by A. E. Murphy
I stop and kneel before the larger one. “I’ll never try and replace you.” I clear my throat, my voice is a little raspy and my throat is sore. “You’ll always be Lucas’ first love, his wife, the woman he grew up with. You’ll always be Amelia’s mom. I’ll remind her of that every chance I get, I promise. And I’ll look after them both and I’ll love them both until they both decide they don’t want me anymore. Because there’s no way I’ll ever get enough of them. You should be proud, your daughter is a beautiful, strong and amazing little girl. I’m grateful for the chance to be a part of her life. I’m just sorry you’re not here to see it and I’m sorry I never got to meet Annie.” The tiny grave saddens me greatly. Just the thought of a child’s lifeless body in a box in the ground. That poor little girl, to have lost her life so young. I touch the headstone and let the tears fall. My chest aches for Lucas, how it must have felt waking up with no daughter and no memory of how he lost her. I’ve seen his love for Amelia, I’ve experienced the intensity of it and I have no doubt that love was exactly the same as what he had for Annie and to have that ripped away… he’s the bravest man I know.
With a nod I climb back to my feet and return to Summer and Chris.
“You ready?” Summer asks and links her arm through mine.
“I just need to go home,” I sniff and look at everyone heading to the wake. Maya and James have gone ahead and are probably already by the bar. They really don’t like funerals but they insisted on being here for me. “Can you take me home?”
Chris steps forward then and removes me from Summers’ grasp, “I’ll take her. You guys go and see to everyone.”
“Thanks Chris,” I sniff and cling onto his arm. He takes me to his car and hands me tissues every five minutes as we drive home. His silence is comforting, he’s not trying to convince me that everything will be okay, he’s just there.
“Do you need help up? Are you okay?”
I hug Chris goodbye, “I’ll be fine.”
He nods and watches me head into the apartment building. Time to go home.
I step into my bedroom and stand in the doorway. Yep it’s my bedroom now, I finally moved in to Lucas’ apartment.
“I knew you loved that damn rabbit really,” I snigger and the most gorgeous green eyes I’ve ever seen look straight into mine. He smiles and opens his arms to me, “he just won’t leave me alone.” He nudges Godzilla to the ground.
I climb onto the bed beside him, careful not to knock his leg which is suspended a foot or so off the bed. It’s a horrendous sight but that’s understandable when you get shot in the hip twice. “I cried.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry, after what she’s done…” he places his finger over my lips and pulls me tighter to him, “baby, don’t. She was still your cousin. You grew up together and whether she was a bitch or not she was still a part of who you are.”
I nod and bury my face in his chest, “Where’s the nurse?”
“She’s in the bathroom. Amelia is in her room. Can you fix her something to eat?”
“Yeah,” I kiss his jaw and sigh a little when he winces. He’s in pain because he chose to save me. Someone gave their life for mine. It’s surreal. When he told me he loved me of course I believed him… but to the extent that he’d throw himself over me to protect me from bullets, never in a million years could I imagine he felt so strongly for me. How will I ever repay him?
“You’re thinking about it again…” his tone is warning. I rest my chin on his chest and look up at him. “Stop thinking about it.”
“I’m not thinking about it.”
He smiles and I swear his smile literally oozes sex. I’m not even sure what that means, all I know is that it gets me wet in places I shouldn’t be thinking about now.
“You’re a terrible liar.”
“I just…?”
“Loryn, I love you. Get that into your head.”
“You almost died.”
He grips my chin with his hand and presses his soft lips to mine. Hmm. Heaven. “But I didn’t.”
“But you could have done.” I shudder at the thought of him on the ground, his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling with each weak breath as blood oozed from twin holes in his side. The bullets almost completely shattered the bone. He now has pins holding it together and a metal brace going down his thigh bone. “Your leg…”
“Will heal.”
“Lucas…”
“Loryn. Forget it, stop thanking me, stop fussing over me.”
“Why’d you do it?”
He chuckles a little, “Why’d I protect you?”
“Yeah. Most people wouldn’t have done.”
“That’s because most people haven’t found their color,” he kisses my forehead and smiles softly, his fingers start tickling my arms softly. “I couldn’t imagine life without you. You’re my color, my girl. I love you even if you come with a little bit of trouble.”
“Yeah, I love you too, even if you’re a possessive, jealous, male idiot.”
He holds his hands up in surrender and kisses my forehead before running his fingers through my hair, I love it when he does this. So relaxing. “When I can get out of this bed I’m going to fuck you in that salon and you’re going to call me God again.”
“I didn’t call you God, it was a figure of speech.”
“Such a bad liar.” He bites my nose. His expression suddenly gets thoughtful, when this happens it means he’s about to share something with me so I listen intently, “You are happy right babe? With me and Amelia I mean.”
Am I happy? That’s a good question. I look around the room and notice Amelia lingering in the doorway, I open my arms to her, she smiles and rushes to me.
