Embrace the Moment Read online

  Published by:

  Andrea Michelle

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, places, and events portrayed in this book are fictitious and the work of the author’s imagination. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Embrace the Moment

  © Copyright 2014 by Andrea Michelle

  All rights reserved.

  All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations within a review or article, no other part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form including but not limited to: electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or other creations in the future hereafter without written permission of the publisher.

  The author acknowledges the real people, places, copyrighted/trademarked status and the trademark owners of all mentioned in this work of fiction. This includes but is not limited to references to social media, various local places and people. All mentioned trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold, or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, you must purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not gifted to you legally, then you should return it to the seller and purchase your own copy. Please, respect the copyright and hard work of this author. Thank you for reading.

  Cover Design: Artistry in Design

  Cover Photographer/License: Coka and Veer

  Interior Design: Andrea Michelle

  Editor: Monique O’Connor James

  *Warning: Recommended for readers 17+ due to sexual content, underage drinking and adult language. This is book two in the series and the story will continue in the next novel.

  ***WARNING***

  This is part two the Shifting Series, which is a continuation from book one. It’s strongly encouraged to read the books in order.

  Synopsis for Escape the Doubt (Book 1 in the Shifting Series)

  Is taking a chance with your heart worth the escape, or was it better to have never loved at all? Can forgiveness really set you free?

  After the unexpected death of her Dad, and the haunting manner in which he died, Riley Shaw built invisible walls around her heart. Barriers she created to protect her from splintering into broken pieces that couldn’t be repaired. She was unable to move forward from her past, letting the guilt of her parent’s mistakes dictate her own choices.

  Dean Warren was safe. Being with him was innocent and peaceful because she didn’t truly love him. His words held her captive in a false sense of security. His eyes were deceptive, and his promises of never pushing her beyond what she was willing to give were broken, leaving Riley in a state of regret and doubt.

  Joshua Parker had the power to take what was left of Riley’s splintered pieces and ruin her completely, or make her whole again. He was her best friend, her next-door neighbor—everything she wanted and settled on never having. Loving him was as easy as breathing air. The fear of losing him forever was more real to her than the feelings she couldn’t escape.

  When faced with the very thing she feared the most, and in the arms she thought were safe, Riley finds herself questioning every decision she has made over the past two years. When she finally escapes the doubt in her head, and accepts the truth in her heart, is it too late?

  “I’m so close to the edge of the cliff that I know one more breath, one more inch, I could fall.” –Riley Shaw

  Recommended for 17+ due to underage drinking, sexual content and adult language.

  TO MY HUSBAND *OMG I wrote a second book and you didn’t ask me for a divorce. ;) I love you so very much. Thank you for being my biggest fan, my best friend—my everything. I told you last summer I was going to write a book, and you said, “that’s great, baby. Go for it.” I don’t think either of us knew this would become my obsession. I sincerely appreciate all that you do for me, making this opportunity even possible. You are awesome, and I am one very lucky girl to have such a great man in her life.

  TO MY DAUGHTERS (Princess, Sassy and Trouble) *Please, stop growing up. Now! As I write this novel, I’m reminded of how hard it is to be a young female. I hope that I am the mother that you need me to be—that you receive the support you need most as you grow and change. I believe in all three of you. You are precious, smart, beautiful, and full of potential. The world is your oyster. No dream is foolish and out of your reach.

  TO MANY AMAZING LADIES *My editor: Monique, I am so happy we were introduced. Your detailed suggestions, changes and critiques are so helpful. You make my writing better, and I look forward to working together in the future. *My Beta Team: I heart you ladies so much. Thank you for not stoning me after you read ETM. You were patient and just amazing while I changed my mind over and over again. Special thanks to: Jess Danowski, Erica Westfall, Heather Young, Jen Andrews, Trista Baldwin, and Jamie Turner-Norton for reading and re-reading the many chapters I sent your way. Your comments, suggestions and rants on my craziness made this all possible. *My street team (The Working Girls): y’all make our street corner an exciting place to be. I love your pimping skills something fierce. You believe in me, and that means more than you know. I am so very thankful to have y’all in my life, and can honestly say that I have found some friendships I adore. You girls have been my rock and I thank you so much. Some of you have been with me from the beginning and others have joined the journey along the way. No matter how long we have known one another, though, your support has been amazing to me. *My Facebook group (The Indies Round Table): I am so glad I started that group because the support we give one another is priceless. ALL OF Y’ALL ARE AMAZING, AND I LOVE EACH OF YOU LIKE CRAZY! You’ve answered my crazy questions, given encouraging words, opened your arms and without that I’d surely be lost. MaryAnn, Emma, Victoria, Ty, Jen, Chelle and Meg—my love for you is endless. Y’all keep me sane and get me. Without you, this would not be possible.

