Without You (Without You Duet Book 1)

by Marley Valentine

I was always envious of what they had. The trust, the closeness, the complete confidence that this person understood you and would stand by you no matter what. Even with my own family—I’ve never had that.

With every salty drop of emotion, I feel understood. With every salty drop of emotion, I feel a little less lost. With every salty drop of emotion, I feel tethered to a man I’ve spent my whole life hating. And with that last salty drop of emotion, I know I need to get the fuck out of here.

I hear the lock on the front door click. The sound reverberates off the walls and the finality of it all hits me. There are many times in my life that I’ve felt alone. In my thoughts, in my experiences, in my feelings. But as another door closes, and another person leaves, I wonder, is this how it’s always going to be?

An endless rotation of hope and hurt that has scarred me so deep, I don’t see myself ever climbing out of this hole. That constant up and down was my life for so long, and now I’m enjoying living it at a plateaued level of perfected monotony.

“And then I’ll answer whatever it is you want to know about my living arrangements. “Does it freak you out?” “Does it freak you out?” I counter. “Deacon, I’ve had my whole life to get used to being attracted to men.” “I’m not attracted to men,” I say boldly. “I’m only attracted to you.”

Independence lies to you, tells you you’re doing fine on your own. But alone never felt so lonely until right now.

When he landed, we texted a bit back and forth, but agreed to just talk later tonight when he’d settled back in. And now that nighttime is here, I’m wondering if we should’ve just stuck to text, where the truth is easier to hide and the lie is easier to tell.

“You’re the beat of my heart, the blood in my veins, the strength in my bones. None of me works without you. And if you need me to tell you every fucking day for the rest of our lives, then I will, because you are more than enough. You’re everything.”

“He might’ve had a piece of my heart, Deacon, but you own it. It’s yours till the day you say you don’t want it.” “Never,” I breathe into his neck. “I will never not want you.” “I’m so, so fucking sorry she said that to you,” he cries. “You are not less than or undeserving of anything, Deacon Sutton. You deserve to be happy, and you deserve to feel whole, and I won’t let anyone, not even your mom, take this away from us.”

“I love you more than my past,” he says. “I love you more than the obstacles the present has thrown in our way. Because you’re my future. And I’m going to love you forever because you’re my always.”