Alex had everything when he was with
Madison. But the darkness within him wouldn't go away. After two years apart,
he returns to Pelican Bluffs and to the girl he never wanted to leave.
Excerpt:
“We have to break up,” I hear myself tell her. I’m standing on the
rocky beach, my back to the crashing surf. In front of me is Madison, gazing up
at me with pure pain in those ice blue eyes. Behind her is the rugged rock wall
of the cliff face.
Her hair is pulled back in a simple ponytail and the breeze stirs the
wisps that frame her face. The air is cool, but not cold. “I know myself, all
right?” I explain. “The moment you move on, I won’t be able to take it. So I’ve
got to let you go.”
“Don’t do this.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Take it back. Please. Alex, I don’t want to break up.” Her eyes are
wide, like clear, crystal pools.
“And I need you not to write to me,” I say.
“Why?” Now she claps both her hands over her nose and mouth as if to
hold back pain or tears, or whatever it is shining from her gaze.
It takes every ounce of my control not to back down. I have to stop
kidding myself and finish this. “Because, I don’t want to know the moment you
move on. I just… I need you to give me space.”
“You’re going to Japan. That’s not enough space for you?”
“I’m sorry, all right.” I back away, stepping carefully on the rocky
beach. “But it’s not like we were ever going to last.”
“Why not?”
That, I should think, is obvious. Because the two of us together makes
no sense. She’s beautiful and popular and has guys lining up around the block
for a chance to be with her. I’m a high school dropout with a criminal record
and no future. She should be embarrassed to be with me. Eventually we’ll both
have to grow up. At least I’ll have the memories.
As I turn away, I hear her scrabble behind me, then the rapid beat of
her boots against the stony ground. “Alex, wait.” Her tone is anguished.
I set my jaw against the pain, like I’ve stitched my own heart with a
silk thread and am now yanking it hard enough to tear the organ. I keep
walking.
She grabs my hand, her supple fingers wrapping around my palm. “Stop.”
I stop, but I don’t turn.
It doesn’t matter because she darts around in front of me and puts one
arm around my waist. The other hand she slides up my back to grasp my shoulder.
Her soft curves fit against my body. It’s how she always holds me, and I can’t
endure it this time. I bow my head and just let the tears fall.
“Alex,” she whispers, touching her forehead to mine, that soft breath
against my lips. “Don’t, okay? You promised you’d never hurt me.”
At that I let out a sob. Forget saving face. She knows me for who I am
anyway and now she’s wiping away my tears. “Listen,” she says, “you need me not
to distract you from your mission, fine. But I’ll always be here for you, and
when you come back, I’ll be waiting.” She strokes my cheek with the backs of
her fingers and leans up to press her lips against mine.
I don’t want to kiss back, but at the same time, I can’t resist. She
runs her fingers through my hair and the kiss goes on and on until I’ve got
both arms wrapped tight around her and I’m drinking in her essence, liquid fire
that pools in my core. I have to stop this.
But when I do, she doesn’t let me pull back. She leans in and looks me
straight in the eye. “I’ll wait for you. I don’t care if you don’t believe me.
Let’s not end things with a fight, okay? Let’s end it on a good note for now.”
“Goodbye, Madison.”
“Bye, Alex. For now.”
“I love you.” I don’t mean to say it, but it slips out, my whisper
barely loud enough for me to hear it myself.
Madison’s chin snaps up. “What?”
I shake my head, willing her not to press me.
“Alex-”
I start to pull away but she reels me back in, not by force, but with
her gaze. Her eyes beg me not to leave. She puts one arm around my waist again
and slides her other hand up my back. “It’ll be all right. Everything will be
all right,” she says.
“We have to break up,” I hear myself tell her. I’m standing on the
rocky beach, my back to the crashing surf. In front of me is Madison, gazing up
at me with pure pain in those ice blue eyes. Behind her is the rugged rock wall
of the cliff face.
Her hair is pulled back in a simple ponytail and the breeze stirs the
wisps that frame her face. The air is cool, but not cold. “I know myself, all
right?” I explain. “The moment you move on, I won’t be able to take it. So I’ve
got to let you go.”
“Don’t do this.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Take it back. Please. Alex, I don’t want to break up.” Her eyes are
wide, like clear, crystal pools.
“And I need you not to write to me,” I say.
“Why?” Now she claps both her hands over her nose and mouth as if to
hold back pain or tears, or whatever it is shining from her gaze.
It takes every ounce of my control not to back down. I have to stop
kidding myself and finish this. “Because, I don’t want to know the moment you
move on. I just… I need you to give me space.”
“You’re going to Japan. That’s not enough space for you?”
“I’m sorry, all right.” I back away, stepping carefully on the rocky
beach. “But it’s not like we were ever going to last.”
“Why not?”
That, I should think, is obvious. Because the two of us together makes
no sense. She’s beautiful and popular and has guys lining up around the block
for a chance to be with her. I’m a high school dropout with a criminal record
and no future. She should be embarrassed to be with me. Eventually we’ll both
have to grow up. At least I’ll have the memories.
As I turn away, I hear her scrabble behind me, then the rapid beat of
her boots against the stony ground. “Alex, wait.” Her tone is anguished.
I set my jaw against the pain, like I’ve stitched my own heart with a
silk thread and am now yanking it hard enough to tear the organ. I keep
walking.
She grabs my hand, her supple fingers wrapping around my palm. “Stop.”
I stop, but I don’t turn.
