#also.... mist has 2 hands (jill)

[lucxien]

them :)

#lucxien's art #was gonna wait till i finished the other thing i was working on but idk when that's gonna be lol #mistboyd #boydmist #idk man #fe10 #fire emblem #also.... mist has 2 hands (jill)

[blogthebooklover]

Movie Recs In Honor of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

I decided to write out a list of movies to watch in honor of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes coming out very soon. This list will feature movies with apes besides the POTA movies, or movies with weird and bizarre friendships/found families.

The Original Planet of the Apes Franchise (1968-1973, Amazon Prime)

Honestly, I've only watched the 1968 movie a handful of times. I decided to watch all of the original franchise leading up to the release of Kingdom. They're all a lot of fun, with social/political commentaries at the time of each film. If you're a movie collector, or like behind-the-scenes/director's commentaries, I highly recommend buying the Blu Ray compilation pack.

2. Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes (2001, Disney+ or Amazon Prime)

I know, hear me out. Yes, it's over-hated, and yes, there was A LOT of potential for this movie. There were definitely too many "cooks in the kitchen" when drafting this movie. Imho, I think it's a guilty pleasure, popcorn movie. If you're a fan of makeup effects, Rick Baker (THE modern makeup effects master) does an absolutely phenomenal job with the designs of the apes in this movie (and check out his Instagram too). I do like the production and the ape costume designs for this film as well.

Tim Roth and Paul Giamatti are such a blast in this movie, too!

And the posters for this movie look so cool.

3. Planet of the Apes Reboot Trilogy (2011-2017, Amazon Prime)

I think this is what the 2001 movie should have been, and was trying to go for. While the three movies did make their money back at the box office, I have two theories why they almost went under everyone's radar (again, this is my opinion):

A. Because of the mixed reception from the 2001 movie.

B. Because of the abundance of comic book & remake movies coming out during the 2011-2017 years.

I put this trilogy right up with the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. The storytelling is great, the special effects hold up well, and this reboot's version of Caesar has became one of my favorite main characters in modern film.

4. Mighty Joe Young (1998 remake, Disney+)

I don't know why this movie doesn't get talked about that much. Rick Baker, once again, does incredible work on the special effects for Joe. There's also a great musical score by James Horner. And Bill Paxton and Charlize Theron give amazing acting performances. And I think it's actually one of the better remakes that came out from the late 1990s.

In fact, the team that worked on the 1933 King Kong also made the 1949 film. Even Robert Armstrong (Carl Denham) came back for the '49 film. Ray Harryhausen worked under the supervision of Willis O'Brien for the special effects for the original movie. He also has a cameo appearance alongside Terry Moore (Jill Young) in a party scene.

Aaaaand I just found out the writers, Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner, also did an uncredited rewrite for the 2001 POTA movie.

5. Tarzan (1999, Disney+)

Of course, who doesn't love Tarzan??? And Phil Collins's A.M.A.Z.I.N.G soundtrack???!!!

6. King Kong (1933, 2005, Amazon Prime/MAX)

Okay, technically it's a giant monster movie and the OG prior to Godzilla. And it also set the standard of film making overall. However, it is also a bit of a Beauty and the Beast story, hence the lines: "It was Beauty killed the Beast" and the "And the prophet said: And lo, the Beast looked upon the face of Beauty. And it stayed its hand from killing. And from that day forward, he was as one dead." I also recommend watching the extended cut of the 2005 remake.

7. Lilo & Stitch (2002, Disney+)

Again, who doesn't love Lilo and Stitch???

8. How to Train Your Dragon Trilogy (2010-2019, Amazon Prime/Peacock App)

Once again, who doesn’t love HTTYD (and why are they remaking it as a live action movie????)???

9. Gorillas in the Mist (1988, Amazon Prime)

This movie is about Dian Fossey (played by Sigourney Weaver), a primatologist who studied mountain gorillas and she was part of a trio of women who studied great apes; the amazing Jane Goodall and her study of chimpanzees, and Birute Galdikas who studies orangutans. The movie is also based on her book of the same name.

I use past tense for Dian, because she met a tragic and horrific death while she was conducting her research on gorillas. I have in-lined a link to Dian Fossey's Wikipedia article for further reading.

Rick Baker, once again, does some amazing practical creature effects work for the gorillas.

10. George of the Jungle (1997, Disney+)

One of my favorite Brendan Fraser movies, and such a fun, and a bit of a campy movie based on the cartoon series (which is also a spoof of Tarzan). I quote this movie every so often. Unfortunately, Rick Baker did not do the ape designs for this movie. The creature effects this time around was done by none other than the Jim Henson Creature Workshop!

