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Christ Give Me Strength
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2022-09-24 14:04:15Related chapters
We Were One Gun Toting Mama
Madeline laughed that laugh I normally loved to hear, but at the moment, I was too unnerved about the damn photos. What the hell was I thinking?"Just a little innocent birthday kiss," Madeline said heedlessly then turned to me with a grin. "I take it you'll be joining us for the movie?"With a gulp, I stared at her incredulously. Wasn't she the least bit worried about this getting back to her mom? Madeline glanced down at the popcorn and sodas her sister and Shelby were holding. "No candy?""Oh, I forgot," Maggie said, turning back to the concession stand."I'll get it," I said, starting to the concession stand before Maggie could.I needed a breather, needed to gather my thoughts. What was I doing here? Where could this possibly lead? Was I really ready for this? Why hadn't I anticipated this feeling so fucking profound? Why didn't anyone warn me? But then I supposed my dad tried to.I barely had time to ponder too long on this because Madeline was by my side again. "I want M&M
Last Updated : 2022-09-24We Were One The Gift
When I arrived at Pike's Crest, I wasn't sure what to expect. Madeline had already made one thing clear. It was all or nothing when it came to us for her. My being here was confirmation that I'd agreed. But I had to stay mindful that even she knew her mom wouldn't approve. Even if she did assure me she could handle Loretta, we couldn't be too blatant about this. Though I had every intention of making it even clearer to any guy who thought before today maybe she was off limits, that she absolutely was now.I was only happy this was happening on a weekend when all my brothers were gone. Nolan was still in Radcliffe, working his internship in the tattoo shop and would be gone for a few more months. Quino was out of town with my dad for the weekend at some techy convention, and Xavier had been disappearing a lot lately on the weekends. As private as that guy had always been, something told me it had everything to do with a girl. Regardless, I was glad none of them were here because even I
Last Updated : 2022-09-24We Were One Now You Know
I watched as she opened the box, knowing full well she was thinking it was a ring and that I must be insane. So I was relieved when she finally saw it and pulled it out with a huge smile. It was a necklace with a red M&M character charm. The little M&M character was holding a gold heart.As if that weren't perfect enough, when I walked into the jewelry store to ask about it, the lady showed me the cheesy inscription on the back. I almost didn't get it but then decided actions speak louder than words. What I was feeling for Madeline felt so much heavier than it should have this soon. If my dad picked up on it weeks ago, it was just a matter of time before Madeline did too, if she hadn't already. So maybe the inscription would help tone it way down."This is too cute!" She turned around as if anxious to show someone else, but her sister and friends were too far, so she turned back to me."Turn it around."She did and read what it said. "I'm sweet for you." Bringing her hand to her mo
Last Updated : 2022-09-24We Were One The Rumor
Jenna started toward the park, but I balked. "Not that way. It'll be too crowded soon."We started the opposite way toward the dairy on the corner. "Yeah, this way's better," Jenna agreed. "I'm craving some chocolate milk anyway."As soon as we were far enough from Jerry's earshot, which was why I assumed she didn't say anything at first, Jenna started. "It's not yours," she said, and no three words had ever sounded like such music to my ears.I had to refrain from hugging her or thanking God at the top of my lungs. Visuals of me jumping in the air, fist-pumping, danced in my head as she explained about a stupid argument she'd gotten into on Facebook. Her baby's dad's ex-girlfriend accused her of screwing her man while they were still together."My sister Nicole"—Jenna rolled her eyes, shaking her head— "in her infinite wisdom decided to chime in with a comment, bringing up the fact that I was still hanging with you at that time. One comment led to another to speculation that it mi
Last Updated : 2022-09-24We Were One Madly
Thinking it through a little further, I decided to wait up the street, instead of at Shelby's house. Shelby didn't actually have a car. Her mom let her use her car the nights they went out and Shelby drove. But she got a ride home with Mrs. Hellman every day from school as she had today because they only had the one car and her mom needed it for work. If Shelby's mom was out of town, then that meant Shelby likely didn't have a car tonight, which meant Mrs. Hellman might be dropping them off.Fortunately, they drove up in Shelby's mom's car. Her mother must've gone out of town with someone else. I revved up my bike and drove into the driveway right behind them, forgetting how loud my bike was. I'd just gotten off my bike and started securing my helmet onto the handlebars when Madeline ran up to me and jumped in my arms.The girls giggled and waved politely as I watched them walk into the house, over Madeline's shoulder. I squeezed Madeline so hard I backed down when she grunted with a
Last Updated : 2022-09-24We Were One Please Don't Break My Heart
"Aside from you, I've only ever been kissed by two other guys," she said without hesitation. "Roy Evans was my first kiss ever, two years ago, and then Aster Williams kissed me last year on the haunted hay ride."I squeezed my eyes shut, along with my hands on her waist, willing the visuals away. "You shouldn't have told me that.""Why not?""Because I'll hate them both now. Just like I hate that fucker Shane."When I opened my eyes to look at her, there was a hint of humor in her eyes and a twitch at the corners of her lips. "I'm just saying I have nothing to hide. I'm not asking about all the girls in your past. All I'm asking is who and when was your last, before me?""You don't know her. She's not from Huntsville."That was partially true. America wasn't from Huntsville, and technically, Madeline didn't know her. But America did say she'd frequented and enjoyed her time at the Smoke Wagon. With her living just an hour away, the possibility of her coming into town again was ju
Last Updated : 2022-09-24We Were One Mama Asked About Us
I knew Madeline was artistic. We'd spoken about her passion for painting plenty of times. I'd seen some of the photos of her painting early on. She showed me on her phone, including the ones she painted of me. Even when I saw one of the finished pieces in person, as impressed as I was, I imagined it was something that took her days, maybe weeks, to finish. There was so much delicate detail put into them it was hard to imagine her finishing one up in under a day much less in a few hours.Just a week after our first almost breakup, we were out at one of her favorite places by the river. Madeline wanted to bring her easel and painting tools out to the abandoned pier I introduced her to, days ago. I thought we were there so she could demonstrate her skill as it happened. I'd begun to resort to using the shop's delivery van on the days when Shelby couldn't get access to her mom's car. It was either that or not see Madeline that night since her mom would think it too odd that her sister or
Last Updated : 2022-09-24We Were One Baby, No. We Can't.
