Abi and the Boy Who Lied
Page 19
I mean, she wasn’t wrong.
“So.” She lifted a packet of paper and threw it in the trash. Then she pulled a new packet of paper out of her drawer and handed it to me. “These are healthy eating guidelines and calorie goals for you based on your current weight, height, and activity level. You have the power to make yourself strong instead of skinny. Powerful instead of weak. The choice is yours.”
“I choose strong,” I replied, even though I didn’t need to. “But…” I pointed at her trash can. “Did you plan that beforehand?”
Her cheeks flushed. “I might have wanted to make an impact.”
I laughed. “You definitely did.”
She stood and extended her hand. “So, allies?”
Her grip felt tight in mine, and I squeezed it back. “Teammates.”
I left the office with the packet tucked under my arm and just enjoyed the cool fall air. I had something to look forward to as well: the fact that I was walking back to my dorm to meet Jon, who would take me out to lunch since we were both done with our classes and practice for the day.
We could just enjoy the day together. We needed that.
But then I opened the door to my dorm with the loudest chorus of “SURPRISE!” I’d ever heard.
I never knew this many people could fit in a dorm room, but here they were. All of my friends from Woodman. My grandma. Jorge Cordes. Marta and Glen. My new friends, Nikki, Mollie, Jayne. Anika. And my forever. Jon.
There was a stack of presents on my desk, but I couldn’t care less. I was just excited to see my friends!
The Woodman crew caught me first, one after another wrapping me in a tight hug. Roberto, Andrew, and Skye couldn’t make it, but I would see them over Thanksgiving break. I couldn’t wait.
And when I cycled through them, I came face to face with Nikki. She jutted out her chin like she was ready for an attack, but instead I pulled her into a tight hug and said, “Thank you for looking out for me. You’re an amazing friend.”
Her muscles relaxed, and she hugged me back. “Don’t scare me like that again!” Then she pulled back. “But Eric? I never thought he would do anything to hurt you.”
“I don’t want to talk about him,” I said, looking around the room. “We have way better people to be thinking about.”
She nodded. “You’re right.”
I smiled. “Let me introduce you to my friends.”
My Woodman friends greeted her and the other girls like they were long-lost best friends. Just like on my first day of school at Woodman, Stormy made sure they were being included in the conversation, along with Anika.
My circle was growing, along with my heart.
Then Marta and Glen approached me, Glen holding a small card wrapped in a ribbon.
Marta took me into another hug that made me so happy her son was the one I fell in love with.
Then Glen gave me a side-armed hug and held out the card. I looked up at him and saw him incline his head toward Grandma and Jorge.
As they walked over, I pulled away the ribbon and peeled open the envelope.
Inside was a postcard showing a small resort town. Red River. On the reverse side, it had a happy birthday note from Glen and Marta.
I looked up at them, waiting for an explanation, and Grandma said, “We’re going on the Christmas trip with them this year!”
“Our treat,” Marta said. “It’s time the whole family came.”
I grinned and thanked them to no end. I couldn’t wait to make memories with them in the mountains. Maybe even try skiing or snowboarding for the first time.
After a few hours, the party died down until Jon and I were the last ones in the dorm room.
I stared around us, at the remnants of something amazing. And then it hit me. All this time, I’d hoped I had gold filling my cracks and holding me together. Why hadn’t I seen that my gold was all around me? My friends and family coming together to love me, no matter what, holding me up when I couldn’t even support myself.
There had been gold there all along. The biggest piece stood only feet away from me, smiling down at me like I was the greatest treasure of all.
“What now, birthday girl?” he asked.
I smiled up at him. “I want to unwrap my present.”
“Of course.” He started toward my desk and the gifts that rested on it, but I tugged at his shirt, going the opposite direction.
“I meant you.”
