Trust Me (45 page)

With that, my heart officially bursts with my love for Damien. “You are, Damien. You are my happily ever after.”

Where the hell has that asshole taken Allison?
My normal method of keeping tabs on her is not working tonight, and I know he’s taken her out of the house. It’s as if they’ve disappeared without a trace.
Fucking bastard.
He better not force her to do anything she doesn’t want to do, like he used to do with Rebecca.
That son of a bitch is not going to take her from me. Fucking prick.

Rebecca would never commit to me for fear of what her brother would do. I’d tried to talk some sense into her about how he didn’t matter. Well, we know how that ended…Damien caused her death.

I refuse to let the same fate happen to my beautiful Allison. I know she doesn’t really love him. She’s in love with me, but she’s afraid to tell him, just like Rebecca was. I refuse to let that bastard force her into a relationship.

I stroke her red scarf, the one she gave me to remind me of her when I couldn’t be near her. It smells just like her.
Fucking perfect
.

I hope she can hear my mental pleas. I say them over and over and over again, hoping she gets the message.

Just give me time, Allison. I’m working on getting you back. Soon, I’ll get word to you that I’m still in love with you. I know you miss me, and you are worried that something has happened to me. Even from a distance, I can see it in your questioning eyes. I felt horrible when your eyes pleaded with me to take you from him, and I couldn’t do anything without putting you in harm’s way. I’m going to get you back, regardless of the cost. All of my plans are working out perfectly. Just give me a little more time…

I love you.

First and foremost, I want to thank my husband, Paul, for all his patience and support throughout this entire process. You are my rock, and I love you dearly. You truly are my happily ever after, and I am so blessed to have you by my side, day in and day out.

To my daughter, Makaela—You are so incredibly special to me, and I love you to the ends of the Earth. Right now, you’re too young to remember this journey, but since you were born, your smiles, hugs, and unconditional love have made my world a brighter place.

To my dad, Gehrig—After all the endless hours I spent reading over the last couple of years, thank you for putting the idea to start writing again into my head. I am so incredibly lucky to have a father like you. I will always be Daddy’s little girl.

To my stepmom, Janet—Thank you for going on the various journeys with me this last year as I researched everything that was needed for this book. We had so many good times filled with laughter, and I will never forget them. As you would say, “We definitely made some memories.”

To my mom, Kathy—You have always been there for me and supported me in all of my life’s ambitions. I have you to thank for my drive and never-ending desire to make the most of everything I do. All the quotes from Alli’s mother remind me of things you have said to me. I could not have asked for a better mother.

To my stepdad, Tim—Thank you for always being there for me. I am so fortunate you came into our lives all those years ago.

To Harper, Harper, Harper—I heart you sooo much! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your time and feedback during this journey. You’ve kept me grounded throughout this ride, especially when things seemed to spin out of control. I’m so thankful that you came into my life with your brilliant personality and smile. We have laughed a lifetime’s worth during our friendship, and I cannot wait to share another lifetime’s worth in the coming year. You’ve been with me since the beginning, and I cherish the memories we have made. When I see the bracelet on the book cover, it will always remind me of you. Also, Damien and Alli thank you for all your wardrobe advice.

To Jovana Shirley—You are my Edit Fairy Godmother. You have an incredible talent of editing books. I feel honored to have you as my editor. I am thankful beyond words that I found your name in a book I was reading. When I read some of editing samples, I knew you were worth the seven-month wait. I feel blessed to have you in my life as a friend and editor. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your hard work. I heart you so much and cannot wait to meet you one day.

To my beta readers: Maren, Heather, Nikola, Lori, Brandy, Leanna, and Kim—I am so thankful for each and every one of you guys. Your friendship means more to me than you will ever know. You are the best beta readers a person could ever ask for. I heart you all!

To Maren—I’m so glad we found each other in Mexico when we lived there in college. Since then, we have become the best of friends. Mexico will never be toured as fast and furious as we did it that summer!

To Heather—Through this experience, one of the many wonderful things that has happened to me is meeting you. You’re my own personal cheerleader. Thank you!

To Nikola (You’ll never be Nikki to me.)—You are one in a million, and I’m so fortunate that I met you all those years ago. With your energy and charisma, you light up a room when you walk into it.

To Lori—Girl, you have always been there for me. Thank you for your mentorship through the beginning of my career, and thank you for always keeping it real. I love all of our pedicure dates.

To Brandy L. Rivers—I will cherish all our late-night messaging chats. Thank you so, so, so much for the advice you have given me. It has made all the difference in the world. And because you know I have to declare it as much as possible…Slater is
mine
!

To Leanna—Thank you for all your feedback, friendship, and for taking the photograph on the cover. Your work is beautiful.

To Kim—Thank you for all the time you spent chatting with me about the book. Damien also wanted me to tell you thanks for keeping the red and gold out of his bedroom.

To Kelly Elliott—Your friendship has meant the world to me over these last few months. When I started this journey, you were one of the first authors I reached out to. Your kindness knows no ends. It’s amazing what a few chats here and there can turn into. Thank you for everything! Many, many congrats!

To Stacy Borel—Thank you for all your advice and encouraging words. It’s wonderful to have a friend like you. The jokes we have made will always bring a smile to my face. I cannot wait to be your table buddy at the signings we are doing throughout the next year.

To Chris—Thank you for creating the cover design to my book. It’s beautiful, and it’s just what we discussed. Love it! Thank you for being such a wonderful uncle. I will never forget bunt ball games in the basement, my first pet turtle, the surprise look, and the many other memories we made as a family.

To Jessica—You’re my favorite ninja of all time. Thank you for your never-ending friendship and laughs. You mean the world to me! Fish sticks and oranges will always be our story! Let’s not forget “Evacuate the Dance Floor” and “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”

To the Misery Ladies—I will treasure all our group messages, conversations, and friendships for life. It’s amazing what came out of one little weekend. I love each and every one of you guys. I cannot wait until we have our next vacation together. You guys make me chortle so much. Who would have thought Nutella could have so many meanings? As I sit here writing this acknowledgment, my phone is currently going crazy with Voxers. We sure do know how to chat. Love you all!

To Kendall—You have done so much for me, and I truly appreciate it! Sending you a huge, huge hug across the Atlantic, my sweet friend! It has become my mission to one day give you a huge, huge hug in person. You mean the world to me.

To Mayer’s Trusted—You guys are
ah-may-zing
! Thank you for everything you do! Getting to know you all has been fantastic. Like I’ve said over and over again, the best part of this journey are the newfound friendships I have made. Thank you!

To Allison—It’s amazing the friendships that blossom from just a simple inquiry. Thank you for your encouraging words and all that you have done for me.

To Mandy (Santa)—Thank you for sharing so much with me. I cannot wait to meet you this December.

To Rochelle and Tarnya—Your designs for the swag are absolutely breathtaking. Thank you!

A special shout-out to Joy, my BRP—Thank you, girl. You’re the best.

To Jason, aka The Jefster—Thank you for your friendship and guidance through the years. It’s an honor to call you one of my close friends. Pssst…each comma in this book was made with you in mind. Imagine a duck-call sound right now! Ha!

To Linda—You have always been there for me and supported me through the good and bad times. Thank you, thank you, thank you! One of my most treasured trips is when we went to Portugal together. I have never laughed so hard in my life.
Geez, I will never forget the wake up call you gave me that first day in Lisbon!
I love you to the bottom of my heart!

To all the amazing friends and readers that I’ve met and will meet along this journey—Thank you for all of your encouraging words, support, and friendship. Each and every one of you is incredibly special to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Hope you have enjoyed Damien and Alli’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it.