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Chapter Fourteen:
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2024-10-29 19:42:56| Whitney |
Trading places with a previously restless Hollis, Whitney wasn’t managing to get much shut eye whatsoever.
None at all actually. Not a wink, as they’d say down East. She was so tired, but not the least bit sleepy.
Despite her hectic day starting with an early flight and ending with having to abruptly comfort Hollis through a devastating meltdown, she couldn’t seem to turn her brain off long enough to lay back against the mountain of comfortable bedding without brooding over what she’d learned only a couple of hours ago.
Hollis’ addiction was rearing it’s ugly head again, and it caused her to get back in touch with her drug dealer. Whitney didn’t dare show it, but the realization crushed her from the inside out. Teetering on the edge, the struggling addict almost threw an eight month sobriety streak out the window.
Her saving grace?
Timing. Whit
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Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Fifteen:
| Whitney |"Ugggh, I think I had too much ice cream.” Whitney groaned three hours later during the short walk back to their hotel room. Clutching her pierced stomach miserably, the lingering sweetness of ‘Queen Bee’ still taunted the brunette’s taste buds. The honey flavored treat, which included almonds, chocolate covered honeycomb, and English toffee proved too delicious to stop indulging in. Whitney didn’t even want to know how much she had over the course of their fun filled tour. She whimpered, “My belly hurts, Holly!”Thankfully, her lover was keeping track. Not so much? She didn’t display an ounce of sympathy for Whitney’s self induced stomach ache.“I’ll bet! Nobody told you to have five scoops of it, West Coast.” Hollis teased affectionately with her arm draped over her nauseous girlfriend’s shoulders protectively. She cas
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Sixteen:
Five months prior, Auburn Maine| Whitney |“She’s a coward, Whit. Just let her go. You don’t want people like that in your life, do you?” Theresa York-O’Sullivan watched her younger sister’s teary gaze follow Hollis’ blue corolla until it was out of sight with tightly crossed arms. Whitney refused to face her, or their expectant parents as she shrugged out of James’ general vicinity from where he stood massaging her tired shoulders. Using a shaky hand to wipe the tears that spilled down her flushed cheeks, the brunette pulled her phone out to text for an Uber.No way was she planning on telling Kendra what happened, at least not right now. She had a bad habit of intervening and despite her very best intentions, this wasn’t something Whitney wanted her meddling hands in. Hollis couldn’t have meant any of that...she just wanted to sleep off this nightmare and g
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Seventeen:
| Hollis |Hollis watched Whitney pace around their hotel room slowly in silence, occasionally glancing at her phone’s illuminated screen before tapping the device against her trembling lips deep in thought. It’d been a good half hour since the conflicted artist begged Hollis to give her some direction regarding Theresa’s unexpected Facebook message, and the blonde swallowed the overwhelming urge to take control of the situation by gently advising her to do what she thought was best.Their food had arrived not long ago, but Whitney was still agonizing over the unread message. Hollis asked her to sit down and eat twice, but gave up after her girlfriend waved her away with a frustrated sigh.Fine. She’ll eat when she’s ready I guess. She knew Whitney was lost and it hurt her to see the woman she loved so fiercely walk around blindly in the dark, but this wasn’t Hollis’ decision and that was the bo
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Eighteen:
Three days later| Hollis |"Hey Holl! How are you two fairing out there? We finally broke 60 degrees in Auburn if you can wrap your head around that shit." Dalton's voice seemed rushed but content, and it sounded like he was rustling through a hefty stack of papers. Nina shouted something about grabbing takeout and it made Hollis grin broadly as she finished lacing up her black Timberland boots in a hurry. With just this evening and and all of tomorrow left of she and Whitney's vacation in New York, she was taking her lover somewhere special tonight and didn't want to be late for the event. Still, it was nice to hear from her brother for a few minutes while she got herself all fixed up. "We were riding in the 70's earlier, but from the looks of outside I'm sure it's dipped. 60 isn't bad. I can't wait until it gets hotter in June though; Prime swimming weather around our parts." The whole 'how's the weather' r
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Nineteen:
| Whitney |“So, how many drinks do you know without having to think about them Holly?” Whitney giggled once the girls made it back to their hotel room a little after midnight. She’d since slipped out of her evening attire and was lounging in a lavender satin chemise on their king sized bed, resting against the plump squishy down feather pillows as she bit a finger absently and stared at her girlfriend. House keeping changed their sheets while the girls were out, and they felt so fresh and clean against her smooth legs.Hollis offered to bar hop with her once they finished checking out all the fascinating art pieces at Gagosian Gallery, but Whitney brushed the idea aside by gloating about Hollis’ bar tending skills and insisted they just go back to Aloft Harlem, so she could watch her girlfriend mix up some tasty mystery cocktails. As much as Whitney could appreciate a good, strong dry martini, she wanted to see if Hollis knew her well
