The Beginning of Us (287 page)

“Of course I did, Angel.” I kiss her hair. “I belong wherever you are.” I can’t hold the tears back as they slowly fall down my cheeks. I grip her tightly as she buries her head in my chest and cries. I lean my cheek down onto her head. “I’m here. I won’t let you go.”

I want her to quit running from me, I want her to realize how much I fucking love her. I would give my own life for her if that meant she didn’t have to feel what she feels right now.

She cries until I think she has nothing left. I have no idea how long we sit on the floor, but I feel her body stop shaking and her cries grow quieter. I just continue to hold her as I say soothing things and lightly rock us back and forth, reassuring her I’m not leaving. I finally look away from Angel once I know she is asleep and look up to the door. Courtney is standing there, tears rolling down her cheeks. I know her heart is breaking for her friend just like mine is.

I stand up, lifting her in my arms in the process, and carry her off to her room. I lay her down and cover her with a blanket. I stand there, looking at her for a few minutes. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “I love you.” I reach up and brush a tear from my eye. I wish we were in different circumstances and that she was awake to hear me say those three words.

I turn and walk back to her mom’s room where Courtney is cleaning up. “Here, let me help you.” I pick up a broken clock.

She shakes her head and hands me a piece of paper. “You should read this.”

I nod and unfold the two pieces of paper.

I set the letter down on the bed, speechless. I still don’t see why she did what she did.

If I was dying, what would I do?

“Her phone is shattered. I’m guessing she threw it at the mirror.” She hands me the phone, pulling me away from my thoughts.

“Yeah,” I sigh. “She must have felt so alone. I wonder how she found out she had passed?”

“I don’t know. Like I said, she wouldn’t talk to me.” She puts her head down.

“I’ll call and add her to my plan and get her a new phone.” I sigh. If only every problem in life was that easy to fix.

“I think I should come back to St. Louis with you guys. You can’t keep taking time off work, and there’s no telling how long she’ll feel this badly.”

“Okay. I want her to stay at my place, though. I have four extra bedrooms. You can stay there if you want.”

“Thanks. I want to help you with her. I know she’s upset, but it’s the guilt that’s killing her.” She turns to pick the glass up off the floor.

“What do you mean? What guilt? The guilt from not being here the last five years?”

“No.” She shakes her head slowly. “The guilt from yelling at her. She was mumbling about how she was sorry she just left and didn’t listen. That she would have stayed instead of going back to St. Louis.” She comes to sit next to me on the bed.

I put my head in my hands. “This may be worse than I thought.” If I know Angel, she hates herself right now.

“My thoughts exactly.”

We sit there in silence for a few minutes then decide to cook something for dinner.

Courtney makes some soup, and I take a bowl up to Angel’s room. I open the door to find her sitting up in her bed with her back against the headboard.

“Angel?”

She turns her head to me slowly as her eyes settle on mine. I get a chill up my back from how empty they look.

“Are you hungry?” I go to sit next to her. She slowly shakes her head no. “Courtney made some potato soup. It’s pretty good.” I lightly touch her face. She’s like a timid cat that I’m worried will run away. She shakes her head no again.

I try to rack my brain with what I can do to soothe her. “Would you like to take a hot bubble bath?’’ I know she loves those. She doesn’t shake her head no, so I take that as a yes.

“I’ll go start you a bath.” I get up and go to her bathroom that connects to her bedroom. She has a big round bathtub that we could both fit in, but I’ll just let her take one by herself. Once I’ve got her water ready, I turn to go get her but she is already standing there undressing.

Hmm…good sign.

I grab her hand and help her get in the tub as I grab the soap and a sponge. I just want her to sit and relax while I wash her. She stays silent as I wash her legs, chest and arms. The more time that goes by, the more worried I get.
How long can she stay silent for?

I stand and reach over for a towel. I take her hand and help her stand, then wrap the towel around her. She walks past me into the bedroom without saying a word. I don’t know what to do for her.
Does she just need some rest?

I walk into the bedroom and see her sitting on the end of her bed. She turns her face to me as tears run down her face. I walk over to her and kneel down in front of her. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers as the tears continue to fall.

I reach up and wipe them away. “You have nothing to be sorry about, baby.”

She nods her head. “I should have told you this a long time ago.” She closes her eyes, and I stare at her. I don’t know what she means, but I’m not going to interrupt whatever she has to say.

She opens her eyes. “Slade,” she sighs.

“Yes Angel?’ I see her eyes go soft as a smile tug at the corner of her lips. I reach up, wiping away her tears. “I love you.” She smiles, and I realize they are happy tears.

I feel my heart pounding so hard against my chest that I think it’s going to explode.

She loves me.

