This is the opening scene from Her Crystal Clear Truth. Joe has just come from his parents' funeral.
Excerpt
Tarthian Empire, Kyrenie;Β Fenris City, Taskya District
The barren house echoed the void inside. Empty places looked back, demanding a reaction. But Joe Townsend the third had nothing left to give.
From the moment he'd learned of his folks' accidental death, life had screamed past him like a banshee. The never-ending whirlwind of people needing around-the-clock decisions sucked his energy dry. He leaned against the inside of his parents' front door and slid down.
Today, he'd said his formal goodbyes at their memorial. He'd smiled like a wooden soldier at the unending I'm-so-sorrys and the non-stop oh-poor-Joe-how-are-you-doings.
How did they think he was doing?
Life had plunged him into a lightless, inescapable world of sympathetic platitudes.
How could he move forward when everywhere he looked, the past held him fast?
How could he move forward when every step led him further away from the people he'd loved most?
How could he move forward and lever past this pain?
There had to be a better way to handle heartbreak. A saner way.
Joe stood and dusted himself off. He would throw himself into his work. That's what his dad always--
A fresh ache swept over him.
"Whatever you can't change, accept and work through, Son. Focus on what you can do, what you have to do, and don't waste time looking back."
Joe braced an arm across his stomach. Would he ever think of his father's words of wisdom again without this foreboding sensation of loss? This sense that part of himself was missing? Or of his mother and her strength? Her abiding belief in him, encouraging him, guiding the way?
Dragging his feet, Joe staggered through the house, back to the room that had been his when he lived here as a boy, now stripped bare. His parents had put the house on the market and accepted an offer weeks prior to their deaths. They'd put everything in storage, preparing to move. The new owners would arrive tomorrow.
Nothing remained of the place Joe had once called his haven.
There was no home to go to. Starting tomorrow, this place would be someone else's. Not his parents'. Not his. Not anymore.
This sterile room symbolized everything he'd lost.
He couldn't think about this tonight. Couldn't think about work, even work he'd been preparing for his whole life.
Joe had longed for the opportunity to work at his father's side. The pride he'd felt when appointed had rivaled the thrill of collaborating with him. The joy of raw discovery, uncovering new truths while pushing the frontiers of knowledge to the nth degree.
Now, he was taking his father's place instead. Trying to fill shoes he would never be worthy to wear.
Right this moment, success was a meaningless distraction.
Exhausted, he curled up in the middle of the floor, surrounded by nothing but loss. He'd spend one last night in this empty shell of a place he'd once considered home.
Come morning, he'd walk away forever.
Antonello Brothers
Click covers for the buy link.
Series page https://kayelleallen.com/antonello-brothers
#SciFi #Romance
Sign up for my newsletter and claim your immortality
Welcome to Book Hooks!
Book Hooks is a weekly cooperative blog hop hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog.
It's a chance each week for you to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors.
Thank you for stopping by.
Links below lead to other sites also taking part. You can "hop" from mine to theirs with one click.
Feel free to say hello or leave a note in the comments.
Any of my characters mentioned on this page might be found in multiple books in my story universe. Download a printable book list and check them off as you read.
~ Copyright Β©2024 Kayelle Allen. All rights reserved ~ Kayelle Allen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program which provides the means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com. If you purchase an item listed on the site from Amazon.com, Kayelle will earn a small commission. Other sites might be affiliate links as well. These will not result in higher prices for you. Thank you for your support!
To experience art, sci-fi, romance, and space opera with unstoppable, unshakeable, unforgettable characters so real you'll swear you've met them, join my newsletter.
Crystal Clear Truth is one of my favorites. And this is a wonderful excerpt.
Oh, thank you so much!
What a wonderful description of depression. Rings with hopelessness.
Thank you! I enjoyed giving him a happy ever after. π
Aww, I feel so bad for Joe. It’s bad enough losing one parent, but losing both at the same time, especially so quickly to an accident is horrible. His pain is loud and clear.
Thank you, Maggie. I’m glad it came across. π