The Contract (The Contract, #1)

by Melanie Moreland

She was fucking perfection. I couldn’t stand her.

She was fucking perfection. I couldn’t stand her.

A voice spoke in my head, whispering maybe what she needed all along was someone to hold her up, rather than tear her down.

When had she become more important than I was? She was the sidekick. I was the star.

Somehow, she made me more likable; her softness was doing exactly what I wanted it to do.

“Do I hope I can make you a better man and somehow fantasize you’ll fall in love with me? Not once has the thought even crossed my mind, Richard. You need a soul to love—and even an ‘emaciated scarecrow’ such as myself can see you don’t have one.” She drew in a deep breath. “And when this farce is over, I’ll walk away and start again somewhere else. When I no longer have to be subjected to your cruel jibes and uncaring ways, my life will be a much better place.”

I’m the despicable person.” “No, Richard. You aren’t despicable. I think you’re lost. You haven’t let yourself feel. Once you do, once you allow yourself to connect to someone, I think you’ll find this world is a much better place. Love doesn’t make you weak. Real, honest love—it makes you strong.”

“When you get older, Richard, you realize life is made up of moments. All sorts of them. Sad ones, good ones, and great ones. They make up the tapestry that is your life. Hold on to all of them—especially the great ones. They make the others easy to take.”

I had fallen in love with her by building one small, new positive habit at a time. She had slowly replaced the bad ones, until they were gone, by simply being her.