Novels by T. C. SARAH

Jared and Leah did become friends again but their interests lay somewhere else. They realised they were made for bigger things and they would do that outside the cave they once existed as lovers and even if something were to happen between them, it would take more time than expected for it to happen. Aly, Aarav, Jared, Jack and Leah remained friends but things would change over time. Work, family, life and ambition would force that circle to expand to others too. You may imagine that Leah and Jared ended up together or not. You are the author of that story, a work of fiction is a work of fiction. Author’s Note (I hope this doesn’t come off as offensive): I’ve seen some comments about therapy seeming like a bad thing. Therapy is not weakness, it is an admittance that you need help you may not be able to provide yourself. Mental health issues are not a joke and deserve audience. Some of us have been through traumatic experiences, loss of loved ones, accidents, bullying, harassmen

THIRD PERSON'S POVLeah looked different. There was something about her, like a light that surrounded her and her eyes looked burdenless. Maybe it was the Norway air, but she seemed ... better. Both she and Jared did."Mr Deric?" The secretary had her head cocked to the side, wondering why her guest was awe-struck, standing in the doorway."Sorry." Jared shook his head and walked in. Leah had a smile on her face as she watched him walk in. She recognised that air of confidence that usually surrounded him and couldn't stop watching him.Her attention was called by the men that surrounded her, as she spoke, she seemed to put everyone in a trance. Jared didn't hear a word she said, only observing how comfortable and right at home she felt."I have called this meeting here today because of a different kind of alliance about to be brokered between Norway and the US. Miss Leah Thomas has come as a financial representative of the BridgeStone Foundation, a company spearheaded by the governmen

Jared’s POVLetting Leah go was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do but I did it for her and myself. I was wrong to assume she’d come running back to my arms because I saved her. I smiled wryly to myself.I hadn’t seen her in quite a long while and our paths never crossed again. Aly was beyond pissed that she tried to leave without telling her but she quickly forgave her when she saw her condition. They talked all the time too and that was why I knew what she was up to most of the time.“Do you regret it?” I looked at the lady before me, she was seated behind her desk, peering down at me with curiosity. “What?” I’d zoned out for a minute and didn’t hear her.“Do you regret it? Letting her go.” I inhaled sharply. I’d been coming here for months. When Aarav asked me why I thought I needed a therapist, my reply was ‘who doesn’t?’“Not really. It was her decision but I got to understand much later. It would have been selfish of me to ask her to stay when she needed to go.” I f

I waited for him to clear his bed and offer me a seat before I sat. I shook my head internally. How did it get to this? I asked myself.‘You did it.’ I exhaled loudly and watched him perch himself on his work chair. He turned to me and rose his brows as if to say ‘what did you want to talk about?’ I cleared my throat and rubbed my clammy hands against my gown. I’d resorted to wearing gowns due to the fact that it was less constricting than most and easier to pull off, I just had to undo the zip and let the dress fall to my legs.“Yeah… uhm…” He continued looking at me and I couldn’t bear it anymore, so I found interest in the bedsheet. It was a fine looking colour, regal and plush looking. It felt so soft to touch, almost like you’d sink into it and be enveloped in a word of threads and fabrics.“Leah?” I hitched a breath when I heard his voice. No matter how many years I’d known him, no matter how many times he called me, I’d always feel the fluttering in my stomach whenever my name l

“I injured my spleen, not my legs. I can walk for myself.” I smacked Jack’s hands away from me. “It’s so you don’t try to run away again.” I rolled my eyes at him even though I felt a stabbing pain in my chest.“Pretty sure I can’t move past this house without falling over.” I’d been recuperating for the past week and Jack was coming over once in a while to check on me. Let’s just say he is more overbearing than most, and I thought Jared was worse.Speaking of Jared, he’d been avoiding me. The only reason I was sure he was even around the house was the fact that food and my pills were always made available. The pills I took made me drowsy for most of the day, so I spent most of it sleeping.“Have you seen Jared today?” I asked Jack as I swallowed my pills and washed them down with water.“Nope.” Jack said and turned the T.V on. If I was being honest, I feared speaking to him. No doubt, my accident had changed the dynamics of our relationship and I wasn’t sure if it had become worse o

Most of the time, situations arise, things happen and we are inclined to judge of the situation. It is easier that way because, sometimes, it makes us feel better about ourselves.When the tides turn and we become recipients of judgment, we understand the situation better. It takes a human to realise his mistake, but it takes a humble human to admit it. How many times have we judged a situation wrongly and admitted our error?We’re all guilty of hurting someone, friend, foe, lover… not intentionally but we seek forgiveness. Forgiveness isn’t just feeling sorry, it’s also a way of cleansing our souls, freeing ourselves from the guilt.Jared never told Leah that he forgave her and she couldn’t forgive herself, she couldn't free herself from the guilt.***JARED’S POV “What’s going on?” I asked the doctor who’d just come out of the operating room Leah had been moved to. 14 hours was the longest time I’d had to wait for a report from a doctor and the expression on his face wasn’t looking

