Shattered (Shattered #1)

by D'Agostino, Heather

  When I pulled up to his house, his truck was missing. In its place was a silver Volvo. I had no idea who’s it was, maybe Cam’s or Sarah’s. If I had been paying more attention I might have felt the warning my gut was giving me. Something was off, and I began to have a sinking feeling that I was too late. Could he have left already?

  I trudged up the front steps, and knocked on the door. I stepped back, and waited as I glanced down at myself. I was still wearing the dress from the night before. My hair was a mess, and I’m sure my eyes were red. Before I could contemplate trying to make myself presentable, the door knob began to turn.

  When the door opened, I felt all the air whoosh out of my lungs. There, standing in one of Nick’s shirts and a pair of boxers was the one woman who I never wanted to see come out of Nick’s house.

  “Morning Leah,” Becca smiled a cunning smile as she glanced over her shoulder. “Nick’s getting dressed.”

  I didn’t know what to do. I stood rooted in place, hoping that this whole morning was a dream. It had to be, he wouldn’t do this.

  “W…wh…what are you doing here?” I stuttered.

  Becca grinned, and chewed on a fingernail trying to act all innocent, “Well you see, I found Nicky all upset last night, and I came back with him to make him feel better. He said you were ok with it,” she cocked her head to the side.

  Before I could say anything else, Nick came out of the bedroom door behind her. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, and his hair was wet as if he’d just gotten out of the shower. I glanced between the two of them as my mouth dropped open.

  My hand came up as tears welled in my eyes for the hundredth time in the last twenty four hours. I shook my head from side-to-side as I started walking backward. This was not happening. This was not real.

  I turned and bolted for my car as Nick began to stride toward the door. I had to get away. I was stupid to think that I meant something to him. How could he have thrown it all away like that?

  “Leah wait!” he bellowed. “Stop!”

  I frantically fought to get my car door open as he caught up to me, and grabbed my arm. “Let go of me!” I screamed as I whirled around. “Don’t touch me you asshole!”

  “It’s not what you think,” he staggered back. He was standing there in his towel barefoot, and it was the sexiest sight I’d seen in days. Anger and desire fought for dominance in my head, but anger won out as I saw Becca perched on the porch watching us.

  “Not what I think?” I yelled. “I think it’s exactly what I think. You got mad at me, and you fucked her,” I pointed in Becca’s direction. “She’s what you want Nick. I can’t believe I was stupid enough to come over here and try to work this out. I was ready to leave for you,” I shook my head, and opened my car door. “Not anymore. I hope you two are very happy together. Goodbye Nick,” I climbed in my car, and headed home.

  As I glanced up into the review mirror, I watched Nick’s form get smaller and smaller as I drove away. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. How had my life gone from so perfect five years ago, to this mess that it was now? No more…I had to make a change, and moving on without Nick seemed to be the only way.

  I cried the entire ride back to my place, but once I reached my front door, I made a promise. No more tears for someone who didn’t want me. No more worrying over something I had no control over. I would move on. Nick could have Becca, he could have his stupid job, and whatever future he wanted as long as I wasn’t part of if it. I was done…

  Chapter 20

  Nick

  3 weeks later…

  As I glanced around my half empty house, I huffed in aggravation. It shouldn’t have been like this. Getting away from this town, away from the ghosts that haunted my past…it should have been a celebration.

  I hadn’t heard from Leah since she showed up on my porch that morning. I’d tried calling, and stopping by, but she wouldn’t talk to me. I couldn’t really blame her. I’d screwed up royally. I’d be lucky if she ever talked to me again. I had no idea how to fix the messed up relationship that was us. I knew that if I’d walked in on her with another guy, I’d have gone mental.

  “I think that’s the last of it,” Cam sighed bringing me back to the present.

  “Yeah…anything that I missed, I can always come back for,” I nodded as I glanced around the living room. Cam was planning to stay in Pittsford to be near Sarah and the baby, so I was leaving the house for him.

  “Sarah might move in here, if that’s ok with you,” he placed his hand on my shoulder.

  “Sure…it’s your place now, just don’t trash it,” I grinned as I glanced over at him.

  “Dude…I’m not the partying type anymore. I gave it up…I’m going to be a dad in a few months,” Cam grinned.

  “We’ll see,” I shook my head, and moved to sit on the couch.

  “So are you going to stop by and see her before you go?” Cam turned toward me and cocked his head to the side.

  “No…she doesn’t want anything to do with me,” I sighed. “She’s made it clear that I’m the last person she wants to see, and I can’t blame her. I really screwed up.”

  “You’ve got that right. You’re lucky she hasn’t tried to remove your manhood.”

  “She might as well have. She was everything to me, and I managed to throw it all away,” I stood and walked toward the front door. “You know you can come stay with me anytime you’d like. Bring Sarah too. My new place is right on the water.”

  “Sounds great Bro. I’m gonna miss you,” he clapped me on the back in a manly hug. “Good luck!”

