RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW: The Coldest Winter by Brittainy Cherry

The Coldest Winter by Brittainy Cherry is now live!

I didn’t know he was forbidden until after our one night stand…

I met Milo Corti during his self-destructive era, and he met me at the beginning of mine. That night when we crossed paths at a college party, we only had one goal: to feel good during our hell storms.

After we parted ways, I’d planned never to see him again. That was until I showed up for my first day as a student-teacher and found him sitting right there before me. Now I was forced to cross paths with the person meant to be nothing more than a fading memory.

The more time we spent together, the more drawn I felt toward him. When his world shifted for the worst, I couldn’t help but to lean in closer.

I’d always done the right thing. For the first time ever, I wanted to do something very wrong. I wanted to fall in love with the one person who was off-limits.

The problem with falling for something forbidden? Once you began to descend, you were destined to crash and burn.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited 

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My Review

I received an advanced copy of this book with the promise of an honest review. 

Milo. Milo. Milo. This book started off with a bang (heh) and I loved everything about it. Starlet is always one to follow to rules, but after she catches her boyfriend cheating on her, on her birthday, she throws caution to the wind and has a one night stand. 

Milo and Starlet each have their own issues to deal with throughout the book, but they find that having the other person in their lives only makes things easier. They understand each other on a level that they have never experienced and frankly, it was a beautiful thing. Sure, there are plenty of sexy times, but it was the emotional part of their relationship that was the most important. 

Listen y'all. The author did not have to give us the gift that is Milo Corti, but I am so glad she did. She never fails to make me feel all the feelings when I'm reading her books. She writes these imperfect characters that I can't help but fall in love with as I'm reading.

CW: substance abuse, death of loved ones (in the past), grief, loss of eyesight

Amazon #1 Bestselling author, Brittainy Cherry, has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelors Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. She loves to take part in writing screenplays, acting, and dancing—poorly of course. Coffee, chai tea, and wine are three things that she thinks every person should partake in! Brittainy lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she's not running a million errands and crafting stories, she's probably playing with her adorable pets.

Connect with Brittainy 

Website: www.bcherrybooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/7121791.Brittainy_C_Cherry

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brittainy-Cherry/e/B00EGE0UJM

Facebook: www.facebook.com/brittainycherryauthor

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RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW: Northern Stars by Brittainy Cherry

 

Northern Stars by Brittainy Cherry is now live! 

Hollywood's biggest star first belonged to me.

Breaking up with your high school sweetheart was one thing.

Breaking up with Hollywood’s favorite actor? That was a different situation.

I’d been in love with Aiden Walters since I was a little girl. We’d grown up as neighbors in small town Wisconsin. I knew him inside and out, and he knew every single piece of me. I was there when his career took off, and I was almost certain I’d always be a part of his life.

It wasn’t until a scandal broke out that I was forced to end things with Aiden. He didn’t take it very well. The boy I once loved began to hate me. He went off to California to leave all of his past behind—including me.

Five years later, he was back in town for the next few months taking care of some family business. He was staying in the only hotel in our small town. The hotel I now oversaw. For the next few months, I’d be forced to cater to the man whose heart I’d broken all those years ago. The man who resented me. The man who swore he’d never speak to me again.

Now that he was back in town, in constant connection with me, I had to keep reminding myself daily of why I ended things with him in the first place. Otherwise, I’d find myself falling in love with him all over again. Only this time, I was certain that if I fell, he wouldn’t be willing to catch me.

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3d4VXBC

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/NorthernStars

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3yvQQBx 

My Review

I received an advanced copy of this book with the promise of honest review. 

We meet Aiden and Hailee when they are 8 years old. They are neighbors and like a lot of children at that age, they "hate" each other. But as they get older, they realize that they have always been the best of friends. That friendship gets put to the test many times throughout the years and its up to Aiden and Hailee to work through their issues. 

One of the things I enjoy the most about Brittainy's books is the range of emotions I feel when I read them. I raged at the mean girls who picked on Hailee. I found myself shaking my head at Aiden's father and his overbearing personality. My heart ached and my eyes leaked (a bit) for both Aiden and Hailee when she did what she thought was best for both of them. I laughed when Aiden made the choice to win Hailee back (the things he did!) and rejoiced when it actually happened. Experiencing all these things while reading a single book doesn't happen often and is a testament to Brittainy's great writing.  

