Mia is home in Georgia where she thinks she needs to be. She is slowly realizing it might not be the welcome home she hoped for. Life is different. Nothing is as she left it and Mia feels like she is the one to blame.
Her mother cries every day. She is no longer dating Charlie and Charlie quit his job at the factory. He moved to Chicago because he couldn’t handle the grief. While Mia is trying to adjust to the changes, she finds out Kyle might be released from prison due to a technicality.
Mia came to Georgia for familiarity. She ran away from her problems just like she always had in the past. As much as she craved the escape she can’t stop thinking about Sebastian. She needs him. He is the only one who can comfort her.
I would let her have tonight but tomorrow I was going to find her.
I was going to find her and bring her home.
We were meant to be together and I was going to make her remember that.
I just needed to stop crying first. ~Sebastian
Sebastian has followed Mia to Georgia in hopes to get her back. Mia’s mom isn’t very helpful in locating her. He has been in Riceboro, Georgia for three weeks and still no sign of her.
What will happen when he finally lays eyes on her? Will Sebastian find out why she ran in the first place? Will she come back with Sebastian to Miami or is this goodbye for good?
Join Mia and Sebastian in the final part of their story of forgiveness, redemption, and love.
He wasn’t leaving town.
He wasn’t leaving without a fight.
On the outside I showed no emotion, but inside I felt relief spreading throughout my body. I didn’t want to admit it but I needed him. His touch made me feel alive again. I had missed that these past weeks. I wasn’t sure if these feeling were going to break me but I was going to grab hold of it. Even if just for a moment. Even if I knew it couldn’t last.
His other hand wrapped around the back of my neck as he pulled my forehead to his. I could smell the remnants of his mint gum and feel his breath on my skin. His mouthed moved closer to mine.
“Kiss me,” he whispered onto my lips.
I wanted to but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to give him the wrong impression again. I didn’t want him to think he had a chance.
“No.” I said firmly.
His lips moved closer to mine and lightly brushed against me. “Kiss me, Mia. Let me show you how good it feels. Let me help you forget the pain and just be in this moment, with me.”
His mouth lightly touched mine in a quick tender kiss. My lips burned from his touch and it took everything I had to not make a sound, to look indifferent. I was giving in. Caving. Another few seconds and I would be his for sure.
His lips left mine but still hovered over my mouth. “God I’ve missed you. I’ve missed this, us, just being together. Kiss me, please.”
I looked up into his eyes and saw the desperation there. He looked tired. He looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. His gorgeous blue eyes had dullness to them that I hadn’t noticed yesterday. I wanted to comfort him. I needed to make sure he was okay. It made no sense but I knew I couldn’t be okay if he wasn’t.
Ignoring the inner battle going on between my head and my heart, I leaned forward and connected my lips with his. His response was immediate. His hands gripped me tighter as his tongue slipped into my mouth.
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My life is similar to a lot of other mom’s out there. I’m a cook, a maid, a doctor, a teacher, a chauffeur a therapist, an accountant, a personal shopper and the list goes on. It is very easy to lose yourself in the day-to-day activities and I lost myself. I want to tell you a little bit of how I got myself back because today I work, raise two kids, and in my free time I write.
I have two beautiful children who make my life complete. They are the reason I wake up in the morning. My goal is to always be the best mom I can be but how can you be a great mom if you don’ t take care of yourself first?
Ms. Elvira has also written a wonderful and truly inspiring Guest Post giving insight into how she began writing, and shares with us her daily life, her struggles and how picking up a journal and buying a book slowly began to change her life.
I heard that all the time and would think it was a load of crap. I thought anyone who can say that isn’t a good mom. Well, I was wrong. I lost myself in my children and my identity was strictly through them only.
The woman who used to get pedicures once a week was lucky to paint her toe nails once a month. The woman who went to the hair salon for three hours every six weeks was lucky if she got to dye her own hair once every three months. Going out with my girls? That became nonexistent. The only way we stayed connected was through Facebook.
Now I’m not saying these are all bad things. I still give myself my own pedicures and dye my own hair but I do it more frequently. I started to take better care of myself. I started doing a few things for me.
I started making changes a few years ago. My brother passed away at the age of twenty-one and I wasn’t dealing with his death properly. I was encouraged by many people to start journaling my feelings. My father even told me this helped him.
I was in a bookstore one day and walked by some nice leather bound journals, so I bought one. After the kids went to bed that evening I sat down in bed and started writing. Well… I sucked at journaling my feelings. The first few days were okay but by day four I started writing stories. It was my way of escape. Believe it or not, it helped.
