COLLIDE
By Melissa J. Crispin
Kayla has a plan. She’s moving to the city after graduation and Luke’s coming with her. He’ll eventually become a doctor, she’ll be a ballerina—and they’ll live happily ever after. That is, until dark forces, led by a sister she never knew existed, start hunting her
down for a power she never knew she had.
down for a power she never knew she had.
When Kayla starts working with a boy named Alec to learn how to defend herself and to stop the evil from eliminating the worlds, she finds herself falling for him. Hard. Torn between two loves and struggling to do what’s right for Earth and Afterlife, Kayla must decide if she’s fighting to keep her life together, or letting it go to save everyone else’s.
14+ due to sexuality,language, teen pregnancy, and adult situations
Excerpt:
Luke nodded.
“Let me get this straight. So, this guy, he can heal your leg, protect you from something that isn’t yet clear to me, and bring you to some otherworldly place, where you’re reunited with your father?”
“Let me get this straight. So, this guy, he can heal your leg, protect you from something that isn’t yet clear to me, and bring you to some otherworldly place, where you’re reunited with your father?”
“Yeah.”
There was that word again.
There was that word again.
He pulled his hand out of mine and ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, that’s pretty
damn hard to compete with.”
damn hard to compete with.”
“Luke, this isn’t a competition. This is my life. He’s already saved me once.”
“And I’ll do it again,” Alec said.
Luke pointed a finger at Alec. “I don’t care what you can do. I don’t like you. You stole my
girl, who’s pregnant with my baby.” Luke stepped around me and got in Alec’s face. “She will always have a part of me in her life.”
girl, who’s pregnant with my baby.” Luke stepped around me and got in Alec’s face. “She will always have a part of me in her life.”
Alec slowly shook his head. “Not new news, and for the record, you stole her from me. So,
you don’t get to play that card.”
you don’t get to play that card.”
The tension thickened in the air until the hairs stood on the back of my neck.
“She never said a word to you before all this weird shit started to go down.” Luke poked
Alec in the chest. “You’re a liar.”
Alec in the chest. “You’re a liar.”
“It’s true,” I whispered.
Luke whirled around. “What?”
“Before us. It was him.”
Luke opened his mouth, as if to say something, but snapped it shut. He finally spoke after
a long moment. “You said I was your first boyfriend. Your first kiss. Your first everything with a guy. You lied to me?”
a long moment. “You said I was your first boyfriend. Your first kiss. Your first everything with a guy. You lied to me?”
“At the time, I thought that was true. He finds me in my dreams and takes me to Afterlife. That’s how we met. I never even knew he was real. I thought he was a boy in some recurring dream. I never even remembered until I barreled him over in the hallway one day by accident. His touch jarred my memory.”
Luke’s eyes were wild. “Do me a favor. Do not talk about touching him, ever, in my
presence.”
presence.”
“I’m sorry, Luke. That’s why this is so difficult. I’m only now remembering things that
happened before us. It’s … confusing.”
happened before us. It’s … confusing.”
“You were with him? Actually with him, before me?”
I swallowed.
“We were sort of dating.”
“We were sort of dating.”
“That’s not what I meant.” A muscle ticked in Luke’s jaw, and realization dawned on me.
“Oh, no. We didn’t.” I cleared my throat. “Not that…”
“I don’t know what you’re so pissed about. You’re the one who got to have a real
relationship with her,” Alec said.
relationship with her,” Alec said.
“Shut up. Just shut the hell up.” Luke gently brushed me to the side, leaving him and
Alec staring each other down. “You’re an asshole.”
Alec staring each other down. “You’re an asshole.”
“Hate me, if you want. Call me whatever you want. But that girl right there?” He pointed to
me. “She needs me. I swore to protect her, and I don’t give a shit about what you think. I’m her best shot at survival. Your baby’s, too. So, next time you get in my face, remember their lives are at stake and that your guns can’t fight off the shit that’s coming.”
me. “She needs me. I swore to protect her, and I don’t give a shit about what you think. I’m her best shot at survival. Your baby’s, too. So, next time you get in my face, remember their lives are at stake and that your guns can’t fight off the shit that’s coming.”
“Asshole,” Luke muttered.
“Douche,” Alec said under his breath.
“Stop fighting,” I said from behind Luke’s back.
“You’re a loser. A loser, with no friends and no life, who came in and stole my girlfriend. Even if she chooses you, you’ll have to help her with my baby. Every time you look at our kid, you’ll be reminded of who was there first.”
I took a step outward to try to get between them, but Alec swung before I could, and as
his fist connected with Luke’s face, Luke charged him, sending them both tumbling toward the ground.
his fist connected with Luke’s face, Luke charged him, sending them both tumbling toward the ground.
Fists flew and grunts sounded in the scuffle as they rolled, each trying to get the upper
hand.
hand.
“Stop!” I yelled.
About the author:
Melissa J. Crispin lives in Connecticut with her husband, two kids, and an adorable Siberian Husky. She spends her days in the corporate world, and pursues her passion for writing inthe late nights and early mornings.
From micro-fiction to novels, Melissa loves to write stories in varying lengths. But, no matter the story, it's almost always about the romance.
Website: http://melissajcrispin.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelissaJCrispin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissajcrispin/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/MelissaJCrispin
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Hi There! Thank you for having me on your blog today!
ReplyDeleteIntriguing love triangle. Can't wait to read more to see what happens.
ReplyDeleteHi Joanne! I hope you do. Things definitely get complicated and confusing for all of them!
DeleteHi Kim! Thanks for reading about Collide. I hope you give it a try!
ReplyDelete