Against All Odds Page 15

  Sex with you is always earth shattering.

  You love me even when I barf all over you.

  You watch chick flicks with me and secretly enjoy them.

  You are so smart and so talented, you inspire me.

  You don’t believe in going to bed angry. You want to resolve issues when they arise.

  You love Ornery even if she isn’t the prettiest cat on the block.

  You break me out of my shell.

  You can make me laugh like no one else.

  You are the world’s best cuddler.

  With sex, you always make sure I am satisfied before worrying about yourself. You always put me first.

  You want to spend time with me even if we don’t say a word.

  You are a complete Mama’s boy…but I love that about you. I love your mom.

  You always let me have the last Popsicle. No matter if you want it or not.

  You DVR my favorite television shows when I forget.

  You never get angry at me for my mistakes…no matter how much of a fuck up I can be.

  You always pretend like my farts don’t stink. But they even make me gag sometimes.

  You always let me know when I’ve been snoring by plugging my nose to wake me up.

  You do all of the cooking because you know if I did, I’d probably burn the place down.

  You never miss my radio slot, even though you despise the music we play.

  You let me hog most of the bed, blankets, and pillows and you rarely ever complain.

  You are my best friend. I can tell you anything without worrying about being judged.

  Your sense of adventure. You never cease to surprise me.

  In our many years together, we have only had a handful of fights. You make life with you easy and enjoyable.

  Your zest for life is refreshing.

  You love when I baby talk to you and sometimes, I catch you doing it back.

  You never give up on me. Even when I give up on myself.

  Coming soon from Kira Adams – What Doesn’t Kill You:

  One

  I knew deep down inside there was a possibility he would take it to that dark place, I just never admitted it aloud. I knew if I did, it would become real and I had been living in my own lie for so long; I didn’t want to believe it.

  It isn’t until I smell the gasoline that I know we are at a point of no return.

  "What are you doing?" I sputter out, gasping for breath. My ribs ache and I have a splitting headache. I am blinking rapidly in an attempt to gain my bearings. I can feel the cold, hard concrete beneath me and I realize I am lying on the ground outside. The wind kisses my face, sending goose bumps throughout my entire body.

  Why can't I move?

  Fear begins to accelerate through my bones at a rapid rate. I can feel my heart beating ferociously against my chest.

  Why can't I move?

  I'm still blinking continuously, hoping this is all just a bad dream.

  "You should have listened, Bryce. You never listen."

  I rack my brain quickly trying to remember what, if anything I did wrong this time. That's when Tyson's face pops into my head.

  I swallow loudly.

  There's no way... Robbie was at work. How could he have known?

  He warned you, my inner voice scolds me. The same one that has held me frozen in fear in our relationship for the past two years.

  I'm looking up at Robbie, and I don't even recognize him. His eyes are cold and dark, his expression blank.

  That's when I see the match. He flicks it across the back of the holder and a flame ignites.

  "No! No! Please!" I'm squirming around, but excruciating pain is shooting throughout my entire body.

  "Just remember Bryce, you did this to yourself."

  And then he drops the match.

  * * *

  A year later…

  “Bryce!” I hear my mother call down to me. “Dinner’s ready.”

  I instantly drop the book I’ve been engrossed in for the past few hours, slip a sweatshirt over my head, and make my way downstairs.

  I follow my nose to the dining room to find the table already set and my parents standing together in the kitchen in front of the stove.

  “Come on, dish up,” my mother tells me, her brown eyes on me as I walk toward the plates and retrieve the four which are set at the table.

  “Mikey!” my mother yells, attempting to get my brother’s attention.

  “Coming!” my younger brother’s voice carries from upstairs.

  Stroganoff is a family favorite, and my rumbling stomach tells me I’m going to enjoy this meal more than I normally would.

  After dishing up the food, I make my way to the dining room table and take a seat just as I see my brother walk in.

  He’s bouncing happily toward the plate my father holds out to him. “Good of you to join us.”

