Beware

by Shanora Williams

  I love you, Red.

  Promise to always love me.

  Promise to always think about me.

  Promise to never forget me.

  Ace

  I read the letter repeatedly, clutching the paper in my hands. Wanting the words to come from his mouth, not from ink.

  My whole body feels weak… fragile.

  I feel broken, all over again. I drop the letter, feeling this way for three hours straight. Not once does Bianca leave my side. For a while, I can’t even blink. I’m so cold. But I know she’s right. And I know he is, too. I know because, in the midst of my pain, grief and sorrow, my tummy flutters, and I cling onto my stomach, gasping.

  The first little kick.

  First movement.

  It’s bittersweet. I shut my eyes, wanting to feel it again. And I do. Twice.

  The kicks remind me of something. They remind me that I still have a purpose. That Bianca’s right. I have his child. My child. Bianca looks down, smiling. “You feel something?”

  I nod.

  “Oh, London,” she whispers. “Everything happens for a reason,” she breathes, touching my tummy. “Everything. May seem unfair, but my belief is that God chooses us. He knows we’re strong, and that we can get through anything.” She clutches my hands, smiling sweetly. “We can get through this. You can get through this. Plus, you have to because I have a little niece or nephew on the way.”

  I giggle, wiping my tears. “Don’t you mean cousin?”

  “Nope.” She picks up the letter, folds it, and then places it on my lap. “Ace grew up like a brother to me. That’s what he’ll always be.”

  I give her a soft smile then pick up the folded letter.

  “You have more than enough diamonds to take care of the baby, and you know I’ll be here when the baby is born. I’ll be here to help you get through it all.”

  I nod.

  “But I hope it’s a girl. Boys are so overrated.”

  I laugh, my tears never ending. I reel her in for a tight hug, never wanting to let go.

  And as I hang onto her with my eyes squeezed tight and my tears flowing, I can’t help but to feel anything but grateful. With how my life has gone, I could turn cold and heartless. I could damage and destroy myself. I could kill myself with all the rocky roads I’ve traveled on… but I won’t.

  If there’s one thing I know about myself, it’s that I’m not weak, and that everything that happens in my life happens for a reason, just like she said.

  And with this baby, I’ll be as strong as ever. This growing child is my reason to carry on his name. To live again.

  I release Bianca, stand from the sofa, and walk towards the balcony. She follows after me, and we enter the warmth of the sun. I close my eyes, and she grabs my hand to squeeze it, causing a thicker line of tears to run down my cheeks.

  When I open my eyes, I smile at her.

  And she smiles back.

  And I know just as much as she does that it’ll be tough to let him go. We’ll miss him. I’ll miss him. I know my heart might ache as the memories of him flood every ounce of me, but I’ll survive.

  We’ll survive.

  Because that’s what we do.

  We survive.

  We live.

  And we fight hard for what we believe in.

  THANK YOU

  Thank you all so much for reading London and Ace’s story. I know we all might be high on emotion right now, but whether you enjoyed the story or not, please leave a review! Reviews help us authors out a ton and have such a huge impact.

  Thank you so much in advance for taking the time, and thank you so much for your support! You’re all the best. Seriously.

  Shanora

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  There are so many people I have to thank. First and foremost, I thank God for this amazing talent and allowing me the opportunity to share it with others. My family for rooting me on, supporting me, and being so proud of me.

  My boyfriend for supporting me, loving me, keeping me in line when I get too down on myself. I love you so much. More than words can explain.

  Stina, you are my cheerleader and I love you. Thank you for everything. EVERYTHING!

  Thank you Heather and Selene of The Real Housewives of Romance Book Blog. You ladies are lifesavers. Seriously. I know I say it all the time, but you are. I don’t know where I’d be without you. I don’t know how I’d cope without your unconditional support. I love you ladies!

  Thanks Kim Bias for, yet again, being my awesome beta reader. Your opinion is like a breath of fresh air! Thank you!

  Same goes for Dawn Martens, for being so blunt and honest. Honesty goes a long way with me. Thank you for never holding back. Honesty leads to better stories, good ideas, etc. Thank you!

  Ena Burnette, you are the best damn blog tour coordinator ever. Your dedication is amazing. I’m not sure what I, or any other author that works with you, would do without you.

  Laurie Jackson. Best PA I could ever have. Thank you for keeping me organized and thank you for getting people on board for BEWARE. You work hard, and I love it! You’re amazing.

  To all the authors that have supported me along the way: Ilsa Madden-Mills, Amanda Heath, Cindy Brown, Tamsyn Bester… I adore you all. You’re all talented and super amazing women. And these are in no particular order.

  Thank you to all the bloggers and all the readers that took the time out to read BEWARE. It means so much to me to have you all enjoy my stories. To my fans, you’re the greatest supporters ever. Thank you so much for cheering me on, pushing me forward—everything. It means so much to have you all here for me. BEWARE wasn’t an easy story to right. Not one bit.

  CONTACT SHANORA

  I love chatting with my readers and fans. If there’s anything you’d like to talk to me about please feel free to email me at shanoraqw@gmail.com

  Also, feel free to follow me on these social networks to keep up with what I’m working on next, info on the characters, and even teasers!

  Facebook: facebook.com/shanorawilliamsauthor

  Twitter: twitter.com/shanorawilliams

  Instagram: @reallyshanora

  Website: www.authorshanorawilliams.com