The 1st short story to "My Interpretation: Short Stories Derived from Songs" is now up on Wattpad. Please read it, vote and leave comments. The short story is called "Dangerous Love" and is inspired by Ariana Grande's "Leave Me Lonely" featuring Macy Gray from her "Dangerous Woman" album.
It's a story I am very proud of and I mentioned before these stories are like music videos on paper but more in depth. They are what envision in my mind when listening to a song. Click the title below to read "Dangerous Love."
See, I told you I would post something at least once a week! I know the week is really over but it doesn't truly start a new week until Monday, right?! Right! Besides, I gave you two posts last week! Anyway, here's a new short story for you guys to enjoy. It's from Adalyn's point of view and if you readTurn It Off you'll know that she mentioned her dad had a history of drug abuse while she was trying to help Peyton with his problem. This is about one of those moments.
Listen to "Shouldn't Come Back" by Demi Lovato on repeat while reading for the full experience:
Adalyn: Whirlwind
They’re
arguing again. I love my dad but I think he’s lost his mind. I know any moment
now my brother will come into the room to have someone to escape the madness
with. This is an ongoing thing now. He’s always had a history with drug abuse
but it seems the addiction is back and all I want is for him to go away. He
doesn’t understand the pain he causes when he lets his demon get the best of
him. He’s not the same person.
My
father’s a very successful business man. He owns a chain of “do it yourself”
hardware stores across the country. He’s won many awards for his achievements
yet he’s a drug addict. No one ever thinks an addict can look as clean cut and
intelligent as he is but then again most people don’t know the truth. They only
go by what they see in the media and on TV. He’s not the poster child for drug
abuse when it comes to looks but his behavior…
It
hurts so much. My mom tries so hard to keep the family together and pretend
that it’s all normal but both Mike and I knew. We can hear them through the
thin walls. We’ve seen the evidence around the house. The thing about drug
addicts is they get sloppy. They can hide it for a while but soon nothing else
matters to them but their drugs. It’s the same thing that started to happen to
Peyton. It’s how I knew before anyone else.
Speaking
of Peyton, I wish I could talk to him about it but he’s busy trying to get
himself clean in rehab. I can’t tell him that my dad fell off the wagon again
while he’s trying so hard to get on. It’s almost like I can’t win. No one
else knows about my dad’s problem outside of the family except for Peyton. He’s
not only my boyfriend but my best friend. I’ve never felt so alone before.
My
brother knocks on my door before I yell for him to come in. I already knew who
it was. He closes the door behind him and sits on my bed.
“They’re
going at it again,” he says staring down at the floor.
“What
happened this time?” I ask sitting next to him.
“Mom
found a needle on the floor in the bathroom.” He looked so disgusted when he
said it. I felt the same way on the inside.
“Oh. I
figured it was something like that when mom yelled something about rehab.”
“Adalyn,
is it ever going to get better? Will he ever just quit or is this just going to
be a sick cycle?” he asks finally looking up at me.
I
remained quiet for a while before answering. “I don’t know. I hope he just quits
and be done with it for good.” I pause before saying what I really wanted. “Sometimes
I think we’d be better off without him.”
Mike
looks at me like he wants to disagree but I know he can’t. “I know what you
mean,” he says quietly. “But he’s our dad so we have to find a way to help him.
I don’t want to lose him to this.”
“We
just might though…”
I
couldn’t be optimistic about anything. My boyfriend was in rehab for the summer
while my dad should be in a rehab. Why is this my life at 15? Why is this my
brother’s life at 14? We’re too young for these kinds of problems. It’s slowly
ruining us. My father is ruining us. That pains me.
Maybe
he should go away for a while…and maybe he shouldn’t come back. Him being here
is just a whirlwind of chaos.
Don't forget to pick up your copy of Turn It Off and the rest of the series here: A Tragic Heart Series
It's been since October that I've written a short story (remember those?!). I missed writing short stories on my characters from the A Tragic Heart series. I believe this series will always be my favorite and the characters will always be the most real to me which is why I write little blurbs about them...so I never have to let them go.
As promised, this one is a continuation to the last one and it's from Ronan's point of view. Clearly it would belong with the second novel, RED and jumps eight years into the future (from where RED left off). You can check out the first part to the story here: Ronan: It's Always Her...
Listen to "Close To You" by Rihanna on repeat while reading to get the full experience:
Ronan: It’s Always
Her (Continued)
There
she was. Sitting across from me in an expensive restaurant in Los Angeles just
talking away. She had a smile painted across her face as she spoke and her red
hair was now dyed blonde; a new look is what she called it. She looked
beautiful…even more beautiful than I could remember. Adulthood looked good on
her and it was clear that she was far from that high school girl who broke my
heart way back when.
She
went on about her idea for the photoshoot she wanted to collaborate with me on.
For the most part it sounded like a good idea but I couldn’t really tell you
because I wasn’t listening much. I just kept thinking about how she was the
most beautiful girl in the room…in the world. Just a few days ago I was with a
gorgeous model in my bedroom and now here I am with my high school lover and
thinking about just how unattractive that model was compared to her. She has no
idea.
“Enough
about work,” I interrupted her as I reached across the table and grabbed her
hands. Her nails were painted black and her skin was smooth. “How have you
been, Peyton?”
She
gave me a smirk before answering, it was almost a blush. “I’ve been great,
actually. I’m in a really good place and things just keep getting better. I
never thought I’d say that but…here I am,” she replied.
“That’s
good. You seem really happy,” I responded with a little disappointment in my
tone. I was happy that she was happy but there was a part of me that wanted her
to confess that she missed me. I wanted her to say that she still needed me
even though we’ve been apart for eight years.
“Before
coming here I got to spend time with Mason and the rest of the family. The kids
are getting so big…they’re not even kids anymore. Can you believe that?!” she
asked. “Lila’s going to be starting college soon!”
Lila’s
her baby cousin. Mason is her dad’s first cousin who took her in after both her
parents died while she was still a baby. For her, his kids are basically her
little sister and brothers.
“That’s
crazy. Time really does fly. Who would’ve thought we’d be here? A lot has
happened,” I said taking on a slightly tighter grip onto her hands.
“It
really has. I can’t even keep up anymore,” she basically mumbled.