My brain seized functioning even as Alejandro rounded the corner, he stopped walking immediately he saw me standing like flagpole.“What are you doing here?” He peered behind me, looking straight at the door I was backing and frowned.When I didn’t answer, his frown only deepened, he took a step further and my flight or fight mode kicked in out of fear.I ran past him, downstairs and then into my room, my chest heaving as I crashed to the floor. If I hadn’t been running for my life, I would have laughed at the shocked expression on Alejandro’s face – but what the hell had I done?I ran my hand through my hair, I looked up when I remembered I was holding something, “Oh, this…” I almost chuckled to myself at how rumpled it looked now.“Wait…” I searched frantically through the papers and realised one was missing.“No no no no…” Of all the papers that could have gone missing, it was the one I’d drawn of him. My mind started to run through many possibilities.‘would he find it? And if he d

Capello was seated on the chair beside Alejandro while I was stuck in the kitchen, cooking. It was a welcome distraction for the event week I’d experienced at Alejandro’s house. They were speaking in Italian and it was pissing me off. Maybe if I had a phone… I slammed the knife hard on the chopping board… I would have google-translated a couple of those words and I wouldn’t worry if they were planning my death.“Can you ease up on the cooking?” I tightened my hold on the knife and pointed it at him.“Fine.” I said and turned back to the meat I was chopping up, Capello looked thoroughly amused and I wanted to throw the knife at him next.In the next hour, spaghetti and meatballs was ready, it possibly couldn’t get any Italian than that. I served the food and called them to the table, like the servant I was.I stood behind them, a creepy smile on my face as I watched them eat. Alejandro lifted his spoon to his mouth and paused when he saw my face. He frowned and took another look at his

For the next couple of days, I mourned Anselmo and avoided Alejandro like a plague. I didn’t cook and I didn’t clean anything, he could shoot me for all he wanted. He shouldn’t have killed an innocent man.I pushed back the part of my mind that threatened to question everything I knew, there was no fucking way that Anselmo was watching me for 4 years, it just wasn’t possible.I sighed as I got out of bed and prepared myself for the day. I realised that staying in my room all day and night just made me think up the worst things possible and I would welcome any distraction. The bathroom hosted me for almost an hour before I decided to get out. I picked out very short shorts and a tank top because the heat was still terrible, even my hair was up out of my face and up in a bun.I opened the door slightly, checking for any traces of Alejandro but the house was silent as night. I heaved a sigh of relief and found my way to the living room, it was empty as I suspected, there was no one in si

The room was dark but it had a staircase that led downstairs, it was the weirdest thing I’d ever come across in my life.If one was going to have a dungeon, surely it’d be built from the ground floor and down.I tried as much as possible to not fall on my face but the stairs seemed endless until I could hear a few murmurs from below me.I frowned at the sound and wondered who was around. Last I checked, only Alejandro and I were around but I was hearing multiple voices.“Per favore, non lo so!” (Please, I don’t know anything!) That voice sounded very familiar, way too familiar.“Bugiardo! Lo so tutto.” ( Liar! I know everything.) It was clear who roared and I feared what I was walking into but I couldn’t stop walking. I was at the bottom staircase where backs were turned to me.I didn’t need to see the face to know whose body it belonged to, Capello and Alejandro had quite different physiques.They both stood as though they were ready for war and I got a sickening sense of deja vu, the

After I woke up from my sleep, I dragged my hands over my face feeling very sore. The room was in the state I’d left it and I groaned.I spent a good hour trying to get the room back to what it was before my outburst. It was still quite early but if I wanted to have the place ‘sparkling’ for my jailor, I couldn’t go back to sleep.Once I was done, I went into the main living area and saw Alejandro sipping what seemed to be coffee, but that wasn’t what caught my attention.It was the bags on the chair, there were several and my brows shot up to the roof of my head.‘Are you travelling?’ I wanted to ask but I was giving him the silent treatment for what he’d done so far.Instead, I completely ignored him and went into the pantry to get started on work – his work. Before I could take two steps forward, he spoke.“These are yours.” I snapped my head towards him and confirmed that he was actually talking to me.“What?” He gave me a look and I rolled my eyes at him. He didn’t repeat himself

I groaned as I turned, my headache banging with so much pain. I sat up and tried to move my legs so I could use the toilet but I heard a loud jangle. My legs couldn't move. I opened my eyes "What the fuck!" One of my legs was chained to the bed post. "Hey!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs despite having a headache. "Let me the fuck out of these chains. I'm not a fucking slave!" When I didn’t hear anything, I started grabbing whatever I could find and threw it against the door. How did I even end up at his house? The last thing I remembered was... Slowly, everything came rushing back, the lady who tried to hand me over to Alejandro and I ran away only to end up back in his house. I grabbed the lamp and threw it, I hadn't expected the door to swing open right at that time. Alejandro ducked just in time and the lamp went right outside, and shattered behind him. He didn't bother looking back, he narrowed his eyes at me and my hands fell to the side. Maybe if it had hit him r

