The Way Back to Me
(Back to Me Series, Book #1)
By Anne Mercier
Release Day: February 23, 2016
Blurb:
She used to be perky, fun, and full of life—everything I hated about girls and their bullshit exterior. People called her bubbly; I called her “fake-as-hell.”
The edgy, dark, lonely girl in front of me was not the Olivia Brennan I knew from high school—far from it, actually. I knew the story—the whole town knew the story, we witnessed it all. It happened in the blink of an eye and the girl we knew was gone.
But I refuse to watch it anymore—I can’t stand it. I’m going to fix it—fix her. It’s time I showed Olivia her way back…Back to the girl she used to be.
Excerpt
It’s so peaceful here. The birds chirping. The sun shining. The squirrels running around looking for chestnuts that have fallen off the old tree on the property line. If I lift my eyes, I can just see the edges of the leaves blowing in the wind. Lifting my head takes too much work. I don’t even raise myself up when I drink from the bottle in my hand—and because I don’t, the tequila runs down the side of my face and wets the neckline of my dress. My black dress. The dress I wore when they put them all in the ground—when they put my Danny in the ground.
I’d waited. I went home and waited. After an hour, I came back. I don’t want to be anywhere else. Here, I feel close to him. The sun’s been shining all day reminding me how easily the world around me moves along. But I don’t. I can’t. So I lay here unsure as to how long I’ve been out here. Minutes? Hours? I don’t care and the alcohol is making it even easier not to.
I turn and stare at the etched words on the smooth marble surface. The pain in my heart is unbearable. I reach out to trace the letters, my breath coming faster with each one. Panic sets in as I admit to myself what I’ve been unable to: I am alone. I’m still feeling. This is unacceptable.
I take another gulp of tequila, noting it’s over half gone and I’m still not numb enough, so I take another, the burn warming my belly.
I wake to the feel of cool raindrops falling from the sky, soaking my clothes and hair.
I’m still drunk and I can barely keep my eyes open despite the fact that I’m shivering.
Strong arms lift me from the ground. I clumsily resist, swatting at whoever it is disturbing my serenity.
“Shh. You’re safe, Kitten. I’ve got you,” a masculine voice says. It’s familiar but I can’t place the owner. It’s the same voice that carried me home from the dock two days ago, and the beach two days before that where I lay alone in my grief—before my friends were laid to rest here. Today I had them.
“Don’t wanna go home,” I complain.
“You can’t keep doing this to yourself, Livvy,” he whispers.
A traitorous tear slips from my eye, blending in with the raindrops cascading down my face. I wrap my arms around his neck when he starts walking.
“I have nothing left,” I whisper.
He sighs. “You have a whole hell of a lot left. You need to look past your pain and try to live.”
I shake my head.
“This isn’t doing you any good. You’re not only making yourself sick, but your mom too. She and your dad are so worried they’ve got the whole town looking for you,” the voice tells me softly.
“Great.” I’ll continue to be the topic of everyone’s gossip. Can’t they mind their own damn business and just leave me to grieve?
“You need to stop this,” he tells me again.
“They’re all gone,” I admit, showing this faceless man who’s been my unidentified savior what hurts the most.
“They are,” he admits with a nod, the stubble on his jawline rubbing against my forehead. “But you’re here. You’re alive.”
“I don’t want to be.”
He nods again and his arms tighten around me as he continues to walk steadily toward what I assume is my home. “I get that. But do you want to put your mother through the kind of pain you’re feeling right now?”
His soft question belies the harshness it carries with it. That’s not what I want. I don’t want to hurt my mom. I just want this pain to go away.
He walks up the steps and the front door to my house opens. I can smell homemade apple pie and the lemon soap my mom likes to use to clean.
“Where did you find her?” my dad asks as my mom touches my forehead. I keep my eyes closed. I don’t want to see the pity or anguish on her face. I’ve seen it enough.
“The cemetery,” my savior confesses. “Tequila was her drink of choice today.”
Traitor.
