“Move?” I interrupted.
Emma flushed with embarrassment and nodded—she’d obviously said too much. “There I go again, blabbing news that isn’t mine to tell.”
“You’ve always had a big mouth,” I teased.
She reached out and slapped my arm. “I don’t know exactly what went on between the two of you, Tyler, but I’m starting to see the carefree and happy Liz that we once knew. She’s got dreams again. She’s coming to New York—”
I smiled. “Art School.”
Emma smiled knowingly. “Yeah.” She leaned over and wrapped her arms tightly around my neck.
With nothing but joy in my heart, I pulled Emma closer and kissed her cheek. “Thank you,” I mumbled against her skin.
“For what?” she questioned as we broke our embrace.
I beamed with pride. “For making me the happiest man on the planet.”
“But we don’t even know if she wants to be with you?” she argued.
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter, because at least now I know that she’ll be happy. That’s all I wanted. From the moment I laid eyes on her again I knew that I needed to make her find joy in life again.” They were the most truthful words I had spoken in a while, and now that I knew she was on her way, I knew I could leave well enough alone. I needed to back up and give her space in order for her to actually start living the life she wanted. She didn’t need me confusing her, or blurring the lines.
“Well, I think I should be the one thanking you.” Emma smiled as she stood form my bed and walked towards the door. “So, thank you, Tyler … for saving my baby sister.”
We all stood around drinking one final beer together. None of us spoke, for there were truly no words. We took slow, methodical sips, hoping to somehow prevent the inevitable from happening. But eventually we each finished our bottle and Emma’s waterworks kicked in. We took time hugging one another, Felix included. When it was my turn to say goodbye to Em I felt a lump form in the back of my throat. I was happy for them both, but at the same time I wasn’t ready to end this chapter of my life. Most of all, I wasn’t ready to give up my relationship with Felix. That little guy was all the best pieces of my two best buds, and I loved him more than anything in the world. It was because of him, and our relationship, that I’d actually started thinking about being a father myself.
I smiled and threw my arms around her, pulling her close in an effort to let her know just how much she meant to me. All the memories and shit we had been through had been some of the best times in my life. She sobbed as my arms enveloped her, just like I had the last time we’d been at this crossroads.
“Here we are again,” I muttered into her hair doing my best to hold it together—I didn’t need Rob razzing me for a moment of weakness later. He had enough ammunition on me already.
“Yeah,” she sobbed, “but this time I have no doubts.”
“Of course you don’t,” I laughed. “You finally pulled your head out of your ass and realized you already had everything you’d ever wanted all along.”
She pulled back from me in order to look up at me. “What a ditz, huh?” she smiled.
“Yeah, but I still love ya.” I kissed her forehead before taking a moment to say a few words to Felix. I couldn’t contain myself as I choked on a few words, but that was okay because Rob had legit turned into a blubbering idiot talking to the kid just moments before. Struck with a case of the sniffles, I handed Felix over to Emma.
Making his presence known, Shane finally said, “Rob, why don’t you take Emma and Felix down to the car.”
Without argument or questions the three of them silently left, leaving me alone with the best friend I could have ever asked for. We shared a knowing smile. “Well, shit, this is a lot harder than I thought it was gonna be,” he admitted quietly.
“Yeah … this sucks,” I added, doing my best to put my tough guy face on.
“Listen, Ty. I want you to know that just because we’re moving into a new place, it doesn’t change anything. In fact, I’ll be offended if you don’t just show up whenever you feel like it.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I knew he was just saying it to be nice. The newlyweds didn’t need me cramping their style whenever I felt like it.
He reached out and placed his hand on my shoulder in a show of solidarity. “I’m serious, Tyler. If it wasn’t for you and our friendship, I would never have met Emma. I owe it all to you. You’re the reason I’m as happy as I am, and it’s important to us that you find the happiness that you deserve. So if that means you show up on our doorstep at 2 a.m. then so be it.”
We shared one last hug before we walked down those familiar steps.
Shane sighed as we neared the bottom of the stairwell. “You know, I always insisted on taking these stairs, but nothing that exciting ever happened on them.”
“Well, that’s not true. These stairwells hold lots of memories for us. They may not be action-packed, but we had some good times climbing these flights of concrete. Remember that time Emma was so drunk you had to throw her over your shoulder and carry her up to the condo?”
Shane laughed. “That happened more than once.”
“And there was the time that Rob thought it would be a great idea to try to slide down one of the banisters.”
“And ended up in the ER.”
“Yeah. We walked Felix up and down these stairs too.”
“I guess you’re right. This stairwell is a vault of good stuff.”
I walked him down to the moving van that was parked next to the sidewalk. It seemed so final, even though I knew it wasn’t. Hell, they were just moving a few blocks away. We spent that last moment razzing Emma. She was nervous as all get out as she slid behind the wheel of Shane’s Beamer. It was probably only the second time I’d seen her drive in the city. Felix was perched in his seat in the back and the littler bugger sat there waving furiously as Rob and I watched them pull away. We stood there in silence, until we couldn’t see them anymore and then some.
