by Ginny Clyde
I cringed at the thought of lying unconscious in the dark, reeking back alley of the restaurant. “I am so glad you were there,” I said earnestly. He was looking at me with the kind of smile that made my heart race. Not knowing where to look, I turned to stare at my shoes.
His hand came to rest on my shoulder. “I’ll never leave your side.”
The declaration made me look up. My heart pounded, but from a strange emotion. In the calmness and solitude of the cemetery, I realized it was something I felt only in his presence. My cheeks burned when I looked back at him. My mind went blank, unable to form a thought.
He came closer. I held my breath, not daring to move. A crooked smile came upon his lips like he knew what I was going through. He leaned in. I closed my eyes shut, feeling his warm breath fanning my face. His nose gently rubbed against mine. At the same time, our lips brushed for a fleeting moment. A jolt spread through my skin. My eyes flew open in time to see him straightening up.
I wanted to say something. Anything as long as it broke the trance he had laid over me. My eyes darted around the cemetery.
“Who were you visiting?” I blurted out.
His face fell immediately. He stepped back from me, quickly putting on a mask of indifference. “Just family.”
My gaze went to the large bouquet of crimson carnations that lay near the small tombstone. My heart slowed down, but my curiosity came back.
“You should go back now,” he said. “I’ll be here for a while longer.”
A sliver of disappointment sliced through me. I wished we could have the moment a little longer. Chiding myself, I turned around to walk towards the stone steps.
“Olivia.”
I turned to look at Ryan. His face was grim. “No one can know you saw me here.”
“Why?” It was such an odd thing to request.
“Because I said so,” he replied.
“No. You don’t get to command me like you do with the others,” I said, turning away and walking.
“Olivia, please.”
This time I stopped. His voice had cracked and was full of pain. The mask was gone to be replaced with the saddest, most forlorn expression I’d ever seen on his face.
I walked towards him, running the last few feet. Without an ounce of fear or trepidation, I let my arms wrap around his body in a hug. He simply stood there for a few seconds, too stunned to move.
“You can tell me what’s bothering you,” I said, my voice muffled against his chest. “I will keep your secrets. No one will know you were here.”
His hands came to enclose me in a warm hug. “Thank you,” he said, his warm breath tickling my ear.
I don’t remember how long we remained that way. A peaceful feeling, mingled with joy spread through me, warming me from within.
“My mother or brother might come looking,” I said, parting from him.
“I’ll see you at school, then,” he said.
Neither of us seemed to want to say goodbye. However, I had to. So, I stood on my toes and kissed Ryan on the cheek. His eyes widened as they landed on me.
“Bye,” I said, turning away to hide the big grin that was spreading on my face. I walked faster now, giggling. Turns out, I could have the same effect on him that he had on me!
Author’s note
I hope you enjoyed the first book in The Royal Tea Shop series. It will mean a great deal to me if you left a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Even a simple ‘I liked it’ will make my day! Apart from an ego boost, it will also let me know whether to work on the series ASAP or pick up a different project. It all depends on the readers’ interest. If it doesn’t interest them, there’s no point, right?
You can pre-order book 2 titled Fall’s Whisper for $0.99 here.
If you’d like to send me an email with any suggestions or feedback, please use the contact page.
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About the Author
Ginny Clyde is an Electrical engineer by profession and is worked in the renewable energy sector. She started writing fanfiction in her spare time and after a whole year of writing; she decided that she would start writing an original series with her own characters.
She has spent a considerable amount time in Scotland which led her to develop a love for folklore, dark faerie tales and an interest in Celtic mythology and paganism. Her stories portray this love affair with the supernatural.
Although, work and tight deadlines often have her drinking coffee, she is a tea-lover at heart. She loves to read, but keeps taking trips to Hogwarts now and then. (Who could miss JKR’s lovely invitation?) Her favorite current TV shows are Game of Thrones and Pretty Little Liars, although she will remain a lifelong fan of Friends and Frasier. You can connect with her on one of the following platforms. She looks forward to hearing from you.
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Table of Contents
Blurb
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
About the Author
