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13. Julianna
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Consolation Prize 14. Colton
Someone who really loves you sees what a mess you can be, how moody you can get, how hard you are to handle, but still wants you. —Unknown“Where the hell were you last night?”I paused, half inside the back door where I was entering my house. From the other side of the kitchen, Noel arched an eyebrow as if he were pissed.I frowned, confused. “I texted and told you. Didn’t you get my message?” He’d been uptight lately, yeah, but he’d never cared if I’d stayed out all night before, not as long as I always checked in.“All you said was that you were helping a friend and might not make it home until morning.”“Yeah, well…that’s all I did,” I answered slowly. “And I didn’t make it home until morning, so…” About as soon as I spoke, though, I noticed the strain around his mouth and eyes. He looked beat, physically and emotionally. “Did you need me?” I hedged.“No,” he answered too quickly and glanced away, retreating a step before placing a protective hand on the counter next to a bed
Consolation Prize 15. Julianna
I won’t abandon you, and you can damn well know that I’m going to fight for you. —UnknownI was still in a daze as I watched Colton race from the lecture hall.I couldn’t believe what I’d done, but I didn’t regret it. The moment our shocked gazes had clashed after my tongue had claimed his skin, I’d been zapped with this surge of energy. He’d stared back almost as if he’d been afraid as if his entire future had just been laid out for him, whether he liked it or not, as if he realized he was mine now.It was a powerful, almost overwhelming sensation. I sat, shell-shocked for the first half of the hour. Then I’d finally dared a sidelong glance his way only to find that he was still frozen with his own shock. For some reason, that made me feel better. I wasn’t the only one who knew something momentous had just happened. But apparently, I did seem to be the only one who needed to know what the momentous thing was.I don’t think I’d ever seen a guy run away from me like that before. It
Consolation Prize 16. Julianna
I just want you, that’s all. All your flaws, mistakes, sales, giggles, jokes, sarcasm, everything. I just want you. —UnknownHe only dragged me a few steps before reality struck home. “Wait, Colton. Wait!” I dug my feet in, stopping us.He jerked to a halt and turned to me, looking distinctly in pain. I knew exactly how he felt, but one of us needed to be practical here.“This is crazy,” I said, the God’s honest truth. Besides… “A quickie on campus is not going to cut it.”“Fuck,” he whispered and blew out a harried breath. “You’re right.” Chewing on his bottom lip, he glanced around us. I could practically see his mind spinning as he tried to think up a way around our dilemma.But all I could do was watch his teeth sink repeatedly into the fleshy fullness of his lip.“Stop,” I croaked, holding up a hand. “Stop chewing on your lip like that.”“What?”When he paused mid-chew, his eyebrows crinkled in confusion, I confessed, “It’s sexy as hell and not helping the situation at all
Consolation Prize 17. Julianna
When you find someone who can make you laugh, smile, grow, lust, want, crave, feel, make you mad but happy, keep that. That’s euphoria. —UnknownI swear, little aftershocks kept afflicting my pussy after Colton had walked me to my car. If I could’ve driven to my apartment with crossed legs, I would have. It was all just so bizarre. I felt completely sated and pretty much ready to nap a month away, and yet I was wired and giddy for more, knowing we were going to continue this in minutes.Minutes!I’d get to feel him inside me and finally wrap my legs around his hips as he spiked himself deep.With another shudder, I pulled into the parking lot outside my building and jammed my fist against my stomach when his souped-up red pickup pulled in and stopped beside my Camry.Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.I closed my eyes and jumped when I heard his truck door slam. Then his footsteps echoed throughout the interior of my car as he walked around to my driver’s side. The door opened.“Second
Consolation Prize 18. Julianna
A true relationship is two imperfect people refusing to give up on each other. —UnknownAfter he cleaned himself up and returned to the bed, we lay prone on our backs, side by side and stared up at the ceiling together for I don’t know how long, but it felt like eons that I just gaped at nothing and thought holy shit, what just happened?I mean, my body still hummed from how hard and long I’d come, and I was sure I should be over the afterglow by now. But I was ready for more, eager for more, craving it like some kind of drug addict.I blew out a breath and muttered, “Well, that didn’t get shit out of my system.”Next to me, Colton grumbled his agreement. “Nope,” he muttered before he cursed and scrubbed his face. “Dammit. I guess this means once won’t be enough for us.”Rolling onto my side, I gaped at him. “What do you mean once won’t be enough?” I shoved his arm, more scared he was right than actually angry about it. “You fucking asshole. You promised me once would do the trick
Consolation Prize 19. Colton
A relationship: where you instantly miss each other right after being together. —UnknownI felt weird the next day. I wanted to text Julianna, call her, go see her, spend the entire day inside her. I knew she said she had to work today, but that wouldn’t be until this evening. She probably had all morning and early afternoon free. If I’d played my cards right, I could’ve spent that entire time in her bed.But, no. It kind of freaked me out how badly I wanted to be with her. So I refrained from all contact.Okay, mostly all contact. I’d had to send her one message first thing this morning.FROM COLTON: 60 more hours.You know, just so she wouldn’t forget she’d made an arrangement with me and wouldn’t try to schedule something else Monday night. It was just a reminder, not any kind of hi-how-are-you-I-miss-you-I-want-back-inside-you bullshit. No. Definitely not.But my heart still skipped into overdrive when I saw that she’d read the message and was typing out a reply.When only t
