Holding On

by Allie Everhart

  As the two of them try to overcome the obstacles working to keep them apart, Jade is confronted with another challenge. On her 19th birthday, she receives a letter that her now deceased mother wrote years ago. In it are revelations that explain her traumatic childhood but also make her question the past she's been running from.

  Here's a scene from Choosing You.

  Garret puts his phone away. "Can I come in? I'm kind of a target out here in the hall."

  "A target for what?" I ask, moving aside to let him in.

  "Girls fondling me." A smirk crosses his face as he waits for my reaction.

  "Please tell me you're kidding. Because if you're not, then I need to start upping the insults again to bring you back down to earth."

  He's trying hard to keep a straight face. "You saw Ava just now. Girls just can't help themselves. What can I say?"

  I shake my head and start rummaging through my drawer for a shirt. "I can help myself. I'm completely immune to whatever you think you've got going on over there."

  "Yeah, I know," he mumbles. "You need some help?"

  "Why? You think I can't dress myself?"

  He stands next to me, staring down at the open drawer. "Everything in here is black."

  "Yeah." I close the drawer and open the one beneath it. "And everything in here is white."

  "Where are your other shirts?"

  "That's it. Well, I have a few in the closet."

  He walks over to look. "You only wear black or white?"

  "Uh, yeah. Are you just getting that? You've seen me how many times and you've never noticed that?"

  "Huh. I guess not."

  "It's just easier that way. Black and white go with everything." I take a black t-shirt from the drawer.

  "You should wear purple sometime."

  I almost choke laughing. "Purple? Are you joking?"

  "What's wrong with purple?"

  "I've never worn anything purple in my life. I've never even considered it. It's one of those weird colors that old ladies wear."

  "Lots of people wear purple. And with your green eyes, you would look great in purple."

  "I hate my green eyes. The last thing I want to do is draw attention to them."

  He comes closer and lifts my chin up with his hand. "How could you hate your eyes? They're the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. Why do you think I'm always staring at them?"

  "Yeah, that's hilarious." I push him back. "Now get out of here so I can change. Wait in the hall. I'll be like two seconds."

  "Jade, you know I'm not safe out there." He says it as if he's really in danger. "Did you see all those girls running around in towels and robes?"

  I roll my eyes. "I swear. The insults are coming, my friend. So tell your ego to get ready."

  He stands there.

  "You're really not leaving? Fine. Then turn around."

  I change into my jeans and black shirt. "Okay, I'm done."

  He inspects me. "Yeah. You definitely need some color. The black and white thing is getting old."

  "Well, I'm not planning on buying new clothes so you'll have to get over it." I search through my desk drawer for money. "How much are movie tickets? I haven't been to a movie in years, so I have no clue. Six bucks? Seven?"

  "Don't worry about it. Let's go."

  "Garret, you're not paying."

  "You just saved me from being man-handled by Ava. That's at least worth the price of a movie ticket. Maybe even some popcorn, too."

  Want to read more? Choosing You is available now!

  ***

  Next to Me is a standalone contemporary romance. It's part of a series of standalone books, each about a different Wheeler brother.

  Next to Me

  After losing her parents and brother in a car accident, Callie dropped out of college and went to live in the small town where her family used to spend the summers. A year later, and struggling to move on, she keeps to herself and wants to be left alone. So she's not too happy when her new neighbor keeps knocking on her door.

  Nash Wheeler, a 25-year-old construction worker from Chicago, inherited the house next to Callie's and is living there while he renovates it. Outgoing, confident, and never one to back down from a challenge, Nash sets out to get to know his new neighbor, inviting her over for dinner and offering to fix things around her house.

  As much as his persistence annoys her, Callie finds herself attracted to the tall, muscular, blue-eyed guy next door. And the more time she spends with him, the more she realizes how much they have in common. Like Callie, Nash has experienced loss, but when he opens up to her about it, she's not willing to do the same. It's too personal.