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Twenty:
| Whitney |When was the last time I slept THAT good? Whitney thought to herself drowsily the next morning as she rubbed the sleep from her light brown eyes with a quiet yawn. Hues of decadent yellow, pink, and orange bounced off the hotel room walls; signalling the rise of a new day. Never one to be up at 7 A.M, she took in it’s radiant beauty with stunned gratitude.All was quiet, including the vulnerable woman she’d loved endlessly for almost an entire year. Whitney could hear Hollis’ quiet breathing as each inhale and exhale left her chest, adding to the overall tranquility that fell over their little world- consisting of just the two of them, in a private space pretty far away from everyone they knew.Their last morning in New York. A slow, building dread washed over Whitney with the realization. She never wanted to leave, but it was for a far graver reason than it should have been.She wasn’t su
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Twenty-One:
| Hollis |Early afternoon light cracked through the newly shut mahogany curtains, their illuminating lines kissing Whitney and Hollis’ nude bodies as they took turns indulging in one another without pause. They were surrounded with a plethora of adult toys, all unexplored and guaranteed to heighten the lovers’ sensitivity on multiple fronts. Open storage canisters were strewn about, revealing an art neither girl could wait to dabble in.Each other.Hollis watched her own fingers as they transferred a generous amount of edible body paint from it’s respective container, and onto her panting girlfriend’s swollen breasts. The bright pink liquid dried quickly- keeping it’s magnificent pigment. Whitney moaned at her lover’s unique touch, occasionally glancing at the blonde’s concentrated expression while she glided along the ample mounds that were presented so helplessly in front of her.“You’re...
Last Updated : 2024-10-29Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Twenty-Two:
| Hollis |“Hey dude, we’re back in town. I hope I didn’t wake you up or anything? I know how late it is.” Hollis spoke on the phone quietly so as not to disturb Whitney, who was currently passed out under the crook of her arm in the Uber they were taking back to her house at a quarter past eleven P.M. She stared straight ahead, trying to keep her voice from shaking as the vehicle raced down Maine State Route 126. Street lights every so often illuminated her hardened expression as she struggled to stop thinking about the frightening way Whitney screamed and screamed in their hotel room just hours ago. All might’ve been calm for the moment, but Hollis knew this was just the tip of the iceberg for her grieving lover.“I was just about to turn in. Good timing, Bogard.” Kendra yawned lazily through the receiver. “Did Whit forget her keys? If you’re close, I can leave the door unlocked.” Hollis could&rsquo
Last Updated : 2024-10-29
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Not All Who Wander Are Lost A Word From The Author:
If you've made it this far, I officially (read that in your best ditzy, Californian accent) LOVE you all! <3 (I'm from San Diego California myself, no shade Golden State :)) What can I say? It's been a journey writing this novel, this entire series really. At first, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to create a sequel for "Not All That Glitters" but I'm so glad I did. I hope you are too, and would be ever so humbled if you let me know what you thought of my little part two. Being able to explore my characters through their own points of view was an eye opening experience, and I hoped you loved tuning into Dalton, Kendra, and Jake's thoughts just as much as the lead's, Hollis and Whitney's. Despite this book taking five months to write, a month less than two of my other novels, "Not All Who Wander Are Lost" is by far my longest book, nearing 600 pages. I couldn't avoid it since there was so much
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Epilouge:
Two and a half years later, Auburn Maine “It’s been great catching up as always, dad! I’m really looking forward to you and mom coming out for Thanksgiving next month.” Whitney paced slowly around the small deck of her powder blue town home, an enthused grin appearing at James’ next statement.“So are we, honey. We’re celebrating with Benjamin and the grand kids the week after, since they’re spending the holiday in Sicily this year. We don’t want to impose so I’ve already booked a respectable hotel in Auburn, not far from you at all. I figured we should give your mother some more time to get used to the idea that you’re with two women now; You’d think a couple years would’ve been enough, but she still hasn’t fully grasped the concept.”Her father’s amused chuckle made Whitney giggle as she shivered from the chilly mid
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-Five:
| Kendra |The goodbye party turned celebratory victory lasted for another three and a half hours as everyone continued drinking and helping themselves to various refreshments. Hollis, Whitney, and Kendra had been the first to depart. It’d been an exhausting day, and a very drunk Hollis in particular was begging Kendra to make her famous no-bake strawberry cheesecake non-stop.No, really. Non. Fucking. STOP. The whole time they were making their rounds before leaving, and even in the Uber on the way back to her town home. Drunk and with no plans to relent, Kendra and Whitney both had to sit there and listen to her plead over and over for the tasty, fluffy treat as she made herself comfortable against the smallest girl’s shoulder.Just like always, whiny Hollis got her own way and was groaning with gratitude from where she was draped across Kendra and Whitney’s couch an hour later.“Thank you, Ken Dollllll.&rdq