Am I happy? I lost a child and that was hard, it still eats away at me. I lost half of the equipment I need to make a child and that thought makes my chest ache but... I lost Lucas, and then I lost him again and again and Amelia and I’ve never felt more miserable. Not even when my ex screwed me over and ruined my life, not even when my mom vanished time and time again when I was younger. The last time I lost Lucas I thought he was going to die. That was the worst time of my life.
Am I happy? I list things off in my mind, all of my happy moments come to the surface of my memories and there isn’t one moment that doesn’t include Lucas or this little girl right here who is snuggled in my arms. So yes, I can honestly say I am happy. I could very well be the happiest person in the world. For the first half of my life I grew up with a mom that loved me but showed it very little, I was let down time and time again. Bullied and shunned by my own family because of my mom. Now I have this, this group that have accepted me and have shown me love and respect more than anyone else.
Lucas sacrificed himself to save me. He loves me, I love him. I love Amelia too.
“I’ve never been happier,” my words come out on a whisper.
He sighs and closes his eyes, a peaceful look comes over his features and his body relaxes. “Me too.”
“Come on, let’s feed you,” I say to Amelia and lift her off my lap.
“And then we can go to the park?” she grins and bounces a little on the spot.
“We’ll see. Go wash your hands and face please.” She darts off without arguing. Such a good kid.
Lucas remains silent until she leaves. And then… “Can I get a blowjob now?”
“The doctor said not until he removes the pins from your hip.”
“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
“No but it will hurt you!” I slap his chest, he only laughs. “Get some rest.”
“Stay here with me for a little while?”
I grin, “Like I’d go anywhere else.”
Lucas saved my life, and Marie saved his. If Lucas hadn’t have protected me I’d be dead and if Marie hadn’t shot at Dana over the guys shoulder Lucas would be dead. I don’t blame her for killing my cousin, it was kill or be killed. Dana wasn’t a person I recognized any longer, she was nothing but a shel
l of the woman she once was. It’s sad really, she was always mean but she never had an easy life.
We all handle things differently though I suppose. My mom turns to alcohol and runs away after making a hundred promises, I haven’t seen her since the day before I ended up in hospital and Dana turned to drugs.
I turn to the people I love for support but when I didn’t have all of these people I turned to my books and escaped reality until my mind could see nothing but the images that the printed words described.
We were all worried about Marie over the past few weeks but she’s shown little signs of distress over her actions. Jacob is here and that has helped a lot. Marie really lights up around him.
When Lucas seemingly falls asleep I head into the kitchen to make some food and check my phone. I have too many calls and texts to respond to so I throw it back down and grab a bar of candy from the side instead whilst pulling items from the refrigerator.
I smile when I see the unopened packet of pamphlets for Marie’s and my salon and studio. We’ve pushed the date back a few weeks, until Lucas can get out of bed. Only two more weeks and we’ll officially be open for business. How exciting. It’s amazing how different my life is now in comparison to a year ago. I never would have believed that I’d be sat here in the home of the man I love, making lunch for him and his daughter. It makes me feel even worse for Dana, if anyone deserved a happy ending it was her, she had a rough life. I pray that she finds it wherever she is now.
I’m sat down at the bar for ten minutes listening to the sausages sizzle under the grill when I get another text through to my phone… from Lucas.
I open it and blink twice at the short video before me, it’s of Lucas’ hand wrapped around his length pumping away into one of MY socks. After the climax a message flashes across the screen that reads, ‘Look What You Made Me Do.’ I laugh, a lot and it feels good.
THE END
Please read on for an excerpt from
Winters Island by Lillian Mackenzie Rhine
Thank you so much for reading, I’d be eternally grateful if you would please leave a review. Good or bad.
This book is part of the Little Bits series.
A Little Bit of Crazy (Part One)
A Little Bit of Us (Part Two)
A Little Bit of Trouble (Lucas’ story)
A Little Bit of …. (Marie’s Story Coming soon, title undecided)
ABOUT ME
I'm 22 and I’ve been writing since I could hold a pen in my hand! I love to write, it’s my passion, and I never stop. In fact I love to write so much I have started over one hundred and fifty different books before finally completing my first ever novel 'A Little Bit of Crazy' which I published in May 2013. I was grateful when I received feedback as it helps me be a better writer.
When I'm not writing, I love spending time with my family and when I get some spare time (not easy with young children!) It’s either reading or listening to music. You won’t find me without a book or my Kindle in my hand. I read whilst I’m cooking, cleaning, talking, walking… you could say reading is my other passion!
Although I based my first few books in America I am in fact a British author (I live in the north East of England). I chose to set my books in America as although I love England, I also love all things American and I have read a lot of American novels and as I love a challenge, I decided to write in an American voice! Studying the differences between Britain and America has been fascinating to say the least, even something as simple as remembering our chips are their fries and our crisps are their chips was a challenge! I’m pretty sure you’ll still find some Britishisms in my book and if you do, drop me a line (contact details below) to correct me!
Thank you for taking the time to read my book. I appreciate any kind of feedback be it good or bad. This has been a huge learning curve for me and I'm happy to receive any advice/criticism...praise?! That you wish to provide. Don’t be shy.
