Novels by Turquoise Grace

The hot water beat down on Kate’s tired body, doing little to ease the aches and pains of her exhausted muscles and absolutely nothing to diffuse the mental depletion she felt. Perpetually fatigued was now her permanent state of being, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. She hurried to work the shampoo through her now shoulder-length brown hair, keeping one eye on the baby monitor that flashed on the vanity. She closed her eyes momentarily, silently praying that everyone stayed asleep for just five more minutes. Bubbles tingled across her pink chipped toenails - a reminder from her and Paloma’s last day out alone, sans kids. She stifled a giggle, remembering how Colton had phoned her, asking her a million questions while squeals echoed in the background. Upon her return, he had met her at the door, black tee covered in spit-up and mashed banana while exhausted eyes stared at her gratefully. The click of the bathroom door dragged her from her thoughts, squinting eye

Colton’s wide eyes stared back at Kate, as she panted through yet another excruciating contraction; her entire pelvis spreading apart to allow their baby to enter the world. The floral tones of Bernadette’s perfume wafted through the room as she returned, snapping on a pair of blue latex gloves, a stack of blue sheets tucked under her arm. Another woman trudged behind, not clearly as enthused as Bernadette, sanitizing her hands before sliding on her own pair of gloves. Snapping her gum, she made her way over to the machine beside Kate’s bed, mature hazel eyes peering over square glasses to scan the paper slowly rolling from the machine.“Okay, Kate,” Bernadette chirped from the end of the bed, her short hair curled eloquently atop her head. Kate took in the swirls of brown, ebbing and flowing across her crown as she pushed through another surge of pain. “Kate,” Bernadette smiled, patting Kate’s bare leg to garner her atten

Shivering as she swept the blankets off her bloated body, Kate groaned, awkwardly clambering from the bed, one hand attempting to massage her lower back as she waddled to the bathroom. The sun had begun to rise, its rays just starting to seep through the small crack of their curtain. It bounced off Colton’s watch face, illuminating a soft glowy spot on the roof. She cast a glance over her shoulder, unable to help the smile that grew across her face at Colton’s muffled snores, his bare torso exposed with one inked hand resting atop it. His wedding ring glistened ever so slightly in the dewy dawn light. She’d always assumed married life would feel no different and for the first few weeks, aside from the bubbling excitement that they’d actually gone through with it, it hadn’t, but as the weeks turned to months, Kate grew to understand exactly why people did it. Knowing that Colton had wholeheartedly committed himself to her for the rest of his life was an

The car jounced down the dirt road, wheels spinning stray flecks of gravel through the air. The sky was almost pitch black now, a thick blanket filled with tiny stars that glinted brightly against the navy backdrop. The woods, still filled with the unsettling presence of flashlights, seemed eerier in the rearview, the few police cars that remained at the cottage shining from the glow of the kitchen light emanating from the window. Kate tugged at the threads of Colton’s sweatshirt, pulling the fabric over her mouth as she buried herself into the passenger seat. The radio announcer's voice drifted through the otherwise silent interior, talking about a new song being released by a popular female artist. Kate tried to focus on what he was saying, to push away the intrusive thoughts that were swirling through her mind, but his words turned into a mish-mash of nonsense, garbled sounds that made no sense to her. From her peripheral, she caught Colton m’s hand resting gently aga

“Colton!”Her own voice rang in her ears, the sharp whistle of a gunshot pulsing deep in the chambers of her mind as all other noises diffused, dulling down to an almost non-existent whine. Colton’s body crumpled to the floor, the rifle discharging as it hit the scuffed floorboards; another loud pop burrowing into her eardrums. Attempting to stand, she clutched her stomach, huffing as she brought herself to her feet, watching in horror as a small team of officers, dressed in dark S.W.A.T vests, approached, their movements slow and controlled, methodically assessing the scene before them.“Kate!”Sandy’s voice cut through the mind-numbing noise, the warmth of her hand resting on Kate’s shoulder, preventing her from moving forward. Tearing away from her grasp, Kate stumbled forward, tripping over Preston’s extended leg and careening to the floor. She stuck out her hands, her wrists taking the brunt of the impact as s

Tucking her knees into her chest - as far as her pregnant stomach would allow - Kate covered her ears, consciously inhaling and exhaling through pursed lips in an attempt to steady her erratic heart. Somewhere in the lounge room, she heard Colton shuffling about, the harsh rake of the curtain rings sliding along the thick wooden rods, shading them from the view of the outside. He continued grumbling over the phone, the string of expletives showing no signs of easing as his heavy footsteps clunked past her, growing muffled in the weathered carpet as he retreated into the bedroom. Cabinet doors banged open, the clang and clatter of objects dispersing as he rifled through them before forcefully slamming them shut with an irritated grunt. The anxiety coursing through her triggered the baby, its tiny limbs poking and prodding her stomach as she strove to calm herself down.“You better have someone here soon, Sandy,” Colton spat in the background, the sound of ano