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-Four:
| Jakob |“Simmer it down, everybody! We don’t want the police raining on our parade.” Evan Richardson joked to his rambunctious, chattering employees at Ringo’s around seven that same evening. It was lightly drizzling outside, a complete night and day difference from the warm atmosphere he’d just walked into not ten minutes ago. ‘Mäkelän Sulon Polkat’ by Floating Sofa Quartet was playing at a comfortable volume, and the quirky Finnish Polka beat only added to Ringo’s already jaunty ambience.Black and white streamers had been tastefully decorated throughout the popular pub, and a few hired caterers and bartenders from a local Mexican place in town were happily serving Ringo’s staff along with the friends and family they brought with them. A large buffet table had been set up in the back, and was loaded with ingredients for build your own nachos, taco shells, separate containers of ground beef, and a neat
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-Three:
Roughly a month later| Dalton |An unexpected summer rain storm swept over Auburn during the earliest hours of June 25th, somewhere between four and six A.M; Leaving behind a pleasantly cool fog and dewy touch in the air several hours later. An abundance of white cedar trees surrounding the Androscoggin County Superior Court rustled and swayed gently in the calm breeze. Blanketed by hovering clouds, the massive judicial branch was especially frenzied today.An arrogant Preston Clay, accompanied by his ridiculously wealthy parents, sauntered into their assigned courtroom wearing a dark grey suit worthy of any ‘Daddy’s little rich boy’. His icy blue eyes fell on the opposing side to where they’d be sitting, and he scoffed outwardly at the native Mainer who turned down his father’s millions and for what? To embarrass himself no doubt. At least, that’s where his narrow minded brain had stretched
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-Two:
| Hollis |When it finally became clear as day Chad didn’t intend to up and leave as originally planned, Hollis set her sharp jawline with indignation and shifted her intense gaze to a very quiet Dalton. She’d since let go of Whitney and Kendra’s hands, and was resting her elbows on two shaking ripped jean clad knees. Her tattooed fingers were intertwined, and she kept lightly tapping at her left cheek with both fists. Nervous, and fidgety as hell. She spoke hoarsely, already exhausted from the sudden outburst.“...I’m not ready yet. C-can someone else go first? Please?” Whitney’s widened honey colored eyes were pleading with Kendra as she carefully leaned back in her seat, begging for some sort of direction. The petite blonde nodded silently to let her worried roommate know they needed to let Hollis react organically, and emphasized it by rubbing the back of her best friend’s head briefly before st
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty-One:
Eleven years prior, Auburn Maine | Hollis |“I don’t get why I can’t just stay at our apartment while you’re gone over the weekend. This is wicked stupid. I’m seventeen, not seven." An annoyed Hollis grumbled, turning her back to Dalton so she could peer out of his white Chevy truck’s window with a soft huff. It was a bitter, cold February afternoon in Auburn and the heater was going full blast, making all four glass barriers fog up relentlessly. The windshield wipers were working diligently to keep Dalton’s ability to drive safely consistent. Hollis felt like she was observing her surroundings submerged under water, despite squinting as hard as she could. Still, the familiar outline of their parent’s woodsy street almost made her want to pass out from sheer anxiety.I don’t want to be here...I really DON’T want to be here. “It wa
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Forty:
| Hollis |After sleeping off a wicked painful withdrawal spell, Hollis finally stirred from her repose several hours into the early evening —drenched in sweat—to find a very frightened Whitney seated at the edge of her ultra soft bed wearing one of the most tender expressions she’d ever been met with. The bewildered blonde had no idea how long her concerned lover had been there and felt guilty as hell for being the cause of so much added stress. Whitney tucked a few stray black curls that’d fallen into her line of vision behind an ear before leaning over to cradle Hollis’ warm, fatigued face in two trembling hands. She started to croak as the rich honey shade of her eyes darkened with distress.“...Thank gawd. You kept mumbling to yourself for like, five hours straight and I wasn’t sure what to do. Kendra told me to just let you sleep...I was so worried, babe.”Hollis’ first instin
Not All Who Wander Are Lost Chapter Thirty-Nine:
The following morning | Kendra |“Huh. I guess Holl wound up staying over last night.” Kendra muttered softly with worried moss green eyes fixated on her best friend’s blue corolla, which was parked on the gorgeous property adjacent to Whitney’s black Prius. Having just pulled in following an exhilarating evening at Vivian’s, the small punk rocker was a little put off that Whitney didn’t shoot her a ‘heads up’ text like she normally would when Hollis crashed at their place. Had she known at least a little ahead of time, there’s no way in hell she would’ve spontaneously invited her new girlfriend over for what was supposed to be a romantic brunch. She’d planned an entire day for the two of them too; Eating great home cooked food and settling in to study for a few finals they had coming up.So much for THAT relaxing, drama free day.
