OMG! Let's kick of this release day madness with the final photo quote for the week.
That Alex, he's just too much sweetie pie in one hot package. And because music is such an important part of my writing. Here's the song that accompanies this quote....
Chapter
1 ~ Lost and Found
I knew the streets would be dark and this was a bad side of
town, but something kept pulling me here. I had dreamt about this street for
weeks. There was supposed to be something here, something important. I glanced
at my watch, almost 7. I really should be heading back to the bus stop, but I don’t
want to give up just yet. I still haven’t found what I was looking for. If only
I knew what that was. Maybe I can come back tomorrow.
The last
the few rays of sunshine diminished as I turned to find the closest bus stop.
“Hey, lady!
You lost or something?” a gruff voice called from the alley.
Great. This
is exactly why I needed to get out of this place. I ignored the calling.
Another
heckler, “Heeellllo! Honey, this ain’t no place for a girl like you after dark.”
I kept my
body straight and my head focused on the end of the dark street. I could see
the well-lit safer part of town a few blocks ahead. I was not about to wait for
the bus here.
“You better
get her before someone else does,” another voice calls. He is much closer.
I wonder
what that means. Why didn’t I ever take self-defense class or buy some pepper
spray? That’s right—because I suck at anything that involves minor
coordination, which means in all likely scenarios I will trip and accidentally
Mace myself.
“Excuse me,
miss,” a low soft voice whispered as he placed his hand on my shoulder.
I whipped around expecting the worst—ready to attempt to
flee if necessary.
“Hey, I’m
sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. Can I walk you to the bus stop?” In front
of me stood the most sincere set of bright blue eyes I had ever seen. Honestly,
the last thing I expected to see was this gorgeous blond-haired, blue-eyed
angel. No, I was expecting a more rough-and-tumble type, possibly with tattoos,
piercings, and an eye patch. His face was as warm as his touch. His tousled dark
blond hair framed his freshly shaven face perfectly, making him quite breathtaking.
He looked so out of place here in the rough downtown part of Aria.
“I’m Alex.
I think it would be a little safer for you if you let me escort you.” He wanted
to make sure I got out of the streets safely. He seemed to mean me no harm and
I had this irrational sense of safety with this stranger. He must have mistaken
my prolonged silence as apprehension.
“So? Is
that alright all right with you?”
“Oh, I’m
sorry. That's fine. I seemed to have gotten myself a little lost.” My cheeks
flushed with embarrassment.
He placed
his hand on the small of my back as we walked. “Little lost? You a tourist or
something?”
“No,
actually I live uptown. I’m a student at Aria U.” It’s strange how at ease I
was with him—it seemed almost artificial.
“Then you
should know better than to be around here after dark,” he wagged his finger at
me.
“I should.
I mean, I do.” A smile spread from ear to ear. I don’t think I’ve ever talked
to a man this freaking attractive. His stature seemed to add to his illusion of
“instant safety.” Alex is definitely one of the few men that I have met who is
actually taller than me. Being 5’11” makes that pool slim pickings. Don’t get
me wrong, short guys are cool, I just have a hard time getting over my own insecurities.
I have this innate insecurity with height. It’s hard to feel feminine when you are
towering over someone. Not that it matters. Back home there weren’t many men to
choose from anyway. Small town in the country made for a tiny high school where
we all were brothers and sisters. Not a lot of room for romance in a graduating
high school class of thirty.
His voice
startled me out of my thoughts. “We’ve just got a few blocks to go.” He paused.
“Can I ask you something?” His eyes twinkled under the streetlights.
“Anything.”
Anything? You sound like a
love-struck thirteen-year-old girl. Get a grip, Hailee. He’s just a Good
Samaritan.
“Why were
you down here, anyway?” His voice soft and warm.
“I was
looking for something.” How am I going to explain what really brought me here
without sounding like a whack job?
“Maybe I
can help you then. What were you looking for?” He gazed seriously into my eyes.
“Not quite
sure.” I looked at my feet and then back up into his sapphire eyes. I’m a
horrible liar, so I might as well give him the crazy truth. “Have you ever had
a feeling or a hunch that you just can’t shake? You can’t explain why you feel
that way, but you just know that you have to take a chance on figuring it out?”
“Maybe.” A
smirk pulled at his face.
“I’ve been
pulled to this place for weeks. I was hoping I could find whatever it was
before dark, but the sun raced away before I even had a chance to get a good
look.” He stopped walking and stared at me for a moment, analyzing my words.
Great, he thinks I’m a whacko, not that I should care, but still. I prefer to
be that nice, quiet girl who nobody notices, not psycho crazy chick.
“Are you always
so profound?” he teased.
By now we were
just mere steps from the bus stop. “No, I’m actually a pretty simple girl.”
He smiled
and my heart stopped for a second. Alex is definitely the most handsome man
I’ve ever conversed with. It has been nice to have some human interaction. I’d
been missing that being away here at school. I’m not good at making friends. I
always come off needy or weird, so I just stick to what I know—myself and my
family that just so happens to be four hours away.
The bus
clamoring down the street reminded me this encounter was about to end.
“You know,
I didn’t get your name, simple girl.”
“Hailee. My
name’s Hailee.” I said my name twice, just to be sure I remembered it. I don’t know why I was feeling like a
self-conscious thirteen-year-old version of myself all of a sudden. He just asked
for my name.
“Hailee,
the next time you come around make sure the sun is shining.” He looked toward
the sky.
“Next
time?” What makes him think I would be back here?
“You didn’t
find what you were looking for, did you?”
“I don’t
know. I guess not.” Or did I? Was I looking for this guy? I think that is just
wishful thinking.
“Well, if
you happen to be back around the block, stop by Bill’s Deli. I’ll make you a
sandwich.” He just told me where he works. Should I take that as an invitation
to visit?
“Will do.
Thank you, Alex.” The bus door screeched open. Time to go.
“Have a
safe trip home, Hailee.” As I boarded the bus, I looked over my shoulder one
last time at the amazing stranger on the sidewalk. I don’t know what it was
about him, but he was incredibly intriguing. I’m sure his attractiveness and
benevolence only added to that allure.
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And by the way, you're cordially invited to the Soul Survivor Release Partay starting tomorrow! They'll be music, book fun, and your chance to win a signed paperback of Soul Survivor! See ya there!
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