  “Thanks,” I turned, and made my way out to my truck. After starting the engine, and backing out of the driveway, I turned, and glanced at my house one last time. I was going to miss this place. I was going to miss all the memories that I’d created here, even the bad ones…because they were what made me who I am.

  I shook my head, and put the truck in drive. As I made my way out of the town that I’d called home for the past twenty five years, I watched Pittsford disappear in my rearview.

  ooooooooo

  Leah

  The days had begun to blend together so much that I really didn’t realize how rapidly time was going by. I’d kept to myself these last few weeks. My days were spent working in the pizza shop, and hanging out with Avery or my dad. Nick had called several times, but after hanging up on him, and refusing to answer the door, I think he finally got the message. Four days ago he’d cut off all contact.

  I resigned from working at the high school. There were too many memories there, and I really did need to help my dad. He still had not hired anyone to manage the place. I sort of wondered if he was hoping that I’d take over. He’d mentioned it before, but only in a joking manner.

  Avery was getting closer and closer to Logan. I’d wondered how long it would be before they came out and called what they were doing ‘dating’. Becca had stayed away after that morning that I found her at Nick’s place. I don’t think she really wanted him, I just think that she didn’t want me to have him. I don’t know what I ever did to her to make her hate me so much, but she always had.

  “Want to take a walk with me?” my dad called as he rounded the corner. “It’s not that busy today, thought I’d close for a lunch break.”

  “Sure,” I sighed as I tossed the rag I was using to wipe down tables up onto the counter.

  Dad came around to the front, and placed the sign in the window reading “just missed us, back in an hour,” and we headed out the door.

  “How are you doing with all of this?” Dad turned a concerned eye toward me.

  “With what?” I huffed.

  “With him leaving soon,” he wrapped his arm around my shoulders as we ambled along the sidewalk.

  “Fine…he can do whatever he wants now…we’re not together anymore.”

  “Leah…I know you loved him. I know you’re trying to get over him, and I also know that no matter how hard you fight it, you still love him,” he gave
me a knowing look. “It’s ok to not be ok with him leaving.”

  “Can we not talk about this” I glanced over at Dad as we rounded the corner. I hadn’t been paying attention, so I hadn’t noticed that we were heading right for the cemetery. I glanced up just as we walked through the gate, “What are we doing here?”

  “I want to tell you something…something about your mom and me,” he rubbed his eyes, and began leading me over to a bench near my mom’s head stone. I had only been back here once since my mom had died. As I sat there glancing around, the memories washed over me. It was hard coming here, but it was slowly getting easier.

  “You see those right there,” Dad pointed at a bunch of yellow roses that were piled on Mom’s grave.

  “Yeah,” I nodded.

  “Yellow means forgiveness,” he slumped forward and placed his elbows on his knees. “They’re from me.”

  “Why?” I crinkled my forehead as I thought about everything my mom and dad had fought about over the years and couldn’t place anything that would require flowers. “I don’t remember you and mom fighting before she died.”

  “We didn’t. We were happy then,” he nodded and turned his head to look at me as pain flooded his features. “When your mom and I first married, we had a lot of ups and downs. We’d gotten married young, right out of high school. Your mom got pregnant right after with you. We’d opened the pizza shop, and it wasn’t doing very well at first. I’d felt like a failure. Your mom had trusted me to take care of her, and you,” he shifted in his seat, and cupped my cheek. “One night after working late, I decided to go out with some friends. I knew I should have gone home to be with your mom, but I just wanted to get away from it all. In the back of my mind, I knew I was happy, but several of my friends had me convinced that I was missing out on something. That my life as a married father was lacking. I had been feeling the burdens of adulthood, and just wanted to escape. We went to a bar that night, and one beer slowly turned into ten. Women who I thought didn’t even see me in the past began flirting and showing interest. I began questioning everything in my life, wondering if I had settled too soon, if I should have waited and enjoyed living the high life. The next day, I found myself in someone else’s bed with a woman I didn’t even know wrapped around me.”

  My mouth dropped open in shock at my dad’s confession. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You cheated on Mom? Why?”

  “Yes honey. It was only a onetime thing. I felt so bad after it happened, that I went straight home and told her. She was hurt of course, and there was a lot of screaming and yelling, but I knew I still loved her. I realized that I didn’t want anyone else. She was my perfect match,” he looked up at me with tears in his eyes. “I’ve spent the last thirty years telling her how sorry I am that I ever questioned our love. She’s never held my mistake over me, but I felt I owed it to her to always remind her that I was sorry. I’ve been giving her yellow roses once a week since it happened.”

  I thought back to my childhood and how my mom always had yellow roses in vases around the house. I always thought that they were her favorite. I never realized that it was my dad’s way of saying he was sorry. One year, he’s even planted a yellow rose bush in the yard.

  “So you see honey…everyone can make a mistake,” he released me from the hug and stood. “You’re strong just like your mom. I know that deep down you can find the will to forgive. I’m not saying forget, but forgive. If you let him leave without telling him you’ll try to forgive him, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life,” he turned and began walking back to the pizza shop as he shouted over his shoulder, “I think he was leaving sometime today.”

