The 1st short story to "My Interpretation: Short Stories Derived from Songs" is now up on Wattpad. Please read it, vote and leave comments. The short story is called "Dangerous Love" and is inspired by Ariana Grande's "Leave Me Lonely" featuring Macy Gray from her "Dangerous Woman" album.
It's a story I am very proud of and I mentioned before these stories are like music videos on paper but more in depth. They are what envision in my mind when listening to a song. Click the title below to read "Dangerous Love."
Turn It Off, the third installment to the RED Tragedies series will be released on December 13, 2015. The novel acts as a prequel to the first 2 novels, A Tragic Heart & RED. Turn It Off is told solely from Peyton's POV and gives readers insight into his life before Taylor and A Tragic Heart.
Much like the first two novels there is plenty of drama and heartache. Peyton didn't have it easy and Turn It Off goes into full detail of that. It will also give you answers to some questions raised by the first novel, A Tragic Heart.
For now, you can check out the book cover and the intro and first chapter on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1MPBM6F
Last week I posted a short story from Mason's POV and this week's story takes off from that one but it's from Adalyn's POV. You can read last week's here (Mason: The Brother's Club) to catch up. This scene is strictly between Adalyn and Peyton and if it belonged to a book it would be part of Turn It Off (Book 3). Hope you enjoy!
Listen to "At Least My Heart Was Open" by Foy Vance on repeat while reading:
There
he stood right in front of me. All six foot two of him, his green eyes staring
at me; those same eyes I fell in love with…those same eyes that convinced me to
give it all to him. We were in the back of the barely lit bar our band plays in
from time to time. We just finished a show and the rest of our crew already
left to go home. It was just me, Peyton and the bar employees.
“Tonight
went well,” he said taking a seat next to me.
I
could barely look at him; not after what I did…not after what our breakup did
to him. Mason told me he ended up in a hospital bed getting his stomach pumped
from alcohol poisoning. He almost drank himself to death because he was so
depressed. He wouldn’t take it well if he knew what happened between me and his
cousin last week.
“Yeah,
it did,” I replied looking down at my drink. I circled my finger around the rim
of the glass. Anything not to look at him.
I
still love him…I always will and part of me wants him back but I’m not sure how
smoothly that would work out.
“Mason
told me you came by last week looking for me. I got a little caught up and never
got the chance to stop by,” he said positioning himself to look directly at me.
I
could tell he knew something was bothering me. I hoped he didn’t ask.
“Yeah,
I did. I wanted to talk to you about us…I just wanted to make sure we didn’t
lose our friendship,” I took a sip of my drink. “We’ve been best friends and
bandmates for too long to let our relationship fuck all that up. I just wanted
you to know that I will always love you Peyton and I don’t want us to not be us anymore.”
“I
feel the same way,” he said as he placed his hand over mine. “I’m glad we’re on
the same page. Adalyn, I really wanted us to work. I’m madly in love with you
and…I’m sorry. I was a jerk…an asshole.”
At
that very moment I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to forget all this talk about
friendship and grab him right there. I gulped down my drink quickly to avoid
the feeling.
All I
wanted was to tell him I was sorry and explain to him that Mason was a mistake.
I didn’t mean to sleep with his cousin that day. It just happened. After
spending the day with him, I felt a short connection with him and Peyton just
never showed up. I was vulnerable and Mason looked good with his wet hair
slicked back and his shirt off. I never thought the second guy I would lay with
would be my ex-boyfriend’s cousin. They’re like brothers and this would devastate
Peyton. Mason and I vowed to keep it a secret. Besides, no one needs to know.
It’s not like it would happen again anyway.
“How
are we going to go back to being just friends if we’re still this much in love?”
he asked grabbing hold of his beer bottle in front of him.
“We’ll
just have to deal with it. We did the best we could as lovers and it didn’t
work. We always worked as friends though. It’ll be hard but we’ll be okay,” I
answered finally looking up at him. He really is a handsome boy…red hair and
all; in fact it only makes him more attractive.
“Before
we go back to being just friends can I kiss you one last time?” he asked moving
in closer.
“But…we’re
in a bar with people around,” I objected.
“No
one’s paying any attention to us. I just want one last kiss and that’ll be it,”
he continued to press the issue.
