Pieces, page 1
Copyright
2020
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This new adult romance is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and the trade-marked owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission.
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Katie
My life was over. I officially lost the only person who believed in me, who encouraged me never to give up. "You are a strong woman," she would say. I never believed her. I always put on a smile for her and shook my head. "Ok, mom," I would say, and walk away.
Brain Cancer consumed her. It started with frequent headaches, then the loss of vision. She tried to ignore it and pretend it didn't affect her, but eventually, it became too much. Until finally, her business partner convinced her to get checked out by the town doctor. He suggested she should g et some tests, which showed stage two brain cancer.
They immediately put her on chemo, which made her sicker than I had ever seen her. It killed me to watch her go through so much at once. She couldn’t work and barely ate until I thought she would die from starvation. I did my best to run the house, getting a part-time job at the corner store, and making sure she had around the clock care. Close friends would take turns, giving me a well-deserved break, but the disease won its battle in the end.
I stand in front of my full-length mirror in a black dress as I fight back the tears that threaten to fall down my cheeks. I give up staring at my ugly, pathetic self and leave the room in haste—the once lively house, now an empty pit. I walk solemnly through the house, and the only sound is a squeaking noise from our large country porch outside.
I walk towards the wooden screen door and open it slightly as it creaks with me. Another sight that has eaten away at my heart sits before me, and it takes every ounce of me not to cry harder. Noah, my three-year-old’s father, cradles our son, who is peacefully sleeping against his chest. He looks up at me with those swirling blue eyes, and I fight the floundering urge to cry once more.
Noah and I were nineteen when I accidentally got pregnant. I was looking for a good time testing my limits like I always did. One drink led to another, which led to his truck in the middle of a cornfield… and well, you can guess the rest. The funny part was that I barely knew him. We had gone to high school together, but I never actually talked to him until that night. He had just been accepted to medical school and was celebrating his acceptance with his buddies. On the other hand, I was just a stupid, slutty cheerleader with no heart or care in the world. I just wanted some action, and that’s exactly what he gave me.
I was the sole person who ruined his life. At least that's what his parents had told my mom. Noah is a good man. He refused to let me raise Alex on my own. But I punished myself by refusing to be in a relationship with him. Over the past few years, my resolve has diminished considerably, and I’ve grown fond of the idea, but I fear it's too late.
I’ve dated a few interesting guys since then, but most were just interested in sex. They had no interest in being a father. My current boyfriend, Junior, was one of the only guys who felt the most comfortable with the idea of having to deal with a child. At least that's what he keeps saying, though he has yet to bond with Alex. Or Noah, for that matter.
Noah puts his finger to his lips to make sure I don’t make any loud noises. I nod my head and point in the direction of the funeral home down the street. We live in a small town called Tumbleton in the good ole’ state of Alabama. It's a quaint country town where everyone knows everyone. We live right on the edge of town just down the street from the funeral parlor. Just thinking of going there makes my stomach jolt.
Noah's eyes turn sad, but he nods as I start my journey off the front porch and onto the fluffy green grass. It's a scorcher today. The weatherman had said it would climb to at least one hundred degrees. I cringe at the hot sun that beats down on my golden skin. I make my way on to the grey , pebble road, and watch, as a few cars pass me by, a few I know glance at me with sad expressions.
Everyone loved my mom. She was the town's tax agent, accountant and she owned her own business in our town. A company that she started from the ground up when she left my useless father. Everyone in town went to her to do their taxes and business jargon. Her best friend Elsie bought a portion of it from her when my mother had found out she had cancer and wasn’t able to be there as much. When my mother got sick and had to step down, it was Elsie who stepped up.
I raise my shaky hand to the massive double wooden doors and heave them open. The smell of death immediately hits me. I don't want to be here. I'm not supposed to be here. I stand frozen in the doorway as I spot my mother's coffin. Beautiful purple and orange flowers surround it and behind stands a beautiful picture of the woman she once was. I feel my pulse rate increase as a sob escapes my mouth. I can’t do this. I turn and run out of the building as fast as my feet will carry me.
I run until I can't breathe. I run until my feet throb so that I can't feel the pain in my chest. I stop in front of the liquor store and enter. I haven't had a drop of alcohol since the night I found out I was pregnant. I lick my dry, broken lips as my eyes dart around at all the glass bottles that surround me.
"Katie."
I turn to look at the tall, scruffy man over the counter. Mr. Devers is the owner and former boyfriend of my mother. He dated my mother a few times— he always had a crush on her. She could never make up her mind on him. He was a nice man, and I had no issues with him. He always treated us with respect and kindness. He, too, has sadness in his eyes, and I can no longer take it. I grab the first bottle I see and yank it forcefully off the shelf.