Consolation Prize 20. Julianna
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. —Sextus PropertiusI only received those three text messages from Colton on Saturday morning. I don’t know how, but they kept me full of hope and promise and excitement throughout the entire day, and yet they didn’t…because I wanted more from him.It was like reading a really good book. I wanted to rush through it because I wanted it all now, and yet I wanted to draw it out and make it last for as long as possible because I didn’t want it to end.The damn boy was conflicting my heart.I ignored the little warning bells clanging in the back of my mind, telling me how bad it was to count on and look forward to my next encounter with him because it wasn’t serious between us, we weren’t starting anything long-term. But I didn’t want to think about that. So I didn’t.I was still rocking my afterglow all through Saturday. I even smiled during karaoke night at the bar. And I smiled as I fell asleep that night when I got home from work.The next morni
Consolation Prize 21. Julianna
Chemistry is you touching my mind and it setting my body on fire. —UnknownI was jumpy and nervous as I walked into philosophy the next morning. I still wasn’t sure what Colton was going to do.I’d woken up to a text from him.FROM COLTON: 12 hours. I hope you’re well rested, baby doll, because tonight I’m going to wear that pussy out.I hadn’t responded. I was too on edge, stressing about class. Would he sit by me, flirt with me, kiss me?Of course he’d sit by me. Aside from that little glitch after the wedding where he’d been upset, he’d always come to me and flirted and talked whenever we were in the same room. But the kissing…I didn’t know. Did he do public displays of affection with the women he saw? Not that we were technically seeing each other, as in relationship-wise, but yeah, would he even touch me?A part of me craved just that. After hearing last night how I’d rocked his world enough to make his brother-in-law notice the change, I was ready to grab his shirt, yank hi
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Consolation Prize About the Author
Linda writes romance fiction from YA to adult, contemporary to fantasy. Most Kage stories lean more toward the lighter, sillier side with a couple meaningful moments thrown in. Focuses more on entertainment value and emotional impact.Published since 2010. Went through a 2-year writing correspondence class in children’s literature from The Institute of Children’s Literature. Then graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, English with an emphasis in creative fiction writing from Pittsburg State University.Now she lives with her hubby, two daughters, cat Holly, and nine cuckoo clocks in southeast Kansas, USA. Farm girl. Parents were dairy farmers. Was youngest of eight. Big family. Day job as a cataloging library assistant.Harry Potter House Gryffindor, Patronus White Stallion, character match Hagrid. Supernatural Team Dean. Game of Thrones Team Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister. The Walking Dead Team Daryl. Outlander Team Jamie Fraser. Teen Wolf Team Stiles. Avenger Team Thor...or Hulk (can’t
Consolation Prize Acknowledgments
Thank you to…The Bestest Friends EverLindsayLaurenAdaI’m pretty sure you’ll never realize how much you mean to me. No matter where you go or what you do in your lives, a little piece of you will always be protected safely in my heart and cherished forever. I’m always happy to hear from you. Thank you for being you.My FamilyKurt, Lydia, Sadie, and all the others!You guys are my home and my foundation. I couldn’t do anything or be anything without you. You keep me going and make me feel loved. Thank you.My Beta BeautiesLauren, Lindsay, Sasha, Ashley, Ciara, Tyla, Amisha (the blurb queen!), Amanda, Alaina, Shi Ann, and Ana.You took the time to read my story in its worst possible shape and give me your honest feedback. I can’t even properly express my appreciation for that! Thank you.Julianna RatcliffeThank you for letting me borrow your name for my heroine just because I liked it! And then thanks for not getting upset at all when I changed the spelling of Ratclif
Consolation Prize Epilogue
A woman can’t change a man because she loves him; a man changes himself because he loves her. —UnknownMy wedding day started just shy of seven o’clock on a warm June morning, about two weeks after my twentieth birthday. It was the summer break before my senior year of college. My soon-to-be wife had graduated two years earlier and was actually working for Ten’s architectural firm, in the accounting department. And we’d been living in our own place—no other roommates—for about eighteen months now.I liked to tease her about becoming my nerdy, numbers-crunching accountant wife while I peeled off her conservative cotton panties and stripped her bare. She’d just blink at me dryly and then demand I go down on her in reconciliation. I didn’t exactly mind: eating my favorite pussy wasn’t the hardship for me she seemed to think it was.But this morning, there was no stripping or pussy. I woke on Noel and Aspen’s lumpy, too-short couch to two-year-old Lucy Olivia and five-year-old Beau watc
Consolation Prize 36. Julianna
