Starting Over Without You Novels & Stories

To force the golden bachelor of Morrisey City's high society into marrying me, I once staked my very life as the price. I rammed my car into the one carrying him and his first love as they tried to elope, and I forced her to give up Wade Grant to me. He drove a shard of broken glass through my palm and swore he'd make me wish I were dead once I became his wife. On our wedding night, Wade hung me from the balcony railing with his necktie and forced me to kneel before his first love—the same woman who'd once tried to jump from a rooftop—and beg her forgiveness. I pulled the pin from my hair and drove it through his shoulder, laughing that he was a worthless man who couldn't even protect th

I may have heard him say he loved me. But I couldn’t let myself hear that. So I swam on, trying to leave everything behind. I needed to start over. Completely from scratch again this time. A week later I was in a small town in southern Idaho. Something really hard about this time starting over? I didn’t seem to have my magic. Like not a drop. It was firmly locked away again behind this sort of thick glass and I never felt more like a dolphin in an aquarium.

“But we also need to remember that this isn’t a normal situation. We’re still figuring things out.” “True,” Aiden nodded, understanding the complexity of it all. “But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, right? We can start small, like this. Eventually, things might feel more comfortable.” Dea attempted a smile, though her feelings remained conflicted. “I hope so,” she said softly. They continued their breakfast, occasionally stealing glances at one another, though their eyes quickly darted away whenever they made contact. The awkwardness between them somehow added an odd layer of intimacy to the moment.

“Maybe I am. Or maybe I’ve just lost enough to know the price.” Nico met his gaze. “Could you help me? Show me how to start over?” Enzo leaned forward. “If you’re serious—if you’re really ready to walk away—I’ll help you. I’ll talk to Federico. We’ll find a way.” A breath left Nico’s chest like he’d been holding it for years. “I don’t know what that looks like, starting fresh. I’ve never done anything else.” “It looks like waking up without fear. Like building something that won’t blow up in your face every five minutes. It looks like hope.”

The pain was unbearable, but something ignited within me. Alice walked in, excited, gesturing around the small but cozy living room. “Reese, you won’t believe the amazing things we can do here! There’s an incredible park nearby, the best coffee in town. We can start fresh—you, this little one, and me.” I forced a smile, my voice faltering. “I don’t know how to start over, Alice. Elliot let Jennifer take everything. Sammy thinks I abandoned him.”

The distant sounds of the city started to creep back, mingling with the low buzz of a television somewhere down the hall—news coverage, no doubt. I opened my eyes fully, the sunlight warming my skin, and met Ryan’s gaze once more. In that moment, I realized something important: no matter how hard the past had been, no matter the pain, no matter the betrayals, this—right here—was our chance to start over. And I wasn’t going to let it slip away. ---

Other than the clothes and daily necessities, I did not take anything else with me. I had already rented a place somewhere else. I would like to have minimal contact with the pair of father and son in the days leading up to the official divorce. One of them was a man who had been cheating on me for decades. The other was a boy I had raised my entire life only to have him betray me. Looking back at the first half of how my life went, I feel like a failure. Before leaving, Arthur reached forward and took my arm. For the first time in the last few days, he had spoken to me in an apologetic tone, “We have lived together for most of our lives, are you going to leave this family we have built toge

"I love you. You had me at hello. Age and your past don't matter. I'll wait until you're ready." He kept at it, never giving up. ...

Jenna did not even look back when she left. Fireworks faded away quickly, and it was hard to return to the past. From the moment Matthew betrayed her, her relationship with him could no longer be restored.

"Now that I'm back, I want to hear about your past. Otherwise, I'll always feel like such a stranger to you." Amelia looked at him, suddenly at a loss for what to say. She didn't even know where to begin telling her story. Jayden said with an encouraging smile. "I know this might feel quite sudden, and you're not mentally prepared. If you don't want to tell me right now, I won't force you. I just think that we've drifted apart and want to chat more with you. I'm not trying to reopen old wounds. You were married to Chris for so many years, so I'm sure you had feelings for him which you can't just remove."