“Well, that was harder than I expected,” Rob finally managed to mutter.
“Yeah,” I sighed.
“So … you wanna get drunk?” he asked hopefully.
A devilish grin spread across my face before I turned to look at him. “Is that even a question?”
“You know. You and I, Tyler? We’re gonna be just fine.”
Fall …
Things were finally looking up for me. I’d finally received that promotion I’d been longing for. I was behind the scenes, writing and researching the newest and best sports stories. It was a lot less stressful, and of course it paid more. In fact, the promotion had come just in time for Rob and I to buy the ultimate bachelor pad. It was smaller than the condo that we’d shared with Emma and Shane, but it had so much more potential. We’d thrown that shitty futon away, and bought some nice new furniture. I had to keep the beanbag though—more for sentimental reasons than anything else.
I was finally finding a little bit of peace in my crazy life. Rob and I were enjoying being bachelors again—not that we weren’t bachelors before—but without the happy family around we were able to return to our old routines. We went out, we drank, and I usually lost Rob somewhere along in the night. But I always went home alone. I wasn’t ready to end the chapter in my life that contained Elizabeth Sloan. I kept holding out hope that one day she might be ready to take a chance on me again—after she’d concentrated on herself for a bit of course. It was important to me that she took time for herself, because she’d gone far too long without it.
I’d had just finished supervising the night’s broadcast when I decided to walk the few blocks home. We’d been having an Indian summer, and the air was still hot, hanging onto the last bit of warmth from the summer. The sun had just started to set, creating an orange-streaked sky above the gray skyline. I was passing a small café when I saw a familiar petite beauty, her short blonde hair glistening in the last of the sun’s rays. She was laughing with a group of women while Mini-Em sat on he
r hip.
Emma had told me in passing a couple of weeks ago that Elizabeth had finally made the move out to New York City. I hadn’t spoken to her since I’d last seen her at Emma and Shane’s wedding because I hadn’t wanted to bother her. I knew Elizabeth needed space and time, and I intended to give it to her. She didn’t need me clouding things for her.
“Hey!” I hollered as I reached down and took her by the hand.
She jumped before spinning around to meet my gaze. She grinned. “Hey yourself.”
I took a moment to take in her beauty, which was multiplied by a thousand seeing her face lit up with joy. It had been a long time since I’d seen Elizabeth happy like this. Her spark was back and I couldn’t have been more proud.
“Fancy seeing you here.”
She smiled a big smile, as though proud of herself—and she had every right to be. What she’d done had taken guts.
But as excited as I was to see her, it was still awkward. I wanted to touch her in some way—give her a hug, or a kiss maybe—but it just didn’t seem right, especially considering she was surrounded by people I didn’t know. Elizabeth gestured towards one of the girls standing next to her. She was shorter than Elizabeth—if that was even possible. “Tyler, this is my friend Stephanie Lu. We’re living together off campus. Our apartment is great. You should come check it out sometime.”
I held my hand up in an awkward wave. “Nice to meet you.” I wondered how friendly Elizabeth was with her, and if Stephanie had any idea about our history.
“You too,” she said before turning her attention back to some of the other girls in the group.
“So you’ve really done it?” I asked, filled with hope. My eyes did a quick sweep of her body, and I noticed that she looked better than ever. She looked happy … glowing even.
“Yep,” she stated proudly, popping her p. “I start classes next week.”
“That’s great, Half-Pint. I’m proud of you. How’re you doing?”
“I’m doing great. Dealing with things better than I could have ever imagined.”
I knew the things she meant. Emma had told me a while ago that Elizabeth had finally come clean and told her family about what happened to her in high school. She’d admitted that it had been a big factor in the downfall of her life, and she immediately sought professional help. She’d been seeing a therapist to help her deal with the emotions and feelings that she still harbored from that night.
“That’s so great, Liz,” I reached out and grabbed her hand, hoping to show her that I still cared. That I was still there for her. That no matter the shit we went through, I wasn’t going anywhere. I would always be a friend to her. I wouldn’t leave her again.
“It is great.” Elizabeth smiled before her friends said that they should be heading out. My heart sank—I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her … yet, again. “Well I guess we should be going.” She shifted Emily to her other hip. The little girl looked even more like Emma than the last time I’d seen her. “I’m so glad I saw you, Ty.” She smiled before biting onto her bottom lip. I could tell she was nervous and confused. I’d seen that look on her face many times before.
You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Neither of us really knew what to do or say, and so we did nothing, standing awkwardly on the New York City sidewalk. “Yeah, me too …” Realizing I still had a hold of her hand, I dropped it. She was in control. I’d told myself a million times that I wouldn’t pressure her.
She smiled again, and I thought to myself that seeing it would never get old. Emily squirmed in her arms, and Elizabeth huffed. “So I’m thinking, once I make it through next week, we should get together and celebrate my newfound independence. I’m sure Emma and Shane wouldn’t mind babysitting Emily.”
My stomach flip-flopped with excitement. I hadn’t expected this, and the thought of spending some more time with her—alone—made me giddy beyond belief. “Of course! My treat,” I offered, leaning down and kissing her on the cheek. Her friends—obviously younger than her—stifled their giddy giggles.