I remembered writing stories as a kid. I’ve always had a wild imagination and liked to live in the world of make believe. If I wasn’t writing as a kid, I was either reading or acting out my stories in plays with my siblings and neighbors. I was surrounded by creative minds and it made for the best childhood.
So, I continued to write stories in the journal that was meant for my feelings. It was therapeutic but I was still having trouble sleeping. Then one day, during a phone conversation with a close friend, I explained the difficulty I was having sleeping. She asked if I had tried to take any sleep aids and I hadn’t. I wasn’t a fan of taking any kind of medicine so she suggested reading.
I used to love reading as a child and young adult but I hadn’t read for leisure since my children were born.
Well, my friend told me to pick up a book called Twilight. Have you heard of it? This was during the summer of 2008 when movie buzz had just started so I decided to try it. The next day I bought the book and started reading it that night. It changed my life. I know how cliché that is but it is true. It brought back my desire to read again. It gave me an escape from my life and I got to be a part of the lives of these fictional characters, even if only for a few hours.
Needless to say this did not help my sleeping patterns but I didn’t care. I finally had a little time for me, which is what I was craving so badly. I started reading more YA books with a little Jodi Picoult thrown in between. I was happy and content. I was still writing as therapy and reading for enjoyment.
Then a book came out that will forever change the way I read books and write. Fifty Shades of Grey. I had heard the buzz and was intrigued. So in April 2012, I went to Target and picked up the books. They had literally just been released that week. Oh my God, E.L James changed my life.
I knew about erotica books but I had never read one before. I wanted romance and I didn’t think erotica had that. To see a book that was erotic but had the most beautiful love story opened my eyes to a whole new world of books. I started exploring more into adult romance books, new adult, and erotica instead of just reading YA.
This brought me to my first indie author, K.A. Linde, and her book Avoiding Commitment. I loved it! I started reading more and more from indie authors. I realized I could start posting my stories too and see if anyone enjoyed them as much as I liked writing them.
I started posting my stories on wattpad.com but I found it very difficult to get my name out there. I love reading stories on there but they have strict rules and I was having a hard time drawing people’s interest.
Then I read an article on self-publishing through Smashwords and Amazon. I thought this was a great idea and I started making the desired changes to my first novel so that I could post it. I made Facebook and Goodreads pages, learned how to format, and read advice on Smashwords for how to market my book. I’ve been amazed by the response and positivity I have received from everyone.
Sure, I made mistakes along the way. This includes publishing the wrong file to smashwords and Amazon. It wasn’t my final edited version. It took a review for me to realize that I posted the wrong version. I quickly published the right version but the first couple hundred people who bought my book didn’t get the right one.
I remember when I hit the publish button and how nervous I was. My friends and family didn’t know I was doing this. I needed something that was mine and only mine. I felt like if I told my loved ones then it wouldn’t be mine anymore. I would be filled with self-doubt and insecurities. The only person I confided in was my daughter. She is such a spitfire and encouraged me. Did I mention she’s nine? She doesn’t know what kind of books I write, she is to young to know, but she supports me all the way and I need that.
I waited two days to check Kdp and Smashwords to see if anyone was interested in my book. I was shocked to see that it was selling. It probably wouldn’t be considered a success by industry standards but it was a success to me. I was proud of what I wrote and I love the genre I write in. If only one person read and loved my book I would be happy. I would know I gave them an escape from reality for a few hours and they enjoyed it.
The real test was seeing what people thought. The encouraging words and reviews were overwhelming. Whether it’s a two star review or five star review, everyone is still encouraging and positive. I love being a part of this community of readers and authors. I love to hear when someone loves Sebastian and Mia’s story or that they are going crazy waiting to read the next book. I understand that, I feel that too with the books I love! I am just as passionate when I read books. I fall in love with the characters and want a HEA.
Writing is my escape, my therapy, and the one thing that is completely and totally mine. I can block out the world, forget I’m a mom, forget I have a million things on my to-do list, and escape in the characters I created. It brings so much happiness to my life and I’m glad I get to share it with the world now.
Do you want to write? Then start writing today. Want to feed the hungry? Start today! Did you ever dream of owning a business, sky diving, or going on a safari in Africa? Start planning today! Do something you love, take a chance, and be happy because life is too short not to be. I know I am much happier because I get to do something I love for a few hours a day.
Love to you all and thanks for reading!
~Justine Elvira