He
had a point. The lights were dim and the bar crew was cleaning up. I leaned in
and lightly grabbed him by his collar. He smirked a little before I pressed my
lips against his. He pulled me closer and groaned a little. I wanted more…I
wanted to take it back and say let’s try one more time but I thought about what
happened with Mason last week and all of my thoughts were shattered. If I got
back with Peyton I would have to tell him. I fucked up any chance of there
being an “us” ever again. If he knew, he would never look at me the same. He
would call me a name or two and stop speaking to his cousin. Peyton’s temper
isn’t made for the truth.
I
pull back and he tries to kiss me again but I turn my face away from him. I can’t
do it another time. Once was enough.
“Come
on Addy…let’s just go back to my place and work this out,” he softly pleads. “I
love you and you love me. Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be. I’ll
be better this time. I’ll put a cap on my rage and I’ll be more respectful of
you.”
“Peyton,
no.” My eyes are teary and my face is turning red. “Trust me, you don’t want
me. I’m not the same me anymore. We
won’t be the same.”
He
caressed my arm and bit his bottom lip. He didn’t hear a word I just said.
All he thought about was taking me back to his place and “making up”.
“Peyton!”
I raised my voice a little and smacked his hand away. He jumped back into
reality. “No! I’m just going to go home now. I’ll talk to you later.” I got up
and walked toward the door at the back of the bar. I took one last look at him
before walking out. He focused his eyes on mine and I saw the anger inside of
him. I walked out knowing he found some other girl to take my place that night.
Now I
sit in my room looking at the picture we took together as a couple. I want so
badly to call him and tell him I take it back but I’m sure he’s too busy with
Claire or Lauren or whoever was willing…I let a tear fall and lay in my bed. At
least I sort of did the right thing…at least we’re still friends…
Find out more about Adalyn and Peyton in the RED Tragedies series here. Adalyn appears in A Tragic Heart, RED, Turn It Off (Coming Soon) & What Could've Been (Coming Soon). Peyton appears in A Tragic Heart, Turn It Off, & What Could've Been.
New week, new short story! You can check out last week's right here (Taylor: The Greatest Liar). This week the story comes from Mason's point of view and if it fit a book it would be Turn It Off (Book 3 of the series). We know a little about this scene from A Tragic Heart (Book 1) when Mason confessed something to Peyton but it was never played out. Well, now it is! The story is entitled "The Brothers Club" and I hope you enjoy! It's a tad bit longer than the previous two.
Listen to "Ink" by Coldplay on repeat while reading:
The
doorbell rang for a second time before I decided to hop off the couch and
answer it. My mom and dad are gone and Peyton is God knows where. Ever since he
and Adalyn broke up, he’s been going down that slippery slope again. I’m a
little afraid for him to be honest.
“I’m
coming!” I yell towards the door as I make it down the hallway.
I
open it to see Adalyn standing in front of me. Obviously, she’s here for
Peyton. Lately, all these two do is yell at each other and then make up. I
never thought it would be like that for them. She’s so good for him and they
were happy for about a year straight. I thought she would be the girl to set
him straight and keep him that way. I guess it’s true, we can’t change people.
All I know is, he’s a fool! Adalyn is the closest thing to perfection we’ll get
in this world. As she stands in front of me, she looks like a model who was
snatched right out of a Maxim magazine cover.
“Oh
hey, Adalyn! What’s going on?” I ask standing in the doorway.
“Hey,
Mason, is Peyton home?” she asks looking past me and into the house.
She
slowly moves her blonde hair away from her face. I never realized how bright
her eyes are…they’re the perfect honey brown.
“Uh,
no, he’s not. He left not too long ago. I have no idea where he went and how
long he’ll be.”
“Oh,”
she replies in a disappointed tone. “I just wanted to talk to him about what
happened the other night.”
“You
mean, about you two breaking up?” I ask raising one eyebrow.
She
bites her bottom lip pretty hard before responding. “Uh, yeah. Of course he
told you,” she says nonchalantly. “He tells you everything.”
“Well,
you’re welcomed to come in and wait for him if you’d like. He may be back in a
little while,” I proposed.
She looked
around for a few seconds before answering. “Okay, it’s not like I have anything
better to do anyway.”
I
move to the side to let her in and she moves past me swiftly. She stops in the
family room and turns to me.
