that would love him, and she tried to be happy.
“Come on, I’ll walk you out.”
They stopped in the parlor long enough for him to get his shoes on, and then she led him through the house to the front door. But he rested a hand against the jamb, keeping her from opening it. Desperation darkened his eyes. “Can I see you again?”
Tonya shook her head, forcing tears back. “No. That’s not how it works.”
“Why not?” he demanded.
Shrugging helplessly, she waved her hand in the air. “Because it doesn’t. I’m here to get you started on your life, but not be a part of it. You need to go out and be a productive part of society, and find a wife who will partner you, and make a family with you.” She looked up at him sadly. “Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t be that for you.”
“I think I love you.”
Nothing in the world could have rocked her more. She gasped, and tears did flood her eyes. “Oh, Harrison.”
She turned away to look out the window, but everything was blurry. As much as she tried, she couldn’t force the tears away this time.
Nobody had ever told her ‘I love you’. When she dated, she made sure to always keep a distance from the men, because of the Society. Her mother had been the last person to tell her those words, years ago, just before she died.
And as much as it pained her, it was the strongest reason to tell him goodbye.
Wiping away the tears, she turned to face him. Then wavered. Earnestness shone in his eyes. He believed he loved her.
“As much as I appreciate the words, Harrison, it doesn’t change anything. We’re still wrong for each other. It would be wrong for me to take advantage of your emotions, and what you think you feel. I had fun with you last night, but it stops there.”
For a moment, he looked like he was going to argue, but he snapped his mouth shut. “There’s no way I can convince you, is there? You think I’m too young to know what I feel.”
Tonya forced her chin up. “Other young men have said the same thing,” she lied, “and they moved on. I’m saving us from the heartbreak later.”
He shook his head, and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “I know what I feel, Tonya. And even if you don’t believe me now, I’m not going to change my mind.”
She sighed, and fiddled with the tie of the robe for a moment before turning to open the door.
“Harrison, I want you to go live life. Date girls, have sex, go to college, find a job. Do all the things a kid your age is supposed to do. And if you still feel the same way in three years, come find me.” She snapped her mouth shut, unable to believe what she’d said.
Harrison’s eyes blazed with satisfaction, and he leaned down to take her mouth in a knee-quaking kiss. In spite of the situation, her body responded. Grinning, knowing what he’d done to her, he stepped away, onto the porch. “I’ll do exactly what you said, Tonya. I’ll go do what you think I should do, but when I knock on your door in three years time, you had better open it.”
Then he jogged down the stairs to the street. With a final, lingering wave, he climbed into a tan car and drove away.
Tonya shut the door and leaned back against it, emotionally wrung dry. He wouldn’t be back. Her heart clenched, because she knew some woman would snatch him up before he even knew what was happening. The three year stipulation had been her way of making him think he could win her, but in reality, it was a delay until he could find the woman he was supposed to be with.
Not her.
Padding through the house, she headed to the shower to wash away her tears.
#####
This is where YOU, the reader, have a chance to decide the fate of Tonya and Harrison.
Below are two unedited excerpts. In excerpt A, they eventually get together, after much turmoil. In excerpt B, they both find love, just not with each other.
Visit my website at www.jmmadden.com to vote in the poll to decide what direction you want their
“Come on, I’ll walk you out.”
They stopped in the parlor long enough for him to get his shoes on, and then she led him through the house to the front door. But he rested a hand against the jamb, keeping her from opening it. Desperation darkened his eyes. “Can I see you again?”
Tonya shook her head, forcing tears back. “No. That’s not how it works.”
“Why not?” he demanded.
Shrugging helplessly, she waved her hand in the air. “Because it doesn’t. I’m here to get you started on your life, but not be a part of it. You need to go out and be a productive part of society, and find a wife who will partner you, and make a family with you.” She looked up at him sadly. “Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t be that for you.”
“I think I love you.”
Nothing in the world could have rocked her more. She gasped, and tears did flood her eyes. “Oh, Harrison.”
She turned away to look out the window, but everything was blurry. As much as she tried, she couldn’t force the tears away this time.
Nobody had ever told her ‘I love you’. When she dated, she made sure to always keep a distance from the men, because of the Society. Her mother had been the last person to tell her those words, years ago, just before she died.
And as much as it pained her, it was the strongest reason to tell him goodbye.
Wiping away the tears, she turned to face him. Then wavered. Earnestness shone in his eyes. He believed he loved her.
“As much as I appreciate the words, Harrison, it doesn’t change anything. We’re still wrong for each other. It would be wrong for me to take advantage of your emotions, and what you think you feel. I had fun with you last night, but it stops there.”
For a moment, he looked like he was going to argue, but he snapped his mouth shut. “There’s no way I can convince you, is there? You think I’m too young to know what I feel.”
Tonya forced her chin up. “Other young men have said the same thing,” she lied, “and they moved on. I’m saving us from the heartbreak later.”
He shook his head, and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “I know what I feel, Tonya. And even if you don’t believe me now, I’m not going to change my mind.”
She sighed, and fiddled with the tie of the robe for a moment before turning to open the door.
“Harrison, I want you to go live life. Date girls, have sex, go to college, find a job. Do all the things a kid your age is supposed to do. And if you still feel the same way in three years, come find me.” She snapped her mouth shut, unable to believe what she’d said.
Harrison’s eyes blazed with satisfaction, and he leaned down to take her mouth in a knee-quaking kiss. In spite of the situation, her body responded. Grinning, knowing what he’d done to her, he stepped away, onto the porch. “I’ll do exactly what you said, Tonya. I’ll go do what you think I should do, but when I knock on your door in three years time, you had better open it.”
Then he jogged down the stairs to the street. With a final, lingering wave, he climbed into a tan car and drove away.
Tonya shut the door and leaned back against it, emotionally wrung dry. He wouldn’t be back. Her heart clenched, because she knew some woman would snatch him up before he even knew what was happening. The three year stipulation had been her way of making him think he could win her, but in reality, it was a delay until he could find the woman he was supposed to be with.
Not her.
Padding through the house, she headed to the shower to wash away her tears.
#####
This is where YOU, the reader, have a chance to decide the fate of Tonya and Harrison.
Below are two unedited excerpts. In excerpt A, they eventually get together, after much turmoil. In excerpt B, they both find love, just not with each other.
Visit my website at www.jmmadden.com to vote in the poll to decide what direction you want their
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