Excerpt: Finding Evan by Lisa Swallow
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ABOUT FINDING EVAN
“She killed a part of me – the part which trusts when someone tells you they love you, and allows you to trust that person with your heart.”
Ness and Evan return to Leeds from Europe, and begin their new life together. But the past Evan has buried for years resurfaces and threatens their future.
After fifteen years, Evan doesn’t want any contact with the woman who abandoned him, but is unwillingly pulled into his mother’s life by Lucy.
Feeling pushed aside by Ness’s focus on her studies and new friends, Evan can’t confide in Ness about what’s happening. This return to his old behavior adds more distance to their relationship. When Ness’s new friend Ollie picks up the pieces because Evan is away, Evan’s insecurities threaten their relationship further.
Ness becomes aware of Evan’s situation, and she questions whether he will ever be able to break his ties to those dragging him down. If he can’t put himself first, and live the life he wants, she is unable to see how their relationship could work. In return, Evan struggles with Ness’s inability to get close to people, and her distance pushes him further away.
The decision about the future of the relationship is taken out of their hands - by something that could end things between Ness and Evan forever…
Excerpt
NESS
“Do you know what day it is?” he asks.
“Sunday?”
Something amuses him; he’s fighting down a smile. “Today a year ago?”
“A year ago…” His words click into place. The first time we came here. Crap. Typical Evan remembering that. “Oh.”
“You forgot!” He gasps in mock-horror and clutches his chest. I’m sure my cheeks turn pink.
“I did. Sorry.” I’m so busy that most of the time I don’t know what day of the week it is.
“Hmm. Well, I was going to take you on a picnic, but the weather’s too bloody cold. And I think it’s going to snow.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
Evan pulls a package from his pocket, a small, flat square box. “I wanted to mark the occasion. I bought this before…well, the fight. So it means more giving this to you now.”
Now I feel bad. “Evan…”
Evan shifts his gaze back to the box. “Open the present.”
I unwrap the purple tissue and pull out the necklace inside. On a long silver chain is a silver pendant: a painting of a blue butterfly beneath domed glass.
“Why do you make me cry in public?” I say, fighting the tears.
“Why do you cry when I do nice things? I think I need to stop being romantic.” He cocks an eyebrow at me.
The emotion of the night at the club, the fight, the fear we were returning to last year engulfs me and a tear escapes. I put my hand on the back of his head and my lips on his. “Thank you. This is beautiful.”
Evan’s smile softens the recent worry in his face, and he wipes a tear from my cheek with his thumb. “So are you.”
“Sorry I forgot about today.” I turn so he can fasten the necklace.
Evan nips my earlobe. “That’s okay; you can make it up to me later,” he whispers, setting a tingle from my neck to my toes.
About the Author
Lisa is an Amazon bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. She is originally from the UK and moved to Australia in 2001. She now lives in Perth, Western Australia with her husband, three children, and Weimaraner, Tilly, who often makes appearances on Lisa’s social media.
Lisa’s first publication was a moving poem about the rain, followed by a suspenseful story about shoes. Following these successes at nine years old there was a long gap in her writing career, until she published her first book in 2013.
In the past, Lisa worked as an English teacher in France, as an advertising copywriter in England, and ran her own business in Australia. Now she spends her days with imaginary rock stars.
She lived in Europe as a child and also travelled when she left university. This has given Lisa stories which would sound far-fetched if she wrote them down, and maybe one day she will. These days, Lisa is happy in her writing cave, under Tilly’s supervision.