  After Dad had walked away, I sat there and stared at the yellow roses piled on the ground. Could I do this? Could I forgive Nick for what he did? Was I really as strong as my mom? Never in my life would I have thought that my dad would have cheated on my mom, or that she would have forgiven him.

  The longer I sat there, the more I thought about it. Before I could talk myself out of it, I rushed back to where my car was parked, and headed toward Nick’s house. I needed to say goodbye.

  ooooooooo

  When I pulled into the driveway, his truck was missing. Everything that had happened the last time I was here began to run like a movie through my head. My breathing picked up at the thought of seeing him. Would he want to see me?

  I climbed from the car, and walked with purpose up to the door. When I raised my hand to knock, the door opened. Cam was on his way out, and he stopped in his tracks when he saw me.

  “What are you doing here?” his eyes flashed.

  “Where is he?” I begged.

  “Gone,” Cam sighed. “He left this morning. Probably halfway there now.”

  “Gone?” my lower lip began to tremble. “He didn’t even say goodbye.”

  “He didn’t think you’d want to talk to him, Leah. He thought he was doing the right thing by staying away.”

  “But I need to talk to him,” I pleaded.

  “He’s trying to move on,” Cam grumbled as he made his way to his car. “You should too,” he climbed in and left me standing there alone in the driveway.

  Nick had left. Had left me without even a goodbye. As I watched Cam drive away, I crumpled to the ground and let the tears flow.

  Nick and Leah’s story continues this spring in Restored (Shattered #2)

  Other works by H. D’Agostino

  The Second Chances Series-

  Unbreak Me- book one

  The Boy Next Door- book two

  The One That Got Away- book three

  Inside Out- book 3.5

  Fallen From Grace- book four

  The Family Next Door- coming spring 2014

  The Shattered Trilogy

  Shattered (Shattered #1)

  Restored (Shattered #2 coming spring 2014)

  Untitled (Shattered #3 coming summer 2014)

  Acknowledgements

  First of all, I’d like to thank my husband. He put up with many nights of playing the single parent so I could sit and write. His support on my journey as an author has been immeasurable. When I’ve been zoned in on my laptop, he’s been the one entertaining the kids, cooking dinner, and cleaning the house. I would not be able to do it without you, babe.

  Second, to my sweet children who are beginning to understand that when Mommy’s at the computer, she’s busy. You make me smile and laugh on a daily basis. Most days you are exactly what I need to encourage me to take a break.

  To my parents, your continued support of my journey to grow as an author can’t be described in words. You encourage me to do my best and never give up. My heart truly feels like it might burst sometimes with the love you show me.

  To my beta, Shellie. Your willingness to take on that job is greatly appreciated. You have truly earned the title of “Number One Fan.”

  To Michelle Warren of IndieBookCovers for the beautiful cover. You continue to amaze me with your talent.

  To Jessi from Jess Time To Read for your wonderful review and willingness to supply a cover blurb. Thank you for taking the time to read this series and put so much thought into your reviews. Spreading the word about their characters is one of the best compliments an author can get.

  To Tiffany from 556 Book Chicks for your wonderful reviews and becoming one of my biggest fans. Your support for this series is beyond flattering. Thanks so much for supplying a cover blurb.

  To Author Megan Smith for being willing to read this over the holidays in order to provide a cover blurb.

  And last but not least…A Big THANK YOU to the readers. All of you have shown so much love and support to me. Its dedicated readers like yourselves that keep us Indie Authors writing.

  They say “It takes a village to raise a child.” Well, I feel like these books are my babies. All of you have helped me “raise” them. They wouldn’t be successful without you. So, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

  About the Author

  H.D
’Agostino currently resides in Syracuse, NY with her husband, two children, two dogs, and three cats. Originally from Harrisburg, NC, she attended UNC Charlotte and received a BA in Elementary Education with a concentration in Math. Heather loves hearing from her fans. You may follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/H.DAgostino.Author

  Continue reading for an excerpt from Unbreak Me book one in the Second Chances series…

  Chapter 1

  August 2012

  It had been almost eleven years since Sean had died.

  From that moment, Melanie felt like she’d been stuck in a revolving door. The days blended together. Happiness eluded her as she went about her daily routine of work and taking care of their daughter Katie. Katie…she was a teenager now. She didn’t need as much care as she once had, and Melanie was slowly watching the mother/ daughter bond loosen. Katie had been only three when her father died, she barely remembered him. Melanie had done her best to provide memories for her...pictures of what her dad looked like, stories about how they met.

  As she rolled over to slap the alarm clock, she shoved the covers back and sat up on the edge of the bed. Time to get up and face the day, she mused. She and Katie had been back in Boston for a week now. Melanie had transferred from Long Island Memorial to Boston Memorial. She needed a change, and she was hoping that moving back near her parents would help. Katie was to start school at St. Vincent’s today and Melanie was starting her new job as Head of Pediatric Surgery.

  She groaned as she stood and made her way down the hall towards her daughter’s room. The door was closed and she could hear the alarm buzzing.