Hey everyone! I'm happy to announce a new project that I will be working on soon! Think EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING meets FALLEN. I had the idea for a while and would love to share the first chapter with you all! There will also be a giveaway so stay tuned.

KIDNEY disease took my mother away from me.

I could still feel her brushing my hair, reassuring me that everything would be okay.

At the gravesite where she lay, the gloomiest of clouds beckon over as I sit there, remembering her, running my fingers across the indentations of her name. Once I closed my eyes, I could see her and she sat with me, the wall of the headstone her backrest. "My precious, Shay."

I realized I've gathered past memories to make this moment feel true. I even created new ones for the pieces to fall in place. "Mom." The water departed from my eyelashes like a sad romance.

"How are you?" She's still so kind on the eyes, ripples of gray dancing through the masses of brown.

"I'm torn. Dad remarried and she's moving in today."

"You're father deserves happiness, baby. Wouldn't you agree?."

I drop my head but her soft hand gently clutches my chin to raise my attention to her again. I have to answer. "It's too soon."

"Two years, baby, that's long enough. I will forever want what's best for you and your father." She took a pause and held back her own tears, her hand falling to her crossed legs. "Is he happy?" Her tone was fragile, trembling.

I didn't want to see her that way. "I think so."

She bobbed her head and a clear drop fell down her cheek. At first what was a tear rolling down her face, became a downpour of rain from the sky. I opened my eyes and mom was gone. Reality was settling in the vacancy of my heart. The rain fell harder, chilling my bones, calling them to ache. Jumping to my feet, I dashed across the slick grass, asking for forgiveness as I passed the late members who too were laid to rest.

***

Susa was down in the kitchen preparing a big meal for dad's new wife. Susa was everything in one: a cleaner, a caretaker, a friend, and a second mother to me. She normally stayed on the main level so she could have quicker access to everything. Her routine had been the same since I was five.

Every morning she would start by making us a hearty breakfast. She'd then move on to dusting and doing the laundry. She was always last to go to bed and the first to get up. Sometimes, nights extended to one in the morning, at least it did up until mom departed from us.

But Susa was there. Always. She understood loss because her husband was also very ill and soon passed away. We had to be there for her.

I stood at my bedroom window. The rain hadn't let up. I touched the glass and I could feel the wind blowing kisses against the pane. It was unexpected.

Earlier when dad was watching the television, the weather forecast said nothing about rain. Sure, cloudiness covered the entire day and would do the same for the upcoming week, but this storm was something different.

When it used to rain before mom passed, we'd sit in the crook of the bay window and cuddle up in thick, wool blankets and drank hot chocolate. Sometimes dad would join us but he mostly excluded himself to his study, working on secret projects just as he'd be doing now before his new wife arrived.

Then I heard it, the engine of a car pulling through the wraparound drive in. A pain struck my heart. The driver's side swung open and a boy dressed in all black dragged out an even blacker umbrella and let it sprout in size. He hustled to the back door of the dark-colored Mercedes-Benz and jarred it open. A red stiletto extended then tempered on the cobblestone. The woman swung out her other foot as the umbrella boy followed her after yanking a packed suitcase from the back as well.

I pushed as close as I could get to the window to see what was going on down below, but the heavy drops and the coldness continued to fog up my scene. So I waited for the one indication that announced that our permanent visitor had arrived.

The doorbell rang.

I listened for the sounds, the opening, and closing of the door, giggles and pet names being exchanged. When I figured the kissing had been done, I decided to leave my bedroom in one of my favorite vintage corset dresses mom made for me. Maybe it would remind dad who he had, and what I'd never do: call another woman mom, especially a woman who never made it a point to meet me, a woman who married my father without my knowing.

Down the widened winding steps I went and there she was standing in her dressy navy blue slacks and a floral blouse. She wore one of those fancy hats that shielded her eyes up until she decided to give me a study.

Dad's smile widened as I now stood beside him, reserved. I only knew the woman's name and her face didn't match it. Merida.

She drew her clutch beneath her arm and a banging of the enormous cherry wood doors flapped open. The umbrella boy. He tugged in with more of Merida's bags and mistakenly dropped them. Susa hurried to close the door as Merida eyed her help in disgust. "You can't be a little quieter, Javen? You've got sneaker water all over my floor." My, the word sounded gross to my ears. She already seemed to have made herself comfortable.

The boy nodded apologetically. "I'll try to be more careful."

"Careful, what?" Her neck stretched, her eyes growing as she waited for him to answer.

"I'll try to be more careful, Mrs. Cohen."

The woman sharply turned her attention to dad. "It's got a nice ring to it, right darling?"

"It does." Dad agreed, his smile never faint. "Merida, I'd like you to meet my princess, Shay. Shay, I'd like you to meet--"

"His new queen, your new mother, Merida," she completed and extended her limped manicured hand. I hope she doesn't want me to kiss it.

I didn't do anything. I had my mind made up about Merida. She was a witch, a greedy, uncaring kind person.

I looked away from her and my eyes went for the boy who's mysterious features flickered about like a shimmering piece of treasure out in sunlight. He stared back at me, not afraid. "Honey, I hope you don't mind I've brought my gardening boy with me. Figuring it'll be doing a lot of raining the next couple of weeks, he'll possibly be of use inside the house."

Dad stared at the boy. I couldn't read his expression. It was a mix of being uncomfortable and curious all at the same time. I felt the same way. "He really doesn't have to do anything. We've got gardening boys and--and Susa takes care of everything inside."