AND if you have read the other books in the Compass series, you are in for a treat! Just trust me when I say that you will be delighted with how things unfold in this book. 

 

Amazon #1 Bestselling author, Brittainy Cherry, has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelors Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. She loves to take part in writing screenplays, acting, and dancing—poorly of course. Coffee, chai tea, and wine are three things that she thinks every person should partake in! Brittainy lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she's not running a million errands and crafting stories, she's probably playing with her adorable pets.

Connect with Brittainy 

Website: www.bcherrybooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/7121791.Brittainy_C_Cherry

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brittainy-Cherry/e/B00EGE0UJM

Facebook: www.facebook.com/brittainycherryauthor

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/663354683734432/

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Twitter: www.twitter.com/brittainycherry

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Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/brittainy-c-cherry

COVER REVEAL: Northern Stars by Brittainy Cherry

 

Brittainy Cherry has revealed the cover for Northern Stars!

Releasing: September 15, 2022

Hollywood's biggest star first belonged to me.

Breaking up with your high school sweetheart was one thing.

Breaking up with Hollywood’s favorite actor? That was a different situation.

I’d been in love with Aiden Walters since I was a little girl. We’d grown up as neighbors in small town Wisconsin. I knew him inside and out, and he knew every single piece of me. I was there when his career took off, and I was almost certain I’d always be a part of his life.

It wasn’t until a scandal broke out that I was forced to end things with Aiden. He didn’t take it very well. The boy I once loved began to hate me. He went off to California to leave all of his past behind—including me.

Five years later, he was back in town for the next few months taking care of some family business. He was staying in the only hotel in our small town. The hotel I now oversaw. For the next few months, I’d be forced to cater to a man whose heart I’d broken all those years ago. A man who resented me. A man who swore he’d never speak to me again.

Now that he was back in town, in constant connection with me, I had to keep reminding myself daily of why I ended things with him in the first place. Otherwise, I’d find myself falling in love with him all over again. Only this time, I was certain that if I fell, he wouldn’t be willing to catch me.

Pre-order today on Amazon!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3d4VXBC

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/NorthernStars

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3yvQQBx

Amazon #1 Bestselling author, Brittainy Cherry, has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelors Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. She loves to take part in writing screenplays, acting, and dancing—poorly of course. Coffee, chai tea, and wine are three things that she thinks every person should partake in! Brittainy lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she's not running a million errands and crafting stories, she's probably playing with her adorable pets.

Connect with Brittainy

Website: www.bcherrybooks.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/7121791.Brittainy_C_Cherry

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brittainy-Cherry/e/B00EGE0UJM

Facebook: www.facebook.com/brittainycherryauthor

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/663354683734432/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/bcherryauthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/brittainycherry

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brittainycherry

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/brittainy-c-cherry

RELEASE BLITZ & REVIEW: Western Waves by Brittainy Cherry

Title: Western Waves

A Compass Series Standalone

Author: Brittainy Cherry

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: December 9, 2021

BLURB

I always believed in fairy tales, but he preferred horrors.

Damian Blackstone didn’t care about my existence. He came into my world for one reason only. He came to find answers about his past.

He moved like the villain in my favorite fairy tales. He wasn’t the one who received the happily ever afters; he was the one who destroyed them.

Which was why I couldn’t understand why the man who raised me set it up in his will for Damian and me to be married. I wasn’t certain I’d be able to live with a man like Damian. We were as opposite as any two people could be. I loved to bathe in the sunlight while he prospered in the shadows.

I didn’t think I’d develop feelings for the one who looked at me as if I were nothing more than a means to an end. Yet in his darkness, sometimes I’d see sparks of light. I’d see gentleness. I’d see his soul.

We became entangled with one another as we fell into mistakes and called them fate. I was his Cinderella, and he was my Beast.

I wasn’t certain that twisted fairy tales ended with happily ever afters.

Still, I was determined to find out.

ADD TO GOODREADS

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

RELEASING MARCH 15 IN AUDIO

My Review

I received an advanced copy of this book with the promise of an honest review.

I'm always fascinated by arranged marriage stories. The reasons for the marriage always varies, but I think that surprise arranged marriage with a grumpy/sunshine chaser is now my favorite. 

If you read Brittainy's book Eastern Lights, you may remember Damian. I finished that book wanting to know more about him, so I am VERY glad that we now have his story! AND as a bonus, we get plenty of Connor and Aaliyah in book...YAY!