  TO THE READER *Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart for reading my book(s). This story wasn’t an easy one to write. In fact, I was a blubbering mess throughout most of it. I had to make some decisions that I knew would either be loved, or hated. I took a risk, hope that you loved it and will continue riding this roller coaster with me. I kindly ask that you leave a review behind on Amazon. I read each and every one of them. Your thoughts mean the world to me.

  TO ALL THE LOVELY BLOGGERS *YOU ARE AMAZING! I love you all. None of this would be possible without you. Special thanks to: Jess Danowski with Inside the Pages of a Book/Promotions. Not only did you handle the cover re-reveal for ETD, but you also took on the cover reveal for ETM and my review tour. You are just amazing, and I am so glad that we are friends. Christine Michelle with Sinful Thoughts for my release day blitz. YOU LADIES ROCK! To all the bloggers that have posted, shared, reviewed and participated in my events—THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. It means the world to me.

  Once upon a time in the boot of Louisiana, a young girl made a mess of things and began writing dark poetry to cope. She often found herself daydreaming and creating stories in a far away land that didn't exist and was always out of her reach. Her mission was to move on, find love and a reason to believe in the beautiful things in life. She didn't expect to be counting her blessings daily for all that she has found since then. Her once dark poetry became colorful and bright—it became music. She found purpose and her make believe stories slowly vanished away. Her poetry also sat in the backseat, as more important things took priority. However, life can catapult you in the blink of an eye. A long forgotten coping mechanism of writing would once again becom
e her escape. This time, though, she realized that this escape where she created stories was not a curse, but a gift. Embracing her voice, she breathes life into her characters and poetically weaves together stories for readers to enjoy. She is no longer the young girl who feared the unknown, but is stronger and has faith that beautiful things will always be in reach. She is married to her best friend, and is a mom to three beautiful daughters who are her favorite cheerleaders. She is excited to have the opportunity to share her love of writing with readers. The stories are fictional, but they are real to her. She has always felt things passionately and this new journey as an author is no different. She is no longer looking back, but looking ahead to this amazing adventure with all of you. She invites you to connect with her if you desire to do so.

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  Dear Reader,

  I truly believe music is the perfect healer for a bad day or the inspiration to a beautiful story. I love to listen to music while I write; actually I find it necessary. This is the playlist that I felt moved me while I climbed inside Josh & Riley’s heads. Enjoy :)

  PLAYLIST FOR THIS NOVEL:

  To listen and follow on Spotify: http://t.co/KYfnF4Kzzn

  All Around Me (Acoustic) – Flyleaf

  Iodine – Icon For Hire

  Say Something – A Great Big World

  Inscape – Stateless

  Get Around This – SafetySuit

  Satellite – Rise Against

  23 – Mike Will Made it

  All of Me – John Legend

  Anywhere but Here – SafetySuit

  Like A Waterfall (Flipside Ambient Mix) – Jes

  Life Left to Go – SafetySuit

  What if – SafetySuit

  Glory Box – Portishead

  Pieces – Red

  Broken – Seether (feat. Amy Lee)

  Crave You (Adventure Club Remix) – Flight Facilities

  Pushing Me Away – Linkin Park

  In the End – Linkin Park

  All Those Pretty Lights – Andrew Belle

  Flawless – The Neighbourhood

  Afraid – The Neighbourhood

  Rewind – Rascal Flats

  Damaged (Redemption Extended) – Plumb

  Snuff – Slipknot

  Love & Loss – Mattia Cupelli

  Let Me Go – Avril Lavigne

  Keep it Together – Puddle of Mudd

  Rest in Pieces - Saliva

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  EPILOGUE

  THEME SONG FOR THIS NOVEL: Pieces by RED

  Torn apart by a tragedy, pushed together by fate. Nothing is coincidence.

  Riley and Josh have been through it all together, first as best friends and now as a couple.

  Faced with a decision that will test their relationship, these two learn to fight harder than ever before to keep their hearts intact. Once the decision is made, there is no going back. With the past creeping into their present, and miles between them, they learn nothing is easy. Every moment matters.

  Can Riley and Josh survive the first year of college apart? Will their love remain strong enough to embrace every moment that belongs to them? Or will someone from the past interfere, take what he wants and ruin them forever?

  "For each star in the sky, I have a reason why I love you. When you look up at night, never forget this truth." ~Josh Parker

  Not recommended for anyone under the age of 17 due to underage drinking, sexual content and adult language.

  PROLOGUE

  Travel back in time...

