Saving Each Other (Saving Series Book 1) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Synopsis

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Prologue 1—Ean

  Prologue 2—Dani

  Chapter One—Ean

  Chapter Two—Dani

  Chapter Three—Ean

  Chapter Four—Ean

  Chapter Five—Dani

  Chapter Six—Dani

  Chapter Seven—Dani

  Chapter Eight—Ean

  Chapter Nine—Dani

  Chapter Ten—Dani

  Chapter Eleven—Ean

  Chapter Twelve—Dani

  Chapter Thirteen—Ean

  Chapter Fourteen—Dani

  Chapter Fifteen—Dani

  Chapter Sixteen—Ean

  Chapter Seventeen—Dani

  Chapter Eighteen—Dani

  Chapter Nineteen—Ean

  Chapter Twenty—Ean

  Chapter Twenty-One—Dani

  Chapter Twenty-Two—Dani

  Chapter Twenty-Three—Ean

  Chapter Twenty-Four—Dani

  Chapter Twenty-Five—Ean

  Chapter Twenty-Six—Ean

  Chapter Twenty-Seven—Ean

  Chapter Twenty-Eight—Dani/Ean

  Chapter Twenty-Nine—Dani/Ean

  Chapter Thirty—Ean

  Chapter Thirty-One—Dani

  Chapter Thirty-Two—Ean

  Chapter Thirty-Three—Dani/Ean

  Chapter Thirty-Four—Dani/Ean

  Chapter Thirty-Five—Dani

  Epilogue—Dani

  Acknowledgments

  Resources

  Author’s Note

  Preview of Saving Them

  Two hearts, two souls. Devastated by loss, united through destiny.

  The rules: Communicate only through text messages and never reveal our real names or other personal details.

  My name is Ean Montgomery. After the drunk-driving accident that killed my wife, son, and unborn daughter, I was forced to see a grief counselor. In an unconventional move, she gave me a private cell phone and the first initial of the name of a woman who had been widowed by the same accident. I had no intention of ever texting her but with all hope and the will to live gone, I found myself quickly slipping down the rabbit hole. Desperate, lonely, and unbelievably sad, I reached out to her and she became my everything.

  Everything is excruciating! Everything is broken!

  My name is Dani Adams. I was married to my college sweetheart, the love of my life. Together we were raising our four-year-old daughter and running a successful business. Then the accident happened and life as I knew it ended in the blink of an eye. I didn’t want to answer his text but I was barely hanging on by a thread and he was in tremendous pain, so I replied. And once again, my world was forever changed.

  I can’t lose you, I won’t survive…

  Over the course of a year, through texting alone, we bond. Friendship blossoms into something deeper. We were never supposed to meet, but fate had other plans, and in this world of loss and despair, something amazing began to grow… But can the passion we’ve found sustain itself with the deep, soul-twisting pain that never seems to fade?

  Saving Each Other

  Text copyright © 2017 by S. A. Terrence

  Title ID 7238934

  Though this is a work of fiction, a product of the author’s imagination, the names of several places mentioned are not. Please check the “Special Thanks” section at the end of the book for a list of the all the restaurants that were frequented and businesses and services that were mentioned in this story. All are highly recommended.

  There are also resources at the end for information to help cope with loss. Please reach out, whether for yourself or for a friend. Help is always out there.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever, including but not limited to being stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Published by Amazon, New York www.apub.com

  Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

  Please continue reading after this story for a preview of my next book, Saving Them.

  This book includes strong language and explicit sex scenes, possible trigger warnings, and is not recommended for anybody under the age of 18.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Synopsis

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Prologue 1—Ean

  Prologue 2—Dani

  Chapter One—Ean

  Chapter Two—Dani

  Chapter Three—Ean

  Chapter Four—Ean

  Chapter Five—Dani

  Chapter Six—Dani

  Chapter Seven—Dani

  Chapter Eight—Ean

  Chapter Nine—Dani

  Chapter Ten—Dani

  Chapter Eleven—Ean

  Chapter Twelve—Dani

  Chapter Thirteen—Ean

  Chapter Fourteen—Dani

  Chapter Fifteen—Dani

  Chapter Sixteen—Ean

  Chapter Seventeen—Dani

  Chapter Eighteen—Dani

  Chapter Nineteen—Ean

  Chapter Twenty—Ean

  Chapter Twenty-One—Dani

  Chapter Twenty-Two—Dani

  Chapter Twenty-Three—Ean

  Chapter Twenty-Four—Dani

  Chapter Twenty-Five—Ean

  Chapter Twenty-Six—Ean

  Chapter Twenty-Seven—Ean

  Chapter Twenty-Eight—Dani/Ean

  Chapter Twenty-Nine—Dani/Ean

  Chapter Thirty—Ean

  Chapter Thirty-One—Dani

  Chapter Thirty-Two—Ean

  Chapter Thirty-Three—Dani/Ean

  Chapter Thirty-Four—Dani/Ean

  Chapter Thirty-Five—Dani

  Epilogue—Dani

  Acknowledgments

  Resources

  Author’s Note

  Preview of Saving Them

  To the men that make my life worth living. I dedicate my first book to my husband, Jeff.

