Snippet: Distance and fuck ups.

I’m on the home stretch, y’all. Every time, this happens. I get close to the end, and I start writing another book – or two – so annoying! But here’s an unedited snippet from the end of the book. A lil’ action for you. You know I like it like that. *winks* Lemme know what you think…

 She’d faced a lot of changes in a relatively short period of time, and she was now realizing some 30-odd years into the game, she didn’t do so well with change. It was why she’d let Robert stay around when she should have gotten rid of his mooching ass.

“You get caught up with work, and you turn on the blinders,” Tommy said recently, when she shared that. “You become immersed in your creative pursuits, and other things take a back seat. Important things,” she shrugged. “Now you know better, so you’ll do better. You can’t keep beating yourself up. You gotta move on.”

Margot agreed. “You made the mistakes once; you didn’t make them twice. You learned, moved on, and now you’ve moved up.”

Sophie pointed out that she had made the same mistake twice. In fact, she’d made the same mistake over and over, month after financially draining month over the course of several years, her best friend winced, then shrugged.

“Will you ever do such a thing again?”

Sophie rolled her eyes and glared. “Of course not.”

“Well, that’s what matters. That’s what you have to hold on to. Slick ass motherfuckers like the Roberts of the world are far more skilled at manipulation than you give them credit for. Couple his assholish-ness with the fact that you’re as straight as an arrow, it makes sense that he was able to pull the wool over your eyes for so long. You didn’t see it coming because you had no frame of reference; you’d never behave that way.”

“When you’re involved with a man, when your feelings, body and time are wrapped up in him, you miss all sorts of shit,” Tommy confirmed. “It’s only with distance and fuck ups that you see the truth about someone.”

Distance and fuck ups. She’d had those all right. Sophie hadn’t realized what a gift it was to be alone until Robert invited himself back into her life, at great physical cost this time. Although, come to think of it, she had a few hospital bills now too, thanks to the asshole. He was like a warped, fucked up gift that just kept on giving.

Maybe I should get a gun, she thought. Her friend Steele would help her. Steele was a bad ass, but Sophie dismissed the idea immediately. As much as she disliked Robert, she’d probably shoot his punk ass before he even did anything. Then she’d be locked up, and that would be end. His final fucking gift to ruin her life.

Fire arms were out. But some self-defense classes might have to pop off. At least then if he got too close she could take him down before he inflicted anymore harm. She rotated her sore shoulder. She wasn’t sure she could take much more.

She needed all her bandwidth to handle Lado, which was saying something since he never gave her any problems. He’d relieved her of a lot of burdens, and he took great pleasure in participating in every part of their life together. It made him happy when she asked his opinion about things, and he always gave her fabulous advice. For the first time she understood the value and pleasure in being a couple.

He was a bit like Tommy; he knew everyone, and he never hesitated to use his connections to make her life or work easier. Even when he was being a pest, grinning and laughing and generally driving her mad, he was a joy to be around, ready with a hug or a stroke to her back, a squeeze of her hand, her ass, or a kiss.

Thank God he hadn’t paid her mixed up ass no mind in the beginning. He’d stuck with her when she was neck deep in misery, fighting against his every generosity, every gesture of affection. When the narrow, red eyes of grief and pain made her lash out, he met her with patience and love. That was a blessing…