Lighter by Gia Riley
Publication date: February 16th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Publication date: February 16th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance
“Sophie, wait!
I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you,” Megan yells from the
double doors leading from the locker room into the hallway.
She saw the
bruises on my body.
I knew better than to change in front of everyone after gym class,
yet I did it anyway because I was running late to meet my boyfriend.
Blaine doesn’t like it when I keep him waiting. Tossing my book bag
over my shoulder, I round the corner and smack right into him – and
he doesn’t look happy.
“What did you
say to her?” He questions with a deadly stare.
“Nothing. I
didn’t say a word.” I didn’t but I still avert my eyes,
choosing to stare at the tile on the floor instead of him. Without
warning, he grabs my arm and pulls me into the bathroom. It’s
empty.
“Please,
Blaine.” I’m begging him to stop. He hears me, but he doesn’t
listen.
“I told you
what I would do, didn’t I?”
I swallow, my hands shaking. “Yes.”
He pins my arms against the wall, hovering over me. “And yet you
still couldn’t keep your damn mouth shut.”
I try to yank my
arms from his grasp, but his grip is too tight. His fingertips dig
painfully into my arms, his nails breaking through the skin. “I
swear I didn’t tell her anything.”
He inches closer
to my face, the warmth of his breath hits my cheek. “Don’t
fucking lie to me, Sophie. What happened the last time you lied to
me?”
“I’m not
lying. Please, Blaine. I wouldn’t.”
“What
happened, Sophie?”
He’s going to
make me say it – as if I’d ever need a reminder. It’s
impossible to forget. “You had to teach me a lesson.”
“But you never learn. No matter how hard I try to protect you.”
“I’m sorry,” I plead. Regardless of the fact that I’m
innocent, he morphs my apology into an admission of guilt.
“Damn right
you are,” he spits through gritted teeth. His calmness now
completely gone and replaced with anger. “Don’t you ever lie to
me again, you hear me?”
“Yes,” I
whisper.
He grabs my
chin, roughly scraping his calloused thumb over my lips. His dilated
pupils pierce straight through me sending chills down my spine. “Tell
me you love me.” My words get lodged in my throat and I make the
mistake of pausing a second too long. “Say it!” he warns as his
fist pounds against the wall next to my head.
“I love you, Blaine.” And maybe there was a time I actually did.
He wasn’t always like this, but neither was I. If I could go back
in time, I’d tell him no. I’d push him away from me and keep my
distance. But I’m just like my mother - unable to get away and
desperate enough to stay. “Please let go of me. You’re hurting
me.”
Finally he releases me, replacing his harsh words with sweet promises
– his rough touches with gentle caresses. With a flip of a switch,
he’s back to the Blaine I fell for, masking any signs of the evil
he’s become.
“You make me so crazy, Sophie.” He runs his fingers through my
long blond hair, leaving a trail of light kisses on my neck. “I
only get mad because I love you so much.”
“I know.” Painfully well. My scattered bruises a daily reminder
of his temper.
His hand falls from my hair as he latches onto my hip, pulling me
flush against his body. “Baby, I need you. You’re everything
to me.”
Everything I don’t want to be. Not anymore.
Beneath the surface, I’m scarred and broken; a much darker version
of the girl I once was. There was a time I believed I was worthy of
true love. But now, living in a hell littered with reminders of
broken promises, I know what we have is anything but love.
It’s in this moment that I know I’m not strong enough to fight
another day unless I get away from him. But I don’t know
how. I need a plan – something to get me away from this town and
its memories.
Closing my eyes, I say a silent prayer that my luck will change –
that someone will save me from the hell my life has become.
What do you do when you can't save the one you love?
Sophie
can’t survive without control. Growing up with an alcoholic father, she
craves the discipline of gymnastics. Feeling lost on a brand new
college campus, she lets loose for the first time in her life. But with
freedom comes consequences. Is one night everything she hopes? Or will
she become her own worst nightmare?
Kipton's one year away from graduation. He's never thought beyond a one night stand until meeting his sister’s new roommate. Finally setting his sights on the girl he can't resist, he's more determined than ever when she won't give in to his persuasions. He's always gotten the girl, and he's not about to give up without a fight.
Will Sophie be able to salvage her dreams and wage a war against her own vices? Can she finally let love in? Or will history repeat itself causing her to self-destruct?
Lighter isn't your typical college romance. Darkness suffocates, dreams are dashed, and battles are lost. Love takes on a whole new meaning.
Gia
is a lover of all things romance and a firm believer that everyone
deserves a happily ever after. She resides in the small but mighty state
of Delaware with her husband and son. Mother and wife by day, writer by
night - she's a girl with a dream to write.When she's not busy writing, she can be found roaming the isles of Kirkland's or up to her elbows in Play-doh.
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." ~Maya Angelou
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
- A signed copy of Lighter by Gia Riley
- 2x $5 Amazon giftcards
Sounds like it is really time for her to stop being desperate!
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