I love you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow. —UnknownChad’s words were flowing through my head as I came awake.We’re all basically the same. We smile when we’re happy, cry when we’re sad, eat when we’re hungry, sleep when we’re tired.Then I pictured Colton weaving his fingers through mine and examining the contrast we made together, like piano keys.And then the strange dream was gone. I was suddenly awake, afraid and frozen before I realized I wasn’t in my concrete cave anymore. And I wasn’t even cold. I was in a bed with lights and warmth and soft blankets and pillows.A rustling sound made me tip my face that way and open my eyes to watch Colton hang a dream catcher in the window. His back was to me, so he didn’t know I was awake yet. It gave me a moment to glance around the room and take in the fact I was still at the hospital. An IV was hooked to my arm and something seemed to be wrapped around my head. I lifted my sore arm and bandaged fingers slowly
Consolation Prize 35. Colton
Missing you is my hobby, caring for you is my job, making you happy is my duty, and loving you is my life. —UnknownSometimes it was better not to think. As a frozen, blood-covered Julianna shivered and whimpered in my arms, smelling of piss, mildew, and all manner of gross, I watched the police cover the dead body lying five feet away with a tarp, and I tried to process what I was seeing. But I’m pretty sure my brain wouldn’t let my thoughts travel far or I would’ve had a meltdown right then and there.I was shaking as much as Julianna was. Or maybe she was trembling so much for both of us it just felt like I was too. She was like hugging an ice cube.“Blanket,” I said, lifting my face to address anyone from the horde of people gathered around us, standing there and gawking like dumbasses.Juli’s dad immediately began to shed his coat. Somewhere in my head, I wondered why I hadn’t had the forethought to take off my own coat for her, but then, I wasn’t all that sure I was able to s
Consolation Prize 34. Brandt
The couples that are “meant to be” are the ones who go through everything that is meant to tear them apart and come out even stronger than they were before. —UnknownI wiped down the counter of the bar and glanced at the time. Twenty minutes until opening. I’m not sure why I was so obsessed with checking the time these past few days, but I did it constantly.Obsessively.It’d just passed the fifty-seven-hour mark since Julianna had gone missing. Twelve minutes since I’d called in to check on my brother. And about twenty-five seconds since I’d fought the urge to ditch work and drive the streets again, searching for my lost coworker.Colton was a fucking mess. I’d never seen him this out of sorts before. He’d wept this morning, losing his shit all over Aspen, and none of us had known what to do to help him.I didn’t like this powerless feeling. I had no idea what to do to ease my brother. None of us did.They said he wasn’t eating or sleeping. When he wasn’t out looking for Juli, o
Consolation Prize 33. Julianna
Being deeply loved gives you strength; loving deeply gives you courage. —Lao TzuSitting on the damp floor with my back to a crumbling wall, I tugged off one of my gloves with my teeth, then picked open a scab on the tip of my finger. I’d spent all day yesterday trying to claw my way out of this concrete tomb that seemed to be some kind of small underground storm shelter. The only thing I’d managed to accomplish, though, was to give myself two hands full of broken fingernails, ground down to tattered bloody stubs.When fresh blood welled through the dirty flesh, I stuck my thumb into my mouth, sucking greedily so I could at least wet my tongue.There’d been a small puddle in the corner just under the air vent in the ceiling where water had probably leaked in when it had rained. But I’d already drank that dry, knowing it’d probably make me sick but needing it anyway.I almost wished for an insect to crawl by so I could eat it. I was literally starving to death down here. I’d screame
Consolation Prize 32. Colton
Find a heart that will love you at your worst and arms that will hold you at your weakest. —UnknownI stayed with Julianna until morning, and I swear we held each other a little tighter all night long as if we both feared someone was going to barge into her room and physically tear us apart, namely her dad.After her alarm went off, we knew we needed to get up and prepare for a day full of classes, but we didn’t want to move just yet. We lay there, staring up at her ceiling as we remained wrapped around each other in our safe little cocoon.“Is it bad that I want to hunt down your ex and kick the shit out of him for telling your dad?” I asked.She huffed out a laugh. “Honey, get in line. I would love nothing more than to punch him in the throat right about now.”“I can’t believe he and your dad still talk. I mean, your dad knows why you divorced him, right?”When Julianna swallowed audibly, I looked at her. “Julianna?”With a sigh, she closed her eyes. “I just told him I felt li
Consolation Prize 31. Julianna
When someone else’s happiness is your happiness, that is love. —UnknownColton straightened with surprise. “Wait, what?” His eyes went wide and scared as they darted between me and Tyla. “Pregnant?”I blinked at my roommate, utterly confused. “Yeah…what?” I asked Tyla.“Well…” She blinked at me, clearly confused. “You said something about jostling your ovaries.”I glanced toward Colton. He glanced back at me. And we both burst out laughing.Tears were streaming down my face and Colton still couldn’t calm down enough to help me explain our inside joke when Tyla finally lifted her hands, and said, “Never mind. I don’t want to know. You and your happy new relationship is making me ill.”“No, wait.” I dove at her, grabbing her arm. “I’m sorry. We’ll stop. I’ll behave, I swear.”“Yeah, I won’t touch her for the rest of the night,” Colton promised, right before sending me a big wink and then scooting me off his lap. Then he turned all his attention to Tyla. “This is your night. We’ll
