by Addison Jane
I felt used.
I felt betrayed.
I handed him my heart, and he took my soul.
Here I was thinking maybe he was finally interested, that we were finally connecting. I was finding my strength, and he was there for me, standing with me and supporting me while I did. He’d made me feel strong like I deserved more and gave me the confidence to fight for it.
Every touch, every brush of his lips against my skin, he made me feel beautiful and sexy. He whispered things in my ear. He held my body against his as he made me feel pleasure like I’d never felt before like I never imagined feeling with anyone other than someone I loved.
And then he went and threw it back in my face.
Fucking all of it up.
Meyah once again the fool, the one who thought there was more, the one who believed he cared when all he was doing was trying to find information.
A fucking idiot, that’s what I was.
I couldn’t bear to be here any longer. The idea of looking at him again made me feel like I was going to be sick. The ache in my chest started to grow, and I could feel tears building at the back of my throat. It burned, and I squeezed my eyes shut to try and combat the pain, wishing I could just close my eyes and go to sleep, maybe never fucking waking up.
“Meyah, stop,” Mom pleaded as she sat at the edge of my bed, watching me haul my suitcase out of my wardrobe and dump it on my bed.
“I need to leave.” I hurried to my dresser, tugging it open almost violently and rummaging through the drawers, looking for nothing in particular.
“You need to calm down and tell me what the hell happened.”
When I turned to her, I knew I couldn’t hide the tears that had begun to streak my face. I’d planned a great summer, one where I could make some money and spend time with the few friends I had, as well as go with the club on days out swimming and barbequing and cookouts. One where Ham and I would build our relationship, and my mom would learn what an amazing guy he was, and maybe even give her blessing. That was the plan, and it was a good one—a fun and exciting one—right before I started what would probably be the three most stressful years of my life as I tried to earn a degree and start a career.
Instead, though, I was running.
And I had no idea where I was going.
Part of me knew I was taking the easy way out, and even though I was angry at myself for it, I just knew if I stayed here for two more months, I would end up in a place that I really didn’t want to be.
Mom’s eyes widened, and she jumped up from the bed, hurrying around the side with her arms open. I unconsciously gravitated toward them, seeking the comfort of the person who made me feel safe and warm. “Meyah, what’s wrong? What happened?”
“I think I love him, Mom,” I whispered, followed by a heartbreaking sob.
Mom wrapped her arms around me and drew me into her chest. I felt like I might fall to pieces any moment, shatter like shards of glass, but Mom held me tight keeping me together, and I clutched onto her for dear life.
“Shhh,” she soothed, rocking our bodies back and forth. “Shhh, baby girl. It’s okay.”
Her hands rubbed up and down my back as I tried to catch my breath, but everyone felt more painful than the last.
“Something happened with you and Ham, huh?” she asked softly, leaning her body back so that she could see my face. I looked up at her, expecting to see anger, expecting to face the fury of a women who told me not to have sex until I was thirty. Instead, I saw genuine concern and understanding.
I nodded. “Something big,” I whispered, cringing, and hoping that those two words would be enough, and she wouldn’t make me tell her anything else. Her hands never stopped, they continued to rub up and down my back gently and smoothly. I didn’t miss the way she was fighting to even out her breathing, taking sharp breaths in and holding them before blowing them out. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
Her eyes finally came back to mine, and she shook her head profusely. “No, you don’t need to be sorry for being hurt. We put our trust and our hearts into people and sometimes, they just can’t do the same, but that is not your fault, that’s on them.”
While her words made me feel a little better, I had the feeling we weren’t just talking about me. The corner of the photo in my pocket jabbed into my thigh painfully. Angrily, I tugged it out and tossed it over at my vanity. It hit the mirror, knocking off the letter that had been stuck up there with a piece of gum. They both fluttered to the ground by our feet. The picture of my mom and dad smiling, and my acceptance letter to the University of Arizona.
I could hear the conversation I’d had with Asha in my head.
“You guys are going to the University of Arizona?”
Asha and Callie both nodded excitedly. “Yeah, the boys, too,” Asha confirmed. “We are gonna drive to Vegas one weekend a month. It’s going to be awesome!”