Damian and Stella's first meeting was anything but good and that was before they even knew who the other person was. Getting married to someone you don't know is hard, but then make it someone that you don't really like and that makes it even harder. 

Stella, being the optimist that she is, doesn't take Damian's grumpiness at face value and tries to make the best of the situation. It takes a little bit, but she manages to breakdown his walls...little by little. And that is when the book really takes off. 

This book is so much more than just a story of two people forced to get married. Both Stella and Damian have their baggage and it makes for some very heavy lifting. But between the two of them, they are able to deal with everything that comes their way and more. 

ALSO AVAILABLE

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

ALSO AVAILABLE IN AUDIO

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

ALSO AVAILABLE IN AUDIO

AUTHOR BIO

Brittainy Cherry has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. She loves to take part in writing screenplays, acting, and dancing--poorly of course. Coffee, chai tea, and wine are three things that she thinks every person should partake in! Brittainy lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she's not running a million errands and crafting stories, she's probably playing with her adorable pets.

AUTHOR LINKS

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK

COVER REVEAL: Western Waves by Brittainy Cherry

Title: Western Waves

A Compass Series Standalone

Author: Brittainy Cherry

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Cover Design: Hang Le

Photo: Wander Aguiar

Model: Sam Myerson

Release Date: September 15, 2021

BLURB

They called him the grave digger—the man who dug up the darkest secrets of a person's past.

Damian Blackstone didn’t care about my existence. He came into my world for one reason only. He came to find answers about his past.

He moved like the villain in my favorite fairytales. He wasn’t the one who received the happily ever afters; he was the one who destroyed them.

Which was why I couldn’t understand my step-father setting it up in his will for Damian and me to be married. If we didn’t wed, all of my family’s inheritance would be donated to charity.

I wasn’t certain I’d be able to live with a man like Damian, but make no mistake, he wasn’t the monster in this story. Damian danced with the darkness, but I submersed myself within it.

The longer he stuck around, the more complicated things became. Every family had its skeletons, and Damian came to dig up ours. When the truth came out, and the secrets were revealed, I was left wishing I’d never said, ‘I do.’

By that point, it was already too late.

I was tangoed in his darkness as he bathed within mine.

ADD TO GOODREADS

PRE-ORDER LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

RELEASING EARLY IN AUDIO

ALSO AVAILABLE

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

ALSO AVAILABLE IN AUDIO

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

ALSO AVAILABLE IN AUDIO

AUTHOR BIO

Brittainy Cherry has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing. She loves to take part in writing screenplays, acting, and dancing--poorly of course. Coffee, chai tea, and wine are three things that she thinks every person should partake in! Brittainy lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she's not running a million errands and crafting stories, she's probably playing with her adorable pets.

AUTHOR LINKS

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK

BLOG TOUR & 5 STAR REVIEW - Landon & Shay: Part Two by Brittainy C. Cherry

Landon & Shay: Part Two, the not to be missed conclusion of the Landon and Shay duet by Brittainy C. Cherry, is available now! 

Get your binge on with this must-read enemies to lovers, second chance romance!

Once upon a time, I fell in love with a boy. A beautiful, broken boy who had his own world of struggles.

People warned me against our love, but I didn't listen. We looked weak. Young, foolish. Dangerously in love. We didn't care.

In order to keep our hearts protected from the opinions of others, we became each other’s secret. We shared stolen moments. Tender touches. Secretive embraces.

It was our twisted love story, and it worked for us up until our lives changed forever. The boy I loved became Hollywood’s newest golden boy. His career blossomed as mine stalled. He found massive success as I discovered multiple failures. He made something of himself, while my dreams never came true. We moved into different realms where our pieces no longer fit together.

In the fairy tales, love conquered all. In reality, love was the main reason empires began to fall. I always knew Landon belonged in my story. He was my beginning, middle, and end. The only problem? I wasn’t certain I still belonged in his.

Download your copy today!!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2BQhBDW

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/landonshay2

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/33Br2Tb

Start the duet with Landon and Shay: Part One: Amazon: https://amzn.to/2VIRvvK

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/LandonShay1

My Review

I received an advanced copy of this book with the promise of an honest review. 

How's your heart? 

I hope it's okay. Mine? It's fine. Well, now it is. While I was reading this book? It was in a million pieces. But then it was slowly put back together.