Buy Links
Amazon:
iBooks: http://bit.ly/TWBTM_pre_iBooks
Playlist
The Way Back To Me Playlist
Without You - Mariah Carey
Hero - Mariah Carey
One Sweet Day - Mariah Carey w/ Boyz II Men
Ashes and Wine - A Fine Frenzy
My Immortal - Evanescence
Breath (2AM) - Anna Nalick
Try - Colbie Caillat
Snuff - Slipknot
Broken - Lifehouse
Never Be the Same - Red
I Can’t Love You Back - Easton Corbin
It Only Hurts - Default
The Memory Will Never Die - Default
A Little Bit Stronger - Sara Evans
Drowning (Face Down) - Saving Abel
When She Cries - Britt Nicole
Start of Something Good - Daughtry
Alive - Adelitas Way
Heaven (Little By Little) - Theory of a Deadman
Wait for Me - Theory of a Deadman
Easy to Love - Theory of a Deadman
Learn My Lesson - Daughtry
Lie To Me - 12 Stones
Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute
Yours to Hold - Skillet
Lay Me Down - Sam Smith & John Legend
Stay - Safetysuit
FourFiveSeconds - Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney
The Best is Yet to Come - Hinder
Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding
Adore You - Miley Cyrus
Kiss Me - Ed Sheeran
Gravity - Sarah Bareilles
Worth It - Fifth Harmony Kid Ink
Everything - Art of Dying
Raining featuring Adam Gontier - Art of Dying
Sorry - Art of Dying
How Dare You - Sarah Darling
Start of Something Good - Daughtry
Alive - Adelitas Way
Heaven (Little By Little) - Theory of a Deadman
Wait for Me - Theory of a Deadman
Easy to Love - Theory of a Deadman
Learn My Lesson - Daughtry
Lie To Me - 12 Stones
Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute
Yours to Hold - Skillet
Lay Me Down - Sam Smith & John Legend
Stay - Safetysuit
FourFiveSeconds - Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney
The Best is Yet to Come - Hinder
Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding
Adore You - Miley Cyrus
Kiss Me - Ed Sheeran
Gravity - Sarah Bareilles
Worth It - Fifth Harmony Kid Ink
Everything - Art of Dying
Raining featuring Adam Gontier - Art of Dying
Sorry - Art of Dying
How Dare You - Sarah Darling
Start of Something Good - Daughtry
Alive - Adelitas Way
Heaven (Little By Little) - Theory of a Deadman
Wait for Me - Theory of a Deadman
Easy to Love - Theory of a Deadman
Learn My Lesson - Daughtry
Lie To Me - 12 Stones
Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute
Yours to Hold - Skillet
Lay Me Down - Sam Smith & John Legend
Stay - Safetysuit
FourFiveSeconds - Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney
The Best is Yet to Come - Hinder
Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding
Adore You - Miley Cyrus
Kiss Me - Ed Sheeran
Gravity - Sarah Bareilles
Worth It - Fifth Harmony Kid Ink
Everything - Art of Dying
Raining featuring Adam Gontier - Art of Dying
Sorry - Art of Dying
How Dare You - Sarah Darling
About Anne
I was born and raised in Wisconsin and still live here today with my two sons and puppy. (Though one day soon I hope to move to southern California!)
I’m an avid reader who gets inspired by reading the stories from my favorite authors as well as listening to various types of music. I am a huge fan of music, chocolate, fruit, desserts, autumn, M. Shadows, Avenged Sevenfold, and Milo Ventimiglia. Through my books, I am proudly creating new Avenged Sevenfold and Milo Ventimiglia fans one reader at a time.
I absolutely love interacting with readers and invite you to contact me any time via email: Anne@AnneMercierAuthor.com.
“The best part of being an author, to me, is being able to take the reader to that one place they long to go when they need to escape reality. Knowing I can do that, for even one reader, makes what I do worthwhile.” ~ Anne Mercier
Hugs and love,
Anne xoxo
Stalk Anne
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