It doesn’t matter because she darts around in front of me and puts one
arm around my waist. The other hand she slides up my back to grasp my shoulder.
Her soft curves fit against my body. It’s how she always holds me, and I can’t
endure it this time. I bow my head and just let the tears fall.
“Alex,” she whispers, touching her forehead to mine, that soft breath
against my lips. “Don’t, okay? You promised you’d never hurt me.”
At that I let out a sob. Forget saving face. She knows me for who I am
anyway and now she’s wiping away my tears. “Listen,” she says, “you need me not
to distract you from your mission, fine. But I’ll always be here for you, and
when you come back, I’ll be waiting.” She strokes my cheek with the backs of
her fingers and leans up to press her lips against mine.
I don’t want to kiss back, but at the same time, I can’t resist. She
runs her fingers through my hair and the kiss goes on and on until I’ve got
both arms wrapped tight around her and I’m drinking in her essence, liquid fire
that pools in my core. I have to stop this.
But when I do, she doesn’t let me pull back. She leans in and looks me
straight in the eye. “I’ll wait for you. I don’t care if you don’t believe me.
Let’s not end things with a fight, okay? Let’s end it on a good note for now.”
“Goodbye, Madison.”
“Bye, Alex. For now.”
“I love you.” I don’t mean to say it, but it slips out, my whisper
barely loud enough for me to hear it myself.
Madison’s chin snaps up. “What?”
I shake my head, willing her not to press me.
“Alex-”
I start to pull away but she reels me back in, not by force, but with
her gaze. Her eyes beg me not to leave. She puts one arm around my waist again
and slides her other hand up my back. “It’ll be all right. Everything will be
all right,” she says.
“We have to break up,” I hear myself tell her. I’m standing on the
rocky beach, my back to the crashing surf. In front of me is Madison, gazing up
at me with pure pain in those ice blue eyes. Behind her is the rugged rock wall
of the cliff face.
Her hair is pulled back in a simple ponytail and the breeze stirs the
wisps that frame her face. The air is cool, but not cold. “I know myself, all
right?” I explain. “The moment you move on, I won’t be able to take it. So I’ve
got to let you go.”
“Don’t do this.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Take it back. Please. Alex, I don’t want to break up.” Her eyes are
wide, like clear, crystal pools.
“And I need you not to write to me,” I say.
“Why?” Now she claps both her hands over her nose and mouth as if to
hold back pain or tears, or whatever it is shining from her gaze.
It takes every ounce of my control not to back down. I have to stop
kidding myself and finish this. “Because, I don’t want to know the moment you
move on. I just… I need you to give me space.”
“You’re going to Japan. That’s not enough space for you?”
“I’m sorry, all right.” I back away, stepping carefully on the rocky
beach. “But it’s not like we were ever going to last.”
“Why not?”
That, I should think, is obvious. Because the two of us together makes
no sense. She’s beautiful and popular and has guys lining up around the block
for a chance to be with her. I’m a high school dropout with a criminal record
and no future. She should be embarrassed to be with me. Eventually we’ll both
have to grow up. At least I’ll have the memories.
As I turn away, I hear her scrabble behind me, then the rapid beat of
her boots against the stony ground. “Alex, wait.” Her tone is anguished.
I set my jaw against the pain, like I’ve stitched my own heart with a
silk thread and am now yanking it hard enough to tear the organ. I keep
walking.
She grabs my hand, her supple fingers wrapping around my palm. “Stop.”
I stop, but I don’t turn.
It doesn’t matter because she darts around in front of me and puts one
arm around my waist. The other hand she slides up my back to grasp my shoulder.
Her soft curves fit against my body. It’s how she always holds me, and I can’t
endure it this time. I bow my head and just let the tears fall.
“Alex,” she whispers, touching her forehead to mine, that soft breath
against my lips. “Don’t, okay? You promised you’d never hurt me.”
At that I let out a sob. Forget saving face. She knows me for who I am
anyway and now she’s wiping away my tears. “Listen,” she says, “you need me not
to distract you from your mission, fine. But I’ll always be here for you, and
when you come back, I’ll be waiting.” She strokes my cheek with the backs of
her fingers and leans up to press her lips against mine.
I don’t want to kiss back, but at the same time, I can’t resist. She
runs her fingers through my hair and the kiss goes on and on until I’ve got
both arms wrapped tight around her and I’m drinking in her essence, liquid fire
that pools in my core. I have to stop this.
But when I do, she doesn’t let me pull back. She leans in and looks me
straight in the eye. “I’ll wait for you. I don’t care if you don’t believe me.
Let’s not end things with a fight, okay? Let’s end it on a good note for now.”
“Goodbye, Madison.”
“Bye, Alex. For now.”
“I love you.” I don’t mean to say it, but it slips out, my whisper
barely loud enough for me to hear it myself.
Madison’s chin snaps up. “What?”
I shake my head, willing her not to press me.
“Alex-”
I start to pull away but she reels me back in, not by force, but with
her gaze. Her eyes beg me not to leave. She puts one arm around my waist again
and slides her other hand up my back. “It’ll be all right. Everything will be
all right,” she says.
About the Author
Emily Mah Tippetts writes romance under the name E.M.
Tippetts and science fiction and fantasy under the name Emily Mah. Originally
from New Mexico, she now lives in London with her family. Before she was a
published author, she was an attorney who specialized in real estate,
contracts, and estate planning, especially literary estate planning.
Author
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