This book was originally written to be the sequel to Fallen Crest High. It was scrapped and not used. Fallen Crest Family was written instead as the number two book in the Fallen Crest Series. However; this version was posted on the author's page for free reading as a thank you to her readers. After reading what she posted, enough fans requested this story to be published so here it is. This book is not meant to be promoted or a part of the Fallen Crest Series. It has been published at the readers' requests and it is for them to enjoy. With all this said, please enjoy. The original chapters are still posted for free reading.
This is a very very short novella consisting of one scene that has three parts, and an additional bonus scene. This was written to be a FREE gift to any Fallen Crest readers!
(Read after Fallen Crest University)
“You know I want nothing to do with you. Why are you here? Why are you forcing your presence on an entire house that wants nothing to do with you?”
Analise sucked in her breath, but replied a second later, “Because I am going to marry Mason and Logan’s father. Because whether you or they believe me or not, I do love him and now that I am better, we are all going to be one big happy fucking family. That’s why.”
“So it’s because of James?”
“It’s because of everyone involved.” Analise’s shoulders dropped. Some of the tension left her. “Because I really do want to have a relationship with you and I want a civil relationship with them.” She said to Mason, “I’m not going anywhere. I’d like peace between you and your brother and myself. I’d like to do that for your father.”
“Then why didn’t you want them here?” Sam asked.
Mason frowned.
Analise closed her eyes for a beat. She opened them again as her shoulders lifted up, taking in air. “Because it’s easier to talk to you when they’re not around. Because I know they’ll always hate me so I was hoping to get a shot, just a small shot, of having a decent conversation with you.” Her voice softened. “I wanted to apologize for all the hurt I caused you and I wanted to see if there’s any chance, even the slightest, that you would be willing to start over again?”
A sheen of tears formed over Analise’s eyes, but she didn’t blink or look away. She held her daughter’s gaze and waited for the answer.
Sam didn’t say anything. Not for a second, then another, and another. More than ten seconds passed before her eyes dropped. She said, “No.” She added, “Please leave.” And then she walked away, her hand lifting to her own eyes as she brushed a tear away.
Mason remained behind, watching his girlfriend disappear back down to the basement. This would have ramifications. Even if Analise became a nun, he knew the type she was. Batshit crazy. That never went away. Analise was trying. He saw that. He recognized that, but he saw what she wasn’t seeing. It wasn’t going to work. The harder she pushed, the more Sam would go away.
She turned away, her jaw trembling, and she folded her arms over her chest.
He saw the damage Sam’s words caused her too, and even though this woman wanted to ruin his life before and tried to take his girlfriend away, he knew tearing into her wasn’t going to help anyone.
“You must be having a hay day,” Analise clipped out. A tear broke free, sliding down her cheek. She ignored it. Her eyes flashed back at him, searing in anger.
He didn’t say anything. He waited.
She added, “You and your brother have hated me since day one. You never gave me a shot.” Her hand jerked out, indicated where Sam had gone. “And she wants nothing to do with me now. It’s been like this all week.”
“It’s been like this all year,” Mason corrected her.
She stiffened. Her gaze met his again.
He said further, “And the year before that.” His head bowed a little bit, but his voice hardened. “And the year before that. And the year before that, but for those years, you didn’t want to see the damage you were causing her. That’s the only difference.”
“I am going to marry your father.”
He nodded. “I know. I’ve accepted that, so has Logan.”
She let out a harsh laugh. “Really? You could’ve fooled me.”
“You’re misunderstanding some things here.” He spoke softly, eerily softly. “If you want peace with all of us, for my father’s sake, we can give that to you. We don’t have to war against you, but that’s not what you’re coming in here for and that’s not what you’re pushing for. You’re pushing for a relationship. There’s a vast difference between peace and having a relationship. You cannot ask for a relationship. Not with your daughter. Not with your fiancé’s sons. You cannot force something we will not give.”
“So what am I supposed to do?”
“Nothing.”
A bitter sound ripped from her throat. It was supposed to sound like a laugh, but it failed even that. She shook her head as a second tear fell. “I want my daughter back—”
“Then earn her back,” Mason shot back. Logan was returning, weaving through the small crowd from the bar. His gaze was centered on them and he narrowed his eyes, raising a beer that he was bringing back for his brother. Mason held his hand out, but Analise didn’t see it. She was half turned away, as if she would’ve gone after where Sam went. Her back was to where Logan was coming from and when he paused, lifting an eyebrow in question, Mason shook his head from side to side. He held up a finger, asking for a minute. Logan nodded, letting his hands lower back so they were in front of him. Mason added, speaking quietly but firmly, “Show her why she should want her mother back. Sam wants the same thing that she’s always wanted since I’ve known her. She wants her family back, and yes, that’s you too. She has Malinda, but Malinda’s not you. She didn’t raise Sam all her life.”
Analise sucked in her breath. She blinked, letting more tears fall. “You think so?”
“She wants some type of relationship with you, yes, but if you try to force it, it’ll never happen. Don’t force it.”
“So what? Do nothing?”
“Yes.” The answer was so simple and Mason delivered it as soon as she asked that question. “Be polite to her. Be nice to her, but that’s all you can do. You need to back off from her.”
“That could take years.”
“So it’ll take years. Who cares?” His words were clipped again. “If you force it, it’ll never happen. Ever. If you don’t, it may happen. It’s your choice in the end, but hear me right now. I want to be really clear.” He waited until Analise turned so she was looking right into his eyes. He said then, “I’m older. Logan’s older. That means we’re smarter than we were and if you ever hurt your daughter again, we will ruin you and you’ll have no idea how we even did it. Remember that.”
