Description:
Published: March 3rd, 2015
Macy Diaz has managed childhood friend Jeb Porter’s crush for years. However, his infatuation turns to obsession, even putting a kid in the hospital just for hitting on her. In the past, Macy brushed it off, explained his bizarre acts away. But now she harbors a secret. She’s in love…with Jeb’s sister, Rachel.
By some miracle, Rachel loves Macy back, and despite the small minds polluting their sleepy southern town, they’re sticking together. Unfortunately, making sure Jeb never grows suspicious proves harder every day—until everything falls apart.
As a sick, unstable Jeb starts to threaten all Macy values, she is reminded of what has always been perfectly clear. Macy belongs to him, only him, and he won’t let her go. Ever.
If only Macy could’ve loved Jeb, she wouldn’t have to worry about surviving him now.
Face still burning, trying to act as cool and laidback as my friend, I shrugged and looked at Rachel. "You going, too?"
She smiled, her overbite hardly noticeable after three years in braces. "I'm being forced to by my big ape of a brother." She nudged Jeb, who kept his eyes on me the entire time. "He promised to take me into Sevierville on Friday if I hung out with y'all today."
I cleared my throat, hoping I didn't sound as awkward as I felt. "What's doing there on Friday?"
"Poetry reading. Y'all should come with." She put her hands on her hips and held up her dainty chin. "The theme is the feminine mystique."
Ana and Jeb rolled their eyes, while I tried hard not to nod too fast. "Yeah, I'll go."
Rachel beamed. "I'd like that."
"Uh, hey, on second thought, maybe I'll skip the movie, tag along. I could add some male mystique." Jeb nodded in that way I'm sure he thought made him look sexy. He did have the looks, with all that blond hair and eyes as blue as the ocean. His sister had the same eyes…but bluer. So much bluer, like I could drown in them kind of blue.
Ana snorted, bringing my mind back into the kitchen.
My face grew hotter as I averted my eyes to focus on my white heels. "Sounds like a date, then."
"I think it does," Jeb said.
"All right, all right. Why don't you two go round up a few others? Macy and I will head over as soon as she changes." Ana shoved me toward the stairs, not waiting for a reply.
"So, y'all will be along soon, right?" Jeb's deep voice followed, a hint of panic making it sound higher than usual.
"Yes, yes, just go on, now." Ana waved him off with a laugh, and whispered, "I swear that boy can't be more obvious."
"I don't have any idea what you're talking about."
"Yeah, sure you don't." Ana leaned closer. "When you gonna break his heart and tell him you like his sister?"
"You betrayed me." His voice had no emotion, just a flat line of monotone syllables pieced together.
"Jeb–"
"I've done everything, and it's still not enough."
My whole body grew numb and my insides turned to liquid. "Please–"
"Everything!" Life flashed into his pale face, the bags under his eyes more pronounced as the rage unhinged. His breathing heaved just as my lungs decided not to pump oxygen. He didn't touch me, but his hands were balled into fists at his sides, clenching and unclenching in quick intervals. Now all those people who ignored my initial screech began to take notice, some even braving a few steps closer.
I backed up, trying to make eye contact with some of those courageous souls willing to come forward. "Please, help me." My plea squeaked out, but a few people heard it, scooting a tad closer.
A security guard came forward, skinny and old, the tic near his left eye the only indication of his nerves. He kept his twitchy eyes on Jeb as he spoke to me. "Is everything all right, miss?"
Jeb ignored him, his rage focused and acute. "I don't lose, Macy. I never lose."
EXCERPT
Face still burning, trying to act as cool and laidback as my friend, I shrugged and looked at Rachel. "You going, too?"
She smiled, her overbite hardly noticeable after three years in braces. "I'm being forced to by my big ape of a brother." She nudged Jeb, who kept his eyes on me the entire time. "He promised to take me into Sevierville on Friday if I hung out with y'all today."
I cleared my throat, hoping I didn't sound as awkward as I felt. "What's doing there on Friday?"
"Poetry reading. Y'all should come with." She put her hands on her hips and held up her dainty chin. "The theme is the feminine mystique."