  Mikey shrugs, his long curls obstructing his view.

  “Did you finish your homework?” my mother asks as she hands him his plate back, now piled on with food.

  He nods then joins me at the table. After my parent’s join us, we go around the table sharing the events of our day. It’s my least favorite part of dinner.

  “Bryce?” My father looks up from his plate expectantly at me.

  I push around the food on my plate with my fork. “I looked for jobs today.”

  My mother’s hazel eyes widen as she keeps them trained on me. “And?”

  “And nothing…I was just looking.” It’s the same conversation we have been having for the past two months. Somehow, my mother never seems to lose hope that they can be rid of me soon. They already raised me once, it isn’t the most ideal situation with me being back at home.

  They’ve been beyond understanding and supportive. They knew I needed a safe place to heal and adjust, but they never expected me to stay as long as I have.

  The fact that I haven’t left the house since I moved back home over ten months ago is also a deterrent for them, I’m sure. My parents already had their hands full with Mikey—they weren’t anticipating me.

  Mikey was an honest mistake. They had me when they were in their early twenties and were convinced I was going to be an only child. Not for lack of trying. Mikey was their miracle child, conceived fourteen years after me.

  After I flew the coop at eighteen, I never imagined returning home for anything other than the normal holiday stays. You can say it’s been a difficult transition. Living with your parents at age 24? Not something I care to brag about…

  “How’s Tyson enjoying ASU?” my father asks.

  “He likes it. He joined an intramural softball team.”

  “Oh cool.” My mother’s eyes light up.

  “What’s intramural?” Mikey asks, his dark brown eyes questioning.

  “It means girls and boys play for fun,” my father answers.

  “Will Tyson be stopping by tonight?” my mother asks. She has told me multiple times how good she thinks it is for me to be around people, namely Tyson. I’m sure she hopes he’ll eventually rub off on me. I wouldn’t hold my breath.

  “No, he’s got a game tonight.”

  “Maybe we could all go cheer him on?” she offers up, but I can tell she is treading lightly.

  I nod slightly. “I’ll tell him you guys want to stop by.”

  My mother’s expression falls. “Bryce, you can’t hide forever…”

  I’ve suddenly lost my appetite. “May I be excused?”

  My brother has been unusually quiet during the entire dinner but suddenly, he seems to have found his voice. “May I be excused too?”

  I can hear my mother sigh, dejected.

  I don’t wait for permission, just clean off my plate and make my way back to my room.

  The first thing I do is check my cell phone for text messages. Sure enough, I have one waiting for me from Tyson. How’s your day?

  I reply with Meh. It’s the same answer I’ve been using for months.

  It
’s a beautiful day, you sure you can’t make it to the game?

  Even though he knows my answer already, he attempts to get me out of the house at least once a day. I really can’t fault him for it. What sane person stays indoors for twenty four hours a day, seven days a week?

  Only people named Bryce Turner…

  In my defense, I went through a very traumatic event and I am dealing with it as best I can. My therapist says I’m making progress, so that’s all that counts. My mother had to search high and low for a therapist that would make home visits. Luckily, she eventually found one in Linda Xavier.

  I’ve been seeing Linda for nearly six months and I feel fortunate that I really like her. Believe me, I’ve heard horror stories about therapists, but Linda is far from scary. In fact, her demeanor was so warm and inviting, I instantly felt like I could trust her. She comes every Wednesday at four. Although, sometimes I wish she would come more often as she is really the only human interaction I get besides Tyson and my family.

  She never pressures me to talk about my past. Some days we just sit in silence, but I always leave feeling better because I am with someone. We’ve spoken about Robbie and that day, but she knows to tread lightly because it is such a sensitive topic for me. I can’t tell you how many anxiety attacks I’ve had during her sessions. But she never faults me for it. She never makes me feel guilty. That’s why I really like her.

  It doesn’t help knowing that he is out there somewhere…probably waiting to finish the job. If it wasn’t for Tyson, I wouldn’t be here today. He saved my life…although, some days I wish he hadn’t.

