Praise for D.D. Lorenzo
“D.D. Lorenzo brings heat and heartache to C-26, a beautifully written tale of timeless love. After you’re done catching your breath and wiping your eyes, you’ll believe that these characters and all their incarnations were truly meant to be.”
Meredith Wild, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Waterhouse Press CEO
“C-26 is a hauntingly beautiful story of love and sacrifice that surpasses the constraints of time.”
Aleatha Romig, New York Times Bestselling Author
“Phenomenal, breathtaking, awe-inspiring are only a few of the many ways to describe C-26! D.D. Lorenzo has written an emotional story that spans lifetimes and the love that transcends them. For anyone who believes in love and soulmates, I highly recommend reading C-26. True love never dies—you take it with you.”
Samantha A. Cole, USA Today Bestselling Author
“C-26 by DD Lorenzo is a surprising twist on a modern-day romance, full of heart and soul that passes through ages. Not your typical romance… C-26 is much more. The author pulls you in from the first chapter and carries you along, feeding your need to find out the ageless connection of love.”
Maryann Jordan, USA Today and International Bestselling Author
“This book completely and utterly gutted me. DD’s writing is beautiful and tragic, and Skylar’s journey is one that women everywhere will understand and fear to the depths of their hearts. But it’s a book women need to read in order to find the courage to go on and hope for love again.”
JM Madden, USA Today and New York Times Bestselling Author
“By the time I made it through the prologue, tears were in my eyes. Gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and soul-cleaving, the love Izzy and Abigail shared makes you believe love can transcend mere mortal bonds. I was sold at the end of the prologue. As for the rest of the story, it packs a punch. Your emotions are not safe, and they will be put through the wringer. If you're strong enough to begin this journey, you'll believe in the timeless nature of love. DeeDee Lorenzo crafts a beautiful story that is wonderful, captivating, and worth getting lost in. But know that every worthy love comes with a price.”
Ellie Masters, Amazon Bestselling Author
“C-26 is a moving love story that grabbed my heart from page one and never let go. Different from any other romance novel I’ve ever read, this couple’s incredible journey is real, uplifting, and heartbreaking, all at the same time. Lorenzo draws the reader in with her words, painting a vivid picture of not only the story’s scenery and characters, but also their deep and genuine emotions. It’s been a long time since a book made me cry, but this one absolutely moved me to tears. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves stories about love and unbreakable soulmates.
Anna Blakely, Amazon Bestselling Author
C-26
D.D. Lorenzo
Shhh Publishing
The trouble is you think you have time.
Jack Kornfield, Buddha’s Little Instruction Book
Contents
Foreword
A Novel
Dedication
The Search
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Epilogue
To My Readers ~
About the Author
Also by D.D. Lorenzo
Foreword
Love and time. Always hoped for, never promised.
Somewhere in the darkest corners of our mind, who we are, who we were, and even who we could be, lies tangled in a beautiful web.
Past collides with present.
A mirage of memories, overlapping with dreams.
The space in between. Emptiness full of hope.
Where true love survives the unthinkable, the unsinkable and the unimaginable.
In this place true loves lives on, long after our bodies have passed. Stronger than a heartbeat— its pulse can be heard for centuries... with a quiet mind and open heart.
A simple clue, a series of numbers, a single touch, even a significant place.
If we look long enough, and listen hard enough, we can feel with our soul things. Things that seem impossible. Things we can’t see or hear. Things that shouldn’t be real.
And yet they are.
As real as the breath in our bodies and the stars in the skies.
That is the power of true love.
The kind that endures.
A Novel
C-26
By
D.D. Lorenzo
C-26
by
D.D. Lorenzo
Copyright 2020
Published by Shhh Publishing
2020 Edition
ISBN ebook: 978-1-7324386-2-0
Cover art: Marisa-Rose Wesley at www.CoverMeDarling.com
Editing: Eve Arroyo at www.EveArroyo.com
Proofreader: Virginia Carey
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the copyright owner.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any semblance to persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book is available in print from most online retailers.
