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“Mama told me that people see you the way you see yourself. And that being poor wasn't so hard to bear if you owned up to it. It was the pretending not to be poor that was so hard. I tried to keep that lesson in mind while this paragon of privilege and beauty watched me slop together some peanut butter crackers and lemonade.”
― The Academy
― The Academy
“Her crime? Being “gifted.” And it’s Officer “Ranger” Nealson’s job to make her adhere to The Academy’s agenda for her. Even though he’s the one who....”
― Cadet-in-Training
― Cadet-in-Training
“Almost as sick as before, I clicked out the light and curled up in my own ball of misery. I couldn’t sleep. Images of her, so long repressed, played in my mind like a montage. The first time I laid eyes on her at the diner. Her sweet sensual face, those dorky glasses, her self-consciousness burning away with her growing anger. I recalled holding her slender curves while she thrashed around, desperately trying to escape from the one person who was trying the hardest to help her. The shocked anticipation on her face in the pharmacy when she thought I was going to kiss her. Even the unflattering florescent light couldn’t detract from her beauty, or hide her shame at her weakness for me. We had been drawn to each other, from the very beginning. And then I flashed forward to how we’d ended—with her leaving me for my mortal enemy. The one who’d back-handed her for kicking him in the shin and called her a “country bimbo.” The one who tagged and dragged her to The Academy against her will. The commander who put me in charge of this mission—to get his baby mama back. She was just a girl I used to know.”
― Awaken After Mourning
― Awaken After Mourning
“I couldn’t think of a way of helping one, without hurting the other.”
- Kate”
― Awaken After Mourning
- Kate”
― Awaken After Mourning
“A glimmer of a smile came and went. “I wasn’t gonna do it,” Andrew confessed. “I just wanted to get in trouble, without hurting anybody, so I could get expelled.”
“You’re not in high school, Andrew. And you’re not going anywhere, except down and home with me.”
He looked pained. “I don’t want to sleep in that room anymore.”
“Then you’ll sleep with me tonight. But don’t tell anybody,” I warned.
“Especially Junior, or it’ll become a pajama party, and I’ll never get him out of my bed.”
He almost cracked a smile. “Is Katie really gonna be okay?”
I gripped his palms in mine. “I promise. And I don’t make many of those.”
“Who’s with her? Not Jess. I just saw her yesterday.”
“Someone even better than Jess.” I slanted him a look.
“It’s not . . .” A little lightbulb illuminated above Andrew’s head, then he peered at me doubtfully and it dimmed. I nodded my head.
“You brought in—” He scooched closer, not allowing himself to believe it much less say it out loud. The boy was bright.
“Davenport,” I confirmed. And mangled a smile.
“You brought Pete in to help Katie?” he exclaimed with so much optimistic joy it both reconfirmed my decision and my doubts.
I let out a sigh. “Yup.”
“Thank you so much!”
― Awaken After Mourning
“You’re not in high school, Andrew. And you’re not going anywhere, except down and home with me.”
He looked pained. “I don’t want to sleep in that room anymore.”
“Then you’ll sleep with me tonight. But don’t tell anybody,” I warned.
“Especially Junior, or it’ll become a pajama party, and I’ll never get him out of my bed.”
He almost cracked a smile. “Is Katie really gonna be okay?”
I gripped his palms in mine. “I promise. And I don’t make many of those.”
“Who’s with her? Not Jess. I just saw her yesterday.”
“Someone even better than Jess.” I slanted him a look.
“It’s not . . .” A little lightbulb illuminated above Andrew’s head, then he peered at me doubtfully and it dimmed. I nodded my head.
“You brought in—” He scooched closer, not allowing himself to believe it much less say it out loud. The boy was bright.
“Davenport,” I confirmed. And mangled a smile.
“You brought Pete in to help Katie?” he exclaimed with so much optimistic joy it both reconfirmed my decision and my doubts.
I let out a sigh. “Yup.”
“Thank you so much!”
― Awaken After Mourning
“I fitted my front so close to her back that we
became one thing, like a man and wife should be. I set my warm palm on her shoulder (before it could turn cold on me). I drew her curtain of hair away to reveal the pink shell of her ear. Her boots put my mouth within easy whispering range, and I took full advantage.
“I will always be fair with you. I will always be square with you . . . I will always take care of you.”
