Enjoying Life with 3 Dogs, 2 Kids & an ADHD Husband.

Comments appreciated, as always!

I walk through campus and take in all the buildings, the quad, the school I’ve attended for the past three years. My eyes seek a tangible clue, a scrap of evidence that things have changed.

But I find…nothing. The familiar stucco walls are still the color of butterscotch, the grass in the senior courtyard the same vibrant shade of green. Even the old oak sprawling proudly through the middle of campus appears to have the same number of leaves. The kids laughing and gossiping their way past me in huddles are talking about the same meaningless topics as always…parties, dates, homework.

I turn to cut through the corridor toward homeroom, when I spot him.

James.

My heart slams to a halt in my chest. Then, it kick-starts into an unsteady gait, like an athlete’s first limping step after an injury.

As I watch him lean into a curvy dark-haired girl, his arm loosely draped across her shoulders, I finally pinpoint what’s different. It’s not the school, or the students, or anything that I can touch. It’s my hold on James. Always tenuous at best, my slippery claim to him has faded along with the intensity of the summer sun.

Anyway–this scene comes in pretty close to the story’s climax. Shade just found Summer talking to Cody in a deserted hallway during the school dance. The boy clearly isn’t in good shape, not at all, and he’s wanting to know if there’s something going on between our heroine and another guy. Here goes:

My heart broke at his defeated tone. I couldn’t help it; I caved. “No, Cody and I aren’t an item. I was just…well, never mind that. I don’t understand, though—why does it matter to you?”

But deep down, I knew why it mattered. I didn’t need his relieved sigh to tell me, or the feathery stroke of his hand against my hair. “Why do you think, Summer?”

And then he was crushing me to him. There was no gentleness in this kiss, but none of the rage from a moment ago, either. It was pure hunger, sucking me down into a whirlwind of need. He bunched his hands in my hair and smashed me back against the wall. My arms snaked around his neck, urging him closer, closer. I couldn’t get close enough as the heat of his skin burned into mine, searing me with delicious warmth. I never wanted it to end. I craved…more. Wanted…everything.

Until Shade started shuddering. Violently.

My head rattled, and the rough stone cut sharply into my scalp and bare back. I twisted out from under him. “Shade? What’s wrong?”

He stared right through me for a moment, like he couldn’t see me at all, his entire body still lurching with spasms. Then he shook his head. Sweat droplets littered the air around us. “I don’t…I’m not sure. I haven’t felt right since I went off the meds. And I meant to tell you this sooner, but Summer—I think there’s something really wrong with me. I’m remembering things…I can’t possibly be remembering.” Another convulsion wracked his frame. He threw one forearm against the wall and buried his face against it, as if to ride out the storm pummeling him.

Cautiously, I laid my hand on his shoulder. “What do you mean? What kinds of things?”

He raised his head, and I sucked in my breath. A lifetime of agony etched itself onto his sweat-drenched features. “Horrible…horrible things,” he whispered. “I don’t know…I can’t…I don’t want you to hate me.”

“Hate you for what?”

At any rate, this Teaser follows shortly after the one a few weeks ago, where the MC Summer discovers that a lewd photo of her and Billy, a guy she despises, was photo-shopped and sent around the school. This is Billy catching up with her afterwards. Oh, and, if this is your first time–the MC has been hearing voices for a few days now. As usual, all comments welcomed and appreciated!

“So, how’d you like the photo?” he said, his too-slick smile making him look like a used-car salesman. Only—used-car salesmen didn’t usually leer at their customers. His gaze traveled down my body in a way that made my hands twitch to cover myself.

I shook off the sudden urge to dart back into the bathroom and lifted my chin instead. “Honestly? It made me want to hurl.”

He stepped closer, trapping me in the corner next to the bathroom door. Warning bells rang in my head. I pressed myself tightly against the rough wall to keep any part of my body from touching him.

“That’s too bad,” he whispered, “Because I was thinking—since everyone already thinks we, you know, got naked together, what’s the harm in doing it for real?” He reached out and twined a strand of my hair around his fingers.

“You—” Too late, I made a move to knee him in the balls. He yanked the hair tighter, and his other hand flew up to dig into my throat, holding me prisoner in the corner. My scalp burned. I wanted to shout for help, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t do anything but try to breathe—and even that wasn’t going so well.

“Ah, ah, ah. Don’t make any hasty decisions. You know, I’m not really into hume-lovers, but I’d make an exception for you,” he said, wafting his bitter coffee breath into my face.

He leaned harder on my throat and I wheezed, my lungs straining for even a thin trickle of oxygen. His mouth moved closer, closer. I tried to twist my head away, but the hand with the hair grabbed my chin, wrenching it forward to face him. My fingers flew up to pry at his. It was like clawing against stone. Not strong enough. No…air. Dizzy, I squeezed my eyes shut and prepared to bite. And then a familiar drawl sounded from behind us.

“Let her go right now, or I’m going to turn your face into something that really makes the girls scream. And not in a good way.”

The grip on my neck tightened at first, then slowly released. I gasped, my lungs on fire. I was still sucking down greedy mouthfuls of air when Billy turned to face Shade.

“Hey, there, buddy. There’s no reason for you to get involved. I was just having a little fun.”

Shade’s focus shifted to me, to where my hands still clutched my throat. His eyes flashed. Somehow, I could read the violent intention in them, clear as day. Or maybe it was the word whispering through my head. One word, coated in blazing hot fury.