If You Stayed: A Haunting Second Chance Romance

by Brittainy C. Cherry

“Let go of what’s dragging you, baby girl. Then you can walk more freely,”

That was the problem with falling in love when you were out of love with yourself: even monsters looked appealing then.

“Yes, you are! You’re the dickest dick that’s ever dicked!”

Maybe that’s what death did to the people who were still stuck being alive—changed them forever.

It was like her hugs reminded my heart to continue to beat.

“Life has its ups and downs, but I lean toward happy.”

just because people had reasons for the way they were didn’t mean that they had excuses.

But that’s the issue with advice: it’s easier to give it to others than to give it to yourself.

That was the exact moment I began to fall in love again with a man who could never be mine. Then again, I didn’t think I’d ever stopped loving Gabriel. That love for him always sat quietly in my heart and would stay there for the rest of time. Loving him wasn’t simply a choice; it was my destiny. I was born to love him, and for a short period of time, I thought he was born to love me, too.

“If I lost my memory every single day for the rest of my life, I would still find my way back to loving you. I’d love every version of you.

I’d fall in love with you over and over again, without hesitation. It wouldn’t even take years to fall in love with you, Kierra.

“Then forever is what they’ll be,” he whispered back.

“Because I finally know what love is. It’s patience during the storms. It’s sometimes waiting. I’ll wait for you.”

Love wasn’t always perfect. It often came with bends and cracks. The greatest heartbreaks always came from love more than they came from hatred.