“The
Breakfast Club?!” she says with a wide smile. “That’s what you’re watching?!”
“Uh,
yeah…” I reply a little embarrassed. “There was nothing else on and-“
“That’s
awesome! This is my favorite movie!”
She
sits in the very same spot I was in just before I answered the door. Looks like
I’m stuck watching The Breakfast Club with Adalyn. I admit I’m a fan of the
movie too. I’m sure there was more to choose from but what can I say? I like a
good 80’s movie.
The
time speeds by and the end of the movie comes faster than I remember; yet there’s
still no sign of Peyton. In a way, I enjoy him not being here. Spending time
with Adalyn isn’t so bad. It’s actually a first for me. Every time she’s around
Peyton’s with her. I never got a chance to get to know her.
“Hey,
uh, so you want a beer or something while you wait for Peyton or do you have to
go?” I ask a little more nervously than I should have.
“A
beer sounds not so bad right about now. Like I said, I have nothing to do,” she
answers with a smirk.
I quickly
head to the kitchen and take two of my dad’s beers out of the refrigerator. I
come back and hand it to her.
“Thanks,”
she says as she takes it from my hand. “You know, it’s a pretty nice night.
Want to go out back and hang for a while?”
“Sure!
That sounds cool.”
I
lead the way and she follows along. Before I know it we’re both drinking and
talking. She tells me about why she decided to break up with Peyton and how she’s
honestly just worried about him and his state of mind.
“Has
he seemed really off lately? Should I be worried?” she asks as if she truly
cares about him. I can see how much she loves him. He started off as her best
friend and bandmate and then became so much more. Peyton was her first for
everything.
“He’s…”
I pause for a few seconds. “He’s been drinking…a lot.”
“Oh
God!” she says as her eyes widen. “Has he-“
“No,
I don’t think so,” I answer before she can even ask the question. She’s worried
he started using the hard stuff again. Peyton just got out of rehab last summer
and we’re all a little afraid he’ll end up much worse if he goes back down that
route again.
“Just
keep an eye on him. I know he probably won’t let me get that close to him for a
while,” she says moving her curly blonde hair behind her ear.
Just
as she finishes her sentence, the sprinklers pop up and starts to spray us
both. It’s unexpected and hilarious. We both squirm and fight to not get wet
but it’s useless; we’re drenched by the time we make it back into the house.
We’re
laughing as I close the back door. Her hair is sticking to her face and I slick
mine back.
“Well,
uh, you can’t go home like that. Come upstairs and let me give you a shirt at
least,” I say with a smile.
She
follows me up the stairs and into my room. I pick out something that I know
wouldn’t look too big on her.
“Thank
you,” she says as I hand it to her.
I
walk out the room only to double back when I realize I probably should have
offered her a pair of my basketball shorts to go with it. I open the door
without knocking only to see her in her bra.
“Oh,
uh, I’m really sorry, I uh-“I begin to say.
She
laughs a little and tells me it’s okay. “I’m in a bra, not naked,” she laughs.
“O-kay,”
I say awkwardly. “Uh, well since you don’t mind I was just coming in to offer
you a pair of shorts.”
“Sure
Mason, a pair of shorts would be great,” she says still in her laced pink bra.
I
stare at her longer than I should. She starts to unbutton her pants but I don’t
even think to leave.
“This is the part where
you should probably walk out,” she jokes, “unless you don’t want to…”
I know it was meant as a
joke but some part of me took it as a proposition.
“What if I don’t want to?”
I ask not taking my eyes off of her.
Her face turns serious
and we both stand there staring at each other. I make the first move and walk
closer. She doesn’t move so I get as close as I can. I touch her wet hair and
she looks up at me.
“Mason…” she says softly
while looking into my eyes.
“I know…this is wrong but…”
I can’t even finish my sentence.
I move my face towards
hers and kiss her lightly. She kisses me back letting me know she was one
hundred percent with it. I place one hand on the side of her face and she
continues to kiss me. She places her hand over mine and kisses me harder.
Peyton’s like my brother
so everything about this is wrong but I can’t stop myself. Adalyn’s too
beautiful not to touch. I pull back from the kiss to take off my shirt. She
looks at me and sits on my bed; her jeans already unbuttoned. Is this really
going to happen? She’s no longer with Peyton but that doesn’t make it okay. He’s
still in love with her and she’s in love with him. He’s the only guy she’s ever
been with in that way; but most of
all, he’s my cousin.
