Landon & Shay: Part One (L&S Duet, #1)

by Brittainy C. Cherry

When someone saw your pain and didn’t look away, it felt like a gift, like they were allowing you to be exactly who you were without shame or judgments.

There was a tiny corner in my heart I reserved for my father’s words. I didn’t let that corner expand too much, because I feared being let down by him. I worried about allowing my heart to break over the first man in my life who was supposed to heal my broken pieces, not create the cracks.

Sometimes, sitting in silence with someone who is willing to stay with you helps a heart heal more than talking about one’s hurts.

Sometimes I wish I could let people in so my mind didn’t have to spin all by itself. Just to have someone to say, ‘That sucks and I’m sorry. Here’s a hug.’ You know what I mean? I don’t need anyone to try to fix me or anything—I’m strong enough to fix myself. I just wish I had someone to get comfort from every now and then. But I’m okay. Really, I’m good. Overall, my life is good.”

When you stopped allowing toxins into your system, it meant getting rid of certain types of people in your life, too. Addictions didn’t only come in the form of alcohol or narcotics. Some of the worst addictions in one’s life could be the people allowed into it. I’d learned to be very selective about who I allowed into my world. It turned out, you didn’t need a big circle of people to be content. You simply needed the right people.

we’re all a little broken. If you think anyone in this world doesn’t have cracks, scars, and a story, then you’re not looking close enough. We weren’t brought into this world to be perfect; we were brought here to be human. To live. To feel. To hurt. To love. To cry. To exist. And with that, comes a few broken parts. You don’t have to be perfect to love or be loved. You just have to be brave enough to show the world your scars and call them beautiful.”