"Baby, don't be so modest. Clearly, your cleaning lady doesn't know what a duster is let alone a mop."

I growled under my breath. Dad chuckled, his nerves tickling his throat as Susa returned after handling the large doors and mopping up Javen's mess. "Mr. Coleman, dinner is ready." Susa bowed her head and we were to follow.

"I do hope she cooks better than she cleans." Merida thought she was whispering but I could hear her, and most of all, so could Susa, for her body tensed and she froze for a couple of seconds before stiffly leading us to the dining.

Javen stayed behind me. He was soaked and I was starting to feel bad for him. Having to work under a woman like that was definitely a hell to avoid.

We gathered at the large table. Daddy took one end, and Merida down at the other. Javen and I reserved the long sides. He sat across from me, still dripping wet. His bottom lip shivered, changing from a pale pink to a violet hue.

"I must say, this is absolutely fine architecture." Merida's eyes roamed the wooden designed ceiling. "Sweetheart, you ever think about joining modernization? Nowadays, everything is sleek and pure and--" Susa came out with dinner plates and lay one before Merida. "Clean." My wicked stepmother coughed and never gave her thanks.

My eyes rolled for the hundredth time and she'd only been here for a good ten minutes. What was dad thinking? There was only one thing women like her wanted. Money.

"Actually, Shay and I enjoy it the way it is. It holds great memories." Daddy's smile warmed my heart but it only lasted for a few seconds.

"And I get that, I do. But, don't you think it's time for a change?"

Susa divvied up the rest of the plates. Once she was finished, she kindly handed Javen a towel. He said thank you. Merida could learn a lot from him. And, then, he looked at me. His stare was intense, odd. Dad and Merida's voices continued to echo as I found myself sinking into his presence. I wasn't sure I liked the feeling. I wasn't sure why he was here, sitting across from me. Figuring how stuck-up Merida was, I was merely shocked he was allowed to eat with us.

I couldn't take the feeling any longer. I needed to say something, anything to him to ease the tension growing. "Susa could get you something warm to put on."

Merida's lips stopped moving for the first time since she'd arrived. She snarled at me, quickly answering for Javen as if he couldn't speak on his own. "That won't be necessary, Shay. He's a big boy." I could taste the bitterness in her words.

"Big boy or not, I'm sure he'd like to be dry."

Merida tapped her long nails together. She was right about something. She was a queen, an evil one. "Maybe it's best we have a silent meal."

Dad choked on his ice tea and said, "Merida, that won't be necessary. We don't mind getting Javen an outfit or two." He stared at the boy, his mouth turning into a frown. "Figuring he'll be staying here." Dad wasn't happy about it just as I wasn't happy with my new step mommy.

Javen slammed his hands into the kitchen table and the room grew silent, just as Merida's wishes. He stood up and his jaw ticked. "I don't seem to have an appetite. If you don't mind showing me to my bedroom, I'd appreciate it." His voice was smooth like liquid.

"I can take you to your bedroom, Sir Javen."

I jumped to my feet. "No. I--I can take him."

"Sweetheart, maybe you oughta let Susa do her job." Dad forced.

"I got it, dad. Oddly, I'm starting not to feel welcomed in my own home."

Susa grabbed our untouched meals and rushed them back to the kitchen. I peeked at Javen and hoped that as I walked away, he'd follow. By the time I reached the stairs, heavy footsteps traced after my own.

Though our home was very large, we only had one vacant and very dusty room available. At the top of the stairs, we glided down a cold hall and I stood at the closed door, its features bold and heavy with more lines of the finely glazed cherry wood. Across the way was my bedroom, but I wouldn't tell him that now. I pushed the door open and walked in. There was a twin bed covered in blue sheets and a wooly gray blanket folded at the end of the bed. White feathers from the pillow spilled out. A dresser with a small lantern sat in the center.

Javen pressed by me and studied the small area all to cautiously. "If you want, I can ask Susa to dust in here." My voice sounded small. His shoulders went up and down as he took multiple deep breaths in and exhaled what seemed to have been regret.

"You people put a lot on her." He iced me out as he gathered in his view of the forest from the large window.

I scoffed. "It's not like we want to. Susa insists on doing things for us. She has no one."

"Just because she requests to be of great service to you doesn't mean she likes it."

"What do you know?" My teeth went crooked along my bottom lip. I was sure he knew a lot about it because of Merida. But he had us all wrong. "Besides, she's family."

Javen sneered and shook his head. He smoothly turned around and again, the sharp edge of his jaw ticked. "I'd like to be alone."

He was just as bad as Merida. Here I thought he was the victim. "What happened to thank you?"

"Thank you. Get out."

I felt myself getting angry. I did as he asked, but I turned to reiterate that we loved Susa, that he could think whatever he wanted, but Javen slammed the door in my face. I trembled at the cold, cold boy whose eyes were dark, whose soul seemed shattered. My anger refused to last. I pitied him. I'm sure he'd hate that, but I couldn't help it. I lay my hand on the door, and the air on the other side promised he'd be doing the same.

Thank you so much for hanging out with me today! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter to my new WIP which will be coming soon! I want to thank KellyAnneBlount for this amazing event!

Also, I, DreamLyte, will giveaway a shout-out, dedication(s), and read the first three chapters (of one book) to two lucky winners! This giveaway is open internationally! So, keep an eye out and thank you again!