Ava knows who Jimmy O'Brien is - her first love and soulmate. Forced to spend time apart, Ava and Jim deal with their trust issues and insecurities.
When the lovers finally reunite and resolve to fight for each other, their fragile happiness is put...
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December
A bell chimed each time someone entered the small bookstore downtown. Counting how many times it did wasn't something I would typically do, but knowing some of those people might've come here because of me changed things.
"Here you are!" Eliana burst into the staff room where I'd been hiding. Her pink chin-length hair seemed even brighter today, or maybe I was hyper-focused on every detail. "Everything's ready. I think it's time to, you know, go out there?"
I groaned, covering my face with my palms. "How many people? I heard the bell chime fifty times."
My agent grabbed my wrist and yanked me forward. "Go and look. Come on. They're here for you, everything's going to be amazing, and you sold more in a week since the release of the book than lots did in months."
That should've calmed me, but reading reviews wasn't the same as meeting those who loved my work in person. Reluctantly, I followed Eliana out of the tiny room to the hall, where a table with copies of my book stood.
My eyes registered the long line of people who came to the signing—definitely more than fifty. I greeted them, instantly relaxing at the sight of so many friendly smiles.
One by one, they approached my table, and I plastered dedications across pages while answering questions about the second book I would release in a few months.
An hour later, I spotted someone familiar in the back. I glanced Jim's way, and he nodded, his smile dripping with pride. Maybe saying I wouldn't get where I was today without some people's help was a bit of a cliche, but it was nothing but the truth. Jim's support was the anchor keeping me afloat during the many moments of self-doubt. He knew things I didn't tell anyone else and believed in me unconditionally.
When the crowd dwindled eventually, a different, noisy group marched into the bookstore. My girls and Jim's guys, together with Jim's parents, Dad, Harper, Brian, Leah, and the tiny Iris, approached me. I let them hug and congratulate me and signed the books I reserved for them.
"Hope your fangirls are more decent than Jim's," Jay said, winking. "We heard a bunch gushing about Ava Morris outside the store."
I laughed. "You did not."
"We did. Ask the girls."
Isla and Ivy confirmed his words with a nod, and Ivy tapped the hardcover I'd given her. "They said they couldn't put it down, so you'd better write more and fast."
"She's under enough pressure without all of you." Jim pressed his lips to my cheek and slipped an arm around my waist, bringing me closer. "She'll write after our vacation."
"It's long overdue," Dad said. "You two deserve it."
Very few things could shock the laid-back, cheerful person who raised me, but Tasha's obsession with Jim and her involvement in my accident did. Although her lawyer tried to blame her behavior on her mental health, they didn't have enough proof, and she was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. Even though I was happy Tasha wouldn't harm me or those I cared about anymore, a part of me felt sorry for the way she ruined her future.