Then, his eyes cut back to Logan’s and he nodded, moving his head in the direction of the basement. He moved forward, leading the way. Logan came up behind him, and right before they moved through the party and slipped downstairs, Logan flashed Analise a grin. He chided under his breath to her, “Still hoping to get to know us again?”
Analise sucked in her breath, but replied a second later, “Because I am going to marry Mason and Logan’s father. Because whether you or they believe me or not, I do love him and now that I am better, we are all going to be one big happy fucking family. That’s why.”
“So it’s because of James?”
“It’s because of everyone involved.” Analise’s shoulders dropped. Some of the tension left her. “Because I really do want to have a relationship with you and I want a civil relationship with them.” She said to Mason, “I’m not going anywhere. I’d like peace between you and your brother and myself. I’d like to do that for your father.”
“Then why didn’t you want them here?” Sam asked.
Mason frowned.
Analise closed her eyes for a beat. She opened them again as her shoulders lifted up, taking in air. “Because it’s easier to talk to you when they’re not around. Because I know they’ll always hate me so I was hoping to get a shot, just a small shot, of having a decent conversation with you.” Her voice softened. “I wanted to apologize for all the hurt I caused you and I wanted to see if there’s any chance, even the slightest, that you would be willing to start over again?”
A sheen of tears formed over Analise’s eyes, but she didn’t blink or look away. She held her daughter’s gaze and waited for the answer.
Sam didn’t say anything. Not for a second, then another, and another. More than ten seconds passed before her eyes dropped. She said, “No.” She added, “Please leave.” And then she walked away, her hand lifting to her own eyes as she brushed a tear away.
Mason remained behind, watching his girlfriend disappear back down to the basement. This would have ramifications. Even if Analise became a nun, he knew the type she was. Batshit crazy. That never went away. Analise was trying. He saw that. He recognized that, but he saw what she wasn’t seeing. It wasn’t going to work. The harder she pushed, the more Sam would go away.
She turned away, her jaw trembling, and she folded her arms over her chest.
He saw the damage Sam’s words caused her too, and even though this woman wanted to ruin his life before and tried to take his girlfriend away, he knew tearing into her wasn’t going to help anyone.
“You must be having a hay day,” Analise clipped out. A tear broke free, sliding down her cheek. She ignored it. Her eyes flashed back at him, searing in anger.
He didn’t say anything. He waited.
She added, “You and your brother have hated me since day one. You never gave me a shot.” Her hand jerked out, indicated where Sam had gone. “And she wants nothing to do with me now. It’s been like this all week.”
“It’s been like this all year,” Mason corrected her.
She stiffened. Her gaze met his again.
He said further, “And the year before that.” His head bowed a little bit, but his voice hardened. “And the year before that. And the year before that, but for those years, you didn’t want to see the damage you were causing her. That’s the only difference.”
“I am going to marry your father.”
He nodded. “I know. I’ve accepted that, so has Logan.”
She let out a harsh laugh. “Really? You could’ve fooled me.”
“You’re misunderstanding some things here.” He spoke softly, eerily softly. “If you want peace with all of us, for my father’s sake, we can give that to you. We don’t have to war against you, but that’s not what you’re coming in here for and that’s not what you’re pushing for. You’re pushing for a relationship. There’s a vast difference between peace and having a relationship. You cannot ask for a relationship. Not with your daughter. Not with your fiancé’s sons. You cannot force something we will not give.”
“So what am I supposed to do?”
“Nothing.”
A bitter sound ripped from her throat. It was supposed to sound like a laugh, but it failed even that. She shook her head as a second tear fell. “I want my daughter back—”
“Then earn her back,” Mason shot back. Logan was returning, weaving through the small crowd from the bar. His gaze was centered on them and he narrowed his eyes, raising a beer that he was bringing back for his brother. Mason held his hand out, but Analise didn’t see it. She was half turned away, as if she would’ve gone after where Sam went. Her back was to where Logan was coming from and when he paused, lifting an eyebrow in question, Mason shook his head from side to side. He held up a finger, asking for a minute. Logan nodded, letting his hands lower back so they were in front of him. Mason added, speaking quietly but firmly, “Show her why she should want her mother back. Sam wants the same thing that she’s always wanted since I’ve known her. She wants her family back, and yes, that’s you too. She has Malinda, but Malinda’s not you. She didn’t raise Sam all her life.”
Analise sucked in her breath. She blinked, letting more tears fall. “You think so?”
“She wants some type of relationship with you, yes, but if you try to force it, it’ll never happen. Don’t force it.”
“So what? Do nothing?”
“Yes.” The answer was so simple and Mason delivered it as soon as she asked that question. “Be polite to her. Be nice to her, but that’s all you can do. You need to back off from her.”
“That could take years.”
“So it’ll take years. Who cares?” His words were clipped again. “If you force it, it’ll never happen. Ever. If you don’t, it may happen. It’s your choice in the end, but hear me right now. I want to be really clear.” He waited until Analise turned so she was looking right into his eyes. He said then, “I’m older. Logan’s older. That means we’re smarter than we were and if you ever hurt your daughter again, we will ruin you and you’ll have no idea how we even did it. Remember that.”
Then, his eyes cut back to Logan’s and he nodded, moving his head in the direction of the basement. He moved forward, leading the way. Logan came up behind him, and right before they moved through the party and slipped downstairs, Logan flashed Analise a grin. He chided under his breath to her, “Still hoping to get to know us again?”
FREE FREE FREE FREE FREE
These were written for a promo tour I did for Fallen Crest Home’s book release. I added a few extra surprises in here, and wanted to make them available for everyone.
This is done as a thank you to the readers.
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