  You know me better than I know myself. You know all the worst parts of me, yet somehow, you still love me.

  Thank you.

  You’re my best friend, my true constant, and I love you.

  “OUCH, YOUR KNEE!” ALYSSA EXCLAIMS.

  We’re parked down by the ocean in Manhattan Beach, California, sitting in the back of my silver Jeep Grand Cherokee, facing the ocean. It’s right after the holidays, our senior year of high school, and we just had the best Christmas. Alyssa and I have been dating for over three years, and when we kissed to welcome in the new year, we made a joint resolution to lose our virginity this year. An odd resolution? Sure, but in our teenage brains it’s the perfect resolution.

  I feel like I’ve waited forever to take this final step and I’m not waiting a minute longer. I know it’s not very romantic, but here we are, with the backseat folded down, trying our best to get comfortable.

  “Watch your elbow,” I groan as she jabs it into my ribs.

  “My elbow?” she questions while moving around in the confined space, still trying to get settled and still poking me in the process.

  “Ouch,” I groan again. Then with a more resigned tone, I add, “We need more room.”

  Alyssa agrees and then starts laughing. I know she’s laughing at the absurdity of the situation but I don’t care. The sound of her laughter is alw
ays music to my ears.

  We met within the first month of our freshman year when the athletic department hosted a meet-and-greet for the football team and the cheerleading squad, and have been an “us” ever since. Her twinkling bright blue eyes are so full of light, and her long, golden blond hair masks the fiery fierceness that is Alyssa. One look at her was all it took and I was forever ruined for any other woman.

  I knew tonight was going to be a special night. We’ve done everything under the sun but have never crossed this line. After much begging, she finally agreed tonight would be the night. Her parents are on the stricter side and have never allowed us to have much privacy. When I say not much…I mean, none at all. If we’re in her bedroom with the door closed, her mom usually knocks, very loudly, and tells us to keep it open. She says it through the closed door, almost as if she thinks she’ll find us naked on Alyssa’s bed if she came in. I wish we could be naked on her bed!

  My parents are more liberal and really don’t mind us being alone in my room with the door closed but because of how Alyssa was raised, unfortunately she minds. “We’re being disrespectful to your parents,” she keeps telling me. When I tell her they’re okay with it, she just rolls her eyes and says, “But I mind.” In the end, I love Alyssa and respect her wishes, so that’s why we’re attempting to lose our virginities in the back of my Jeep.

  I wanted this night to be romantic so I brought a picnic basket filled with sandwiches from our favorite sub shop and treats from our favorite bakery. I added a candle and some flowers and loaded my phone with all her favorite songs. We had a great dinner while watching the sun set and even spotted some dolphins playing in the water.

  When it starts to get cooler, I close the hatch and bring out a blanket.

  “It’s your elbow that’s the problem!” Alyssa complains, still squirming, still trying to get comfortable. “It’s in the way!”

  “Allie,” I say, in my “serious” voice, while using my nickname for her. “It’s not my elbow I want to get in the way.”

  “Eww! Ean!” She playfully swats me on the chest but then stops moving, looks at me, and sighs. “We really need to go somewhere where we can have more room,” and then, in a more somber tone, she adds, “Maybe we should wait.”

  “Oh no!” I protest. “We’ve been waiting long enough and we both want it. We’ve discussed this,” I say defensively. “I’m not waiting any longer.”

  “Ean,” she says quietly to get my attention. “My parents are going to be away this weekend. You already know this. Let’s wait until then. This way we can spend the entire weekend naked…in bed…together.” She whispers the last part.

  I struggle for a moment but the thought is too appealing and I quickly give in.

  “Sold,” I whisper back. “But can we still stay here a little while longer?”

  She quickly agrees and we start kissing again, now not bothering to get comfortable. With the promise of sex planned for this weekend, I open the tailgate and we sit in companionable silence while listening to the roar of the waves as they crash against the shore while enjoying our delicious dessert.

  “Can you believe we’re about to graduate?” Alyssa says, breaking the silence before taking a bite of her crumb coffee cake, the moans of her pleasure going straight to my dick. I really can’t wait for this weekend but being with her in any way is just as great. So I pull her in, close to me, and take a bite of my vanilla bean glazed donut.

  “I have no idea where the time went,” I answer after swallowing.

  “We had some great times, didn’t we?”

  “Yeah, but we’re going to have even greater times.” I wink and nudge her with my shoulder to make her aware of my double entendre.

  “Hah!” She laughs and nudges me back. “You know what I mean.”

  “I do.” I kiss her on the temple and continue. “UCLA’s going to be epic.”

  Alyssa, my best friend, Justin, and I all got accepted to UCLA and will be starting in the fall. Justin and I will be rooming together and Alyssa will be in the same dorm, on the girls’ side. I can’t wait to get started on the next chapter of our lives.

  “I can’t wait to get started on the next chapter of our lives,” she says, repeating my thoughts. It’s always amazing how alike we think.

  “I was just thinking the same thing.”