Before
I could say another word the waiter came and interrupted us asking if we were
ready to order. She wasn’t sure what she wanted so I ordered for the both of
us. I told her not to worry she’ll love it and she responded with a “you always
knew me so well.”
We
talked more over dinner, mostly about work and how I would make her vision come
to life. She loved my input and told me this is why I’m her go to person for
things like this. We make a great team. If only she knew what that truly means
to me. It’s crazy how she was the one to hurt me so I let her go but I’m the
one longing for her again. Most people will say I’m insane but they’re
obviously the ones who never met Peyton Hayley Giordano.
She
suggested we go back to my condo where I have an in house studio. She wanted to
get a visual of how things will be set up. Of course I wouldn’t object to it.
She’s always welcomed in my home. Aside from being my ex she’s also one of my
oldest friends. Nothing will ever change that.
We
walked inside together and I offered her a drink. She declined. All she wanted
was for me to show her to the studio so I did.
“I have
an idea,” she announced.
I
lifted my head to look at her, letting her know she had my attention. “What is
it?” I asked.
“Let’s
do things a little differently. I want a photoshoot tonight. Just on a whim
kind of thing. All natural,” she replied.
“Okay.
Let me get my camera set up,” I said about to walk out of the room before she
stopped me.
“Here’s
the catch!” she said staring at me biting her bottom lip.
“Go
on,” I urged curiously.
“I want
to be nude. Nothing covered. All natural, like I said. No retouches, nothing
but my natural self.”
I was
speechless. “Peyton-“
“I
wanted a shoot like this for a while and I could’ve asked anyone but I wanted
you to do it. I mean, who better than you? You’ve already seen the package.”
“That
was years ago,” I replied. “It’s different now.”
“Are
you seeing someone?” she asked.
“No.
Not really,” I responded quickly.
“Then
what’s the problem?”
The
problem was I was still in love with her and seeing her that naked will definitely send me over the edge.
I couldn’t tell her that though.
“I’ll
go get my camera.”
When I
came back she started to undress slowly. I watched her take off every piece of
clothing and I wanted to forget about the photoshoot. I just wanted her.
“Ready?”
I asked not able to take my eyes off of her.
“As
ready as I can be,” she said pushing her newly blonde hair out of her face.
We took
shots on the bed, the shower, my balcony…almost everywhere. Not once did she
feel uncomfortable. The photos came out beautiful. She was just about to start
putting her clothes back on when I said something to get her attention.
“What
if I didn’t want you to put those back on just yet?” I asked boldly.
She
stopped and stared for a bit so I walked closer to her. She didn’t make a move.
She seemed shocked.
“Roe,
what are you saying?” she asked as I ran my fingers up and down her arm. I
always loved the softness of her skin.
“I’m
saying that I still have feelings for you and I can’t let you leave me
tonight…not like this.”
“Roe-I
don’t think-“
I cut
her off with a kiss. She pulled back but before she could interrupt I kissed
her again. This time she let it happen. She let her panties drop out of her
hands and wrapped her arms around my waist. I guess this was happening on my
balcony in the middle of the night. Let’s just hope paparazzi didn’t follow us
here…
Don't forget to pick up your copy of RED and the rest of the series here: A Tragic Heart Series
It's been a while since I graced my blog with a short story based on my book series, The RED Tragedies series (aka A Tragic Heart Series), so I'm giving you a new one I actually wrote almost a month ago but never posted it. This one is from Ronan's POV, and if it was part of a book it would fit with RED (Book 2). It jumps into the future and shows Ronan as a grown man with a career and life of his own. Here's the link to the last short story: Peyton Hayley: No Need To Catch Me (I'm Not Falling)
Listen to "I Hope You Find It" by Miley Cyrus on repeat while reading:
Ronan:
It’s Always Her…
I’m
lying next to a girl I barely even know. I shot her a few times for the cover
of various popular magazines but that’s about it. Lately this has been my life.
Girls come and go because none of them can match my first love. She happened
eight years ago and she remains a friend but I can’t help but think that she’s
my true one.
We
ended when we were seventeen years old after a huge scandal broke loose that
she was sleeping with a famous rockstar, Alex Kinsley who was eight years her
senior. He got booted from his band and his career took a beating all before
she found him dead from a drug overdose in his multimillion dollar home. What
did she get out of it? A hot music career that looks like it won’t sink anytime
soon.
Being
that we decided to pick up our friendship after Alex’s death, I became her go
to photographer. She uses me for everything from album covers, appearances to
magazine shootings; the only thing she won’t use me for is love. Even after all
the wrong she’s done and the pain she’s caused me, inside I still love her.
That will never change but for some reason I fight the feeling.
“What
are you thinking about?” Adriana asks as she runs her fingers through my hair.
She’s the model I photographed today for the next issue of Vogue. I invited her
out for drinks and the rest you can come up with yourself.
“Nothing
really. Just how beautiful those photos came out. You’re gorgeous,” I lie
rolling onto my side and kissing her neck. She laughs and buys into the lie I
just told. I couldn’t tell her that I was really thinking about my ex from high
school who I still hang with every once in a while.
“How
come a nice and hot guy like you don’t have a steady girlfriend? What’s wrong
with you, huh?” she asks playfully. “Are you really a serial killer or
something?”
“Yeah,
that’s totally it,” I reply with a smile. “Seriously, though, I have no idea. I
guess I just haven’t met the right girl.”
Truth
is I have met the right girl, our happiness is just stuck in the past somewhere
frozen in time. I remember when she asked for me back after Alex died and her
life was getting back together. I declined and told her I could never go there
with her again. Now I’m not so sure if that was the right decision.
We
remained good friends and talk about anything we feel the need to. I’ve witness
a few guys come and go out of her life and she had a share of heartbreaks after
Alex but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. Truth is I’m not so sure she ever
got over me either. The good news is she’s more stable than she was when we got
together.
Peyton
was a broken a girl. She had no parents and was raised by her dad’s closest
cousin, his wife and her uncle. Her father died in a car accident when he was
only 17 and her mom commit suicide shortly after because of it. Basically, she
never had a fair chance. When we got together I thought I’d be the one to fix
her and I did for a while…but I wasn’t enough. Peyton always aimed for
something a little more risky.
She
took everything from me. My virginity, my heart, my ability to love another;
it’s all gone because of her.
“I’m
going to jump in the shower for a while…you’re welcomed to join me,” Adriana
says with a smirk before climbing out of bed.
