Asterism

26. self-love

BEFORE CONTINUING TO THIS CHAPTER, PLEASE READ THIS VERY IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE because I want to make something very, very clear to all of you ahead of time!

Regarding Marley and Aiden, I have never spoken up with a decision on their smut and I have not made promises of smut in this series at all.

You must all understand that Marley waiting for these couple of books is !!NOT!! a plot device to keep you all hooked in the story waiting for a sex scene. If you have become hooked on this story the entire time ONLY for a sex scene, than you're not invested in the actual story, and this series is just not for you.

My books were created with the purpose to make you feel something real, to change you, to pull you into my characters' lives of love and struggle and growing pains and growth. They tell the story of various relationships and friendships and the rollercoaster that is Marley's life. They tell the story of healing and recovery and victory and the bowels of suffering and how all those things make you stronger. Their waiting isn't to build up anticipation or keep you reading. These are authentic characters and choices that they would make if I had one reader or I had millions.

With all that being said, I know a lot of you are invested in this story for the story AND also want smut. I get pm's, I get story comments and comments on my message board about it all the time.

But, on the other side of that coin, I also get comments and pm's from readers who would prefer censorship. And given the additional fact that I posted an extra in CF dated at 2005 - fifteen years ago - and some of you were commenting that you hadn't even been BORN yet, with no good conscience can I add a porn scene in a story with readers the age of my own sister. I wouldn't want her to read smut at her age. I wouldn't want to expose anyone at such a young age to smut regardless of my age but the fact that I'm a twenty year old adult does not sit right with me. In no way am I saying erotica content for of-age audiences is gross, and I'm not criticizing authors who are comfortable with publishing smut to their audiences - but to me personally, it feels gross to publish smut to young readers and I'm not comfortable with it - even if there's no innocence left to take.

I hope you all understand, and I've also made this announcement clear before Marley and Aiden do take that step in their relationship so that there's no expectation or disappointment for something that isn't going to be there. To reiterate, there will be no smut scene in this story BUT, to be fair to my PG-13 rating and to my readers who do want smut because I'm being fair to those who don't - I will be adding details.

I can promise you Marley's thoughts on their sex life won't be PG and completely censored behind cut scenes. That is also because I love their passion, too, and I want to share it with you all the same way I have from the first pages of CWTHAW.

Now for chapter 25, a very important and educational chapter because Marley's mental health issues are not meant to pull any sensitive readers into a pit of no return. I'm showing her strength and how she climbs out of this, too, so you all can hopefully learn something from it and do the same.

I love you guys, I hope you enjoy, and be sure to vote and comment if you do. It means the world to me, it keeps me writing and encourages me on the days I doubt myself, too ❤️

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"I'M sorry he called so early," was the first thing Marley blurted as she stumbled into her seat in Amber's office. "Really, if I had any idea I would've told him no."