EPILOGUE“Kol, this doesn’t look right.” Kol pulled the Christmas tree to the left again. I could see his veins about to pop as I shook my head. We’d been at it for almost 30 minutes straight and Kol was getting tired.“A little…” He groaned as he moved the tree a little to the right. There!“Perfect.” I huffed like I was the one doing all the work. Kol collapsed on the rug for a few minutes, probably thinking of new ways to most like strangle me and then stood up.“Baby, I’m sorry.” I kneaded his shoulders, his body relaxing under my touch.“It’s fine.” I placed a kiss on his back hoping to relieve his muscles but he turned rigid instead. I didn’t stop kissing his back though.“I think you should stop. Your dad will be coming over in a few hours and I would prefer the house smelling like hot chocolate and cookies.” He spun around to face me, grabbing my jaw.“Not wild s*x.” He always had a way of leaving me w*t and speechless every d*mn time.Now I wanted the whole place to smell like

“I cannot believe you woke up late. We should’ve left hours ago.” I smacked my forehead in exasperation.“You mean 30 minutes ago.”“You’re late. It’s all that matters.”Dimitri had an amused smile on his face as he watched Charlie and I bicker in the plane. They were all late, except for Kol and me. That was pretty much a given but Charlie was the latest of them all.“Can you too stop fighting so I can enjoy my champagne?” Josh was pouring a glass for Thea who had her sunglasses on, even in the plane, seemingly unbothered about everything.Both of them had been pissing me off.“What the f*ck is going on between both of you?”“They shagged.” Charlie pipped up beside me.“Ew! I cannot believe this.” My nose wrinkled in grossness.“Pay up.” Kol stretched out his hands. I now owed him a couple hundred dollars. Thea’s brows pinched together in confusion and sudden realisation.“They bet on us.” She pointed accusingly.“Why am I not surprised?” Josh glared at us, mainly at Kol.“How much?”

“Imagine having time to take care of your family because your app helps you work out your day effectively from just keeping track of what you do per time.”“We are in the age of health and lifestyle. An app that could sync up your life with routines that have been mastered by our app would make life so easier.” Everyone was paying rapt attention as I continued to speak.“For example, Miss Tina doesn’t usually work out but she syncs her app to her health. On Monday, she works out by 9, on Tuesday, she does the same. On Wednesday, she doesn’t work out at all. Maybe something else has her preoccupied at that moment.Our app notices these routines you have skipped throughout the day and reminds you at 9 that you haven’t worked out. You’re not forgetting anything and you’re not storing unnecessary data in you brain.”“It doesn’t just work with health, it works for anything that has a routine. Something you do every time. You don’t have any activity you’re forgetting because something is re

“How?” I couldn’t process my words. It was like I had entered a new realm where the sun had been replaced with fairy lights. Concrete had been replaced with soft grass that tickled my feet. I pried open strings of steams and walked into the space before me.“Was that…” Julia Michael’s song played in the background but this song felt different than when I first heard it. It felt like a lifeline, my lifeline. The song that had pulled me out of a wandering abyss at the hospital.I’d been so caught up in the beauty of the environment that I hadn’t noticed Kol in the centre of everything, standing right there. My eyes welled up with tears and my mouth felt very dry.I walked slowly to him and stopped where he stood.“Kol, what is all this?” I gestured to everything he’d set up. His hands found mine and squeezed.I looked up at him and my heart raced within its cage. There was a new emotion in his eyes I hadn’t seen before. Contentment. He seemed content with everything, his life. Gosh, I w

“Thea, meet Charlie. Charlie, meet Thea.” I motioned to both of them as we converged outside Thea’s new place. She’d moved into Charlie’s neighbourhood and thought we should all just meet at her place since she hadn’t been properly introduced to Charlie.Both of them smiled at each other and Thea being Thea just ran off her mouth.“You’re so pretty. D*mn. If I were into girls, I would lick you up.” I threw her a disgusted look. Some thoughts were better left as thoughts. Charlie didn’t mind though as her cheeks turned rosy.“Can we please go inside?” I rolled my eyes at both of them.We joked around for a few hours and I could tell that they would be fast friends. They were so similar in nature, both beautiful, fashionable and resilient, tough nuts to crack, but would defend what they thought was right with all they had.Thea looked at her phone surreptitiously and turned it off. She’d been acting edgy all day. Was she expecting a call from someone?“What is it?” I whispered beside he

We sat inside David's study. A room with wood that looked richer than my bank account. It probably was richer. The shelf behind him held so many books that had been considered priceless or just lost to most of the world.His house looked just as elegant as it did outside on the inside. The couches smelled of expensive leather and one could smell a citrus-cinnamon scent everywhere else.We all sat in the living room just staring at one another until Gerald came in to ask for what we'd eat, his stare at me unwavering. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.We'd all echoed the same thing."No, thank you. I'm fine."When he saw no need for his services, he calmly left the room, sparing me a final glance before exiting the door.I didn't know where to start or how to David's face wasn't welcoming. He looked angry but he hadn't thrown me out yet. So, that counted for something.Instead of leading with a 'why the f*ck did you help me?', I asked something entirely different. "How long have you