None of these thoughts
stop me. I go for it and before I know it, Adalyn and I are fully at it. For me
it’s mostly lust, for her…well I can’t say. She’s a great girl and I think I
could really like her if it ever came to it but more than likely that’s not
going to happen. It was just the heat of the moment.
When we finish she
scrambles to find her clothes. Wet or not, she was in a hurry to go and I’m
sure the last thing she wanted to wear was something that reminds her of me and
what just happened.
“I won’t tell Peyton,” I
say after we’re fully dressed. “He doesn’t have to know.”
“I think that’s best,”
she says barely looking at me.
“I’ll let him know you
stopped by,” I say before she walks out my room.
“Yeah, thanks,” she replies
as she hurries out.
Well, so much for being
one half of the brothers club…
Find out more about Mason and Adalyn in the RED Tragedies series here! Mason and Adalyn appears in A Tragic Heart, RED, Turn It Off (Coming Soon), and What Could've Been (Coming Soon)
Last week I posted my first short story based on the characters from my book series (RED Tragedies Series or A Tragic Heart Series, whatever you want to call it) and here I am this week with a new one. You can view the one from last week here (Peyton: The One) before reading this one if you want. As I stated in my initial post about the short stories they will be posted in no particular order and can fit any book.
This week the story comes from Taylor's point of view and if it belonged to a book it would belong to A Tragic Heart (Book 1 of the series). It's entitled "The Greatest Liar" and would fit perfectly with the triangle that happens between Taylor, Mason, and Peyton. Enjoy!
Listen to "The Greatest Bastard" by Damien Rice while reading:
Sometimes
I wonder if we’re really in control of our decisions or if fate forces us to do
what we do. Either way we have to pay the consequences. I guess life is unfair
that way. I let one single tear fall before opening the door to our apartment.
This used to be the only place that put a smile on my face after a hard day and
now I can’t even call it my safe haven. It’s been built upon lies.
I
fake a smile towards the once “love of my life”. He really did keep his promise
about trying to be a better man for me even after the infidelity and the whole
getting another girl pregnant thing. The problem is that I just couldn’t
forgive him as easily as I thought I could. It hurts all the time, just the
same.
He
smiles back at me and pulls me into a hug as he kisses me softly on the cheek.
He was lying across the couch watching a game he probably didn’t even care
about. It was just something to pass the time until I came home.
I
told him I had something to take care of with Jackson since he came back to
town. I told him he only had a week here and I wanted to spend time with my
brother. It was a lie…all of it. Jackson is really in town but I wasn’t
spending time with him…I was with Peyton. Mason knows Peyton and I are best
friends but he would even find it weird that I chose to spend the entire night
with him on a day we had a date planned. Truth is I would rather spend my time
with Peyton at his place than go out into the real world with Mason. The
biggest problem about that is Mason’s my husband and Peyton’s his closest
cousin. Guilt consumes me once more.
“How’s
my love?” Mason asks with a grin. He’s been extraordinarily welcoming lately.
“I’m
good,” I lie.
“I
was thinking since you canceled our date maybe we could pull an all-nighter and
watch a few movies over junk food. I bought your favorite cheesecake from your
favorite bakery.”
He
flashes me his puppy dog eyes and I can’t decline that. He’s really trying.
He’s really sorry. I wish I could say the same about myself.
“I’d
love that, Mason,” I reply in a soft voice. “Just let me take a quick shower
first.”
I
walk past him hoping he doesn’t ask why I need a shower. Honestly, I feel dirty
after spending the night loving Peyton just to come home and fake it with his
cousin. Mason and I had a good run but it’s over…I just can’t fully let him go.
I’m doing to him what he did to me first but I think I’m the greatest liar in
this situation.
Eventually
I’m going to tell him; I’m just trying to figure out how and when. This is
going to crush him more than it crushed me. At least Lauren wasn’t a friend or
a family member. Peyton is practically his brother. They were raised together
and even grew up in the same household. They took on the world together since
forever and here I am breaking up one of the greatest bonds that ever existed.
The stories of Mason and Peyton are legendary…but this one is going to go down
as the most iconic.