I found the first book to be quite emotional and I was prepared for the same in this one, but the author took it up a few notches. Wow. I mean I was happy one minute. Sad the next. I cried a little. Then I got angry. Then I was sad again. Maybe a little frustrated. Then I cried again. (Maybe not exactly in that order.) I was all over the place. And that's okay. I want the books I read to take me on a journey. And what a journey it was!

If you have read this first book, this one is a MUST read. Just like the first book, I felt like the author dealt with certain situations in a very realistic manner. We get to see Landon and Shay grow up and not only deal with their current lives, but also the demons of the past. To a certain extent, I felt as though anyone I know could have gone through what the characters went through. 

This was a book that I only put down because I needed to go to sleep. I've read a lot of the author's books and I feel as though they stories just keep getting better and better. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. 

EXCERPT

“Oh my gosh, tell us everything.” Raine beamed as she sat across from Landon at the dining room table with her chin on her hands in amazement. “Tell me everything about being famous.”

That privacy I thought Landon and I would get?

Not going to happen with Raine living in the same place as me. She was so giddy seeing her best friend, and I couldn’t blame her. I was just as excited—even more so than her.

Landon looked so good, so grown-up.

He had facial hair that was groomed to perfection, and he smelled like sex appeal and honey. Since he’d arrived, I hadn’t allowed myself to be far from his side.

I sat in the chair next to him, and he hadn’t removed his hand from my thigh, massaging it up and down.

“I’m not famous.” Landon chuckled, giving Raine a smile. “I honestly don’t know what’s been happening to me, or why it’s been happening to me, but I feel like I’ll one day wake up and it will all be a dream.”

“You know what I hate?” Raine asked, crinkling her nose up.

“What’s that?” Landon replied.

“When really famous people claim they aren’t famous. That’s like when rich kids are like ‘Oh, I’m not rich, my parents are.’ Like, shut up, Susan. You can’t say you’re not rich while driving your Mercedes Benz wearing your Gucci shoes. That’s not how that works.”

I chuckled at my dramatic friend. “She is right, though. You are famous, Landon. The world has seen your tushy in boxer briefs. That’s the top layer of fame.”

“And what a cute little tushy-wushy it is,” Raine mocked, leaning over to pinch his cheeks. “I’m a proud big sister.”

“For the millionth time, I’m older than you, Raine,” Landon remarked.

“By age, not by maturity.” She darted her eyes back and forth between the two of us. Then her stare moved to Landon’s hand caressing my upper thigh. “Is this about to get a little PG-13? Should I leave?”

“You should probably leave,” I joked.

She nodded in agreement. “Okay, well, don’t make plans tomorrow night, Landon. We’re going to have everyone over for a reunion. Now, go do whatever it is you’re planning to do, you two lovebirds—but remember, these walls are thin, and my bedroom is right next door to Shay’s.”

I laughed. “I know, and I’m reminded of how thin the walls are every time Hank stays the night.”

She gave me a smile and a wink. “We broke the headboard the other night.”

Landon jumped in. “And I think that falls into the realm of too much information. I don’t want to think about Hank and you banging and breaking headboards. You are like a big sister to me, after all.”

Raine walked around and patted him on the back. “You’re old enough to know that your sister gets laid, Landon—at least four times a week in many different positions.”

“Raine,” Landon groaned, slapping his hand to his face. “Too much information.”

“I bet you won’t think it’s too much information when Shay breaks out some of the moves from the Kama Sutra book I gave her. Good night, kiddos.”

She hurried off, and Landon was staring at me with a highly arched eyebrow.

“What?” I asked.

“What’s this about a Kama Sutra book?” His lips curved up into a wicked grin.

I rolled my eyes. “It’s nothing. Raine is just a sex-driven girl. She said she and Hank needed to spice things up after being together so long.”

“I like spice. Spice is my favorite thing. What are some of the names of the moves in the book? What are we trying tonight?”

I felt my face heating up from the idea of it all. “None.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Oh crap. You’ve really read this book, haven’t you?”

“What? No. Not at all.”

He smirked and pointed a finger. “You have one on the tip of your tongue. I can tell. Do share.”

“Well…” I pulled the collar of my shirt between my lips and shrugged. “There is this thing called the butterfly.”

The way his eyes smiled along with his lips made my cheeks heat even more. He rose to his feet. “Come on, let’s go. I’m going to butterfly the hell out of you.”

About Brittainy

Author Brittainy C. Cherry is an Amazon #1 bestselling author.

