Release Day Blitz & Giveaway
He + She
by
Michelle Warren
 |
| Release Date: June 2, 2014 |
~Synopsis ~
HE is trying to piece together his broken life.
HE is trying to piece together his broken life.
SHE is running away from her wedding day.
TOGETHER, their world is a beautiful lie.
APART, their world is a perfect mess.
He + She is a free-spirited romance about soul-awakening second chances, heartbreak, and hopeful beginnings.
~ Excerpt ~
Chapter 1
Step Nine: Make direct amends with the people I’ve hurt.
That’s part of
AA’s recovery plan, but it’s easier said than done. At least, it is if the prick staring at me
from the front door of his farmhouse has anything to do
with it. I grip the handle and pull, releasing the Jeep’s
door.
It creaks open as I step out into the night with
determination. Before I’m five paces into the yard, the
dickhead meets me chest to chest with the usual look on his
face—like he wants to kill me. And the truth is, he has
every right to feel that way.
"I told you she
doesn’t want see you,” he spits out.
“I know you
did.” I meet his gaze, puffing up my chest like some rooster in a cockfight. I set my jaw. “But I
need her to know I’m sorr—”
He presses his
large hands into my shoulders and shoves me away. I fall backward and slam into my car, making a futile grab at the side mirror before I hit
the ground. Sollie Winters is standing over me so fast,
all I have time to do is brace myself for the impact of his
steely
fist before it makes contact with my nose. I don’t fight
back, since I’m desperately trying not to be a fighting person. Instead, I don’t defend myself,
I just lie still, allowing him to purge his anger. He owes me
every strike to the jaw, every punch to the gut, every
spurt of blood, and so much more. Though I didn’t come here for a confrontation, I expected the
less-than-warm-and-fuzzy welcome. It mirrors the two previous times I’ve tried to apologize to her since I learned she came
home.
But I needed to finish this, to finally say I’m sorry
so I can get the hell out of town and move on with my life.
There’s nothing for me here after what I’ve done. I’ve ruined
everything.
These are the
words that run through my head as he pummels me one last time. He twists his fingers into
my shirt, lifting my wobbling body to my feet, and shoves
me back through my open car door.
"If you’re not
gone in five fucking seconds, I’m calling the police!” Sollie’s slight Southern twang is more
pronounced when he’s pissed. He kicks the door shut and I sprawl across the front seat, a bruised and bloody
mess.
In the yellow haze of the front porch light, I see his
wife run to his side, and though a frail thing, she
forcefully ushers him back into the house, where their dogs are barking wildly. She looks over at me, giving me the
same apologetic look she’s given me before as they
disappear into the house. That’s when I notice a silhouette
standing
inside the lit window of an upstairs room.
Ignoring his
warning, I sit up in the driver’s seat, grip the steering wheel, and lean forward, looking closer.
She could be at that window. Right there, watching me get
my head split open, painting the front yard red. If she’s
looking out, it might make her happy to see me this way.
If I were her, I wouldn’t be happy until I was dead.
When the
silhouette moves across the room and disappears, I contemplate one more go of it, despite the
fact that my face resembles a rotting pumpkin smashed in
the road. I take a second to consider and think of my
counselor, who urged me not to return for a third time for a
third beating. “You’ve done all you can,” Mrs. Mankin
drilled into me at our last session. It’s true, I have,
everything just short of stalking the girl, but I won’t allow
myself to do that. I don’t need more problems than I already
have.
I slam my palm
to the dashboard, fumble for my keys, shove one in the ignition and turn on my car, revving
the engine. Slamming the stick shift into reverse, I peel
out of the dusty driveway, swerving as I back out, barely
missing the rusted mailbox before I speed away. If I don’t
get out of here soon, I know that dickhead will have the
cops all over my ass.
~ Links to Buy ~
Michelle Warren didn't travel the road to writer immediately. She spent over a decade as professional Illustrator and designer. Her artistic creativity combined with her love of science fiction, paranormal and fantasy led her to write her first YA novel, Wander Dust. Michelle loves reading and traveling to places that inspire her to create. She resides in downtown Chicago.
~ Connect with Michelle ~
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