I strip off my clothes
and turn on the shower. The moment the warm water hits my face I let the tears
fall. How could Mason cheat on me for so long without it affecting him like
this? It’s only been about two weeks since Peyton and I started this affair and
I feel like I’m already breaking.
I tried to justify my
actions by remembering that I probably was always in love with Peyton from the
start and just didn’t realize it. Peyton recently told me he was in love with
me from the first time we ever spoke to each other. He saw me around from time
to time and always thought I was his type of girl, he just never acted and
Mason got there first. I thought Mason was all I ever wanted but once I got to
know Peyton, I saw just how wrong I was. It was fate.
That’s exactly what I
want to tell Mason when I break him the news. I want to tell him that it was
fate that brought Peyton and I together. Our bad decisions weren’t ours at all
but it was something in this cosmic universe that conspired to put us together
before time even started. We’re soulmates and as foolish as it sounds it must
be true because we both felt the attraction the moment we stood in front of
each other. Peyton wasn’t just meant to be my best friend…he was always more.
I’m his extra rib and Mason…Mason is the pawn that was played to bring us
together. Maybe if I explained it this way Mason would understand and wouldn’t be
as hurt; but even I know that’s not true.
I turn off the shower
water and step out. I wipe off the foggy mirror in the bathroom to take a good
look at myself. I still look intact and Mason wouldn’t suspect a thing. I hurry
and head straight to our bedroom to get dressed. I throw on one of Mason’s
t-shirts and walk back into the living room. He bites his bottom lip as I sit
next to him.
“I always liked that
shirt on you,” he says coming closer.
“I know, that’s why I
wore it,” I reply as I forced him to cuddle with me.
His skin is always so
warm and something about that makes me feel like everything is going to be
okay. Part of me wants Mason forever but I know I have to make a choice…or
maybe the universe has already done that for me. In the end, I don’t think the
choice is really mine at all. I was made for Peyton and Peyton was made for me;
but for the time being I’ll just enjoy the movie and cheesecake with Mason.
Find out more about Mason and Taylor in the RED Tragedies series here! Mason appears in A Tragic Heart, RED, Turn It Off (Coming Soon), and What Could've Been (Coming Soon). Taylor appears in A Tragic Heart, Turn It Off and What Could've Been.
The short story is entitled, "The One" and takes off from the part in A Tragic Heart where he and Taylor comes back from their vacation with Mason in Australia. If "The One" belonged to a book it would fit right in with What Could've Been. It's an excerpt based on Peyton not going for a ride that night in A Tragic Heart. Enjoy!
It’s
hard to believe in just a few short days I’ll be leaving her just to follow my
dreams. It feels a little selfish but I know she wouldn’t want it any other
way. A few years ago I wouldn’t have dreamed of deciding to live my dream or
staying home for a girl…I never thought I would be so tempted to choose the
second choice.
I run
my fingers through her black hair as her head is on my lap. She fell asleep on
the couch while we cuddled watching TV. It’s nothing new. She does this all the
time; suggests we should watch something but falls asleep not even thirty
minutes in. The thought puts a smile on my face.
We
just got in from our trip to Australia with Mason and we’re both a little jet
lagged. I’m surprised she was able to fall asleep so easily. During most of the
trip I was a little bothered thinking about how I would have to leave her
almost as soon as we get back from our trip. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed
myself with her and my cousin, it’s exactly what I needed but it was
bittersweet knowing that everything finally fell into place when I have to
leave.
I
thought about going for drive to clear my head but decided to stay right here
with her. Usually a drive out on the town would help but I thought why leave
her when I have to be out of here in a few days anyway. Besides, it’s pouring
out there and that may not be a wise decision. I want to savor every moment
with her…even if it means watching her sleep.
Funny
how two years ago I was a kid running wild and now here I am, engaged and ready
to start a family with the most amazing girl I’ve ever met. I’m only seventeen
and four months shy of my eighteenth birthday but I feel like I’ve aged at
least a decade since then.
I
leaned over to kiss her softly on the side of her face. She moves around a
little before finally waking up. She sits up and yawns with a stretch. God, she’s
so adorable! I admire every second of this moment.
“Hey,
what happened? You were watching it without me!” she whines as she looks back
and forth from the TV and me.