2020 Edition License
This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment. This e-book may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Piracy of intellectual property is a crime and is punishable by law. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to the appropriate retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Dedication
To the one who took my heart
and
The one who gave it back
The Search
My heart, my center
My one
In a universe of stars and wonders
I looked for you
In a mist of space and time
I saw you
In a world of blood and bone
I kissed you
In the infinite scale of eternity
I loved you
In the lost and lonely darkness
I will always find you
Prologue
April 15, 1912
"Don't be afraid, Abby. Just look at me."
There was no madness in Isidore Eisenberg's eyes, despite the chaotic circumstances. His tone was calming, somet
hing his wife desperately needed. She was shaking, the motion rattling her body all the way to the bone. Abigail didn't know if it was from fear, the cold, or a combination of the two, but her husband's sweet words tucked around her like a warm blanket. It was the only comfort she could feel.
"Do you think it will take a long time, or that there will be much pain?" Though Abby asked the questions, she wasn't confident she genuinely wanted the answer. It would take however long it would take; there was nothing more they could do. The outcome of their circumstances was bleak, at best.
As the couple lay side by side in the darkness, Abby tried to think of something on the bright side. She could only think of one good thing about their current situation, that they were together. She wasn't a brave woman. Though she hated knowing her sweet husband, Izzy, shared her fate, there was a part of her that was grateful she wouldn't have to face the horror of death alone. She looked into her loving Isidore's eyes, knowing full well he read her thoughts.
"Now, Abby," he said as his hand brushed her cheek, "don't worry, my love. This situation is something we can't control. We must look forward. Our time after today will be an eternity, dearest. What we're going through—what is happening right now—is a temporary inconvenience. We've always known death was a certainty, we simply never knew when it would come. And isn't this exactly what we'd hoped for? To be in each other's arms until the end of time?"
Abby nodded. Her husband always spoke the truth, and today was no different. From the day she'd married him, Abby had told him he was her life, her breath, and her destination. On that beautiful June day, she'd also promised to stay by his side for the remainder of her existence. By the end of today, her promise would be fulfilled.
An eerie whine was followed by a loud bang, causing the iron bed to shift. Muffled screams in the distance carried through vacant staterooms and hallways and found their way to the couple in cabin C-26. The sounds were frightening, immediately bringing to mind how quickly their impending fate would come to pass. Fear flooded Abby's veins with adrenaline. Her body jolted, every limb reacting to what she knew was in store. Death.
Though she quickly tried to hide her reaction and regain her composure, Isidore noticed. He knew her so well. Sadness veiled his gaze, a look Abby couldn't remember seeing in all their years together. But a solution for this disaster wasn't within her husband's control, nor was any of it of his making, for if Izzy could have changed their circumstances, she had no doubt he most certainly would have. He squeezed her hand, lassoing her torturous thoughts to capture her attention.
"Abigail, do you remember our second date?" His voice was hoarse, and his teeth chattered, yet he put on a smile for his beloved wife.
"Of course I do, but our first date stands out equally as well. Don't you remember? Our first date was a disaster."
"Yes. It was a pitiful excuse for a picnic," Izzy laughed. "My gallant attempt to chase the ants off of your skirt caused quite a ruckus—and captured the notice of everyone in the park!"
"Of course, it did! As the bugs fell off my skirt, they scrambled up my legs, and you went under my shift after them. It was scandalous! Imagine if you'd seen a young man putting his head up our daughter's skirt. I can't even fathom it!"
A broad smile hooked the corners of his mouth. His lips were perfect. They were plump, but not like a woman's. They were entirely masculine. Whereas some of the women Abby knew tried to keep their husband's advances to a minimum, she’d welcomed every kiss her Izzy had shared with her these past thirty years. Abby hadn't known much about life and men when they first married because she’d been but a girl. Still, from that very first night spent in Izzy's arms, he'd played her body as expertly as a finely tuned instrument, bringing it to life.
Their lives together had been magical. The two enjoyed everything about each other. Abby especially loved her husband's touch. His simple, tender acts warmed her heart, and sex was a pleasure, despite her mother's instructions that she wouldn’t enjoy that particular wifely duty. Her alone time spent making love with Izzy had never been a chore. Even at this age, and for as long as they'd been together, they’d done so often, sometimes more than once a day.