I punctuated with a moist kiss to the sensitive spot behind her ear and felt her melt a little.”
― Awaken After Mourning
became one thing, like a man and wife should be. I set my warm palm on her shoulder (before it could turn cold on me). I drew her curtain of hair away to reveal the pink shell of her ear. Her boots put my mouth within easy whispering range, and I took full advantage.
“I will always be fair with you. I will always be square with you . . . I will always take care of you.”
I punctuated with a moist kiss to the sensitive spot behind her ear and felt her melt a little.”
― Awaken After Mourning
“What they couldn’t see, that I could, was that the wild was missing from her eyes. They had already dimmed for the night. She looked more defeated than anything, which weirdly caused another pang to hit my chest.
While the crowd recovered from this dramatic threat, Mel was the first to take action. She dove for an unused desk phone, as out of place at this party as me. “I’m calling hotel security,” she announced.
“No, please!” I was pleading to both my wife and my henchmen, who had gone mad with sudden onslaught of responsibility. Brent and his bro looked like they were getting ready to corner my wife and tackle her to the floor.
“Everybody just leave, so I can administer to my wife.”
― Awaken After Mourning
While the crowd recovered from this dramatic threat, Mel was the first to take action. She dove for an unused desk phone, as out of place at this party as me. “I’m calling hotel security,” she announced.
“No, please!” I was pleading to both my wife and my henchmen, who had gone mad with sudden onslaught of responsibility. Brent and his bro looked like they were getting ready to corner my wife and tackle her to the floor.
“Everybody just leave, so I can administer to my wife.”
― Awaken After Mourning
“My chest burned with rage, my face darkening with blood. The fucking audacity of this spectacle, on both their parts, could not be underscored enough.
There was a fine line between badass and dumbass, and Davenport just crossed it. Shit-for-brains, the both of them.
Or maybe their obvious love for each other caused them to continually make life-altering bad decisions. After all, I was basically in charge of both of their lives. But they didn’t seem to care about that at the moment. Or what people would think, if they saw them. It’s like they were in their own little world, cocooned by their all-consuming attraction and affection for each other.
The bright glow on my wife’s face was only outdone by the sparkles shooting from Davenport’s eyes. They were both beaming, the energy around them electric. As if an invisible gravitational pull was drawing them together, they inched closer and closer to each other.
You could tell they were just dying to touch.”
― Awaken After Mourning
There was a fine line between badass and dumbass, and Davenport just crossed it. Shit-for-brains, the both of them.
Or maybe their obvious love for each other caused them to continually make life-altering bad decisions. After all, I was basically in charge of both of their lives. But they didn’t seem to care about that at the moment. Or what people would think, if they saw them. It’s like they were in their own little world, cocooned by their all-consuming attraction and affection for each other.
The bright glow on my wife’s face was only outdone by the sparkles shooting from Davenport’s eyes. They were both beaming, the energy around them electric. As if an invisible gravitational pull was drawing them together, they inched closer and closer to each other.
You could tell they were just dying to touch.”
― Awaken After Mourning
“Use your words, Kitty-kat.” He rubbed his thumb over my temple and around the shell of my ear to regrip my face to his.
“Yes, I forgive you.” And the sad truth was, I really did.
He rewarded me with a swift, sweet kiss, tucked me back into him, covered us up, and a minute later fell fast to sleep.
As I lay wrapped in the warm, strong arms of my husband, I realized that we weren’t so different. Hurting me released some of the pain and rage built up inside of him. Just like hurting myself leaked some of the sorrow and rage I had built up inside of me. But I knew it wasn’t enough relief of the pressure. And if we didn’t let it all out soon, then we would both combust.”
― Awaken After Mourning
“Yes, I forgive you.” And the sad truth was, I really did.
He rewarded me with a swift, sweet kiss, tucked me back into him, covered us up, and a minute later fell fast to sleep.
As I lay wrapped in the warm, strong arms of my husband, I realized that we weren’t so different. Hurting me released some of the pain and rage built up inside of him. Just like hurting myself leaked some of the sorrow and rage I had built up inside of me. But I knew it wasn’t enough relief of the pressure. And if we didn’t let it all out soon, then we would both combust.”
― Awaken After Mourning
“I’ll always be square with you. I’ll always be fair with you. I’ll always take care of you.”
- Ranger”
― Awaken After Mourning
- Ranger”
― Awaken After Mourning