I plop it onto the counter as his eyes raise in surprise. His protruding black beard hangs a few inches off his chin, matching his short dark hair.
"Can you put this on my mom’s account? I forgot my wallet at home. I promise I will pay you back."
Instead of giving me an answer, he proceeds to scan the bottle.
"This one’s on me, Katie. Will you be ok? Do you need anything?"
I shake my head violently and then thank him. I can’t do small talk right now, and I know I will see him at the wake later. So without even opening my mouth, I walk briskly out of the store and back down towards my house— it’s a gorgeous yellow country home with white shutters and a wrap-around porch. I glance up at it and make my way inside.
I pop open the bottle as fast as I can, and instantly start to chug its contents. I let my eyelids fall slowly as the cold liquid drains down my parched throat. After only a minute of bliss, I feel the bottle yanked away from me. My eyes fly open to reveal Noah standing in front of me with a stern look.
"I won't allow you to get drunk before your mom's wake."
Katie
(Flashback 3 years ago)
"Let's get it, girl!" My friend Abigail says as we walk down to the local country club.
The former cheerleading squad of Alabama High and I go down every Friday to release our tension. We call it our ‘girls night.’ We have been friends through all four years of high school, inseparable even. They are my sisters, the girls that stood by me through thick and thin. We heard that the recently graduated high school guys would be down there, which made us all the more anxious to hang out.
"I'm coming!" I giggle as the other girls follow slowly behind.
The legal drinking age is twenty-one, but with this being a small town, and drunken guys wanting to get lucky, they always sneak us free drinks. Don't get me wrong, I’m responsible when it comes to school, and when I needed to help my mom run her business, but some nights I just want to let loose. No harm in that, right? And now, I was out of school and loving life.
We walk into the smelly old barn that our neighbor, TJ, bought and fixed up. The scent of booze and sweat wafts into my nostrils, and I hold back a gag. The country music pumps in my ears, and I instinctively bob my head to the music. Some guys are on the makeshift dance floor doing a line dance, while others sit at the bar looking lonely.
"Oh my gosh, Katie, look at those hotties over there!" Abigail shouts in my ear.
I followed her pointed finger to a group of guys tucked away in a dark corner of the barn. They are no doubt here to have a good time and are around our age. I place a smile on my face and fix my short black skirt that ruffles around the edges. I paired it with my cowgirl boots and a small white crop top that only comes midway to my navel. Abigail insisted I wear it to catch a man's eye.
“Those guys graduated with us,” I shout back. She only smiles, her eyes already spotting her target. Recent grads, already forgotten.
We walk over towards the group of guys. They spot us and stop talking to stare. As we get closer, one guy whistles at us and tips his cowboy hat.
“Well, howdy ladies,” he howls over the raucous coming from the
He's hot in every way, with his tight-fitting jeans, a worn-out t-shirt that reads xx, and his faded, beat-up baseball cap. My heart thrums a little when he gives me a breathtaking smile. He pushes himself off the wall and strides over to me.
"Hi. I'm Noah. What's your name?"
"Katie," I smirk. His deep voice is electrifying in all the right places.
"Want a drink?"
I nod my head and bite my bottom lip. I notice his eyes dart to my lips before taking my hand and pulling me towards the bar.
"Hey man, I need a gin and tonic and a..." He looks back at me expectantly.
"Surprise me," I say as flirty as I can. Noah smiles and turns back to the bartender and orders a beer. He grabs the drinks and hands me the beer.
"That's the best you got? A beer?" I ask in a mocking tone. He flashes me a heart-stopping smile and takes a swig.
"You're underage and don't know what's good."
My eyes go wide as I realize he's laughing at me.
"How did you know?" I ask. He stops laughing and raises an eyebrow.
"Lucky guess." He moves past the crowd, finds a table, and pulls the chair out for me, and I sit.
“Besides, I've seen you all over the school; we graduated together. You never noticed me. Until now, that is.”
A blush creeps across my face. I can’t tell if it's from embarrassment or the fact that I never noticed such a hottie before. How could I have missed this guy?
“Wait a minute! I’m nineteen, which would make you what? The same age or twenty? If so, then that means you’re underage too.”
I give him a pointed look waiting for his answer. Instead, he simply shrugs.
“I have connections, and despite what you may think, I’m not stupid.”
"So, aren't you worried about getting in trouble?" I ask.
"I said I wasn't dumb. I didn't say ‘ they’ weren't dumb. He points his thumb over his shoulder to where the bartender is. I stifle a laugh.
"You're cute," I say as I take a swig of beer. I cringe at the taste and push it away.
"You don't like it?" he asks with a cocky smile.
I shake my head.
He gets back up and heads back to the bar. I watch as he animatedly talks to the bartender. He finally comes back with a medium-sized glass; its contents are pink. The rim is enormous, and it has weird powder around it.