  THE FUNERAL

  I was still in complete shock. Completely numb. Completely shattered. My dad was dead. He had been there a few days ago, arguing with my mom as usual, but alive. I just didn’t understand—and Josh—God, Josh. My dad had killed his mom. He’d run her off the road driving drunk, and he’d fucking killed her. How was Josh handling it? Jesus Christ that was such a stupid thought, but it was all I could think about. How was he? Of course he was crushed. I thought for sure that he must hate me. What the hell was wrong with me? I was sitting at my dad’s funeral listening to hymns that I hadn’t heard since I was a young child, and my thoughts were on how the accident affected Josh and me. I was so selfish.

  I glanced over at Josh sitting with his dad and his sister, Joey. He didn’t look at me. He hadn’t looked in my direction all day. He definitely hadn’t looked at me the day before when we’d gathered together to say goodbye to his mom. A funeral, everyone mourning and grieving, then watching as the earth swallowed her casket under the dirt.

  I will never forgive my dad.

  My eyes were still glued to, Josh. He looked so vulnerable, so broken. I wanted to hug him, to hold his hand. I’d have loved to go back to a few days before and have none of it happen. We’d been so happy before, so close to becoming more than what we had been.

  It was hard to believe that just the Wednesday before, Josh and I had been walking home together when he’d complimented me. It was a small something. I didn’t do well with compliments, and any time Josh tried to step over the line with me I would get cold feet, but everything that day was just the perfect pieces of sweet, and I’d felt completely comfortable when Josh had told me that I looked really pretty with my hair straight. My mom had bought a new flat iron, and I’d tried something new, removing my wavy tendrils for a day.

  “Thanks, Josh,” I shrugged sheepishly as a shy blush warmed my cheeks. He’d grinned, tucked a free strand behind my ear, and kissed my forehead just like always. We walked home with his fingers interlaced with mine. I’d smiled a lot that day. I’d been building the courage to tell him that I liked him—a lot.

  But now all that had changed.

  He couldn’t even look at me anymore. He was pulling away, putting distance between us—it hurt.

  My heart didn’t feel sad like it should have as we said goodbye to my dad. It felt cold, hard and angry—not with Josh. I was angry with my parents—at my dad. They corrupted everyone around them, damaged everything in their path. It apparently wasn’t bad enough that my dad had been having an affair, and he and my mother had spent years hating each other because of it. Did they need to ruin a perfectly happy home, a perfectly happy marriage too? They’d shattered a family that had been completely intact. I hated them.

  My eyes were still on Josh as my mom quietly cried next to me. Tatum sat stoically still. She hadn’t cried yet. Neither had I. I wondered what that meant about us.

  A hand squeezed mine from my other side and I almost didn’t feel it because I was so distracted by the boy I would never be able to have. I turned my eyes to
find a concerned Dean. Internally, I recoiled at his nearness. He had been trying for weeks to get my attention, to convince me to go on a date with him, a real one. He had always been flirty with me. We’d gone to one dance together the year before, but it never went further than that. He had been trying to change that though. Of course he would use my vulnerability to get close to me now.

  “Hi, you okay? Sorry that was a stupid question. Of course you’re not okay,” he said in a hushed tone at my ear as he scooted over next to me uninvited.

  I looked at Dean and wondered if I told him the truth about how I felt—that such dark feelings of bitterness lived inside of me—would he still be sitting there willing to comfort me, or would he find me disturbed and suggest anti-depressants?

  “I’m okay, Dean. Thanks for worrying about me but you don’t have too,” I whispered back.

  He looked at me with sad chocolate brown eyes. They were beautiful in their own kind of way. I just happened to love hazel ones.

  It had been two weeks since we’d buried my dad, two weeks and one day since they’d buried Josh’s mom.

  It had been two agonizing weeks—fourteen days, some odd hours, and minutes of lonely pain without my best friend’s laughter and teasing behavior. I missed Josh. I felt so broken, and wished I had him to hold me, except he was also broken, and his brokenness was the fault of my parents—a bloodline directly connected to me.

  I’d asked my mom where she had been the night my dad had been driving drunk, the night he’d killed himself and Josh’s mom. She’d frowned, swallowed a lot of air, shivered even—then she’d told me, I wouldn’t like the answer and wasn’t ready to hear it. I didn’t like her response and I hated his choice for whatever had transpired between them.

  Later, I agreed to go on a date with Dean. I regretted it already but he had been so sweet and supportive. I wasn’t much of a talker, at least not with him, but having him nearby strangely enough comforted me, and I appreciated his attentiveness. He didn’t ask me questions, respecting me enough to know I probably didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t talk to me about why Josh and I weren’t as close lately. He didn’t make me talk much at all and I liked that. I needed that.