I
told her I’m okay for now as she closed the bathroom door behind her. I picked
up my phone from the night stand next to me and saw I had a new text message.
“I have this
really cool idea for a photoshoot. Call me so we can talk about it.”
Thinking
of the devil. Of course I would call her. In fact, I couldn’t wait to hear her
voice. I replied to her text saying, “Busy right now but I’ll contact you
later. Maybe we can talk about it over dinner?”
For
some reason I felt nervous, sort of like I was asking her out on a date. She
immediately texts me back telling me that dinner is okay and tomorrow night
would be good for her. I smile to myself and put my phone down. I can’t wait to
see her again. It’s been months since we’ve last spoke in person.
I get
out of bed and decide to join Adriana in the shower. It wouldn’t be a good idea
to be hung up on Peyton for the rest of the night when I had a beautiful model
in my shower. Before I head in the bathroom I hear my phone go off again like I
had another message. I double back and check it only to see a message from
Peyton.
“Can’t wait
to see you. Feels like it’s been ages. Maybe we can hang a little more this
week since I’m in town for a while…you know, just us old friends and a lot of
catching up?”
It's been a while since I wrote a short story based on the characters from my book series (RED Tragedies aka A Tragic Heart series) but tonight I'm giving you another short story. This one is from the POV of Peyton Hayley (Peyton and Taylor's daughter). If it were to fit into a book it would be part ofRED (Book 2). It's a short scene between her, Alex and Jackson.
Listen to "Throwing Punches" by Paramore on repeat while reading:
Peyton
Hayley: No Need to Catch Me (I’m Not Falling)
I lie
across Alex’s bed stuffing strawberries into my mouth as we talked about
nothing important. I was in one of his t-shirts that met just at my thighs and
his hand rested just above my knee. It’s hard to pay attention to anything he’s
saying because I can only think about how much I’ve missed him. We were forced
to stay away from each other by almost everyone. My uncle, Jackson, forbid us
to be together mostly because I was 17 and he was 25 and he claims he knows
Alex better than I ever would; but I know that’s not true. They may have been
close friends but Alex has shown me parts of him that no one else was ever able
to see. Now that I’m 18, there’s nothing stopping us from being together.
I
stop him in the middle of his sentence with a kiss. He responds just as I want
him to and before I know it the strawberries I was eating were scattered on the
floor while he was on top of me. It didn’t get too out of hand, mostly because
it never got the chance to. We were interrupted by the doorbell.
“Ignore
it,” I urge pulling him into another kiss. He obeys and we’re both acting as if
we’re afraid to part.
The
way Alex and I started wasn’t exactly applauded. I was underage and he was a
major rockstar. I had a faithful and charming boyfriend and he was a good
friend of my very famous uncle. We were a recipe for disaster. So many things
were sacrificed for us to be together but the only thing that matters is that
we are together. Age was never an issue for either of us. Since that kiss in
his car when I was 16, I knew somewhere deep down we would be together along
the road. It was only a matter of time and growing up. We vowed to wait until I
was 18 to go any further but that didn’t happen…we couldn’t keep our hands off
of each other and I’m glad we didn’t. Everything had to fall apart so they can
fall together.
“I’m
so glad I have you,” he whispered in my ear before lightly tugging on my
earlobes. I giggled before kissing him on his neck. I was just about to kiss
his lips again until the doorbell rang once more.
He
looked me in the eyes and told me not to lose the feeling because he’d be right
back. I roll my eyes as he gets up and walks out of the room.
“Might
as well clean up these strawberries,” I say to myself as I begin picking them
up one by one. No one’s ever “right back” once they answer the door.
After
I clean up the mess we made I realize that things were taking a little longer
than they should have. I gave it a few more minutes before I decided to walk
down the stairs to see who it was. It was 10pm and unusual for it to be one of
Alex’s bandmates. They always call before they just show up.
“Hey,
Al! Who is it?” I ask before I fully make it down the stairs. I stop in my
tracks when I see Jackson standing there. He hates Alex, why would he be here?
“Jack?!”
“Peyton…of
course you’re here with him.” Jackson turns away and laughs to himself for a
second before speaking up again. “You know what, this was a mistake. I
shouldn’t have come by.”
“Why
did you?” I ask folding my arms across my chest. Jackson has always been one of
my favorite people. We were so close it was hard to believe we were niece and
uncle. He’s the coolest uncle anyone could ever have. He was more like a big
brother or best friend. We fell apart once Alex and I got together.
“I
wanted to make amends with Alex. We’ve been friends for some time and I don’t
want us to be enemies anymore but I just got a reminder on why we are. You
could’ve at least put on clothes before coming down to see who it is.”
“I
didn’t know it was anyone worth putting on clothes for,” I shot back.
“Woah!
Guys come on. Let’s not,” Alex interrupts. “I would like for all of us to get
along. Jack and Peyton you guys are family…act like it…and Jack I’m sorry. Look,
I know she’s your niece and you helped raise her but I’m in love with her.” He
looks at me and I have no expression. I never heard him admit it out loud.
“Alex,
you love yourself,” Jackson replies as if he was correcting him.
“You
may not believe me yet but it’s different with her. She’s young, I know that
but…what we have is good and you’re going to have to accept that sooner or
later.”
“Don’t
fucking tell me what I have to accept,” Jack raises his voice and steps a
little too close to Alex. The last time they were this close, Jackson left Alex
with a bloody nose.
I
rushed between the both of them just to insure Jackson wouldn’t throw any
punches. I don’t want a repeat of last time.
“Jack,
you should go. There’s no need for you to be here,” I say staring him in his
eyes. It’s a cold stare. Never would I have thought Jackson would be my enemy.
“Peyton,
you’re making a huge mistake. Just come back with me and things can be a lot
different,” he pleaded.
“I
don’t want things to be different. I want Alex and if you can’t accept that
then you have no reason to be here…or in my life.” I could tell it broke his
heart, hearing me say such harsh words but if he truly wanted to make amends,
he would know he’d have to accept this.
“Okay.
I got it. I hope you two are happy,” he says before walking away towards the
door. Before he left he turned around and said, “Peyton, I may not be there for
you when you need me because trust me, you’re going to need me.”
