To appreciate the sun, you have to withstand the storm.

Free-spirited, poetic Casey Loughlin has had her fair share of rain, and she always manages to see the silver lining. During her teenage years, when she met Toby Cardona, she learned everything she ever needed to learn about love and loss—all in one year.

When Toby lost Casey, everything changed for him. The once caring and endearing boy, with dreams and hopes of his own, became the cold, broken, money-hungry man he swore he'd never be. Now, with Casey back in his life, it's up to her to show Toby that the second time around, love can still hurt, but it's worth every painful prick. Will Toby weather the storm, and embrace a second chance, with the woman he’s always loved?

Excerpt

“Hey, I gotta go, but can you do me a favor?” I know it’s a dick move to cut him off. He doesn’t deserve my indignation and I didn’t need his sympathy. This problem I have with Casey is my own.

“Yeah, sure ... what do you need?”

“Can you give Jenn a call and ask her to have someone come by to repair the backdoor glass panel. It’s cracked.”
“Umm … sure, but those panels are pretty thick. What happened?” I groan because I should’ve known he’d ask.

“I don’t know, man, some bird ran into it and it cracked.” That had to have been the stupidest lie, but I couldn’t think about any other excuse. He’s right; the panels are pretty thick on the door.

“A bird?” He laughs as if he’s not convinced but doesn’t call me out on my shit. “Must’ve been some big fucking bird to have flown into it. If you find it, make sure it didn’t hurt itself. Okay?”

“Yeah, I’m sure it’s fine. I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

“Okay, drop your things off at the house first. You coming up might be perfect timing. I want you to meet a girl—”

“A girl?”

“Not for you, man.”
“Ahhh … Is she nice?”

“Of course. She helps run the coffee shop I’ve mentioned before. Gorgeous, smart, but I don’t think she likes me much.” He laughs openly.
“Well, you’re one ugly mug.” I laugh too; only my brother could take a sour moment and make it light again.

“Whatevs, bro, I’m the better-looking one. I’ll see ya later, call if you need to talk.”
“Yeah, yeah. See you soon.” I hang up the phone and drop it on the small table, then pick up the bottle and take another swig of it. I know it’s stupid to just keep drinking this. Alcohol isn’t ideal for numbing the pain, but it’ll have to do for now.

I rub my eyes and immediately notice it’s dark out; the moon is shining brightly in front of me. I scramble and fall out of the chair I’d been slumped in. I take a few deep breaths. I feel okay, maybe a little drunk. I see a half-empty bottle of scotch sitting on the table. Okay, maybe a lot drunk. I grab my phone and the bottle, and walk out of the room and into the bathroom to take a piss. My bladder feels better after relieving myself. I must be more drunk than I thought, because I misstep a few times, slamming into the doorway. Fucking Casey.

I squint as I turn the light on in the bedroom. Maybe I should just crash. It’s late and I want to make sure I’m well enough to drive back to Georgetown, but something pulls my attention. I wander towards the bookshelf and see the book Casey gave me so long ago. I pull it from its place amongst the other books. It’s been here the whole time, taunting me, collecting dust, when it should be in the trash. I flip open the pages and see the note she tucked in there all those years ago.

Toby,

I love you with all my heart. Every Kiss.

Every touch. Cherished memories for my soul.
You bring warmth to all the places I fear.

You are my everything, my last.
My last. I re-read and re-read the note until I see red. Her goddamn laugh, that’s rich. She’s probably spread her legs for every fucker out there. In my drunken stupor, I throw the book against the wall. Small pieces of paper go flying everywhere, which only pisses me off even more. I run and kick the book again, and it slams loudly against the table.

“Fuck you, Casey. Fuck you!” I stumble around, ripping up the tiny pieces of paper on the floor. Words like love, honor, and cherish flash before me. I don’t even think Casey truly knows those words, if she could easily walk away. I keep tearing at them as if they’d disappear, but I would be a fool to think this would solve all my problems. If anything, ripping up these memories only relieves the pain temporarily.

Buy on Amazon | Kobo | Nook | iBooks

About the Author

J. Lum resides in the Northern Virginia area. While she calls Virginia home, she is constantly on the go. She’s got a constant case of #Wanderlust; most of the time, you can find her traveling around the world to see her book besties, or checking off her bucket list places. Her second home away from home is Hawaii, where her family is from. The love for the ocean runs through her veins. She also has a love of pugs, unicorns, and anything chocolate. She and coffee have been having a love affair for many years. And, if you don’t find her wandering around the world, she’s more than likely hanging with her pug, Lani.

Connect with J Lum:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjlum
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjlum
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/authorjlum
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-lum
Book + Main: @jlum

a Rafflecopter giveaway