Ben
I know why I lost her. I was too serious. I was too practical. I was grounded when I should’ve been dreaming about forever with Jess.
Over time, this wore on her, all her big exciting ideas and all the ways I shut them down. No wonder she handed me my ring back and left town. No wonder she hadn’t been back in ten years. No wonder she’d married someone else, leaving me with memories of sunsets at the beach and the somedays we planned for the future we’d never live.
So, I built a lift without her. My father and I opened the second division of Sunset Builders in New York, and to my surprise, I stayed busy, almost busy enough not to notice the loneliness.
While I was on a job site, my little sister booked an appointment with a woman who lived on Madison Avenue. A quick bathroom and kitchen remodel, she’d said. I should have asked more questions because when I arrived and the door opened memories came flooding back.
Jessica had returned. If I’d learned anything in her absence it was that anything worth doing was worth being done well, and anything worth having was worth fighting for. Maybe by the time the condo was done, Jessica would give me a second chance.
Jessica
All those years ago, Ben had been right to try to keep me grounded. I should’ve listened. The falls didn’t hurt as bad that way.
Instead, I wanted a bigger life in a bigger place and I never appreciated the beauty of living in a small town with a huge support system. So, I left town without so much as a goodbye chasing a silly dream. I alienated myself, moved to a strange city where I knew no one, and chased after something that took me down a dark path.
I married the man who promised me the sun, moon, and stars, but delivered blinding blows. Sometimes, I thought I’d die before I escaped the nightmare. I knew my only way out would be to run...again. This took more years than I could count. Years of me squirreling away money, and years of me hiding in the dark so that no one would see my bruised face in the light of day.
Then my grandfather died. He left me money and a gorgeous condo in New York. While my husband was away on a month-long trip, my best friend drove me to New York. My plan: to upgrade the condo, sell it, and leave my current life behind.
Little did I know when I had called contractors to get some quotes that Ben would show up on my doorstep. He swore we could make more dreams real, but this time I was the grounded one. This time, I could only see how it would never work. I’d made too many mistakes. Love was terrifying. And I never wanted to tie myself to anyone ever again.
After all, 425 Madison is the perfect place to fall in love.
Exclusive Excerpt
I slowly opened the envelope and pulled out a thick stack of papers. On top sat some beautiful images of Jessica, which I flipped through slowly, taking them in. "These are amazing pictures of you. It was nice of them to send them to you. I love this one," I said, holding up what I thought was one of the best shots of her.
"Yeah, they are great, but that isn't all they sent me," she said, the excitement building in her voice. She reached over and pulled the images off the thick pile of paperwork, producing what looked to be a contract. "Two weeks ago, they called and presented me with an enormous opportunity, and here it is! All in black and white." She squealed. "I waited to tell you until I got the paperwork."
I began reading the letter that sat on top. Words like contract, New York, California, moving. They were the ones that jumped out at me, and I felt my chest getting tight at the thought of her going away. I swallowed hard. "What does all this mean, Jessica?"
"It means they are offering me a modeling contract in the big city, Ben. It's my dream come true. I'll get to model and see the sights, and I am so excited that I wanted to share this with you in our special place."
"What did your parents say?" I asked as I sat there trying to focus and re-read the letter, but it did little good, so I started flipping through the bundle of paperwork.
"They were angry. Furious, actually," she said, picking at one of her nails.
"Are... Are you going to go?" I asked. I could feel tightness in my chest that hadn't been there before, but now that I'd asked her the question, it didn't seem to want to let up.
"Well, I thought that perhaps you would want to go with me. I'm sure my parents would feel better about it if you were with me. Plus, there is so much opportunity out there, and it would only be for a little while. I mean, the contract is only for a year. I want you to go with me."
My stomach hurt at the thought of her leaving me, and it was getting harder and harder for me to breathe. It reminded me of the time that I had gotten tackled in one of my high school football games. The guy had come charging at me and knocked me flat on my ass. I hadn't even seen him coming. When we collided, I went flying, and when I landed, he had knocked the air right out of me. This was no different. She had tackled me, just differently.
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author S.L. Sterling was born and raised in southern Ontario. She now lives in Northern Ontario Canada with her two dogs, and is married to her best friend and soul mate.
An avid reader all her life, S.L. Sterling dreamed of becoming an author. She decided to give writing a try after one of her favorite authors launched a course on how to write your novel. This course gave her the push she needed to put pen to paper and her debut novel "It Was Always You" was born.
When S.L. Sterling isn't writing or plotting her next novel she can be found curled up with a cup of coffee, blanket and the newest romance novel from one of her favorite authors.
In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, sunny destinations, spending quality time with family and friends and of course reading.
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