Between The World And Me Audiobook Novels & Stories

We have each other, the world should be kind and easy. THE END.

The world moves slowly, kindly. At the apartment door, I pause. Once, doors meant endings. Loss. Fear. Now, a door is just a beginning. I place my hand on the knob, inhale deeply, and whisper: “I’m still here.” Not broken. Not rebuilding. Not waiting for something to define me. Just here. Alive. Present. Becoming. I push the door open and step inside. And for the first time in years, the world feels gentle enough for me to belong in it.

I hoped for no disruptions, especially from turds who thought it was a good time to hit on me during this sacred time. I took out my book that was tucked inside the waistline of my pants. It’s a dark romance I’ve been reading since the summer. I grabbed my phone from my back pocket and my earbuds from my front pocket and played, Don’t Leave Me by Blackstreet. I was finally in my inner world. This is my calm and quiet. Alone. A normality that made sense to me.

I heard a saccharine voice on the other end. "Alpha Carlen, your little pup is kicking me inside. It's driving me mad…" My heart ached sharply, and I quickened my pace. He didn't follow me again this time. I smiled bitterly, unsure whether to feel relieved or heartbroken. I reached out to my mentor, Hannah Rubio, who had once guided me with such care. "Professor Rubio, I've decided to join your medical research program on Icebound Island." There was a hint of surprise from the other end of the line.

But now I understand perfectly well that the only way goodness can find me is if I find it first. “ Audrey..’ his voice pulls me out of my trance. I look at him, His face is only inches away from mine. He looks at me with so much concern. For the first time in a long time I'm glad and proud that he wants to protect me. I can feel that warm feeling inside my heart. And it's beautiful. Which is welcoming. To feel like I am worthy of all the love this world has to offer. Would that not be wonderful? That there is more to the story other than this kind of suffering? That the world had something better in store for me?

Just as darkness surrounds me, a bright piercing white light forces its way to behind my eyes. A sharp pain registers in my chest as my heart bursts back into life, my lungs now burning painfully as I suck in air. “I am giving you a second chance to right the wrong against you.” A ghostly voice echoes out in my ears. My eyes shoot open…steel shutters have morphed into a blank white ceiling. The cold blood-soaked ground is replaced with the comfort of my bed. Gone are the mutant wolves trying to eat me alive. And beside me, Anton's heavy arm rests across my waist. I am back.…. I am reborn.

Tristan steady, hungry, mine. The world keeps turning the dial up. I keep choosing the frequency. Still not over. Still exact. Still loud enough to keep my life in my own voice. I slept ready for the next room, whatever its volume, with the ache of love and the edge of anger sharing one strong body—and for once, neither feeling like a contradiction.

I'm nervous in a way that I haven't been nervous in years. This book feels more vulnerable than the others. The first book was testimony. The second book was about healing. But this book is about my marriage. This book is about Dominic and me and the specific work that we've done. This book is me saying to the world: This is what real love looks like. The first reading is in New York. The bookstore is packed. More people than I expected. People who've read my other books. People who've heard about the foundation. People who are curious about what comes after survival and transformation.

⸻ The kind that burns countries to the ground. ⸻ “You don’t understand what that means,” he said weakly. ⸻ “I do,” I replied. ⸻ My voice was ice now. ⸻ “More than you ever will.” ⸻ I pulled the phone away slightly. ⸻ “The world is already shifting,” I added. “And when it’s done…” ⸻ A pause. ⸻ “You won’t be the one in control anymore.” ⸻ Silence. ⸻

His voice trembled. "You had feelings for me. You still do. You only left because you were angry at me!" It took me a moment to find my voice. "You went back again?" "I did." He looked up at me, his eyes raw. "For you, I'd go as many times as it takes." My chest tightened. I felt my expression change before I could stop it. Each person only gets three chances to cross between worlds. Sadie told me that herself when she showed me how. The reason I didn't leave with her back then was because I thought I had already used two chances.