For
some reason his words struck me hard…almost hard enough to knock me over. Alex
gently touched my shoulders and kissed my neck. I wanted it to relax me but all
it did was send a chill down my spine. Alex and I will be okay…Jack will see
just like everyone else will…
Last week I posted a short story from Mason's POV and this week's story takes off from that one but it's from Adalyn's POV. You can read last week's here (Mason: The Brother's Club) to catch up. This scene is strictly between Adalyn and Peyton and if it belonged to a book it would be part of Turn It Off (Book 3). Hope you enjoy!
Listen to "At Least My Heart Was Open" by Foy Vance on repeat while reading:
There
he stood right in front of me. All six foot two of him, his green eyes staring
at me; those same eyes I fell in love with…those same eyes that convinced me to
give it all to him. We were in the back of the barely lit bar our band plays in
from time to time. We just finished a show and the rest of our crew already
left to go home. It was just me, Peyton and the bar employees.
“Tonight
went well,” he said taking a seat next to me.
I
could barely look at him; not after what I did…not after what our breakup did
to him. Mason told me he ended up in a hospital bed getting his stomach pumped
from alcohol poisoning. He almost drank himself to death because he was so
depressed. He wouldn’t take it well if he knew what happened between me and his
cousin last week.
“Yeah,
it did,” I replied looking down at my drink. I circled my finger around the rim
of the glass. Anything not to look at him.
I
still love him…I always will and part of me wants him back but I’m not sure how
smoothly that would work out.
“Mason
told me you came by last week looking for me. I got a little caught up and never
got the chance to stop by,” he said positioning himself to look directly at me.
I
could tell he knew something was bothering me. I hoped he didn’t ask.
“Yeah,
I did. I wanted to talk to you about us…I just wanted to make sure we didn’t
lose our friendship,” I took a sip of my drink. “We’ve been best friends and
bandmates for too long to let our relationship fuck all that up. I just wanted
you to know that I will always love you Peyton and I don’t want us to not be us anymore.”
“I
feel the same way,” he said as he placed his hand over mine. “I’m glad we’re on
the same page. Adalyn, I really wanted us to work. I’m madly in love with you
and…I’m sorry. I was a jerk…an asshole.”
At
that very moment I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to forget all this talk about
friendship and grab him right there. I gulped down my drink quickly to avoid
the feeling.
All I
wanted was to tell him I was sorry and explain to him that Mason was a mistake.
I didn’t mean to sleep with his cousin that day. It just happened. After
spending the day with him, I felt a short connection with him and Peyton just
never showed up. I was vulnerable and Mason looked good with his wet hair
slicked back and his shirt off. I never thought the second guy I would lay with
would be my ex-boyfriend’s cousin. They’re like brothers and this would devastate
Peyton. Mason and I vowed to keep it a secret. Besides, no one needs to know.
It’s not like it would happen again anyway.
“How
are we going to go back to being just friends if we’re still this much in love?”
he asked grabbing hold of his beer bottle in front of him.
“We’ll
just have to deal with it. We did the best we could as lovers and it didn’t
work. We always worked as friends though. It’ll be hard but we’ll be okay,” I
answered finally looking up at him. He really is a handsome boy…red hair and
all; in fact it only makes him more attractive.
“Before
we go back to being just friends can I kiss you one last time?” he asked moving
in closer.
“But…we’re
in a bar with people around,” I objected.
“No
one’s paying any attention to us. I just want one last kiss and that’ll be it,”
he continued to press the issue.
He
had a point. The lights were dim and the bar crew was cleaning up. I leaned in
and lightly grabbed him by his collar. He smirked a little before I pressed my
lips against his. He pulled me closer and groaned a little. I wanted more…I
wanted to take it back and say let’s try one more time but I thought about what
happened with Mason last week and all of my thoughts were shattered. If I got
back with Peyton I would have to tell him. I fucked up any chance of there
being an “us” ever again. If he knew, he would never look at me the same. He
would call me a name or two and stop speaking to his cousin. Peyton’s temper
isn’t made for the truth.
I
pull back and he tries to kiss me again but I turn my face away from him. I can’t
do it another time. Once was enough.
“Come
on Addy…let’s just go back to my place and work this out,” he softly pleads. “I
love you and you love me. Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be. I’ll
be better this time. I’ll put a cap on my rage and I’ll be more respectful of
you.”
“Peyton,
no.” My eyes are teary and my face is turning red. “Trust me, you don’t want
me. I’m not the same me anymore. We
won’t be the same.”
He
caressed my arm and bit his bottom lip. He didn’t hear a word I just said.
All he thought about was taking me back to his place and “making up”.
“Peyton!”
I raised my voice a little and smacked his hand away. He jumped back into
reality. “No! I’m just going to go home now. I’ll talk to you later.” I got up
and walked toward the door at the back of the bar. I took one last look at him
before walking out. He focused his eyes on mine and I saw the anger inside of
him. I walked out knowing he found some other girl to take my place that night.
Now I
sit in my room looking at the picture we took together as a couple. I want so
badly to call him and tell him I take it back but I’m sure he’s too busy with
Claire or Lauren or whoever was willing…I let a tear fall and lay in my bed. At
least I sort of did the right thing…at least we’re still friends…
Find out more about Adalyn and Peyton in the RED Tragedies series here. Adalyn appears in A Tragic Heart, RED, Turn It Off (Coming Soon) & What Could've Been (Coming Soon). Peyton appears in A Tragic Heart, Turn It Off, & What Could've Been.
New week, new short story! You can check out last week's right here (Taylor: The Greatest Liar). This week the story comes from Mason's point of view and if it fit a book it would be Turn It Off (Book 3 of the series). We know a little about this scene from A Tragic Heart (Book 1) when Mason confessed something to Peyton but it was never played out. Well, now it is! The story is entitled "The Brothers Club" and I hope you enjoy! It's a tad bit longer than the previous two.
Listen to "Ink" by Coldplay on repeat while reading:
The
doorbell rang for a second time before I decided to hop off the couch and
answer it. My mom and dad are gone and Peyton is God knows where. Ever since he
and Adalyn broke up, he’s been going down that slippery slope again. I’m a
little afraid for him to be honest.
“I’m
coming!” I yell towards the door as I make it down the hallway.