Ana and Jeb rolled their eyes, while I tried hard not to nod too fast. "Yeah, I'll go."
Rachel beamed. "I'd like that."
"Uh, hey, on second thought, maybe I'll skip the movie, tag along. I could add some male mystique." Jeb nodded in that way I'm sure he thought made him look sexy. He did have the looks, with all that blond hair and eyes as blue as the ocean. His sister had the same eyes…but bluer. So much bluer, like I could drown in them kind of blue.
Ana snorted, bringing my mind back into the kitchen.
My face grew hotter as I averted my eyes to focus on my white heels. "Sounds like a date, then."
"I think it does," Jeb said.
"All right, all right. Why don't you two go round up a few others? Macy and I will head over as soon as she changes." Ana shoved me toward the stairs, not waiting for a reply.
"So, y'all will be along soon, right?" Jeb's deep voice followed, a hint of panic making it sound higher than usual.
"Yes, yes, just go on, now." Ana waved him off with a laugh, and whispered, "I swear that boy can't be more obvious."
"I don't have any idea what you're talking about."
"Yeah, sure you don't." Ana leaned closer. "When you gonna break his heart and tell him you like his sister?"
*****
"You betrayed me." His voice had no emotion, just a flat line of monotone syllables pieced together.
"Jeb–"
"I've done everything, and it's still not enough."
My whole body grew numb and my insides turned to liquid. "Please–"
"Everything!" Life flashed into his pale face, the bags under his eyes more pronounced as the rage unhinged. His breathing heaved just as my lungs decided not to pump oxygen. He didn't touch me, but his hands were balled into fists at his sides, clenching and unclenching in quick intervals. Now all those people who ignored my initial screech began to take notice, some even braving a few steps closer.
I backed up, trying to make eye contact with some of those courageous souls willing to come forward. "Please, help me." My plea squeaked out, but a few people heard it, scooting a tad closer.
A security guard came forward, skinny and old, the tic near his left eye the only indication of his nerves. He kept his twitchy eyes on Jeb as he spoke to me. "Is everything all right, miss?"
Jeb ignored him, his rage focused and acute. "I don't lose, Macy. I never lose."
About the author:
Born in Pennsylvania, Lynn spent most of her childhood, especially during math class, daydreaming. Today, she spends an obscene amount of time in her head, only now she writes down all the cool stuff.
With a degree in English Literature, Lynn used college as an excuse to read for four years straight. She lives in the Pocono Mountains with her husband, raising the four most incredible human beings on the planet. She writes young adult novels, both fantasy and contemporary.
Author's Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
11 comments:
I want to read this book. I enjoyed the excerpt.
Juana Esparza
The excerpt was very nice. I would love to read the whole novel.
Jeb sounds dangerous and unstable. I'm surprised Macy could ever brush it off. Brave girl. I imagine it would be very hard for Macy to hide her interest, especially since Jeb and Rachel live together. Sounds like a thrilling read.
thx u for hosting...
This looks like a book my niece might enjoy as she's about the same age as the girls in the book :)
Ugh, Jeb sounds majorly creepy. This one sounds good!
Sounds great. and I will be adding it to my tbr list, thanks so much for the nice giveaway
It's kind of sad, but this isn't an unlikely situation in real life. There are too many guys out there who think that women are their property. They feel they're owed something for their attentions. Just look at the photos from tinder users, where for whatever reason, the guys start lashing out. I'm kinda afraid to see what Jeb does after Macy rejects him. If he put a guy in the hospital for hitting on her, but now it's his sister tempting her, will he get violent with her or lash out in other ways? Love that this is set in on of those small, Southern towns, because I grew up in one and know of a lot of people I'd never thought would be gay coming out after high school/after leaving the county. It just wasn't accepted, so most hid it. The one guy I know that did nothing to hide got beat up a few times. Just a sad situation. I never came clean about being an atheist/agnostic. Even now, I've never come right out on Facebook or something and made it known. People who don't hide these things about themselves that aren't accepted in their communities are brave to me.
I loved the excerpt, thank you!
Sounds really good!
Post a Comment