  Nash is just her neighbor. Just some guy living there for the summer. But is that really all he is? Or is he the one person who can finally help her move on?

  Here's a scene from Next to Me

  Nash

  "Hey," I yell, dropping my wrench and walking toward her. "You want some help?"

  She's standing in front of her garage, trying to lift up the door.

  "No, thanks. I've got it," she says, struggling to make it move even an inch off the ground. Her knee must still hurt because she's trying to open the door while balancing on her good leg.

  I reach down and lift up the door. "You going to work?"

  She turns to me, putting her hands on her hips. "Stop doing things for me."

  "Why?" I smile at her.

  She seems surprised by my question. "Because I can do things myself."

  "Maybe before your knee was hurt, but now, you need some help."

  "Actually, I don't." She glares at me.

  I lock eyes with her. "I think you do."

  "You're wrong."

  "I'm never wrong," I say in a cocky tone. "Ask anyone."

  "I don't need to, because I'm telling you right now that you're wrong. I don't need your help or anyone else's."

  "Really?" I wait for her to admit she's wrong and when she doesn't, I say, "Okay." I reach up and lower the garage door back down. Then I walk back toward my house. "Have a good day."

  She mumbles something and I hear the squeak of the garage door as she attempts to lift it. I get back to work on my lawnmower, sneaking glances at my neighbor as she curses to herself while yanking on the door, balancing on one leg.

  "Hey!" I hear her yell.

  "Yeah?" I keep my eyes on the lawnmower handle, tightening some bolts.

  "Could you come over here a minute?" she yells.

  "Why? What do you need?" I yell back, my eyes still on the lawnmower.

  There's a pause, and then, "I need some..."

  "Some what?" I almost laugh when I say it.

  She's mumbling curse words again. There was a 'damn' and a 'shit' and I might've heard something about a lunatic.

  "What was that?" I yell. "I didn't hear you."

  "I need some help, okay?"

  I finally look at her and see her standing as she was earlier, her hands on her hips. It's supposed to be an angry stance but given that she has all her weight on one leg and her other leg is bent slightly with just her toe touching the ground, she looks like she's posing for me.

  My laughter can't be contained as I approach her.

  "What's so funny?" she asks.

  "The way you're standing." I motion to her. "You look like you're posing for something."

  She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest. "Would you just open the door for me, please?"

  "I thought you didn't need help."

  She narrows her eyes at me.

  I give her a big wide grin.

  Then I open the garage door with one hand. "Was that it?"

  "Yes," she mutters, as she glances to the side.

  "Just call if you need me for anything else. I have many different skills." I said it flirtatiously just to see how she'd react. I'm not trying to go out with this girl, but I'm finding it fun to rile her up.

  Want to read more? Next to Me is available now!

  ***


  Still Love You is a standalone second-chance romance.

  Silas Sparks was my first love. My only love. The guy I thought I would marry, and almost did.

  We were engaged. For a week. In high school. It was the happiest week of my life. But then reality hit and I broke off the engagement. I was only 17. I couldn't get married.

  Silas was crushed. He couldn't understand why I did it. But that's Silas. He lives in the moment, never worries about the future. After we broke up, he took off for Europe and never came back.

  That was two years ago. I haven't seen or talked to him since. Then just as I'm about to leave college for summer break, guess who shows up at my door? Looking even hotter than I remember, flashing that sexy smile of his, telling me he's home for the summer, living just a few houses down from mine.

  Now I'm panicking. I was never supposed to see him again. Silas is the past. I've moved on. And yet here he is, and all I can think about is how much I want him back! It can never happen, but even so, I can't deny the truth. And the truth is...I still love Silas.

  Here's a scene from Still Love You

  Willow

  "Are you decent?" I yell outside Silas' door.

  "Depends on how you define that." He yells back.

  I open the door and see him standing there in jeans, but shirtless, just like he was on the farm. His hair is wet but now it's because he just showered. He smells good. Clean and fresh with a hint of cologne.

