More Than Lies (More Than #1)(123)

“Fine! You won’t shut up and listen to me then look for yourself.” She raises her hair, gathering the strands into a makeshift ponytail and moves it away from her neck. I don’t want to look, but she wants me to see it so I focus my eyes on that spot.

I step closer to get a better look. That’s when I see it isn’t yet a tattoo. The ink on her neck is from a transfer. It’s not permanent.

Now that that fact has sunk in, I’m breathing a little easier. That’s when I take in the design only to lose the breath I just had. Am I seeing this correctly?

“Your silence is killing me, Shawn.”

I can’t speak. I step another foot closer until I’m directly behind Tara, my eyes inches away from what may be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Not just that, but damn, seeing my name on her skin is turning me on.

The design is mine. I drew it a few weeks ago. It’s an infinity symbol in black ink and its design has the same elements of the paint splashes on my back. The writing wasn’t part of the original work. Inside the symbol is my name: Shawn is edged in on the left and Braden on the right. Written around the symbol, it says, my forever begins with him and will continue, never ending . . .

“You’re still not saying anything.”

“Is that supposed to be paint or blood dripping from my name?” Inside the infinity symbol, there are drops of what looks more like blood dripping than paint.

She releases her hair. The strands fall, covering the place where she will soon have my name permanently inked on her body. She wants my name on her. That’s fucking unreal.

She turns, facing me.

“Blood. Cool, right?” Her smile warms my insides. “I stole the idea from Eve.” I don’t know what that means, and right now I don’t care.

“Does this mean we’re okay?” Surely she wouldn’t be doing this if she believed the stripper.

“Shawn, there could always be people waiting to tear us apart. Others, who for whatever reason don’t want to see us happy. They don’t matter, and they can’t bring down something as solid as we have. Trust this, Shawn. Trust me, and trust yourself. We can do this, be us, and be together, but we can only do it if we are in it together with all we have inside of us. No one has the power to break us, except us.” She pauses, bringing her lips up to reach mine. She presses against me lightly before pulling back. “Are you with me?”

Trust myself she says.

Easier said than done, but what choice do I have? I love her. I want this. I want her and I want there to always be an ‘us’.

“Yeah, Tara, I’m with you, baby. Forever.” I designed that infinity symbol with her in mind. I had planned on inking it on myself.

“Then marry me.” My body goes solid.

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

“I’m done, Shawn. I’m done being that girl who doesn’t speak up, who doesn’t go after or fight for what she wants. I want you, and I want us, forever. If you aren’t in this with me, if you think there will ever come a time when you’ll tire of me, then end us now.” She pauses taking a large breath. Her words are full of confidence, but I can still see the small amount of self-doubt. She’ll get there though, just like I will. We’ll get there together. “End us now, or go all in and marry me.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that question?”

“Were you going to ask me today?”

“No.”

“Well, then I have, and now I’d like an answer.”

“Yes, Tara, I’ll marry you.” I pull her into my body needing to be as close to her as possible. I wrap my arms around her back and lower my head to kiss her on the lips.

A damn girl asked me to marry her. Never in my life would I have pictured that happening. This is perfect though. This is our perfect and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Tara is my perfect and my forever.





Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed their story. There were a few things I purposely didn’t address as I want you to understand certain things from other characters point of view, in their own story, that will come later in the series.





You’ll get more of Shawn and Tara in MORE THAN MEMORIES when you read Shane and Whitney’s story—which is out now. Turn the page to read the Prologue and chapter one.





If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review at the retailer of your choice. Again, thank you so much for reading my book. I’d love to hear from you in my Reader Group or if you would like to stay up-to-date, join my newsletter. I don’t spam. Unless I have information for you, I won’t email you.





Sneak Peek





MORE THAN MEMORIES





PROLOGUE

— WHITNEY —





I suck at writing.

This was crap. All. Crap.

I pushed my notebook away in frustration—a twinge of disgust ebbed inside me. When that didn’t help, I threw my pencil at the white wall in front of my boyfriend’s bed.

I had been lying on Shane’s bed for twenty minutes or so working on lyrics to a soon-to-be song that wouldn’t leave me alone. Phrases kept popping into my head, distracting me from school, my friends, and everything else—pestering me. If I didn’t get this song out, I felt like I was going to go crazy.