The photo beside it, the Vegas sign in the background was screaming at me, connecting the two places together.
He could still be there.
My heart hurt so bad.
I just wanted the pain to go away, but I knew it wouldn’t here.
I would see him, hear his voice, need his touch.
I wouldn’t be able to stay away and refused to be weak again, to let him treat me that way and then just take him back. No. I wasn’t that girl. Not anymore.
But maybe I could find something else to fill that void. Maybe I could find the piece I’d been looking for so long.
The missing piece of me.
“How soon do you think we can get flights to Arizona?”
Check out these books by authors
Addison Jane and KE Osborn
Deceit (The Vindicated Series Book One)
Addison Jane and KE Osborn
Click here to purchase
Covert, stealthy, cunning—I’m trained as a weapon. A lethal killer. I do what needs to be done in order to protect those who can’t protect themselves.
I’m never the same person twice.
It’s never been an issue.
But I underestimated her.
The beautiful woman next door. There’s something sexy about the way she watches me, eyes wide with an innocent curiosity. I find myself aching for her attention. I want her to look at me, but not when I’m covered in the blood of the man I just killed.
I live in the dark. She could be my light. I want her. And I know she feels it too.
When what I do puts her life in danger, everything changes. And I start to realize that maybe not all is as it seems. Every part of me screams to save her...
But what if I’m wrong.
What if she’s the one saving me?
This novel ends on a cliffhanger.
Liberate (The Vindicated Series Book 2)
Addison Jane and KE Osborn
Click here to purchase
Lies, deceit, betrayal—everything has changed from the life I had. From the life I knew. I lost my team. I lost my livelihood. I never thought it could come to this.
I vowed to protect her.
I failed.
But it’s not over yet.
The agency made a mistake when they decided to take my life. Now I was free, and a man who answers to no one is a man who should be feared. I’m fueled by revenge, seeking justice for her, for me, and for the innocent lives I unknowingly destroyed.
Lily drew me from the shadows. She burned so brightly. She made me see clearly and filled me with warmth. But her flame was smothered and she was cast into the darkness.
I won’t let that be her end. I need retribution. I will take nothing less.
They may have won the battle, but I’m about to start a war.
Revive (The Vindicated Series Book 3)
Addison Jane and KE Osborn
Click here to purchase
Cocky, sarcastic, broken—I grew up in hell and was tossed to the curb by the woman who was meant to love me unconditionally. Humor is my go-to, the thing I use to protect the al
ready shattered pieces inside me.
I fought damn hard to get to where I am today.
I have everything I’ve ever wanted.
Except maybe her.
When she strolls into The Agency with a confident smirk on her face, she doesn’t even give me a second look. She’s sexy, sassy, and refuses to fall for a single one of my lines which only makes me want her more. What starts as a challenge quickly changes when I realize she isn’t like other girls.
She’s got fire in her eyes—a fire that I see in the mirror every single day. It’s born out of loss and a refusal to settle for just being broken.
She sees me, she hears me—she understands me.
But when a mission doesn’t go as planned and things begin to crumble around us, my first instinct is to protect her, to push her away and make sure that she isn’t dragged into the chaos that swirls around me.
But what if I’m wrong?
What if instead of protecting her, I’ve left her defenseless.
Making her a target.
*** NOTE - Revive can be read without reading Books 1/2 in the Vindicated Series. ***
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Addison Jane is a born and bred kiwi girl with a passion for romance and writing.
When she gets the chance, she enjoys the little things in life such as reading, dancing, music, and Facebook, but her world really revolves around the little girl who calls her Mum. It’s an awkward balance between alpha males and Disney princesses, but it works.
Growing up on a small farm next to the beach will always make her a country girl at heart. But since moving away to a small town close to the city, she’s discovered a dangerous love for shopping.
Writing stories has been something that’s come naturally since she was young, and with the massive support of her friends and family, she finally decided to step out of her comfort zone and share them with the world.
She enjoys bringing her books to life with strong female leads, sexy, passionate men, and a rollercoaster of twists and turns that lead to the happily ever after that her readers desire.