I
open it to see Adalyn standing in front of me. Obviously, she’s here for
Peyton. Lately, all these two do is yell at each other and then make up. I
never thought it would be like that for them. She’s so good for him and they
were happy for about a year straight. I thought she would be the girl to set
him straight and keep him that way. I guess it’s true, we can’t change people.
All I know is, he’s a fool! Adalyn is the closest thing to perfection we’ll get
in this world. As she stands in front of me, she looks like a model who was
snatched right out of a Maxim magazine cover.
“Oh
hey, Adalyn! What’s going on?” I ask standing in the doorway.
“Hey,
Mason, is Peyton home?” she asks looking past me and into the house.
She
slowly moves her blonde hair away from her face. I never realized how bright
her eyes are…they’re the perfect honey brown.
“Uh,
no, he’s not. He left not too long ago. I have no idea where he went and how
long he’ll be.”
“Oh,”
she replies in a disappointed tone. “I just wanted to talk to him about what
happened the other night.”
“You
mean, about you two breaking up?” I ask raising one eyebrow.
She
bites her bottom lip pretty hard before responding. “Uh, yeah. Of course he
told you,” she says nonchalantly. “He tells you everything.”
“Well,
you’re welcomed to come in and wait for him if you’d like. He may be back in a
little while,” I proposed.
She looked
around for a few seconds before answering. “Okay, it’s not like I have anything
better to do anyway.”
I
move to the side to let her in and she moves past me swiftly. She stops in the
family room and turns to me.
“The
Breakfast Club?!” she says with a wide smile. “That’s what you’re watching?!”
“Uh,
yeah…” I reply a little embarrassed. “There was nothing else on and-“
“That’s
awesome! This is my favorite movie!”
She
sits in the very same spot I was in just before I answered the door. Looks like
I’m stuck watching The Breakfast Club with Adalyn. I admit I’m a fan of the
movie too. I’m sure there was more to choose from but what can I say? I like a
good 80’s movie.
The
time speeds by and the end of the movie comes faster than I remember; yet there’s
still no sign of Peyton. In a way, I enjoy him not being here. Spending time
with Adalyn isn’t so bad. It’s actually a first for me. Every time she’s around
Peyton’s with her. I never got a chance to get to know her.
“Hey,
uh, so you want a beer or something while you wait for Peyton or do you have to
go?” I ask a little more nervously than I should have.
“A
beer sounds not so bad right about now. Like I said, I have nothing to do,” she
answers with a smirk.
I quickly
head to the kitchen and take two of my dad’s beers out of the refrigerator. I
come back and hand it to her.
“Thanks,”
she says as she takes it from my hand. “You know, it’s a pretty nice night.
Want to go out back and hang for a while?”
“Sure!
That sounds cool.”
I
lead the way and she follows along. Before I know it we’re both drinking and
talking. She tells me about why she decided to break up with Peyton and how she’s
honestly just worried about him and his state of mind.
“Has
he seemed really off lately? Should I be worried?” she asks as if she truly
cares about him. I can see how much she loves him. He started off as her best
friend and bandmate and then became so much more. Peyton was her first for
everything.
“He’s…”
I pause for a few seconds. “He’s been drinking…a lot.”
“Oh
God!” she says as her eyes widen. “Has he-“
“No,
I don’t think so,” I answer before she can even ask the question. She’s worried
he started using the hard stuff again. Peyton just got out of rehab last summer
and we’re all a little afraid he’ll end up much worse if he goes back down that
route again.
“Just
keep an eye on him. I know he probably won’t let me get that close to him for a
while,” she says moving her curly blonde hair behind her ear.
Just
as she finishes her sentence, the sprinklers pop up and starts to spray us
both. It’s unexpected and hilarious. We both squirm and fight to not get wet
but it’s useless; we’re drenched by the time we make it back into the house.
We’re
laughing as I close the back door. Her hair is sticking to her face and I slick
mine back.
“Well,
uh, you can’t go home like that. Come upstairs and let me give you a shirt at
least,” I say with a smile.
She
follows me up the stairs and into my room. I pick out something that I know
wouldn’t look too big on her.
“Thank
you,” she says as I hand it to her.
I
walk out the room only to double back when I realize I probably should have
offered her a pair of my basketball shorts to go with it. I open the door
without knocking only to see her in her bra.
“Oh,
uh, I’m really sorry, I uh-“I begin to say.
She
laughs a little and tells me it’s okay. “I’m in a bra, not naked,” she laughs.
“O-kay,”
I say awkwardly. “Uh, well since you don’t mind I was just coming in to offer
you a pair of shorts.”
“Sure
Mason, a pair of shorts would be great,” she says still in her laced pink bra.
I
stare at her longer than I should. She starts to unbutton her pants but I don’t
even think to leave.
“This is the part where
you should probably walk out,” she jokes, “unless you don’t want to…”
I know it was meant as a
joke but some part of me took it as a proposition.
“What if I don’t want to?”
I ask not taking my eyes off of her.
Her face turns serious
and we both stand there staring at each other. I make the first move and walk
closer. She doesn’t move so I get as close as I can. I touch her wet hair and
she looks up at me.
“Mason…” she says softly
while looking into my eyes.
“I know…this is wrong but…”
I can’t even finish my sentence.
I move my face towards
hers and kiss her lightly. She kisses me back letting me know she was one
hundred percent with it. I place one hand on the side of her face and she
continues to kiss me. She places her hand over mine and kisses me harder.
Peyton’s like my brother
so everything about this is wrong but I can’t stop myself. Adalyn’s too
beautiful not to touch. I pull back from the kiss to take off my shirt. She
looks at me and sits on my bed; her jeans already unbuttoned. Is this really
going to happen? She’s no longer with Peyton but that doesn’t make it okay. He’s
still in love with her and she’s in love with him. He’s the only guy she’s ever
been with in that way; but most of
all, he’s my cousin.
None of these thoughts
stop me. I go for it and before I know it, Adalyn and I are fully at it. For me
it’s mostly lust, for her…well I can’t say. She’s a great girl and I think I
could really like her if it ever came to it but more than likely that’s not
going to happen. It was just the heat of the moment.
When we finish she
scrambles to find her clothes. Wet or not, she was in a hurry to go and I’m
sure the last thing she wanted to wear was something that reminds her of me and
what just happened.
“I won’t tell Peyton,” I
say after we’re fully dressed. “He doesn’t have to know.”
“I think that’s best,”
she says barely looking at me.