"What is this?"
"A margarita. Try it."
I hesitate, but I give in and sip the liquid. The fruity flavor with a hint of tang explodes in my mouth. "Oh my gosh! This is soooooo good!" I take another sip and then another. Before I know it both our drinks are gone, and he's up again for refills.
After the third drink, things start to feel very heavy on my body, and my head is spinning.
I can feel Noah’s intense stare causing me to look up. Our eyes lock, and I can’t help but feel the intensity between us that licks at my skin, making my blood boil in a way I’ve never experienced before. I want to get to know this man in every way possible.
"Dude!" A guy pats Noah on the shoulder. We break our stare and look up at the cocky, cowboy hat-wearing guy from earlier. A blonde-haired girl is wrapped around him, smiling. She has daisy duke shorts on and a white tank top exposing a little too much cleavage for my taste. I glance around, wondering where my friends disappeared to.
"What's up, Jude?"
"I'm about to go home.” He raises his eyebrows a few times, and I force myself not to roll my eyes. He then looks over at me and back at Noah.
"I see you’re in good hands, though, bro." He smiles and then snatches Noah's phone from the table. Before I get a chance to react, he screams, 'say cheese!' Then he throws the phone back on the table and walks away laughing. What an idiot. I watch him glance down at his phone as he bursts out laughing. I make a grab for it, ripping it out of his hands, and look down at the bright picture. I’m smiling and Noah, well, let’s just say he looks like a mad, confused chicken. I chuckle to myself and close the phone. Noah stands up from the table but grabs onto it to hold himself steady . No doubt he's getting drunk—time to move in. I get up and slowly wobble over to him, leaning my whole body into his.
"Let's dance!" A Shania Twain song comes on, and it's one of my favorites. People take our lead and join us as we do a line dance. I bump into him a few times and scream the chorus out loud like the rest of the bar. The alcohol has officially taken over my body and my mind. I’ve never felt freer than I do now.
The song ends, and I clutch my sides to try and catch my breath. Before my mind can process anything, Noah grabs my hand and leads me away without another word.
Katie
"Don't you dare start with me, Noah! Give it back."
I reach for the bottle but I’m unsuccessful. The little alcohol I have managed to consume is slowly seeping through my veins and making my muscles heavy.
"Katie, don't do this. You haven't had a drink since that night. You're a fool when you drink, and this is not the way your mom would have wanted you to behave!"
"You don't know anything about my mom!" I spit.
I hate him. At least that's what I’ve kept telling myself all these years. It helps me to feel less guilty. I always fight with him and give him a hard time. However, he fights with me an equal amount. It seems that's all we do is fight about one thing or another. My mom would say I was only pushing him away and lying to myself about my feelings for him. She would say that the people truly meant to be together fought because it showed they cared about each other. She didn't understand either. The guilt and the pain I had consumed all these years were now tenfold.
"Katie. I know you are upset right now," he speaks in a low tone, "but I can't let you do this. I won't let you do this, Alex needs you."
"You're an idiot! It's not like I'm killing myself! I just need to calm my nerves. Besides, who are you to tell me what to do?"
He grits his teeth and exhales through flaring nostrils.
"I'm the father of our son, and you will not drink around him.” His beautiful face is scrunched up, his eyebrows creased in an angry expression. He’s inches from my face, and although I'm mad, I can't help but take in his mesmerizing scent. It takes everything in me not to devour his lips and wrap my hands around his neck, to claim him as mine. He goes to walk away with the bottle as I lean against the wall trying to regain some sanity. I have a boyfriend, and I should not feel this way about him no matter who he is or how my heart feels. He walks into my kitchen, and within seconds I hear all the liquid splashing in the steel sink.
I push myself off the wall and run into the kitchen. "What are you doing?"
"Dumping it out," he says, concentrating on the contents that seep out.
"How dare you! That was a gift, and you owe me now!" I seeth through gritted teeth.
The contents empty as he wrenches the bottle upwards and throws it into the trash can.
"Who gave it to you? Your pathetic boyfriend?"
"It's none of your business—"
"I should have known. Where is he anyway? Huh?"
"As usual, you didn't even let me finish my sentence! He did not give it to me! And if you must know, he's busy working. He will be at the wake later."
He grunts and then rolls his eyes. "He should be here with you now ." He comes close to me. So close, the caged butterfly in my stomach is flipping and banging to be let out. His hot breath fans my face as his ocean blue eyes look into mine. I feel as if I’m suffocating, drowning in the waves that spill out of his eyes.
"You’re lucky I let that asshole near my son." With one last look, he turns and walks away out the door onto the front porch. Just like that, the bubble bursts as I let out a shaky breath. I won’t allow him to see how he affects me. How my skin lights on fire from his proximity, or the way my breathing halts as if I forget to breathe.