I
smirk at her and shake my head a little. I knew this part was coming. She falls
asleep and then blames me for still watching the show.
“Actually,
I was watching you,” I correct her.
“Well,
that’s not creepy at all,” she replies sarcastically.
“So
you’d rather me watch the movie without you?” I raise one eye brow and stare at
her.
“Ugh!
Shut up and kiss me.”
I
love when she demands me to do something. She can be so feisty at times and I must
admit I love it. I submitted to her and did as I was told. She always demands
me to kiss her when she knows she’s lost a debate.
“I
can’t wait to marry you,” I whisper to her before she kisses me again.
“Neither
can I,” she replies after biting her bottom lip. She knows what that does to
me.
I
start to caress her arm and she knows what’s coming next. I can’t keep my hands
or eyes off of her. Every day is almost like I’m just seeing her for the first
time.
“Aren’t
you tired?” she asks with her head slightly tilted to the side.
“Not
tired enough,” I say staring into her beautiful green eyes.
I
pull her into me and kiss her a little rougher this time. She doesn’t interrupt
and goes along with it. I grab the sides of her face and lightly run my fingers
through her hair. She does the same to me, letting me know we’re on the same
page.
I lay
her on the couch and she bites her bottom lip and lets out a small laugh. She
excites me in the most non-sexual way possible. I genuinely love her and adore
every little thing about her. I can’t imagine this any other way.
I
slowly lean myself on top of her just to stare into her eyes. I have to
reposition myself because my side is still sore from the stab wound Karson gave
me. She notices it and lightly touches my side.
“It’s
okay. We don’t have to,” she says with a serious look.
“No,
no, I’m fine. I’m good,” I assure her. I kiss her once more and I feel her hand
touch the back of my neck. It gives me chills in the best way. “I hate that I
have to leave you so soon.” I stare at her waiting for a reply.
“It’ll
be okay. We’ll be okay. Go follow your dreams and have the time of your life
with your band. I’ll be right here waiting for you when you get back.” She
smiles at me and I can’t help but smirk back.
“This
is why I love you so much,” I respond kissing her on the cheek.
“I
can’t even begin to mention the reasons why I love you,” she says.
We
kiss again but this time it lasts for much longer. She knows how to make me
feel good about any situation. That’s when you know you’ve met the one. I can’t
wait to leave so I can come back home to my baby.
Find out more about Peyton and Taylor in the RED Tragedies series here! They appear in A Tragic Heart, Turn It Off (Coming Soon), and What Could've Been (Coming Soon)!
Hey all! Very recently I posted onto my social media accounts that I was thinking about creating VERY short stories based on the characters from the RED Tragedies series. I wasn't sure if this was a good idea or not but I've decided to give it a go.
Every so often I will post a new story equivalent to 1-2 pages based on one or more of my characters. These very short scenes will be based on various times of their lives and will not be written in any specific order. For example, you can read about 15 year old Peyton or 25 year old Peyton. You can read about Taylor's life with Peyton after A Tragic Heart (if it existed) and you can read about Taylor's life without Peyton. Basically, it's all for fun and games while giving you all an occasional dosage of the characters you've come to know and love.
Most of it will be a day in the life of ___________. I will also provide a song to listen to while reading (more than likely the song that inspired me to write the scene) so it can put you in the mood. I'm actually very excited about this new project and I can't wait to see what I will come up with. These stories will be written from the characters' POV in some cases and in others it'll be written as if a narrator is telling a story.
I will post each story on my blog as well as my Wattpad account. Hope you all are ready!
Characters who will be included are as follows along with the books they are present in (but more will be added as stories progress):
1. Taylor (A Tragic Heart, Turn It Off, What Could've Been)
2. Peyton (A Tragic Heart, Turn It Off, What Could've Been)
3. Mason (A Tragic Heart, RED, Turn It Off, What Could've Been)
4. Jackson(A Tragic Heart, RED, What Could've Been)
5. Adalyn (A Tragic Heart, RED, Turn It Off, What Could've Been)
6. Alex (RED)
7. Peyton Hayley (A Tragic Heart, RED, What Could've Been)
8. Ronan (RED)
9. Lauren (A Tragic Heart, Turn It Off)
A Tragic Heart & RED are available now while the intro and first chapter of Turn It Off is available. What Could've Been is coming soon!