She has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelor Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing.

Her novels have been published in 18+ countries around the world. Brittainy lives in Brookfield, Wisconsin with her fur babies.

Connect with Brittainy

Website: https://bcherrybooks.com

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Fc8izo 

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Oe1m8V 

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2Fltnc1 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Fk2jKg

GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2ThAciJ J

oin Brittainy’s Golden Girls (And Boys) Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2Y4WEir 

Stay up to date with Brittainy by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2oK1voU https://bcherrybooks.com

RELEASE BLITZ - Landon & Shay: Part Two by Brittainy C. Cherry

Landon & Shay: Part Two, the not to be missed conclusion of the Landon and Shay duet by Brittainy C. Cherry, is available now! 

Get your binge on with this must-read enemies to lovers, second chance romance! 

Once upon a time, I fell in love with a boy. A beautiful, broken boy who had his own world of struggles.

People warned me against our love, but I didn't listen. We looked weak. Young, foolish. Dangerously in love. We didn't care.

In order to keep our hearts protected from the opinions of others, we became each other’s secret. We shared stolen moments. Tender touches. Secretive embraces.

It was our twisted love story, and it worked for us up until our lives changed forever. The boy I loved became Hollywood’s newest golden boy. His career blossomed as mine stalled. He found massive success as I discovered multiple failures. He made something of himself, while my dreams never came true. We moved into different realms where our pieces no longer fit together.

In the fairy tales, love conquered all. In reality, love was the main reason empires began to fall. I always knew Landon belonged in my story. He was my beginning, middle, and end. The only problem? I wasn’t certain I still belonged in his.

Download your copy today!!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2BQhBDW

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/landonshay2

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/33Br2Tb

Start the duet with Landon and Shay: Part One

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2VIRvvK

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/LandonShay1

About Brittainy

Author Brittainy C. Cherry is an Amazon #1 bestselling author.

She has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelor Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing.

Her novels have been published in 18+ countries around the world. Brittainy lives in Brookfield, Wisconsin with her fur babies.

Connect with Brittainy 

Website: https://bcherrybooks.com

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Fc8izo

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Oe1m8V

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2Fltnc1

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Fk2jKg

GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2ThAciJ

Join Brittainy’s Golden Girls (And Boys) Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2Y4WEir

Stay up to date with Brittainy by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2oK1voU

BLOG TOUR - Landon and Shay: Part One by Brittainy C. Cherry

You know what they say... 

All’s fair in the game of love and war—especially the heartbreaks.

Landon & Shay: Part One, an all-new second chance romance by Brittainy C. Cherry, is available now!

Shay Gable hated my guts, and I hated hers, too.

We went out of our way to avoid one another at all times. When she came my direction, I went the other. When we locked eyes, she’d turn and walk away.

All of that changed the day I was presented with a challenge. It started out as a stupid bet: make Shay fall in love with me before I fell in love with her first.

That was an easy bet for me to win.
I didn’t love, I hardly liked.

Yet slowly the game started to shift. Shay made me crave things I never knew I wanted like love, happiness, and her.

The closer we grew, the more she challenged my darkness, and the parts I kept locked away.

The hurts.
The pains.
The truth.

The game between us became too real, our feelings intermixed, and the risks of hurting one another grew higher.

But you know what they say...

All’s fair in the game of love and war—especially the heartbreaks.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2VIRvvK

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/LandonShay1

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2khPhFv

Pre-order the emotional conclusion, Landon and Shay: Part Two, releasing on December 4th! 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2BQhBDW

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/landonshay2

Be notified FIRST when Landon & Shay: Part Two goes live: http://bit.ly/2oK1voU

EXCERPT

Landon
Spin Seven was a mixture of spin the bottle and seven minutes in heaven. When it was my turn, I reached out to the bottle with no concern about whether or not it would land exactly where I wanted it to go. At fourteen years old, I’d learned how to perfect my spin-seven skills in order to kiss the girl I wanted.

Though, this time, I knew there wasn’t going to be a lot of kissing going on. More like yelling.

The bottle spun and spun, around and around. Shay’s eyes stayed glued to the glass beer bottle. The moment it started to slow down, I watched her lips part as she quietly muttered, “No, no, no,” before it stopped directly in front of her.