“I’ll let him know you
stopped by,” I say before she walks out my room.
“Yeah, thanks,” she replies
as she hurries out.
Well, so much for being
one half of the brothers club…
Find out more about Mason and Adalyn in the RED Tragedies series here! Mason and Adalyn appears in A Tragic Heart, RED, Turn It Off (Coming Soon), and What Could've Been (Coming Soon)
Last week I posted my first short story based on the characters from my book series (RED Tragedies Series or A Tragic Heart Series, whatever you want to call it) and here I am this week with a new one. You can view the one from last week here (Peyton: The One) before reading this one if you want. As I stated in my initial post about the short stories they will be posted in no particular order and can fit any book.
This week the story comes from Taylor's point of view and if it belonged to a book it would belong to A Tragic Heart (Book 1 of the series). It's entitled "The Greatest Liar" and would fit perfectly with the triangle that happens between Taylor, Mason, and Peyton. Enjoy!
Listen to "The Greatest Bastard" by Damien Rice while reading:
Sometimes
I wonder if we’re really in control of our decisions or if fate forces us to do
what we do. Either way we have to pay the consequences. I guess life is unfair
that way. I let one single tear fall before opening the door to our apartment.
This used to be the only place that put a smile on my face after a hard day and
now I can’t even call it my safe haven. It’s been built upon lies.
I
fake a smile towards the once “love of my life”. He really did keep his promise
about trying to be a better man for me even after the infidelity and the whole
getting another girl pregnant thing. The problem is that I just couldn’t
forgive him as easily as I thought I could. It hurts all the time, just the
same.
He
smiles back at me and pulls me into a hug as he kisses me softly on the cheek.
He was lying across the couch watching a game he probably didn’t even care
about. It was just something to pass the time until I came home.
I
told him I had something to take care of with Jackson since he came back to
town. I told him he only had a week here and I wanted to spend time with my
brother. It was a lie…all of it. Jackson is really in town but I wasn’t
spending time with him…I was with Peyton. Mason knows Peyton and I are best
friends but he would even find it weird that I chose to spend the entire night
with him on a day we had a date planned. Truth is I would rather spend my time
with Peyton at his place than go out into the real world with Mason. The
biggest problem about that is Mason’s my husband and Peyton’s his closest
cousin. Guilt consumes me once more.
“How’s
my love?” Mason asks with a grin. He’s been extraordinarily welcoming lately.
“I’m
good,” I lie.
“I
was thinking since you canceled our date maybe we could pull an all-nighter and
watch a few movies over junk food. I bought your favorite cheesecake from your
favorite bakery.”
He
flashes me his puppy dog eyes and I can’t decline that. He’s really trying.
He’s really sorry. I wish I could say the same about myself.
“I’d
love that, Mason,” I reply in a soft voice. “Just let me take a quick shower
first.”
I
walk past him hoping he doesn’t ask why I need a shower. Honestly, I feel dirty
after spending the night loving Peyton just to come home and fake it with his
cousin. Mason and I had a good run but it’s over…I just can’t fully let him go.
I’m doing to him what he did to me first but I think I’m the greatest liar in
this situation.
Eventually
I’m going to tell him; I’m just trying to figure out how and when. This is
going to crush him more than it crushed me. At least Lauren wasn’t a friend or
a family member. Peyton is practically his brother. They were raised together
and even grew up in the same household. They took on the world together since
forever and here I am breaking up one of the greatest bonds that ever existed.
The stories of Mason and Peyton are legendary…but this one is going to go down
as the most iconic.
I strip off my clothes
and turn on the shower. The moment the warm water hits my face I let the tears
fall. How could Mason cheat on me for so long without it affecting him like
this? It’s only been about two weeks since Peyton and I started this affair and
I feel like I’m already breaking.
I tried to justify my
actions by remembering that I probably was always in love with Peyton from the
start and just didn’t realize it. Peyton recently told me he was in love with
me from the first time we ever spoke to each other. He saw me around from time
to time and always thought I was his type of girl, he just never acted and
Mason got there first. I thought Mason was all I ever wanted but once I got to
know Peyton, I saw just how wrong I was. It was fate.
That’s exactly what I
want to tell Mason when I break him the news. I want to tell him that it was
fate that brought Peyton and I together. Our bad decisions weren’t ours at all
but it was something in this cosmic universe that conspired to put us together
before time even started. We’re soulmates and as foolish as it sounds it must
be true because we both felt the attraction the moment we stood in front of
each other. Peyton wasn’t just meant to be my best friend…he was always more.
I’m his extra rib and Mason…Mason is the pawn that was played to bring us
together. Maybe if I explained it this way Mason would understand and wouldn’t be
as hurt; but even I know that’s not true.
I turn off the shower
water and step out. I wipe off the foggy mirror in the bathroom to take a good
look at myself. I still look intact and Mason wouldn’t suspect a thing. I hurry
and head straight to our bedroom to get dressed. I throw on one of Mason’s
t-shirts and walk back into the living room. He bites his bottom lip as I sit
next to him.
“I always liked that
shirt on you,” he says coming closer.
“I know, that’s why I
wore it,” I reply as I forced him to cuddle with me.
His skin is always so
warm and something about that makes me feel like everything is going to be
okay. Part of me wants Mason forever but I know I have to make a choice…or
maybe the universe has already done that for me. In the end, I don’t think the
choice is really mine at all. I was made for Peyton and Peyton was made for me;
but for the time being I’ll just enjoy the movie and cheesecake with Mason.
Find out more about Mason and Taylor in the RED Tragedies series here! Mason appears in A Tragic Heart, RED, Turn It Off (Coming Soon), and What Could've Been (Coming Soon). Taylor appears in A Tragic Heart, Turn It Off and What Could've Been.
The short story is entitled, "The One" and takes off from the part in A Tragic Heart where he and Taylor comes back from their vacation with Mason in Australia. If "The One" belonged to a book it would fit right in with What Could've Been. It's an excerpt based on Peyton not going for a ride that night in A Tragic Heart. Enjoy!
It’s
hard to believe in just a few short days I’ll be leaving her just to follow my
dreams. It feels a little selfish but I know she wouldn’t want it any other
way. A few years ago I wouldn’t have dreamed of deciding to live my dream or
staying home for a girl…I never thought I would be so tempted to choose the
second choice.