  I stand in front of my mirror, lifting up my sweatshirt to expose my damaged body. I ended up with third degree burns on forty percent of my body. The scars that remain are leathery and discolored. Besides my family, no one has seen the extent to which I’ve been injured…and I’d like to keep it that way. I would hate to see the pity in their eyes if anyone else got a look.

  Two years ago, I loved my body. Yes, I had flaws like anyone else, but I could wear a bikini any day of the week and pull it off. My cellulite wasn’t highly noticeable and I liked my small frame. My mother used to tell me that she gave birth to me, so she was to thank for my cute figure.

  I can’t imagine wearing a bikini or shorts ever again. My legs, arms, torso, and back are littered with scars. I have no idea how my face made it out unscathed, but I thank God everyday he spared it. It’s the only thing I have going for me these days.

  Tyson, my one and only friend, was my next door neighbor at the time. He moved in next door to Robbie and me a few months before it happened. We had only conversed a few times but Robbie had convinced himself that there was more going on. Besides borrowing the usual eggs and flour, we kept our distance—until the day he heard my screams. By the time he made it outside, Robbie had fled the scene. Tyson had a hell of a time trying to put out the fire before the paramedics showed up.

  We’ve been practically inseparable ever since. It’s funny how you can live your life next door to someone and never know that you need them until that fateful moment. I don’t know what I would have done without him throughout this past year. He’s one of the only bright things in my dark life. Although he is two years younger than me, I never notice the age difference. He’s honestly my favorite person in the world.

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you first and foremost to my mother, whom has always had faith in me and my abilities since long before I believed in myself. You taught me that if you want something bad enough, you have to be willing to put the hard work in to get it. Thank you for that. I love you.

  To my awesome PA and Street Team, The Kira Believers, you guys motivate me, cheer me on, believe in me, and are always the first ones to beta read, review, etc. if I need it. If it wasn’t for you guys, I don’t know that I could do this all alone.

  To my beta readers, who are always so eager and willing to help right the wrongs of my rough drafts and provide feedback and support. You guys are incredible.

  And lastly, to my cover designer, Emmy Logan from Cover Me Book Designs. You have been an absolute blessing to work with, to get to know, and your friendship is so special to me. You are always willing to go out of your way for me or the extra mile whenever necessary. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I hope to continue our relationship long into the future.

  I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first released My Forever. It was a story I had been working on in one way or another for over ten years. And then people became invested with my characters and their story lines and soon enough, Beautifully Broken was born. Not soon after, I realized it couldn’t stop there and Against All Odds followed. I wanted to show the real life obstacles people face and their ability to overcome them. I wanted my readers to be able to feel their emotions and relate on a personal level. I hope that I have succeeded and that the take away is as I intended. No one is perfect, as evident in my novels. But everyone deserves love. Everyone deserves to find that person that makes them feel alive.

  Remember that it is never too late to follow your dreams. I firmly believe that if you’re not doing something you love, you’re not really living and I follow that mantra each and every day to the fullest.

  Kira Adams

  About the author:

  Krista Pakseresht has always been a dreamer. From the first time she opened her eyes. Creating worlds through words is one thing she is truly talented at. She specializes in Young adult/New adult romance, horror, action, fantasy, and non-fiction under the pen name Kira Adams. She is the author of the Infinite Love series, the Foundation series, the Darkness Falls series, and the Looking Glass series.

  Want to stay up to date with all the new releases, cover reveals, never-before-seen-excerpts, and more? Sign up for the Kira Adams newsletter here.

  Books by Kira Adams:

  The Infinite Love Series

  Learning to Live (Ciera & Topher)

  My Forever (Madalynne & Parker)

  Beautifully Broken (Jacqueline & Lee)

  Against All Odds (Austyn & Avery)

  The Foundation Series

  Pieces of Me

  The Fighter

  Darkness Falls Series

  Into the Darkness

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