***
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Also by Kelsie Stelting
The Texas High Series
Chasing Skye: Book One
Becoming Skye: Book Two
Loving Skye: Book Three
Anika Writes Her Soldier
Abi and the Boy Next Door: Book One
Abi and the Boy Who Lied: Book Two
The Warr Acres High Series
Sincerely Enemies
Sincerely Unrequited
Sincerely Cinderella
The Sweet Water High Series: A Multi-Author Collaboration
Road Trip with the Enemy: A Sweet Standalone Romance
YA Contemporary Romance Anthology
The Art of Taking Chances
The Texas Sun Series
All the Things He Left Behind
Unfair Catch: Savannah’s Story 1
Anything But Yes: Savannah’s Story 2
Nonfiction
Raising the West
Author’s Note
Sometimes healing means admitting we still have more work to do. It is unbelievably easy to fall into the trap of thinking we’ve done the work, we’ve moved on. Case closed. Problem solved.
But real life isn’t like that. We can go to weekly therapy for three years, take a year off, get triggered, and need to go right back. We can train up a weak ankle, catch it on a rock, and be at square one all over again. Like Abi, we can get the guy, have great friends, live with a loving adult, and still have trouble loving ourselves.
As a romance writer, I know how easy it is to tie up a story in a nice little happily-ever-after bow. While I sincerely believe in happy endings and finding healing, I had to be honest in this second book. Having Abi and Jon realize they were made for each other wouldn’t fix the years of trauma Abi experienced at the hands of her parents and peers. It would only provide Abi a safe and loving person to be with her as she navigated her new life.
Let’s stop looking at healing and happily ever after’s as finite endings that prevent all future struggles. Let’s remember that they give us something beautiful to hold on to when life has us down. Just because Abi backslid, she shouldn’t have felt hopeless. She should have felt human. We all have those days where we go one step forward and two steps back. But we also have days that move us miles forward. We can’t forget that each step, even the small ones, even the hard ones, matter. They build up our strength so over time we can look back and see just how far we’ve come.
Acknowledgments
When the first reader emailed me about writing a second book in Abi’s story, I was flattered. When a few more asked for the same thing, I realized I needed to give it some real thought. And then I realized I had some fears to overcome. Mostly, would my second book live up to the first?
I want to thank each and every one of my readers who pushed for a second book. Without you, I wouldn’t have found the joy I felt in living in Abi’s world a little while longer. I wouldn’t have pushed myself this hard to give a satisfying story. I wouldn’t be writing these acknowledgments right now!
I also have to thank an author friend, Anne-Marie Meyer for encouraging me to continue the series. She gave me a much-needed push and some extra confidence I needed. Another friend, Sally Henson, spoke with me throughout the journey, cheering me on and helping to calm my fears.
Also, some real appreciation should be given to my mom, who almost every time I talked t
o her on the phone asked me where I was at on Abi’s second story and reminded me that I should be writing!
My husband and children supported me by giving me time to write, which always seems to be in short supply these days! Luckily, my husband makes weekend mornings away from mom fun instead of tragic so I can write guilt-free and without worrying the house will fall apart in my absence.
When I wrote this book, I knew I was sending it to good hands! My editor, Tricia Harden, has an amazing talent to shape and care for words while honoring the author’s voice, and working with her is always a joy.
I always want you, the reader, to know how absolutely valued and appreciated you are. When you picked up this story, you offered your time, your mind, your heart to these words. I am honored you chose to spend time with my characters and I hope it was worth every second. Thank you for being the best part of my writing.
About the Author
Kelsie Stelting sealed her fate as a hopeless romantic when she met her husband as a broken, searching 17-year-old girl. A lot has changed since she fell for his sunshine smile, but her love for heartfelt, inspiring, and thought-provoking stories has remained constant. Her passion is writing stories with strong characters, deep feelings, and happy endings.
Kelsie currently lives in Oklahoma with her husband, foster children, and two precious papillons you'll see photos of if you join her readers' group. You can often find her writing, spending time with family, and soaking up too much sun wherever she can find it.
Visit www.kelsiestelting.com to get a free story and sign up for her readers' group!