Though, for some, that might seem scandalous, Abigail relished the feeling of her husband inside her. The skin on skin connection was something she'd come to cherish. Remembrance of those times made her realize that stolen moments such as those would be no more, and the thought made her suddenly feel lonely.
Melancholy breezed through her mind. Elsewhere in the world, this night would play out very differently for a vast number of couples. Those lucky people would have hopes and dreams intermingled with rapture, where, instead, theirs would be, quite literally, drowned in grief. Where others in the world would enjoy touches and kisses holding promise, Abby and Izzy's would end with a final goodbye.
A shiver possessed Isidore. His arm shook as he tried in vain to control the reaction and hold Abigail close. She shifted, turning on her side to ease his discomfort. Pain and stiffness resulting from the frigid atmosphere only allowed her to move an inch at a time. She refused to let it deter her, and she inched closer, albeit slowly, to allow herself what little comfort she might find. When she had finally settled, they were so close that barely a breath separated them. Abby was drained from the small effort, and Isidore trembled from the cold. The lids of his beautiful, brown eyes fluttered, his dark lashes lingering on his face too long, freezing against the skin above his cheekbones. Abby knew that if she didn't keep him talking, he would fall into a deep sleep, never to awaken.
She spoke to him, not willing to let him go just yet. All that Abby needed was to hear his voice, even if it would be for the last time. She snuggled close, gently nudging him. Her voice was barely audible as the freezing temperatures strained her vocal cords.
"Izzy, why did you ask if I remembered our second date?"
His eyes slowly opened. Even though he was exhausted, her sweet husband responded to the sound of her voice. He'd done the same when they were at home. He always had. Abby was never an inconvenience to Isidore, and, for that, she was grateful. Unlike their counterparts, her husband never behaved as if she were an obligation he had to tolerate. Every single day of their married lives, Isidore gave his wife the best of himself, never what was left of his time at the end of the day.
"Our second date?" Izzy paused, his memory was taxed, and his gaze thoughtfully traversed the blank space above them. Slowly he recalled asking the question just a few moments before. Abby traced over his forehead with a gloved hand, a gesture she’d repeated many times before, allowing her thumb to trail across his skin, lingering on the furrowed lines of his brow. "Ah, yes," he croaked. "I remember now." His concentration had given him another few moments of clarity, and he looked deeply into his Abby's eyes.
"By the time of our second date, my fate was sealed. You claimed me."
"Me?" Abby's question was laced with surprise. "What did I do?" She coughed as her trembling hand moved down his face and palmed his cheek. Izzy pulled her closer and held her tighter, the action causing a pained expression on his face. His eyes, however, reflected nothing but tenderness.
"It was your eyes, Abigail. They enslaved me. On our first date, they drew me in—those beautiful baby blues." He cleared his throat, his gaze turning a bit more serious. "However, it wasn't until our second date that my poor heart bore the brunt of their impact upon me. Your gaze branded my soul. I knew by the end of that evening I never wanted to spend another day of my life without the pleasure of looking into them every night. It was that day I decided we would wed. I was determined to do whatever necessary to make you agree to marry me."
Abigail's heart broke beneath the sincerity of his words. "Oh, Izzy!" A sob clutched her throat. The impact of their circumstances made her want to cry, but it seemed that even tears were denied her in the Arctic atmosphere. "It seems so cruel we've been robbed of our future together. I'm jealous of those that will survive this. It's maddening to think we planned our l
ives so meticulously, and now our careful preparations to enjoy the rest of our days won't come to fruition. I don't want this to be the end. Despite your high opinion of me, I am, admittedly, a selfish woman. I want more time with you."
Izzy gave his wife a tender smile. "As do I, my dearest, but we are not the controllers of our fate. One day at a time is how we measure our happiness, and even that we aren't promised."
Suddenly, the ship lurched, nearly catapulting them from their bed. A cruel, pain-filled shudder attacked Isidore as a piece of their luggage skimmed quickly across the rising water and slammed into his back. Abby opened her mouth to scream, but no sound escaped as Izzy's head snapped back from the impact. She quickly gained her composure, knowing their time was limited. She was terrified he'd been knocked unconscious, and what few, precious moments they had left, might have been stolen away by the collision.
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