  "You gonna put on a shirt?" I ask.

  "I'm still hot from being outside so I thought I'd just leave it off." He grins. "Is that a problem?"

  He's evil. No girl can resist a hot shirtless man fresh from the shower. Except me. I'm stronger than most. I can resist him.

  "Not a problem at all, although it seems unsanitary to eat without a shirt, hence the no-shirt, no-service rule at restaurants."

  "We're not at a restaurant. And it's not unsanitary. I just showered. I'm even cleaner than you."

  I huff. "That's not true! I showered this morning. I'm very clean."

  "Let me see." He steps up to me, his hands grasping my waist as he bends his head down to my neck. His lips graze my skin as he inhales, making me shiver.

  "What are you doing?"

  He exhales his warm breath over my neck. "You smell good."

  "Thanks. Now will you move, please?"

  I was tempted to turn my head and kiss him but I didn't. Excellent self control. Score one for Willow.

  He slowly backs away.

  "I really think you should put a shirt on." It's a lie. I don't want him covering up those incredible abs, but my self-control is winning out, keeping me from doing something I shouldn't.

  He gives me a smug smile, then walks over to his dresser and pulls out a white t-shirt. Damn. I'm a sucker for jeans and a white t-shirt, which he knows. He takes his time pulling the shirt over his head, the movement causing his ab muscles to flex. Holy crap, that's hot.

  "Is this better?" He stands there, his arms at his sides, looking completely irresistible.

  "Sure. Whatever." I turn away from him and get my phone out. "What kind of pizza do you want?"

  "Sausage and pepperoni. I'm craving meat."

  "No green peppers? Mushrooms?"

  "Add whatever you want. Just not anchovies."

  "Gross. I hate anchovies." I call the pizza place, but get a message that the number is no longer in service. "Silas, is Pizza Village closed?"

  "Yeah. It closed last month." I feel him come up behind me, his arms going around me, brushing against my chest as he takes my phone and types in a number. "This place is good."

  I order the pizza, then turn around and face him. "You could've just given me the number."

  He smiles. "I could've."

  He's taking this flirting up a notch. Time to give it right back.

  I slip my hands under his shirt, along his abs, and give him a flirtatious smile. "So, what should we do while we wait?"

  He chuckles. "I know what you're doing."

  "I don't know what you're talking about."

  "It's not going to work." He grasps me around the waist. "It'll just make me do this all the more."

  "Do what?"

  He leans down and kisses me. A bold, assertive kiss. A kiss that buckles my knees and leaves me breathless. Then he pulls away, waits a moment, then says, "Would you like me to take the shirt off? It seems to be in your way."

  I look down and see my hands are now halfway up his shirt, my fingers splayed out over his chest. I quickly yank them away.

  "Sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

  "No problem." That smug grin appears again. "Maybe we should eat out back. Otherwise it'll smell like pizza in here for a week. Doesn't make for the greatest atmosphere."

  "Why do you care about the atmosphere? Are you having people over?"

  "Just one." He kisses my cheek, then takes my hand, tugging me out of his room and down the hall.

  "You're being very strange."

  "Good. I'd hate to be normal. Normal is boring."

  I like this new Silas even better than the old one, and that's saying a lot because I really liked the old one.

  Want to read more? Still Love You is available now!

  ***

  Books by Allie Everhart

  The Jade Series

  (New Adult Romance/Suspense)

  Choosing You

  Knowing You

  Loving You

  Promising You

  Forever You

  Finding Us

  Becoming Us

  Always Us

  Garret: A Jade Series Companion Novel

  The Kensington Series

  (Romantic Suspense)

  Needing Her

  Keeping Her

  Protecting Her

  Only Her

  Lilly: A Kensington Family Novel

  Lilly and Reed: A Kensington Family Novel

  Standalone Novels

  Next to Me

  Give Us a Chance

  Can't Let You Go

  More to Us

  Still Love You

  Holding On