Thank you,
Love Alex
CONTACT DETAILS
To get in touch with me please use the following.
https://www.facebook.com/alexandra.murphy.522066
[email protected]
Winter’s Island
by
Lillian MacKenzie Rhine
Saint Angeles
~~~
~ Cay Winters ~
Stretched out on the back windshield of her Camry somewhere in the desert lands of Arizona, soaking in ultraviolet inspiration, Cay did a small inventory of her life before she moved on to her current plains. Cay Winters was an adventurous 23 year old artist who specialized in sketches and character design. She had spent the last few years of her emerging adulthood venturing to different areas in California, seeking encouragement for new projects. Her last few months were spent traveling over the road from coast to coast, slumming it with strangers, finding refuge with distant relatives, or bunking solo in her early model Camry was her life that thrilled her to no end. Cay not only lived in the moment; she was the moment.
She did not have much in the ways of an anchored home. Her mother, an ambitious painter and singer, allowed her plight to succeed in the all-watchful eye of the world to swallow her up at a young age. She became an abuser of everything addictive from sex to heroin. These poisons eventually overtook reason to live, causing her to perish due to an overdose when Cay was three years old. Cay never doubted her mother’s love for her, but her resentment was unwavering. Cay refused to mirror the same lifestyle that her mother lived; it was her driving motivation in life. In her mind, her mother was simply another weak woman.
Soon after the death of her mother, Cay was adopted by her mother’s younger sister, Lucinda Winters, who Cay affectionately refers to as Lulu. Her aunt Lulu worked hard gaining all the esteem needed to be a notable estate attorney residing in Los Angeles, California. Cay found her aunt to be her ultimate inspiration based on the fact that Lulu finished college while raising her own son Malcolm plus taking in a stray in Cay. Yes they had nights of Top Ramen and cold cuts, but now Lulu was a partner in one of the largest firms in California.
Even with all that success and wealth available to her, Cay found herself to be a wanderer like her disappointment of a mother. She graduated with honors from a well-respected art institute with the goal of being free like a bird to soar to the highest mountains. Her aunt begged her to stay put in Los Angeles, offering the luxury of her own private studio and loft apartment but those perks did not appeal to Cay’s creed. She believed she was one with the Earth and there was a lot of land undiscovered to her envisioned eyes. With the grace of a ripple in a lake, she kissed Lulu and Malcolm goodbye, leaving to explore her virgin land. This left Lulu so hurt by her absence, using every excuse to contact her, pleading for her return due to one pressing matter or another.
She heard her aunt’s assigned ring-tone blaring for the fifth time that morning disturbing her daydreams of the flatland desert. She wanted badly to avoid the conversation but realized it might be emergent.
“Hey chica! What’s going on?” Lulu inquired with the spunk of a teenager on homecoming night.
“Just seeing the sights Lulu.” This was Cay’s typical response. She found that over the years, her family, in particular Lulu, had a silent concern for her well being in which she found it difficult to understand. Why was it so strange to live by the seat of your pants, she constantly wondered.
As Cay leaned back against the warm glass, she fanned her toes in the Phoenix sun. Her aunt remained silent with bated breath waiting on her niece’s response. “What is it Lulu? Is there an emergency or something? I can hear your wheels turning so spit it out.”
Lulu sighed, “Cay I have been calling you for days. Where are you?” Cay knew and loved her aunt dearly; she was her second mom. But Cay was a feather in the wind who hated to be flicked. “Lulu, I am in Phoenix if you must know my exact location.”
“Phoenix? Where in Phoenix?”
“On some dirt road getting inspired by the sunshine m
elanizing my pores.”
Another sigh, “Cay? Look, I know you do not like to be disturbed, but I have a request of you. I desperately need a favor.” A warm breeze kissed the peach sundress from the knees of the liberal woman. She found herself distracted, peeking at the spectrum of hues her perspiration beaded upon her breasts.
“Cay?”
“Yes? I heard you. A request.”
“About the request. Your cousin, Malcolm, is starting college a few weeks early this summer.”
Cay skated her fingertips across her mocha-dipped chest, creating designs like ribbons at play while her aunt muttered on about summer sessions and finances.
“Cay? Pay attention girl,” her aunt exhaled. “You definitely are your mother’s child.”
Cay winced at the mention of her being likened to her mother. Her aunt had a terrible habit of comparing the two. In Cay’s mind, she would never in her natural born life use substances that would alter her unchained presence to creativity. Before she could rebut the vicious comment, her aunt continued, “I’m sorry for the comparison. You know she was not all that bad Cay. She was an artist-.”
“Your request Lulu?” Cay muttered changing the subject, wanting to end the call that was getting out of control.
“Okay, okay, so Malcolm is heading to school in two weeks. The thing is he was accepted to the University of the Virgin Islands for the Marine Biology Program which is great. The problem is the resident facilities were over capacity. The administration took the initiative to reach out to some of the parents, providing information on alternative living arrangements. I was hoping you would be able to take time out of your schedule to accompany Malcolm to Saint Thomas until next school year where he will hopefully be able to live in the dorms.”
