Redesigning Fate (Revive #1) - A. M. Wilson Page 0,123
tight embrace.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” she says between sniffles.
“Me too,” I whisper back. “What are you guys doing here?”
A warm palm lands on my shoulder, and I look up to see Sin. One hand is rubbing my back; the other is resting on Shelby’s head. His expression is fierce, one of concern and retribution.
“The day you were taken, the three of us were on our way over to talk to you about some things we’ve been keeping from you,” he says gruffly. A knot forms in my throat, knowing what this is about and praying it’s not as Travis made it out to be. “Shelby and I wanted to give you enough time to settle back in before we came over. Elias called us this morning. I know you haven’t been feeling very safe, but we think this might help.”
My eyes bounce from person to person, taking in each of their serious expressions. Shelby grabs my cheeks and turns my face to hers.
“I once was in a situation like yours. Not entirely the same, but I can relate. Honey, I know what it’s like to not feel safe,” she says gravely. “I’m going to fix us some lunch, settle us in together, and we’re going to have the conversation we should have had a long time ago.”
Those questions from yesterday swirl in my mind again, and I take Shelby’s hands in mine and squeeze. She gives me a reassuring smile that instantly sweeps away some of my tension. “Okay.” My eyes circle the room again. “If this is something I need to hear then okay.”
Shelby kisses my forehead before she pounces to the kitchen. “Lunch will be ready in just a few.”
Elias squeezes onto the seat beside me, and I rest my head against his chest. My eyes fall upon the bag he had put in front of me, and I reach for it again. “What’s this?”
“I ran by your apartment on my way home. We’ve been neglecting your mailbox so I thought I’d swing by. That,” he says, indicating the stuffed bag in front of us, “is two weeks’ worth of mail.”
“Good grief,” I comment as I begin digging through the pile. Most of it looks to be colorful retail fliers and bills, but one package catches my eye. Setting the bag to the floor, I pull out a large, stuffed manila envelope addressed to me. “Odd, there’s no return address,” I comment, turning the thick rectangle over in my hands. “I wonder what it is.”
“Maybe it’s from the firm?”
I shrug as I tear into the thick package. A small gasp leaves my lips when I reveal what’s inside. I know exactly what this is, and I know who sent it. My eyes don’t need to see one word of the scrawling writing covering the pages of the faded, brown suede journal to know what’s inside. For three years, I watched him fill the crisp pages with thoughts and memories, reaching for this book whenever the mood struck him to jot his feelings down. He never let me read it.
Until now.
“Marlee, you’re shaking. What is it?”
My hands tremble violently as I delicately slide the book from the remnants of gold paper. I stare at the worn, light brown edges of the book near the binder where he’d hold it, often tucked discreetly beneath his arm. He never went anywhere without it. My eyes burn holes through the cover. Then I chuck it onto the coffee table as if it burned me.
“Marlee?” Elias asks again. My behavior is probably scaring him. Slowly, I shift my torso, bracing myself against the back of the couch. The proximity of our bodies wraps me in his delicious scent, spicy and warm and male, and I pull comfort from him. My rock, my savior, my Elias. My body releases a shuddered breath.
“It’s from Travis. It’s his journal.” Elias’s head whips between the book and me so fast, I’m afraid he’s going to get whiplash. DJ’s footsteps round the table, and he leans down beside me, drawing something up from the floor.
“And this?” DJ asks, holding out a piece of paper I failed to read before. Tears prick my eyes, and the air whooshes from my chest.
Everything you need to know is in here. I’m coming back for you. Wait for me.
PLAYLIST
Belong by Joshua Radin
The Wind by Cat Stevens
Let’s Be Still by The Head and the Heart
Born Again by Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons
Wake Me Up by Avicii
See You Soon by Coldplay
A Girl, A Boy, and A Graveyard by Jeremy Messersmith
Where is My Mind by Trampled by Turtles
The Trapeze Swinger by Iron & Wine
We’ll Keep Running Forever by Joshua Radin
I Think of You by J. Roddy Walston and The Business
Wishes and Stars by Harper Simon
The Lion’s Roar by First Aid Kit
You’re the Reason I Come Home by Ron Pope
The Curse by Josh Ritter
Love is All I Am by Dawes
Little Bird by Eels
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I can’t believe I’m already doing this again. Pretty sure somewhere over the last six months I lost my marbles, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I have to kick this off by thanking my husband. Darrin, you have more than picked up my slack when I’ve spent hours working into the night or needed to use your days off to take my laptop into a quiet place. You’ve kept the kids happy and fed so I could work without their interruptions, especially these last few weeks. Having this be the second time around, we both know I’m a big ball of crazy leading up to a new release. I know I’m not always the easiest person when I’m overloaded on caffeine and sleep deprived, but thank you for all the hard work you do so I can chase my dream. Love you more than chips and tater, honey.
Lilianna and Charlie, I hope that one day you’ll use this as an inspiration to chase your own dreams. As much as I’m doing this for me, I’m also doing this for you. I wouldn’t be me without the two of you.
Alex Grayson, I know I’m probably going to say exactly what I did in Indisputable, but thank you. We’ve now both survived two releases, and with each problem we overcome, our friendship grows. Here’s to hoping the next release is a lot smoother for both of us.
Kim Black, thank you for another beautiful book cover. You are a miracle worker. I’m so glad we were able to remove the fugly jacket guy and turn that image into this masterpiece. Redesigning Fate wouldn’t look so pretty if it wasn’t for you.
To my new PA, Beth Ann Miller, I think you’re a vampire. Seriously. The amount of work you do for not only me but also your other clients is astounding. When you say you’re going to sleep, I think that’s code for “I’m going to secretly drink blood so I can do it all again tomorrow.” So glad I found you, lady. This release wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for you.
My Wenches!!! Cat, Lisa, Toni, Autumn, Kathy, Paula, Paula, Jamie, Cassandra, Amber, Meca, Tammy, Jenna, Sarah, Jerri, Darce, and all the rest. OMG there are so many of you. I love you all so much. Thank you for putting up with my weirdness and sharing all my stuff. You’re quickly becoming some of my favorite people.
Imy, babe, thank you for always being a quick message away. You’re the sweetest girl I know. P.S. I need more Jackson asap.
There’s one significant difference I’ve had between the release of Indisputable and the release of Redesigning Fate and that is the friendships and relationships I’ve formed with bloggers. Thank you to all of those who shared, liked, read, reviewed and just took the time out of your busy schedules to talk about Redesigning Fate with me and your readers. I appreciate every single one of you so much.
To my readers, thank you for taking the chance on me. I hope to live up to your expectations and give you a story you truly can escape into and enjoy.
To close this out, thank you my family and friends. Your support is invaluable. Love you all.