The circle began oohing and aahing at the idea that the two sworn enemies were on their way to the closet together for seven minutes straight. They were all here for that show, and I knew the moment we stepped into that closet, the door would be surrounded with people whispering and pressing their ear against it from the outside, trying to catch a snippet of what was going on behind closed doors.

I stood from the circle and gestured toward Shay. “Please,” I offered. “Chickens first.”

She grimaced, her thick, full eyebrows lowering a hair before she pushed herself up from the floor and headed toward the closet in haste. We both stepped inside and stood nose to nose.

“Okay, friends, you know the rules,” Eric said, grabbing the handle of the door. “Seven minutes in heaven—or, in your case, hell. Have fun!” He slammed the door shut, and the moment it happened, Shay whined with irritation.

“I can’t believe I’m locked in here with you for seven minutes. I could think of a million things I’d rather be doing,” she grumbled, probably with a pout.

“Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know…watching paint dry.”

“Well, since we’re here, we should probably spend our time wisely,” I joked, moving to unbuckle my jeans, knowing it would bother her. I wished I could see the annoyance on her face. I loved when I got under her skin enough to make her nostrils flare.

“Oh my gosh, remove that idea from your mind, Landon, and stop messing with your belt, because there’s no way in hell I’m touching you.”

“I’ve thought about it before,” I said, my voice low and tame.

“Thought about what?”

“Kissing you.”

She huffed sarcastically. “I’m sure that’s not true.”

“You’re right, it’s not.”

“I know.”

It was true, though. It’d happened once—and only once—after Lance’s funeral. I had spent a lot of weeks being out of it, using alcohol to cope with the shitstorm raging inside my head, and I was a bit unstable. If my friends hadn’t been looking out for me, I would’ve probably gone overboard. I remembered walking into school one day and seeing Shay standing there at her locker with a few of her friends. She was laughing and tossing her head back in such a genuine way, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

I kept thinking about how she’d held me weeks prior and stayed with me during the lowest point of my life. She had been there—my enemy—taking care of my scars. And as I’d stared at her in the hallway, I’d thought about thanking her—walking over to her, parting my lips, and giving her my gratitude. I wasn’t used to people doing shit for me with no hope of anything in return, and Shay had done it without any expectations.

I remembered looking at her eyes, and then moving down to her slender nose, and then her cheeks, then those juicy lips.

I wondered how those lips would taste if I used mine against them to thank her. I wondered if she tasted like the candy she was always popping into her mouth. I wondered if she dripped of the angelic sin I always claimed her to be. I wondered for a split second…considered it for a blink in time…and then she slammed her locker, walked away, and I sobered up.

Still, I had considered it.

We both went quiet for a few moments before I cleared my throat again. I didn’t like silence. Silence and I didn’t get along too well. “Just one kiss, Chick. I can keep it a secret.”

“You keep secrets the same way you keep girls. AKA, you don’t—other than Monica.”

“Monica’s not mine.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that she thinks you’re hers.”

I smirked a little. “You jealous of her?”

“Jealous of her having to deal with a guy like you? Never in my life.”

“Whatever you say, Chick.”

“I wish you’d stop calling me Chick,” she snapped. “I hate it.”

“You want a new nickname, sweet cheeks? I can give you a new nickname, sweet cheeks.”

She shivered in disgust. Good. There was nothing I enjoyed more than getting on her nerves. “Not that either.”

“I’ll keep working on it.”

“Or you could just call me by my name.”

“Nah, Shay’s too ugly a name to leave my lips.”

“I hate you.”

“I hate you more.”

“Yeah, but I hate you the most.”

I snickered. “You really think you can get a guy like me to fall in love with you?”

“Yes. I’m positive, actually. People are the easiest to read, and that includes you.”

“You can’t read me, Shay.”

“I can, like an open book.”

“Okay.” I reached into my pocket, pulled out my cell phone, and turned on the flashlight, lighting up the small space. “Read me.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You sure you want me to do this? Reading people is kind of my gift, and you might not like what I have to say.”

“I never like what you have to say, so this time shouldn’t be any different. Go for it.”

She rolled her shoulders back and stretched out her arms as if she was about to deadlift me. “Okay. You’re fake, Landon.”

That was it? That was the big reveal? “What the hell do you mean I’m fake?”

“I mean exactly that. You. Are. Fake. F-A-K-E. Fake. There is nothing real about you. You’re a walking lie.”

I laughed. No joke, I actually laughed out loud, which didn’t happen often for me. It was a deep-rooted, belly laugh.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I questioned. “Everything about me is real. I’m the realist damn person you’ll come across in our town.”