My stomach dropped just as Madeline glanced at me, and to my surprise, now she laughed. "Oh my God, your face got as white as mine.""What did she say?"What the fuck are we doing here? was what I really felt like asking. Why was she still risking this if her mother was onto us?"You knew she was bound to hear the rumors, but I've also told you how much she hates how easily stories get turned into something completely different around town. She was livid when she heard about the stories going around that she'd pulled a shotgun on boys who either me or Maggie had tried sneaking in late at night.""I never heard that one," I said with a frown.I really hadn't. I sure as hell would've asked her about it if I'd heard that version of the stories."Well, of course, it wasn't true, but it was out there, and there've been others about her. Haven't heard any lately, but every now and again, there's a new speculation about who our daddy really is."Now those I had heard, but I didn't comm
Last Updated : 2022-09-24
Latest chapter
We Were One Epilogue - Maddie's POV
MadelineThe coughing in the living room followed by the moaning only made me want to giggle. But I dared not. Mama had warned me what big babies men can be when they're sick, and I'd seen it more than once, but it'd never annoyed me the way it did her. Why they had to moan after every cough and sneeze I'd never know, but unlike Mama, who rolled her eyes when her fiancé Don did it, I thought it was hilarious.Besides, I wouldn't have dreamed of complaining when it came to taking care of Nico. He would have gallantly taken care of me if needed. Not that I'd ever gotten this bad when I was sick. But my entire pregnancy the man went above and beyond taking care of me. That last month when I was on strict bed rest orders, he catered to my every whim. And unlike when it was my turn to do the nursing, between him and Ama, I got some delicious real home cooking"Who's ready for some yummy warm chicken soup?" I asked as I walked into the living room, carrying a tray with a bowl of the hot s
We Were One You Were-ARE-Mine
"I didn't say that. You did." She ran her hand through my hair. "But it was the first time I'd seen him since I broke up with him." She explained a little more about that but then added something more. "I do remember you being jealous, though," she said, looking up at me all whimsically. "Whose bike did I get on that had you seeing red?"Feeling my brows shoot up in reaction, I searched her eyes some more. There was only one time when this happened, and I made sure it never did again. "You remember that?""I had a visual just today when I realized I couldn't stomach him touching or kissing me anymore, not after this weekend." Going tense again as what she just said sunk in, I felt her fingers caress the side of my head, and just like that, I was able to breathe easily again. "Whose bike?""Some douche named Shane. I couldn't stand the way that fucker looked at you."She smiled. "I know you don't wanna hear about it, but after Ryan said 'you're mine' to me one time and it set off a
We Were One Preaching to the Choir
Madeline hugged her mom and their body language said the same thing. It's finally over. As if Loretta, too, had been living under unimaginable stress all these years, wondering when not if the straw would break the camel's back and it all would come tumbling out. She'd said it herself; she knew there was nothing she could do to keep us apart.I watched them, inhaling deeply, my insides filling with pride and emotion. This was really happening. I had my peanut back, and it was all because of her tenacity. Had she not been so bound and determined even after all these years, she may never have caught what she hadn't even known she was chasing. Just like me all this time, her gut kept telling her there was something missing and she needed to get to it.She explained to me as we drove to her hotel room how she'd gotten the room so she wouldn't have to face her mom just yet. She'd told Loretta she was working so she wouldn't be home when her mom got home from her weekend trip."I just nee
We Were One You Can't Make This Shit Up
Loretta explained how she also couldn't take the chance of telling anyone—including me. "Her waking to no memory of her past, while tragic, I considered it a blessing, a sign that I'd done the right thing. I knew my biggest challenge would be getting her to agree to leave Huntsville—leave you. I knew there'd be no way in hell I'd convince her to, and if you weren't willing or able to leave with us, she'd be willing to risk her secret getting out. As discreet as you two were when you were sneaking around, I knew it'd be just a matter of time before the townsfolk got word that Nico was now in love with Maggie. It'd raise too many brows and questions."Madeline chimed in to explain about the birthmark. "Mama said it was an afterthought. Since she hadn't anticipated me waking up with no memory, it wasn't until she was getting ready to make her move and get me out of Huntsville that she thought of it.""I figured I should plant the seed early on," Loretta said, shaking her head. "And then