I run
my fingers through her black hair as her head is on my lap. She fell asleep on
the couch while we cuddled watching TV. It’s nothing new. She does this all the
time; suggests we should watch something but falls asleep not even thirty
minutes in. The thought puts a smile on my face.
We
just got in from our trip to Australia with Mason and we’re both a little jet
lagged. I’m surprised she was able to fall asleep so easily. During most of the
trip I was a little bothered thinking about how I would have to leave her
almost as soon as we get back from our trip. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed
myself with her and my cousin, it’s exactly what I needed but it was
bittersweet knowing that everything finally fell into place when I have to
leave.
I
thought about going for drive to clear my head but decided to stay right here
with her. Usually a drive out on the town would help but I thought why leave
her when I have to be out of here in a few days anyway. Besides, it’s pouring
out there and that may not be a wise decision. I want to savor every moment
with her…even if it means watching her sleep.
Funny
how two years ago I was a kid running wild and now here I am, engaged and ready
to start a family with the most amazing girl I’ve ever met. I’m only seventeen
and four months shy of my eighteenth birthday but I feel like I’ve aged at
least a decade since then.
I
leaned over to kiss her softly on the side of her face. She moves around a
little before finally waking up. She sits up and yawns with a stretch. God, she’s
so adorable! I admire every second of this moment.
“Hey,
what happened? You were watching it without me!” she whines as she looks back
and forth from the TV and me.
I
smirk at her and shake my head a little. I knew this part was coming. She falls
asleep and then blames me for still watching the show.
“Actually,
I was watching you,” I correct her.
“Well,
that’s not creepy at all,” she replies sarcastically.
“So
you’d rather me watch the movie without you?” I raise one eye brow and stare at
her.
“Ugh!
Shut up and kiss me.”
I
love when she demands me to do something. She can be so feisty at times and I must
admit I love it. I submitted to her and did as I was told. She always demands
me to kiss her when she knows she’s lost a debate.
“I
can’t wait to marry you,” I whisper to her before she kisses me again.
“Neither
can I,” she replies after biting her bottom lip. She knows what that does to
me.
I
start to caress her arm and she knows what’s coming next. I can’t keep my hands
or eyes off of her. Every day is almost like I’m just seeing her for the first
time.
“Aren’t
you tired?” she asks with her head slightly tilted to the side.
“Not
tired enough,” I say staring into her beautiful green eyes.
I
pull her into me and kiss her a little rougher this time. She doesn’t interrupt
and goes along with it. I grab the sides of her face and lightly run my fingers
through her hair. She does the same to me, letting me know we’re on the same
page.
I lay
her on the couch and she bites her bottom lip and lets out a small laugh. She
excites me in the most non-sexual way possible. I genuinely love her and adore
every little thing about her. I can’t imagine this any other way.
I
slowly lean myself on top of her just to stare into her eyes. I have to
reposition myself because my side is still sore from the stab wound Karson gave
me. She notices it and lightly touches my side.
“It’s
okay. We don’t have to,” she says with a serious look.
“No,
no, I’m fine. I’m good,” I assure her. I kiss her once more and I feel her hand
touch the back of my neck. It gives me chills in the best way. “I hate that I
have to leave you so soon.” I stare at her waiting for a reply.
“It’ll
be okay. We’ll be okay. Go follow your dreams and have the time of your life
with your band. I’ll be right here waiting for you when you get back.” She
smiles at me and I can’t help but smirk back.
“This
is why I love you so much,” I respond kissing her on the cheek.
“I
can’t even begin to mention the reasons why I love you,” she says.
We
kiss again but this time it lasts for much longer. She knows how to make me
feel good about any situation. That’s when you know you’ve met the one. I can’t
wait to leave so I can come back home to my baby.
Find out more about Peyton and Taylor in the RED Tragedies series here! They appear in A Tragic Heart, Turn It Off (Coming Soon), and What Could've Been (Coming Soon)!
Enough was enough. This was the last time I
was going to allow him to treat me this way. My mom is gone and there’s no
reason for me to remain here any longer. He’s the reason why she’s no longer
breathing and I refuse to go out that way. It was time for me to leave.
I looked at my face in the bathroom mirror. I
was too young to go through this madness. I was only thirteen and I felt like I
was living the life of a man. My face was sore and bruised. I guess since my
mother was no longer here to be his punching bag, I had to suffice.
Karson was my stepdad since I was nine years
old but I never respected him. Night after night I would lie in my bed
listening to the horror going on in the room next to mine. My mother’s screams
from his beatings would enrage me, but what was I to do? I was only a kid.
Still, I continued to blame myself. I should have been stronger.
It
wasn’t until I got a little older that I started to fight back. Fighting back
only made him start to hit me too and that’s when my mother decided it was time
to go. She had the mother’s attitude of: you
can do what you want to me but leave my son out of it. I begged her for
years to leave but it wasn’t until he started to hurt me that she listened. I
only wished she listened sooner.
I applied alcohol to my face to clean my cuts
and placed a cold compress beneath my eye. It was swollen from the fight I just
had to endure. His reason this time: my mother’s death is all my fault. It’s
not even like he cared about her to begin with. The only thing he loved was the
bottle that seemed to be glued to the palm of his hand.
There was never a real father figure in my
life. My dad left when I was only seven and I haven’t seen or spoken to him
since. My mom was the only person I had in my life. She was my best friend and
I loved her to pieces. It kills me that my love for her wasn’t enough. If it
was she wouldn’t have ended up the way she did. She was a beautiful and
intelligent woman that only deserved the best, which is why I could never
understand how she ended up with Karson. The guy was bad news from the start.
I knew if I didn’t make plans to leave soon
that I would end up just like my mother. I don’t want to die running away. I
made my way back to my bedroom and locked the door. I picked up the phone and
dialed the only person I knew I could trust, my cousin Mason. It was time for
me to go…
Chapter
1: Rebellion/Jessica
“Come on, Peyton! We can’t waste time! He’ll be home any
moment now!” my mother said frantically as she threw a bunch of our belongings
in a bag.
“Why
are we running this way? Just tell him that you’re leaving him! That you had
enough!” I replied helping her put a few things away.
“Because
you know he’ll kill us both before he allows me to leave him!”
“Mom,
you can’t be afraid of him forever. You can’t just run because you’ll spend
your whole life running,” I said calmly as I placed my hand on her shoulder.
