bonus chapter #1

Marcus

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Possession is something I've known since I was a little boy. Maybe because I was around it my whole life. Up until my mom left my father, I thought things were going great. They went to therapy and brought me with them for certain conversations. He won't speak. Something is affecting him.

Fucking shit.

Of course, something was affecting me. It was

them. Dare I tell them something then my ass would be grounded for weeks. Maybe even months. Go to school, learn, make good grades, have a great reputation, play in all sports, make friends, become popular, quarterback of the football team, and have the head cheerleader girlfriend.

Those were the rules.

Yet, with having everything it still wasn't enough for them.

Mainly my dad.

Therapy after therapy, money after money, affair after affair, my mom decided to leave.

She didn't even try to take me with her.

My dad became very distant after she left. It's not like he was the number one dad who came to my games or showed me that he cared, so him being more distant didn't bother me.

I was used to it.

My mom never called. She ran off and became the manager of a huge mortgage company in Texas. Living a new life with a new family and husband. I apparently have two half-sisters.

Days turned into weeks with not saying a word to my dad and he never said a word to me. I pretty much did whatever I wanted. He didn't care.

As long as I didn't ruin his reputation then he was fine. Any time someone mentioned my dad I became furious. Especially the time Luca called me out on my daddy issues.

Still pisses me off when I think about it.

If anyone knows how he is, it's him.

Becoming his friend in middle school was different, but in a decent way. I've never met anyone like him. We both liked the same things and always got along, until Cassie became a new student in our class.

Possession started to take over me when it came to her. I was slowly turning into my father and didn't even realize. I was such a shitty person back then and honestly, I still am. But when it came to my wants, I hated when people got in my way.

That's something else my dad taught me.

Cassie was the light at the end of my dark tunnel. I feel as if she pulled me out of my misery when things got bad.

What's crazy is my dad never met her. Anytime she would come over he wasn't there, and she would always ask about him, but I played it off.

"He's on a business trip." I tell her as she looks around the room, taking in the expensive painting hanging above the fireplace.

She nods, while still admiring the portrait on the wall. "This is beautiful."

It was a lighthouse surrounded by the beach as tiny blue birds flew around it. If you stared at it long enough, I swear you can hear the waves flowing onto the shore.

"My mom took the picture and had a family friend paint it for her."

The mention of her still feels so weird. I haven't talked about her in months and never to Cassie. She knows I never bring up this conversation, so she brushes it off and looks back at me. "Well, how about we just imagine we are there, sitting at the top of the light house while we dangle our feet off the dock."

My lips form into a smile. "What else are we doing there?"

"Well," she rambles. "As the wind blows through our hair, we slowly close our eyes and let nature take over. There's a wind chime hanging behind us, flowing with the wind, letting us listen to the beautiful sound of seashells knocking together."

"That sounds nice." I tell her honestly.

"Let's find this place one day," she insists, walking toward me with a smile on her face.

"I wouldn't know where to start."

"That's the whole point. We can find it. Just us two."

Just us two.

"Okay." I nod as I wrap my arms around her, taking in the amazing smell of her perfume. Those moments with her were always my favorite. I just wish I could have told her how much she meant to me. Not in just a romantic way, but in a genuine friendly way.

Friendship.

One simple word, yet I was an idiot and didn't appreciate her enough. Now, I lost her to Luca. Who is indeed a great guy. Everyone knew they were meant for each other. Even when I called him out on the deal they made, I knew something else was up between them.

You could sense it.

Sure, I was fucking jealous, but Reagan kept me occupied. I was able to get lost with her and forget about everything fucked up that was happening to me. Showing up to school drunk was the last straw. Not just on Cassie's part, but mine as well. How fucking stupid could I have been? Throwing myself at her was so disgusting. I was embarrassed and mortified at myself.

The twenty times I had called went straight to her voicemail. Though, I couldn't blame her. I'd ignore my phone call too. School was awkward after Prom and even graduation. Cassie being valedictorian was a shock to everyone, but she did it.

Luca did it.

As we throw our caps into the air, I try to make my way toward Cassie to talk in person... If she'd even let me... but instead Luca beats me to it. I wasn't even upset, I knew I would see the day when they finally got together and sure enough, they shared a kiss that was hard for anyone to miss.

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The humidity today was extremely hot. No clouds were in sight, but luckily, I brought a few waters to spare. It took me a while to find this place. Goggle became my best friend for the past three years. The drive wasn't too bad, though. I ended up staying in a hotel for one night as I traveled and finished my drive the next morning.

"Where are you taking me?" Alexis asks while we pack our bags before hitting the road.

"Someplace special."

"A special place, huh?" she giggles.

The humidity once again takes our breath away. Utah weather is not my favorite so far.

Ten minutes later we are walking up some stairs, getting to the very top of the special place I kept referring to.

We take a seat by the edge and dangle our feet off the dock. I look to my left and see a very happy Alexis smiling from ear to ear.

"This is so beautiful," she exclaims, running a hand through her long red hair.

"Isn't it?" I agree and run my hand across her belly. "I think he likes it too."

My fiancé giggles once she feels our little boy kick. "We have to take him here one day."

There's no question in that.

"Absolutely."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath as I listen to the waves flow and the wind chime clink the seashells together. Cassie pops into my brain as I think about her wanting to find this place one day. Just the two of us.

I whisper to myself, as if I'm hoping she can hear me.

"I found it."

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This is one of my favorite chapters.

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