I could hear her say that to me a thousand times over, and it still wouldn’t be enough.

She loves me.

And I’m in love with her.

I place my hands on either side of her face. “I love you, Angel.” I give her a soft, slow, intimate kiss. When I pull away, she has a sad smile on her face. “I’m sorry,” she repeats.

“What are you sorry for?” I run the back of my hand down her soft cheek.

“I didn’t tell you sooner. I tried to keep it a secret.” She shakes her head lightly. “I didn’t want you to see how much you could hurt me,” she whispers looking down at her hands that rest in her lap. “I love you.” She looks back up to me. “I need you to know how much I love you. Please don’t leave me,” she whispers, looking back down.

“What you have been through is undescribable.” I place my fingers under her chin, pulling her face up so I can see into those beautiful green eyes. “Don’t be sorry, Angel. I would have waited a lifetime to hear you say that to me. I’m not going to leave you, baby. You are my forever, and I’m never going to let you go.”

She rewards me with a soft smile.

“Angel.” I swallow hoping that what I am about to say doesn’t ruin this moment. “When we get back to St. Louis, I want you to move in with me. I don’t want to have to spend another minute without you. I want us to live together.”

I never want to let her go. I need her to be where I am.

“I would love that, baby,” she whispers.

“I love you.” I crush my lips to hers before she can say it back.

She pulls away. “I know. My mom told me.” She smiles softly.

I stand up, wrapping my arms around her. I close my eyes and vow to Marie that I will never hurt her. I will never break her heart. She might have lost her mother, but she has me and I am going to take care of her.

I pull away and rub my knuckles on her soft cheeks. “I’m going to give you the world, Angel, because you deserve no less.”

A tear rolls down her cheek. “You are my world. All I need is you.”

I wipe her tear away and press my lips to hers.

“I love you, baby,” she breathes against my lips.

“I love you too, Angel.”

I need to call Josh. Turns out I need a favor from him after all. I’m ready to give her the world, starting with my last name.

THE END

Want more of Samantha and Slade’s story? Unbearable and Uncontrollable are both available on Amazon and B&N, along with iBooks. Tate and Missy’s story, Unforgettable is available on Amazon and B&N as well as iBooks. Unpredictable, Parker’s book will be available winter 2014. You can add them to you TBR list on Goodreads.

If you would like to be updated on releases, current projects and teasers, email me at [email protected] to be added to my contact list.

About the Author

                   
Shantel is a Texas born girl who now lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with her high school sweetheart, who is a wonderful, supportive husband and their three year old little princess. She loves to spend time cuddled up on the couch with a good book.

She is currently working on book two in the
Undescribable
series. She considers herself extremely lucky to get to be a stay at home wife and mother. Going to concerts and the movies are just a few of her favorite things to do. She hates coffee, but loves wine. She and her husband are both huge football fans, college and NFL. And she has to feed her high heel addiction by shopping for shoes weekly.

Although she has a passion to write, her family is most important to her. She loves spending evenings at home with her husband and daughter, along with their cat and dog.

Email her at [email protected]

Touch Me

The Touch Series, #1

By t.h. snyder

© 2013 t. h. snyder (Tiffany Snyder)

Published by t. h. snyder

First published in 2013. All rights reserved. This book is copyright. Apart from the fair purpose of private study, research or review as permitted by the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced without written permission.

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people.  If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.  If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return and purchase your own copy.  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Images Copyright

Book Cover By Design: Kellie Dennis

Prologue

Septmeber 2, 2012

At this very moment I’m sitting on the back of a Harley, which could very well be stolen, setting off into the sunset with an amazing guy. His strong muscular form is driving and the vibrations of the motor send shivers through our bodies.

I recall the past few years I’d spent with my ex-boyfriend, Marc. I close my eyes and rest my chin on this man’s back. It’s easy to remember the heartache and the pain of loneliness. I can still sense the tears I shed for Marc. My ex never cared for me the way I loved him. I was in love with Marc for years; he played my family and me for fools. Marc stole my heart and stomped on it the day I found him in bed with my best friend Natalie. That day I lost Marc and I lost a huge part of me as well. I told myself I wouldn’t give my heart to another man again.

The wind ripping through us feels cool against my body and it’s tangling through my thick, wavy, brown hair. I scan my eyes looking down along his powerfully built chest and see my arms wrapped around his waist for fear that I may fall. The mere thought of falling in love scared me for too long.

My eyes move over his broad left shoulder and I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the side mirror. The twinkle in my big-brown eyes and the smile across my face bring out an emotion as if I’m a little girl just waking up Christmas morning.

I have a sense of freedom that I haven't experienced in a long time. I never imagined emotions this strong would consume me again.