Picture Perfect

Chapter One: Tyler

Welcome to one of my cosiest and sweetest books (I also added sex into it but y'know, still cosy and sweet). I originally wrote this book when I was 17 which is bananas, as I'm now 27.

Enjoy the 10-year update of Picture Perfect!

A brief note on pronunciations: Siobhan is pronounced shiv-AWN, which is why Tyler calls her Awny. Sorcha can be pronounced in several different ways depending on where in Ireland or Northern Ireland (or Scotland, incidentally!) you are. But I've gone with what my Irish friends have told me, which is sor-uh-kah.

Love, Cam

♡

Chapter One

I Shred Some Things and Scare My Sister

"Oh sweet holy mother of Jesus, what have you done?"

I opened my eyes to see my younger sister, Siobhan, towering above me. It wasn't difficult for her to do so, as I was lying on the ground taking a peaceful rest. "Oh, hi."

Siobhan and I shared a trait of our Irish accents getting thicker and thicker the more pissed off we became, and her accent had reached a stage that even I was struggling to understand. "Tyler O'Connor, I understand that you are going through a tough time right now. But this is ridiculous and your daughter is going to wind up seeing it and getting upset. Is that what you want?"

I checked my watch. "She's not due back for three hours. I've got plenty of time."

Siobhan gestured to the pile of shredded crap lying around me. I was currently using a torn up denim jacket as a pillow, enjoying the nice rays of sunshine gently landing on my face. "Where did you even get a wood chipper?" she asked, eyeing the machine.

"Matt," I replied. He was my neighbour, and incredibly nosy, so I had traded information on my sordid tale for two hours use of his wood chipper, no questions asked.

"Does Matt know you used it to shred... is that fur?" Siobhan asked, picking up a mangled scarf.

"It's faux-fur," I replied, sitting up. "Awny, what'cha doing here?"

"Came to check on you," she shrugged, and sat down beside me, pushing a shoe out of her way. "You weren't answering your phone. I now see why."

I offered her a small smile. "You're a good sister."

"Heart of gold, yes," she replied, smiling slightly back. It was a nice moment, but it gave way to worry, her forehead creasing slightly. I couldn't help but wonder if she'd have fewer wrinkles if I was less of a nightmare. "Tyler, what's going on?"

I sighed. "I don't know. I just snapped. Ever since... ever since he told me what happened, I've been so damn polite about everything. Saskie's been here, so I haven't been able to just... lose it. And then he came and picked her up this morning and he was with... Andrew. And I went back inside the house and it... it was my home with him. And all the stuff he didn't want to take was just... lying there, and I just..."

"Snapped," Siobhan finished for me. She sighed, and got to her feet. "Okay, hand me that shoe."

I handed her the shoe, and she kicked the wood chipper's 'on' switch. It jumped to life, whirring away, completely unperturbed by the stuff I'd jammed in there. She threw the shoe into it, watching tiny little pieces of shoe fly out the funnel end. I grinned and got to my feet, picking up another of Colin's stupid shirts.

It took us another hour, but between us we managed to shred pretty much everything Colin had left in our house. Then Siobhan got a roll of bin liners and we started neatly packing it all up to throw away.