Forcing open heavy lids, Zoe lazily trailed her gaze across the empty, darkened hospital room. Beneath her cheek, Jon’s firm chest rose steadily, his soft breath releasing slowly. Lifting a hand to rub her bleary vision, he startled awake beneath her.“What are you doing up?” he mumbled, rolling his neck from side to side against the crinkly pillow. Zoe’s eyes trailed down his body, noticing the fresh gray sweats and black long-sleeved tee clinging to his muscles. Her lips parted and he smiled. “Lia brought me in some new clothes. I even took a shower,” he winked. “Didn’t think it was fair to sleep next to you when I’ve been wearing the same clothes for three days.”“Ew,” Zoe giggled, wincing at the pain that shot through her abdomen. “Why didn’t you shower?”“You were sedated. I didn’t want to leave, even for a second,” he whispered, shifting his body to face her, his fingers tucking the loose waves of hair behind her ear. “I wanted to make sure I was here when you woke up.”The warm

Craning her into bed as if she were a child, Jon tucked the chocolate waves behind her ear and smiled. Zoe shuffled aside, patting the squeaking mattress beside her. Slowly slinking in beside her, he tentatively wrapped an arm behind her neck, trying to miss the large plaster that covered almost the entirety of the back of her head. His fingers danced against the starchy blue hospital gown, dark eyes drifting to the wound hidden behind the fabric.“Does it hurt?” he murmured.Her eyelids grew heavy, the urge to sleep suddenly growing overwhelming. It was as if her body had been in survival mode, and only now that she was close enough to hear Jon’s slow breaths, to feel the warmth radiating off his olive skin, did her body release. “Mmm,” she acknowledged, pressing her lips together tightly. “Not too bad though.”“I really am s-”Zoe silenced him, pressing her dry, chapped lips to his. “Stop saying sorry.”His jaw clenched, the left corner of his mouth lifting in a half-smile as he wat

“Ugh, this tastes like ass.”A husky laugh echoed through the quiet room. “It’s not that bad, man.”Heavy lids covered her eyes. Zoe strained to decipher the fuzzy voices echoing in her ears. Her throat was raw and dry as she struggled to swallow. Dull pain ached at the back of her head and her abdomen and as she twitched her arm, she felt the weakness coursing through her muscles.“This is honestly the worst fucking coffee I’ve ever tasted. How can you say it’s not that bad?”Evan.Straining against the heaviness of her eyelids, Zoe cracked open her eyes. The light streaming in from the window, as well as the harsh fluorescents overhead, stung, a coarse grittiness burying itself against her sclera almost forcing them closed again. Disoriented, she squinted, lifting a weary arm to shield her eyes. A pinching pain shot across the back of her hand causing a weak squeak to escape her. A shuffle of footsteps resounded beside her before concerned, brown eyes stared down at her.“Thank fuck

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.The plastic clock echoed through the sterilized waiting room. Disinfectant permeated the air, the smell infiltrating Jon’s nostrils, only adding to the headache brewing behind his eyes. He had no idea how long he’d been waiting, how long he’d been pacing the floor restlessly. Familiar pathways lined his scalp, grooved in by sharp fingernails. A warm hand rubbing his back brought him away from the torturous thoughts swirling in his mind. His sister stood beside him, proffering him a hot cup of coffee to still his twitching hands.“Thanks, Lia,” he whispered, his voice hoarse and raw, worn down from crying.Knowing that Jon would need someone to care for him in the emptiness of the waiting room, Booker had called Lia, and although he’d been pissed in the moment, Jon couldn’t deny how much she had helped to steady his nerves. Without her presence, he was certain he would’ve barre

Booker’s car swerved to the curb with a screech, scrutinizing Danielle’s bloodied face skeptically as she slid into the front seat. Knobbled fingers clutched the gun in his lap, as if preempting a sneak attack. Jon clambered into the back, cradling Zoe’s head in his lap.“She’s good,” Jon snapped, teeth clenching as he noticed the old man’s hesitation. “Fucking drive.”As the car skidded into gear, red-stained eyes traveled back to Zoe. He brushed chocolate waves away from her dark lashes, cautiously softening the harsh furrow of her brow. Salty tears continued to stream from shadowed eyes, his head dipping to kiss her clammy forehead. He had no idea how he had let this happen, no idea how he had managed to fail her so fucking badly. Blood smeared over her stomach, his messy attempt to stem the bleeding. His heart sank watching her eyes squeezing shut, agony marring the beautiful features of her face. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She had made him feel alive for the first tim

Muffled voices penetrated through the ringing in Jon’s ears, the numbness flooding through his nervous system. Black eyes flickered toward the edge of the room, the cluster of women straightening themselves up. Alexis ran a hand through her platinum blonde hair, sliding the silver gun back into its holster. Danielle shuffled uncomfortably, hovering between Alexis and Zoe, unsure of what she was supposed to do now. Jon felt another tinge of sympathy. His gaze drifted to the now-prone Violet, blood pooling around her head like a red crown.Sighing, Alexis narrowed her eyes at her former friend, hidden beneath Jon as his hands pressed against her abdomen. “Kirsten, can you go upstairs? Tell Fletch it needs to be cleaned up down here.”Kirsten nodded stiffly, turquoise eyes darted towards Jon, her lip curling in disdain before she flicked her flame-red hair over her shoulder and disappeared down the corridor.Once the thuds of Kirsten’s boots stomping down the hallway petered out, Alexis