, sometimes poetry, sometimes just to vent about failed relationships, however in parenthood she has found her voice to help keep her sanity. Words have flowed from her, to review and with the support of amazing friends in the Indie community she has decided to pursue her dream of writing! She loves to write and read romance, because isn't that something we all yearn for? Whether it be flowers and hand holding or just the right tug on your hair. Isn't that what life is about? The human connection?
Connect with Abby:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Abbymccarthyauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7872632.Abby_McCarthy
Twitter: @abbyemccarthy
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