  Alyssa shivers and I pull her in even closer, covering us with the blanket. Southern California always has great weather but the nights, especially by the ocean, tend to get cool. “You cold?”

  “A little,” she says, and snuggles in even closer.

  I wrap the blanket tighter around her delicate shoulders, keeping her protected and warm, and whisper, “I love you, baby.”

  Alyssa puts her hand over my heart and whispers back words I could listen to for the rest of my life. “I love you too, Ean.”

  “FOR YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENT, YOU will be required to team up with a partner and create a space using only green materials,” Professor Kitchener tells the class.

  It’s the beginning of my junior year at UC San Diego and I’m sitting in Special Topics of Design, ready to embrace all this year has to offer. I love everything about this program. The last two years have been amazing and I’m excited to learn more.

  I grew up in San Diego and stayed for my mom. My dad died in a terrible car crash when I was twelve years old. My parents each called the other “The love of my life.” They were soulmates, always kissing and touching one another whenever they were together. My mom was always giggling and my dad could never wipe off the silly grin he always wore whenever she was around.

  My dad, Simon Egan, was a very handsome man, and a force to be reckoned with. Both women and men were always tripping over themselves in his presence, but he only had eyes for my mom. They were high school sweethearts. Each other’s firsts. Each other’s always, and, as they always said, each other’s last.

  Dad taught music at my high school. He was incredibly creative and knew how to play several instruments. We always had music filling our home. My dad was my hero. I wanted to be exactly like him. I can play the piano well, as I’ve been playing since I was six years old, and I’m fairly decent on the guitar, but my passion is art and design. My dad was always encouraging me; he was my greatest supporter and my biggest fan. The day my dad died my mom died too, inside. Alcohol replaced him as the love of her life. I raised myself and took care of my mother. When the time came to go off to college, I didn’t have the heart to leave her alone.

  “Do you want to be my partner?” the gorgeous guy who’s seated next to me asks.

  I actually look around since he couldn’t possibly want to be my partner. When he smiles and nods, I become completely tongue-tied and am probably wearing a look that screams, “What?”

  At my silence, he continues. “My name’s Scott, Scott Adams.”

  “Danielle…” I reply. Why would someone so stunning want to talk to me?

  I clear my now incredibly dry throat and continue. “Danielle Egan…Dani…m-my friends call me Dani.” My stutter has me blushing from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

  Great! On top of stuttering, I’m also bright red.

  At my bumbling, Scott’s face lights up with the most spectacular smile I’ve ever seen. It extends to his eyes, causing them to crinkle in the corners and dance with glee. My breath hitches and I turn into an even brighter tomato, ratcheting up my level of embarrassment to DEFCON 10, even though there are only five levels.

  Don’t think I haven’t noticed Scott. I have, many, many times in the past two years. Scott’s beautiful! And don’t say a guy can’t be called beautiful because Scott Adams puts Chris Hemsworth to shame. He has a thick head of dirty blond hair that skims his collar, and blue eyes that shine brighter than the California sun. And when he smiles? Kill me now. His smile shows off a dimple on his right cheek, one dimple! Could he be any sexier? And his body? All I can say about his body is just…WOW!

  Since I’m still a mute, Scott a
sks once again, “Do you want to be my partner?”

  “Y-Yes,” I stutter out in all but a whisper.

  Oh my God, he wants to be my partner!

  “Your phone?” he asks, holding out his hand.

  “Wh-What?” I squeak out, blushing yet again.

  “Pass me your cell phone so I can program in my number.” He keeps his hand extended, waiting for me to give it to him.

  “Oh, s-sure…” Wide-eyed and still red-faced, I hand it over.

  Scott just shakes his head, laughing, as he takes it from me. After a couple of minutes of him typing into his device and mine, he hands it back.

  I turn and slip it into my bag, using the time to calm my breathing and collect myself. I turn back to him and just as I’m about to ask about the project, I hear a text come through.

  “Excuse me,” I say holding up one finger to indicate I need a minute. I check my screen but don’t recognize the sender. Who’s Blush Lover?

  And when I read the text, I actually do die, right smack dab in the middle of the lecture hall.

  You’re cute.

  I hear another chuckle but before I get a chance to look up, it pings again with another text from the stunning man to my right.

  When you blush.

  And now my skin tone is perma red.

  We make plans to meet up. Or I should say, Scott makes plans to meet up because, yep! still a mute.

  I learn that Scott’s originally from Manhattan Beach but has always loved San Diego and knew, from a young age, he was going to attend college down here.

  Fate sure knew what it was doing, keeping me here instead of sending me to UCLA, where I was also accepted.

  Scott quickly becomes my everything and we become inseparable.

  My roommate and best friend, Sandi, loves him and is only slightly upset when I move into his apartment only weeks after the fall quarter ends. He proposes to me the beginning of our senior year and I quickly accept.

  Scott and I both graduate with a BA in speculative design and a minor in interdisciplinary computing in the arts. After college, we move to Hermosa Beach, get married and begin doing consultant work together with a focus on environmental design. Our business becomes so wildly popular, that after the birth of our beautiful daughter, Chloe, we decide to open our own store.