We Were One This Better Not Be a Dream
None of the random lies Madeline's mother had fed her over the years made any sense, but she said her mother lying about how her grandmother had actually died finally did. "A few years ago, my doctor suggested I have the birthmark on my neck checked. It turned out to be fine." Maggie turned to mom with a raised brow. "But because of my grandmother's supposed death from melanoma cancer, I elected to have it removed anyway."I still couldn't grasp it; though my heart was already leaping to accept it. Afraid to speak for fear of my voice betraying me, I managed one word. "How?"That did it. Instantly, my eyes blurred, and I felt my throat constrict until something else hit me. All these years I'd suffered an anguish I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, and Madeline had been dealing with thinking she was going mad. All because of her mother.The overpowering emotion I'd begun to feel was clouded momentarily as my insides were suddenly on fire, and I turned to Loretta. "Why?"Maggie . . .
We Were One I'm Not Maggie
I didn't even bother telling them to stay put. I could already hear them scrambling to grab their shit and come after me, but they weren't stopping me. At least they had the sense not to try. "The address, Nolan," I barked as I jumped on my bike outside the shop, and Xavier and Quino worked fast to lock the shop up.He was already racing toward his bike as he scrolled through his phone. In the next second, the envelope with the forwarded text popped up on my screen. I tapped it into the navigation app on my phone and squeezed it into my handlebar phone mount as my brothers articulated their loving words of wisdom and heeded warnings."Calm your ass.""Don't drive like an idiot.""Remember we're all following you," Xavier cautioned, knowing full well this one would likely be the only warning I'd be taking seriously. "We'll be right behind you. So whatever stupid maneuvers you make, we'll be making them with you."Fuck me.As if I didn't have enough to worry about, I'd for sure hav
We Were One The Unthinkable
Nolan spoke so fast I had to stop him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said, holding my hands up. "You're talking too fast. Take a breath, man, and start over."I was still trying to wrap my head around what he'd first said. Skipping the taking-a-breath part, Nolan went on a little slower but just as urgently. "Her mom lied about a whole lot of shit. Kept so much from her it has her completely confused, but she still hasn't questioned her mom because she's trying to gather more evidence of what she suspects. She told me all this yesterday. It's why when I saw the engagement post today I immediately called her on it. How could she be getting engaged if she still doesn't know for sure if you two are soul mates?"That last part sucked the air out of me, but I refused to get my hopes up. Every time I did, that tiny voice of reason in the back of my head cleared its throat and reminded me about the physical proof that she wasn't Madeline. Nolan reeled off, too fired up to let any of us get a word i
We Were One Delusion or Deception
As if he knew without having me say it, Nolan didn't push for me to finish explaining. Instead, he nodded in understanding; though he still looked a little unconvinced about Maggie not having ulterior motives."I don't talk to her too often," he explained. "She drops me a text when she has questions regarding something she just remembered or whatever. Last I heard from her was when she called to ask about the pier. She'd had a dream about it, but didn't remember anything about the pier."Hearing about her dreams reminded me of Maggie dreaming of me. Of course I'd kept this to myself. I hated how, on top of what a confusing mess this was, I had to be mindful that this was a girl Nolan had slept with. One who though he didn't admit it then I could tell he was beginning to fall hard for. Even if he was long over her now, it'd still be weird as shit.He had nothing more significant to tell me but assured me if he heard or remembered anything else he'd let me know. As far as I was concer
We Were One A More Plausible Theory
Even this had me feeling a mixture of something I only ever felt when Madeline was alive—a strange but urgent sense to protect. But protect who? Maggie? And against who? My brother who was only concerned for me? Of that, I had no doubt.So I chose my words and tone carefully. After taking in another spoonful of cereal as nonchalantly as ever, I posed the burning question. "What are you getting at, Nolan?"Tapping his fist softly on the counter in a nervous pattern, he started telling me what I'd suspected already: that since Maggie showed up in Radcliffe, he'd kept in touch with her but hadn't mentioned it because he didn't think I'd want to hear about it. Mostly they'd texted but he'd talked to her on the phone a few times as well. "That blow to the head she took must've been real bad because even after all these years she still seems really confused and has lots of questions."I nodded, trying my damnedest to focus on what he was saying and not my unreasonably heating insides. Ins