She smiled over her shoulder and I watched her walk away from me once again … knowing that this time it wouldn’t be forever. No, I’d see her again I was sure of it. In fact, I had the feeling that I would be seeing a whole lot more of Elizabeth Sloan. Or at least I hoped I would.
Now don’t get upset. You have to understand that things don’t always work out the way you want them to. Things can’t always be perfect. I mean, this is real life after all.
All I know is that I love that girl.
And shit doesn’t get any more real than that.
Turn the page for a sneak peek of
Book #3, Rob’s Story, in A Series of Imperfections
I hand the scary looking guy my fake I.D. and hold my breath. It’s pretty crummy, but I can’t complain since it only set me back 25 bucks. Jenny knew a guy who knew a guy.
The big dude looks down at the ID and back up at me, I know he knows it’s a fake but he hands it back and nods for me to follow him.. He obviously doesn’t give a shit. I follow him behind the curtain and sit in a ragged black dentist-like chair.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asks quietly once I settle back into the chair.
I look at her smiling, and grab her hand. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
“So what are you getting?” the tattooist asks while prepping his station.
“I want her name, Jenny, in script.”
The guy looks over his glasses at me while he tinkers with his tattoo gun. “You sure about that, bro, you look awful young to be doing something like that.”
I look over at her and I know. I know I will never love anyone else like I love her. She’s all I ever think about. I don’t give a shit what anybody says. Jenny is all I’ll ever want. She’s my world. Now and forever.
Always.
“Yeah. I’m sure.”
“Alright.” The man shrugs. “I’m assuming you want it in black.”
“Yep.”
He messes around with his gun some more and it starts buzzing in response.
“And where do you want it?” he asks while tightening a screw on the side.
I roll my sleeve up and point to my bicep. “Right here.”
The gun falls silent as she leans down and kisses me on the cheek. “You’re crazy.”
“Only about you.”
The artist laughs before he kick starts his gun again. I know he thinks I’m stupid, young, and in love.—and I am—but this is so much more than that. Jenny has showed me so much in such a short amount of time. And goddamn it I was going to marry her, sooner rather than later.
“You ready?” he asks.
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
I cringe as the needles dig in, watching as the black ink is injected into my skin. Her name slowly takes shape as he fills in the letters. A smile spreads across my face as I think about waking up everyday and seeing her name etched into my skin. She will be with me always., no matter what. And that makes me happy.
It takes him all of forty minutes to scribe her name on my bicep. When he’s done she jumps into my lap and covers me with kisses. “I love you, Rob.”
“Right back at ya, babe.” I hand over a wad of cash to pay for his hard work, the tattoo guy mumbles some semblance of a goodbye but I don’t really hear it because I can’t take my eyes off her. “Now what are we going to do?” I ask, rolling my sleeve back down.
“I’ve got a few ideas …” she grins.
“That’s good, because I’ll follow you anywhere.”
First and foremost I need to thank my husband. He puts up with a lot of shit from me. From my crazy talk about characters, to signings and promotion, to my questions that just don’t make any sense. Plus all those late lonely nights … I seriously don’t know how he puts up with me. *winky face* Love you B.
Of course, I need to thank my crazy little hellions, too. They always remind me to be happy and excited about the fact that I�
�ve written a book. They don’t care about the bad reviews, or if there are people who hate my characters. They’re proud no matter what, and that is what keeps me going. ☺ Mumma wrote not one, but two books now you crazy birds!
To my dear editor, Ryn. I cannot put into words how many thanks or kudos you deserves. Not only are you my editor, but you have become one of my closest friends and confidants. I would trust you with my own children, they may come back to me marked up in red ink, but trust you nonetheless. I thank God everyday that I found you. Pip pip cherrio!
Now what can I say about the Sugar Bitch, ahem, I mean the Sugar Witch. She has been my biggest supporter from day 1. She’s created an amazing convection to represent my books and is always there for an encouraging word or swift kick in the ass. I lurve you to the moon and back. Now go make me some cupcakes bitch! <3 Just kidding, well not really, go make me some cupcakes … please.
Sarah Hansen, you are a cover goddess and it is because of you that I will never use the word okay the same again. Okay? Okay.
Angela, seriously you are the best. You just go with flow and do what I ask. Your kind heart and kickass computer skills have ruined me forever. Hope you’re okay with formatting every single one of my books. <3
Big thanks to my kick ass Betas. Allison Beal, Myra Berry, Jamie Zishka, and Melissa Long. You all gave me the feedback needed in order to take this story to a new level.
Thank you to Lisa from Pixel Pixie. She created an unbelievable book trailer for Imperfectly Perfect and she’ll do it again for Imperfectly Real. Words cannot express how amazing it is to see my books come to life. So for that, I thank you.
I need to give a special thanks to Ryan Quinn, a.k.a my Shane. I appreciate the checking in, the funny stories which sometimes lead to inspiration, and for just being awesome in general. You’re the best Shane I could have ever found.
Imperfectly Real (A Series of Imperfections) Page 18
