Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom: Excerpt: Destined by A.M Guilliams

Grace My feelings had changed for my best friend over the years. Ones I swore would never be uttered. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine making a promise to Liam without knowing exactly what it insinuated. Come to find out, the underlying meaning was what I least expected. My best friend. My confidant. Wanted more. He asked for the summer, but what happened when those three glorious months were over and I had to make another choice? One I didn’t know if I’d ever get over having to make.

Liam I took a gamble asking Grace for the summer. But it was well worth the price now that she’d agreed. I’d been in love with her since I could remember and now I’d be able to show her just how perfect we were for each other. The summer was only around ninety days and I needed to make it worth both of our whiles. I devised the perfect plan. Now I just had to make the execution count. There was a reason our parents met so randomly all those years ago and I firmly believed it was so it led me to her. How far would you go to create your own destiny before you accepted your fate? My name is Grace Corbin and my name is Liam DeLuca. This is our tragically, beautiful love story.

Excerpt

“You look so beautiful tonight. You know that, right?” Liam said as his fingers moved in circles over the top of my knee as he knelt before me. He’d never told me I was beautiful. I didn’t know how to take that.

I was still in the white dress that I’d found to wear under my cap and gown. The dress had a lace top with a sheer skirt underneath. It was fitted at the top and flared out at the hips, stopping at the top of my knee. I wore my jet black hair down with curls cascading down my back and only had on mascara. I thought it was simple, yet comfortable. Knowing that Liam thought I was beautiful caused a smile to form on my lips, and I looked at the ground. My cheeks felt hot from embarrassment. It wasn’t the first time someone other than family told me I was beautiful. But this meant more. It was the first time Liam had mentioned it, and I didn’t know what that meant.

His finger touched the bottom of my chin, lifting my head, so my gaze met his.

“Did you mean what you said? You promised me the summer,” he asked, his finger still lingering under my chin.

My mouth opened and shut several times before I could make the words escape.

“I did. But what does that mean? What do you want, Liam? You’re my best friend. I can’t lose that,” I said, hoping that he could hear the fear in my voice.

His hand wiped down his face. He went from a kneeling position and sat down on the ground; only he didn’t move far from me. He was still just as close. I waited, and my heart felt like it was going to burst from the anticipation of what he would say.

“You honestly have no clue, do you?”

No, I didn’t have a clue. He’d always picked on me. Treated me like one of his guy friends, while he aimlessly flirted with every girl he came across. All I could do was shake my head because I was still clueless as to what he was talking about.

He pulled my hands from the ropes and held them within his own. His palms were sweaty, and I could feel the subtle shaking that indicated he was nervous, making me feel the same way in return. There’d be no going back after this. I just knew before he’d even spoken the words. This confession would change us. Forever.

“I figured you hadn’t. I made sure I hid it well. There’s no way to say this easy, so I’m just gonna spit it out. I don’t see you as my friend, Grace. Ever since you fell out of that tree, I’d always seen you as more. Felt more for you than I should’ve. But I couldn’t gain the courage to act on it. Now I can’t wait any longer. There’s a ticking time bomb going off, and I needed you to blindly promise me something I had no clue if you’d agree to. I kept it all in because I didn’t want to lose you. If you don’t feel the same now, I couldn’t stand to walk away or for us to change. I’m going to shut up now since I’m rambling. If you’re gonna break my heart, just do it fast, Grace. I couldn’t take you stringing me along,” he pleaded as he let go of my hands and turned to look at the tree.

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About the Author

A.M. Guilliams is a romantic suspense and women’s fiction author who currently resides in Virginia with her husband, three children, and fur babies. Books, flip flops, coffee, chocolate, The Walking Dead, and Chicago Fire are just a few of her obsessions. Her love of books began with novels by Stephen King, Mary Higgins Clark, and the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe. When she’s not writing, you can find her down by the river with her family, curled up on the couch with a good book, or watching her favorite movies and television shows.