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Never Let You Go by Monica
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The second novel in this darkly sexy
contemporary series from bestselling author Monica Murphy wraps up an
emotionally powerful two-part tale of forbidden love.
The truth
hurts, they say—and my pain cuts deep. While I was falling for Ethan, he was
deceiving me the entire time. He held a huge secret, protected by his lies.
When I discovered what he was hiding, the truth shook my world, threatening to
ruin us forever. Ruin me. But I soon realized that what we share can’t be
destroyed.
The
connection between us is too strong. It always has been. I can’t deny him any
longer. And I can’t deny my truth: I’m in love with Ethan.
I don’t
want to let him go.
While
we’re trying our best to make this relationship work, other forces are fighting
against us. My family, who wants to keep me safe. The media obsessed with my
tragic past. The public that feeds off of it. Even Ethan’s father—the man who
nearly destroyed me all those years ago. He’s doing his best to finish the job.
Despite
my love for Ethan, the doubts creep in, clouding my mind. Is he worth the pain?
Will our love survive, or will we have no choice but to end it—end us—once and
for all?
“Maybe I care,” she retorts. “Think about what this will do to us.”
“What could it do? Force us
to admit that yes, we’re in a relationship now? What’s wrong with that?”
“This so-called
relationship only happened because you sought me out and then lied to me!” Her
voice is shrill, her eyes wild, and she visibly shakes. She’s angry.
At me.
“I never meant—” I clamp my
lips shut when I see her hostile expression. She looks ready to pounce. Christ,
maybe she’s right. Maybe we shouldn’t have met today. Our hurt feelings are
still too close to the surface, too raw and painful.
“Do you really think
meeting me today was a mistake?” I need to know her answer, though I might not
like it.
Katie watches me, pressing
her lips together. I wait for her response, air lodged in my throat, my heart
tripping over itself in my chest. I feel like it’s all come down to this. “This
won’t work,” she whispers.
“What won’t?”
“Us. The two of us . . .
together. We need to accept it.” Her face almost crumples but she somehow keeps
it together, all while she slaughters my heart with her words. “We shouldn’t be
seen together in public. If anyone recognizes us, it will become this—thing,
and soon the media will be talking. About us and our sick relationship. And I
don’t want that. I don’t think you do either.”
My spine stiffens
involuntarily and I slowly back away from her, holding my hands up in front of
me in pure defensive mode. As if my position can ward o the blow only her words
can deliver.
I thought my father knew
how to pack a punch, saying just the right thing to make me internally bleed. A
few choice words from Katie Watts and I feel like I’m near death.
“You want me gone? I’m
gone,” I tell her, but I don’t budge. I’m hoping she’ll stop me. Despite the
pain she’s causing, I don’t want to walk away from her. Even though it feels
like my heart is about to crack into a million tiny pieces. I swear she already
broke my heart when she first found out who I really was and ran, exiting my
life like she was never in it.
Now she doesn’t want to be
seen with me in public. Doesn’t want Lisa to know. The rational side of my
brain understands why she might feel that way. But the irrational side, the
emotional side, is screaming in agony over her rejection, demanding that I hurt
her back.
My vengeful side makes me
think of my father.
I rub a hand across my
chest to ease the radiating ache, but it doesn’t help. The way Katie watches me
isn’t helping either.
“It’s for the best,” she
whispers. “The minute she spots us, she’ll tell . . . everyone. And then we’re
in trouble. They’ll twist our relationship into this weird, sick thing, and I
can’t. I can’t bear it, Ethan. I’ve already suffered through too much and so
have you. This—we’re not worth it.”
My mouth drops open. We’re
not worth it? She’s the only person in my life who’s worth anything.
“I’m—I’m sorry.” The choked
words leave her and I can’t say anything in return.
She turns and leaves, her
steps hurried, her at black shoes slapping against the pavement as she scurries
away. I watch her go, don’t stop her, don’t say her name. I don’t do a damn
thing, as if I’m paralyzed, and I wonder for one crazy moment if I might be.
But I’m not. I’m just
struck numb by her words, by her worry. She’s right. I know she’s right. The
media will turn our relationship into a train wreck, and with good reason.
We are a train wreck. We shouldn’t have happened, but we did. No one
else knows what it’s like to be me. No one under-stands what we went through
together except her and me. But she has walked away from me yet again.
Practically ran, and I did nothing about it.
Breathing deep, I tell
myself to stay strong. Either this will work or it won’t—but I want it to. I’m
desperate to keep that connection between us.
Yet I need to understand
and respect her feelings. Forgive her for walking away from me so easily. It’s
damn hard. That tiny, vulnerable part buried deep within me, that little boy
who never felt wanted, the one who spent his entire life moving through it
essentially alone . . .
He is devastated.
Never
Tear Us Apart
Book One
New York Times, USA Today and
international bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who
lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children.
She’s a workaholic who loves her job. When she’s not busy writing, she also
loves to read and travel with her family. She writes new adult and contemporary
romance and is published with Bantam and Avon. She also writes romance as USA
Today bestselling author KarenErickson.
Representation: All questions regarding
subsidiary rights for any of her books and inquiries regarding foreign
translation should be directed to her agent KimberlyWhalen.
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