A Locket Full of Lies E-Book

Angel Rupert

• Herausgeber: Bentockiz
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Even though I attempted to deny it, now I don't want to lose what we have. The thought of not having him in my life fills me with a sense of emptiness that I cannot ignore. It wasn't love at first sight, but as I got to know him, I found myself drawn to his kind heart and his infectious laughter. We started out as friends, but as our bond deepened, so did my feelings for him. I was scared to confess my love, afraid of rejection and the possible end of our friendship.

Leseprobe

Title Page

A Locket Full of Lies

Whispers and Secrets

Angel Rupert

A Locket Full of Lies / 9th of series: Whispers and Secrets / By Angel Rupert

Published 2023 by Bentockiz

e-book Imprint: Calkden Norsh

e-book Registration: Stockholm, Sweden

e-book ISBN: 9789198848687

e-book editing: Athens, Greece

Cover Images created via AI art generators

Table of Contents

Title Page

Introduction

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Introduction

Through books we come into contact with everything important that has happened in the past, analyzing also current events and putting our thoughts together to predict the future. The book is a window to the world, acquiring valuable knowledge and sparking our vivid imagination. It is a means of entertainment and is generally seen as a best friend, or as a slave that carries together all valuable information for us. The book is a friend who stays together without demands, a friend you call upon at every moment and abandon when you want.

It accompanies us in the hours of boredom and loneliness, while at the same time it entertains us. In general, a book does not ask anything from us, while it waits patiently on a dusty shelf to give us its information, to get us out of dead ends and to travel us to magical worlds.

This may be the travel mission of our books. Abstract narration, weird or unconscious thoughts difficult to be understood, but always genuine and full of life experiences, these are stories of life that can’t be overlooked easily.

This may be the start of something amazing.

Chapter One

“This is the life,” Sarah said blissfully, eyes closed, from the lounge chair next to me. “I wish now we had been able to come sooner.”

“I was beginning to think you were just a figment of Manda’s imagination,” I teased.

Drew’s sister, Sarah, and her husband Jerry had finally shown up a couple of days after my discharge from the hospital...along with Denise.

Jerry’s parents were keeping the twins, Everett and Ethan, while Sarah and Jerry used a week of Jerry’s vacation from his job as a computer programmer in order to visit us.

“Hmm...I like the idea of being a figment,” she replied. “Figments don’t have to do housework, or laundry, or take care of kids...

“You love your kids,” I protested, shocked.

“Most days...”

Even after two days of Sarah’s company, I still wasn’t always sure when she was joking. Drew’s family, with the exception of his mother, always seemed to be playing around giving each other a hard time.

Being an only child, that was quite an adjustment for me.

“Hey you two,” Denise called from the pool, “get off your lazy backsides and get in here.”

“Insults will get you nowhere,” Sarah replied in a sleepy voice. “You know Felicia can’t use the pool yet. What kind of nurse are you anyway?”

“Sorry,” Denise said, pulling herself out and coming over to sit by us. “You shouldn’t be getting around so well. I forget that you just had surgery.”

“I’ll try to remember to moan and groan a bit more.”

“I was just comparing you to this bag of complaining bones here,” she said kicking Sarah’s foot with her own.

“Hey, watch it,” Sarah murmured, eyes closed.

“After Sarah had her C-section she acted like she was in dire danger of expiring from the pain,” Denise criticized.

“It is painful,” I admitted, attempting to defend Sarah.

“You’re handling it well,” Denise complimented me. “I’m so glad Drew married you and not that horrible she-devil...”

“Denise!” Sarah halted her sharply, voice suddenly alert.

“You mean the girl he was engaged to in college?”

“You know about her?” Sarah asked in surprise.

“Yes,” I admitted, hoping they wouldn’t ask me how I knew.

“We didn’t think Drew would ever marry,” Denise informed me.

“But that happened so long ago,” I protested.

“True...but his opinion of women just got worse and worse while he was working on that ranch,” Denise shuddered. “All those women wanting him to...”

“Denise!”

Sarah was suddenly upright glaring at her younger sister.

“It’s alright. I know about that, too.”

I didn’t add that if it hadn’t been for CeeCee, I would have been in the dark about all of Drew’s earlier life.

“He must have fallen for you hard,” Denise noted. “Because I overheard him tell Ricky just before Ricky left for Africa that he would never again allow himself to be duped into thinking he was in love. You heard him Sarah; it was right after that girl named Tammy dumped Ricky and he joined the Peace Corps to get over his broken heart. They had dated for almost a year and it must have really messed Ricky up for him to go off and do something like that.”

“I remember,” Sarah said through clenched teeth, “But I don’t think it’s an appropriate topic of discussion to be having with Drew’s wife.”

“It’s okay now though,” Denise argued. “Drew did fall in love and get married.” She sighed. “I love happy endings.”

“I think it’s time I took Cassidy back into the house,” I said. “You two stay out here and enjoy yourselves.”

Pushing Cassidy’s covered stroller into the house, I lifted her out and took her to the master suite. I needed to be alone to process all the new information Denise had unwittingly given me.

The last week and a half since the birth of our baby I had been full of hope, thinking that Drew might actually be starting to care about me, but if what Denise said was true, it was doubtful.

He certainly loved Cassidy, that much was indisputable, but that didn’t necessarily translate into his loving me. The thought depressed me.

As much as I had fought it, I could no longer deny that I was madly in love with my husband.

Early in our...association...we hadn’t gotten to know each other at all, only concerned with the obvious physical attraction between us, but during our short honeymoon he had allowed me to see a different side of him...a side I hadn’t known existed...and I began to fall for him.

Once we had returned from the honeymoon, he had to leave almost immediately and although he had called every night, my jealousy and insecurities had ended most of the phone calls on a poor note.

Our relationship had regressed.

But then there was the week and a half I was confined to bed. Sadly, it had been one of the best parts of our marriage, both of us going out of our way to avoid any and all conflict, not wanting to worsen my condition...most of the time spent cuddled up together on the bed watching movies or talking about noncontroversial things.

I fell a little further.

The fact that he had been there for me during every part of what followed, the terrible ordeal I had gone through having Cassidy, made me realize that Drew was steady and reliable...totally at odds with the image the world had of Mitch Hunter. I realized then that he wasn’t going to be a fair-weather father, that he was as committed to the baby as I was.

I fell past the point of no return.

Watching Drew with his baby girl totally sealed my fate. His love for her was unquestionable. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her; I knew that without a shadow of a doubt. It was official...my fall was complete.

I loved him.

Cassidy began to fuss, bringing me back to the present.

Feeding time; How did someone so small eat so much?

I watched tenderly as Cassidy latched on greedily and began to suckle. She amazed me and I frequently had a hard time believing she was mine.

The pain and discouragement that I had felt during the hospital ordeal was already becoming nothing more than a vague memory. She was worth it. I loved her so much it was almost a physical pain inside of me. Just like my feelings for Drew.

No matter how Drew felt about me, I knew I would always love him. CeeCee’s advice to me before the wedding made perfect sense to me for the first time. I absolutely wanted...needed...for Cassidy and Drew to be happy; that was the only thing that would make me truly happy.