I
pulled her into a hug and tried to console her. She started to cry and I hated
Karson more than I ever thought I could at that moment. She was scared but I
wasn’t. I had to be strong for her. I wasn’t going to allow him to touch her
again. I’d rather die fighting for my mother’s life than have her be afraid any
longer. She held onto me tighter and I knew that even though I was her son, I
was also her protection. I might have only been thirteen but I been through
enough to pass as much older.
“I’ll
help you pack, mom, but you can’t be afraid. I’ll protect you,” I told her as I
kissed her forehead.
“I love
you,” she said as she wiped her tears.
“I love
you too, mom”.
It
didn’t take us long to get everything together and walk out of the door. I
could feel her sense of relief from the moment we stepped out of the house. She
rushed to start the car as I placed the bags in the trunk. This was it. We were
really leaving him forever. My mother was finally going to get her freedom…the
freedom she absolutely deserved.
I got
in the passenger seat and she sped off as fast as she could. She was still
nervous; her hands were shaking as she grasped the steering wheel. She stared
straight ahead at the road but her eyes seemed dead and filled with worry.
“It’s
going to be okay, mom,” I said trying to comfort her.
“It
will. I know it will,” she responded as if she is still trying to convince
herself.
She
was in deep thought and never saw it coming. What should have been the happiest
day of our lives turned sour in an instant. The sun was shining and the skies
were clear which should have been a sign of happiness. Instead, it was just a
sign that the calm comes before the storm.
The
light was turning from yellow to red but her mind wasn’t on that. Her eyes saw
what was ahead but her mind blinded her. She accidentally ran the red light and
my life changed in a few seconds.
I
remember hearing a bang. I felt the impact. I felt the pain of my head hitting
the glass window beside me. Tires screeching. Screams. Chatter. Then darkness.
I
slowly opened my eyes and blinked a few times. I must have passed out for a
little while…but it wasn’t long enough. I quickly gained consciousness and
realized I was still in the passenger seat of my mom’s car. I wasn’t prepared
for what I was going to see next. My mom. Her head leaned lifelessly on the
driver’s side window. Her arms dangled at her side…her eyes wide open. A truck
slammed into her side causing just enough damage to knock me out and end my
mother’s life.
I
snatched off my seatbelt and did what any other son would have done. I tried to
save my mom. I leaned over to her side and attempted CPR the best way I could.
The damage done to the car prevented me from being able to lay her seat flat.
“Come
on, mom! Mom, please don’t do this to me!” I yelled while trying to pump her
chest. “Mom!”
I
pushed the passenger door open and unbuckled my mother’s seatbelt. I pulled her
out of the car to lay her flat on the concrete. The sound of police cars and
the ambulance filled the atmosphere. I attempted CPR again but I wasn’t having
any luck. I knew I was doing it right, my mother taught me a billion times.
She was
a doctor; a surgeon to be exact. She taught me a lot about saving lives, I just
never thought I would have to use her lessons to save her own life.
“Hey,
hey! You need to get checked out! Move away from her! Let the paramedics handle
this kid!” A police officer yelled at me.
I
ignored his orders and continued to try and save my mother’s life. I knew it
was over but something in me wouldn’t allow me to give up.
“Come
on kid!” he yelled again, this time pulling me away. “What’s your name?”
I look
back at my mother who was now being handled by the paramedics. They were
repeating my failed attempt. I couldn’t pay attention to anything else but my
mom. We all knew it was too late but I wasn’t trying to admit it.
“Hey,
kid! What’s your name? I need to know that you’re okay!” the officer said once
more.
I look
away from my mother for a few to answer him.
“Uh-um,
Peyton…my name is Peyton Giordano. That’s my mom.Her name is Cathleen Taylor-Davis. I need her
to be okay! Please, tell me that she’s going to be okay!”
“They’re
going to do everything that they can for your mother. You need to stay calm and
go with a paramedic so I can take your statement,” he told me.
“No,
no, I need to be with my mom. She needs me, I can’t-“
“Kid,
you gotta calm down, you need to get checked out, you may be in shock,” the
officer said, leading me to the ambulance.
A
paramedic came over and began attending to me. They all were asking so many
questions I couldn’t comprehend it all. My mind was focused on my mother. I was
so far away I couldn’t see past all of the men that surrounded her.
“Will
she be okay? That’s my mom. She’s all I have,” I said to the paramedic who was
flashing a light in my eyes.
“They’re
doing the best they could,” was all she said to me. “You don’t seem to have a
concussion so that’s good. But, you will need stitches for that gash in your
forehead.”
I
lightly touched the right side of my head and saw a bit of blood come off on my
finger tips. I didn’t even realize that I was hurt. I guess I went numb to pain
when I saw my mother.
“We’re
going to take you in for some observations and tests. Stay here,” she said
before hopping in the ambulance and picking out a few packaged bandages and
other supplies.
The
crowd of people started to slowly move away from my mother. My heart sank when
I saw it. They were preparing to zip her up in a black body bag like she was
packaged meat. I immediately ran over to her, pushing everyone out of my way.
“No,
this can’t be happening! Mom! No, no, no, no, no! This isn’t real!” I said out
loud without realizing.
The
same officer from before pulled me away from the scene.
“Let me
go! That’s my mom!” I shouted while trying to get away.
He
grabbed me by both of my shoulders forcing me to face him.
“I’m
sorry, I really am but they did everything. You can’t go over there right now.
Do you have any other family to call?”
That question lingered in my mind before I
made the call to Mason to let him know that I was leaving. He was my only
family. I told him not to tell his mom and dad my real reason for wanting to
leave Karson; he promised me he wouldn’t. We planned to give my face some time
to heal so there wouldn’t be any questions asked. During that time I stayed far
away from Karson, making sure I wouldn’t give him any reason at all to go off.
About two weeks later I was living a new life
in a new home with the only family I had left. My aunt and uncle welcomed me
with open arms. I was always like a second son to them. Mason and I grew up
together and were more like brothers than cousins. That’s how I knew that I
could trust him. We knew all of each others' secrets and never judged. In
reality, Mason saved my life a number of times and no one ever found out about
it. He kept every moment to himself. I owed him more than I could ever repay.
To find out more about Peyton pick up your copy of A Tragic Heart now!