“No,” she disagreed with a shake of her head. “You are the fakest. You’re even faker than the new boobs Carly Patrick got for her eighteenth birthday.”

“What?!” I breathed out, stunned by her words. “I’m not fake, Shay.”

“It’s not a big deal, Landon.” She shrugged her shoulders and went to picking at her nails. “People seem to love your fakeness.”

“I’m not fake,” I argued again, my blood boiling at this point. “Plus, I’ve seen Carly’s boobs up close and personal. Those are straight in-your-face, nips-don’t-flick fake. There is no way in this world I’m more fake than those silicone watermelons. I’m a lot of shitty things, but fake isn’t one of them.”

“Okay then, can you answer a question for me?”

“Anything.”

“How many people know you’re sad?”

“The hell kind of question is that?” I barked.

“A very straightforward one,” she replied. She seemed so cool, calm, and collected—one of the many things I despised about her. It was as if her life was always so solid. I wished for that kind of stable structure, and seeing that she had it annoyed the living hell out of me.

“How long have you been sad, Landon?”

I glanced at my watch. “About a solid three minutes now, because being trapped inside this closet with you is complete hell.”

“Aren’t you the one who wanted to come in here with me?”

“Bad call. A lapse in judgment. I forgot how annoying you are.”

She smiled. She freaking smiled at me, pleased by my annoyance. “Are you going to answer me about your sadness?”

“Are you going to suck my dick?” I replied.

“Do you always do that?” she asked, tilting her head to the left as she studied my expressions. She was doing that thing she did—reading me. Taking note of my movements and the tightness of my jaw, taking in every inch of me.

Don’t let her read your pages, Landon. She couldn’t have even handled my prologue.

All my walls were up, and I wasn’t going to let her knock them down.

“Do what?” I questioned.

“Use sarcasm to shield your hurting.”

“There’s nothing hurting here. Look at this life. I have money, badass parties, and girls throwing themselves at me—why would I have anything to hurt about?”

“Maybe because money, girls, and parties don’t make a person happy. I see how miserable you are in your eyes.”

I grimaced and whisper-hissed, “You don’t know shit about me, Shay.”

“Then how am I able to get under your skin so easily? If that wasn’t true, if you weren’t sad, why would my saying that bother you so much?”

“You don’t,” I calmly replied.

She did.

She was pushing me, making me uncomfortable with the fact that she did seem able to see the parts of me no one else could. Anger was building in my chest, and I needed to defuse it before it became too big.

“Maybe it’s best if we shut up for the rest of the time,” I told her.

“For the second time in my life, I agree with you.”

Shay sat down on the floor of the closet, and I did the same, leaning back against some coats that were hanging. How did seven minutes feel like seventy? Was time moving at all? This was hell.

Then came the silence. The silence that brought out heavy thoughts. Shay could read my mind somehow, and so, when the silence became too much, I cleared my throat and tried to make small talk in hopes of shutting my own brain up. “A chicken and Satan walk into a closet—stop me if you’ve heard this one.”

She laughed a little.

It was quiet and low, and dammit, I’d never heard Shay laugh at anything I’d ever said before, so that was new. What was also new was the small part of me that enjoyed hearing her sound.

“Landon?” she whispered.

“Yeah?”

“Just shut up, all right?”

Yeah, okay.

“One more minute, you horny hatebirds!” Eric called out.

We both stood, and I took a step closer toward her. “I get you not wanting to kiss. That’s intimate and personal, but if you want, this is your last chance to touch my cock while no one’s looking. I won’t stop you.”

“No thanks. I’m allergic to peanuts,” she said so effortlessly and loudly, causing the crowd on the other side of the door to burst into laughter.

Shay smirked again, feeling proud of her little dig at me. That beautiful, annoying smirk I loved to hate.

Shay: 1
Landon: 0

I wasn’t worried, though. The game was just getting started. She might’ve scored one point, but I wasn’t going to let it happen again. We were playing on my field, and Shay didn’t know what she was up against.

About Brittainy
Author Brittainy C. Cherry is an Amazon #1 bestselling author.

She has been in love with words since the day she took her first breath. She graduated from Carroll University with a Bachelor Degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Creative Writing.

Her novels have been published in 18+ countries around the world. Brittainy lives in Brookfield, Wisconsin with her fur babies.

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