#movies #sci fi #planet of the apes #movie recs #tarzan #mighty joe young #king kong #planet of the apes 2001 #tim burton #the iron giant #how to train your dragon #lilo and stitch #gorillas in the mist #george of the jungle #movie recommendations #science fiction

[teamhawkeye]

unfiltered and massively spoiler filled thoughts on RE8 below the cut [MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD]:

The Good

The first half of the game

The initial village segment and the castle portion and even “the house in the mist” sections were all pretty taut and well put together. i loved exploring the castle - was more than a little disappointed that you get locked out after Alcina’s boss fight, i didn’t explore it fully D: - and the unexpected terror of Donna’s section really pulled me out of the sense of comfort i had started to fall into, right as i was saying to myself “this hasn’t been scary at all”

The return of some series high notes

Revisiting things in previous Resident Evil games is not always a bad thing. I really enjoyed the return of weapon customization and treasures, those were aspects i enjoyed in RE4 and RE5. The return of the Merchant, in the form of the Duke, was welcome as well. The Duke is a G - he’s a good guy and i respected him most

Graphics, scenery, etc.

It’s a pretty game to look at, there’s no getting around that. I liked the set pieces, especially the Castle portion

Ammo crafting

Now this was something i greatly enjoyed. There are often times you get too much ammo for the gun you use least or you run out of ammo in harder difficulty levels. Being able to collect scrap material and make your own ammo was a very nice addition that i greatly appreciated

The Bad

(some of these are going to be personal opinions about the storytelling and narrative choices, so be prepared for that)

Pacing and direction

RE7 was a return to the series’ “roots”: so back to the footnotes of RE1 and RE2. If that was the case with 7, then RE8 did a speed run of RE3, Code Veronica, RE4, RE5, and RE6 all at once.

I know i said earlier revisiting hallmarks from previous games isn’t a bad thing, and it’s not - but while RE7 did it masterfully with sticking to mainly RE1 and RE2 and pulling in just a few old hallmarks, RE8 went absolutely buck wild in trying to cram in as many past enemy types and encounters as possible. A callback to one standout enemy is one thing, ala the Stalker type that is Mr. X, Nemesis, and Ustanak that Lady Dimitrescu also serves as...but then also the giant water monster from RE4, the Executioner of RE5, the “chainsaw” enemies (here, drills instead) of RE4, RE5, and RE6. hell, even the Lycans after a time started to feel very Las Plagas-esque in their ability to use weapons and track and coordinate. And you can’t tell me you didn’t see very similar designs/similarities between Miranda’s boss battle that you did with Alexia’s in Code Veronica...

The pacing started off solid with the initial few segments, but quickly seemed to lose its footing once it oscillated violently between wildly different styles of play and storytelling and didn’t regain its stride the rest of the game. One moment, it’s classic RE. The next, it’s P.T. + Outlast. The next, back to “a mash up of action and horror, leaning more on action” styles of RE4 + RE5. Then the finale straight up started to feel like an entirely different game before you reached that final boss fight - it felt like i was jerked in one direction one minute, and a completely different one the next

There is a lot of exposition and explaining that doesn’t happen until legit the last 45 or so minutes. Not new for the series to withhold information until the back half of the game, but there was legit almost no build up to the very sudden plot bombs that got dropped successively in the last throes of the story. Previous games rewarded you with fragments at a fairly even pace - i felt like all of RE8′s story gets dropped on you in a single monologue and a handful of notes just before the endgame

I’m not even gonna go that deep into how hard it was to keep up with all the different infection methods the mold managed to have - it was just A Lot and i’ve played a lot of Resident Evil in the past, so i know just how many different ways a single pathogen can have on humans and animals...and it still felt excessive

I honestly felt like the third segment with Moreau wasn’t even necessary. they really played up these “four lords” to not have them do a whole lot of anything. and i know there’s always been mini bosses before you actually reach the final Big Bad, but seriously, Moreau’s segment can be blitzed through in a span of 20 minutes or so first playthrough. the castle segment with Dimitrescu was solid, the house segment with Donna was nightmare fuel, lmfao, but still engaging and challenging. by the time you get to the third and sprint right through, you’re left wondering what the point of it even was. you can tell that was the least cared about narrative arc in the whole story

A giant point of note is that a huge chunk of RE8′s story could have been avoided or altered had Chris just actually fucking spoken to Ethan at the start about what the fuck was going on. And for him not to is completely unlike Chris past RE5 and RE6, that made no narrative sense whatsoever. Just another opportunity to pile on some more trauma and guilt onto Chris’ shoulders by making him “responsible” for Ethan being pushed to far and dying as a result

“Ethan actually ‘died’ when first meeting Jack Baker and was completely taken over by mold, it’s a big secret to everyone but Mia. also, he’s gone too far, there’s no saving him, he had to die”

You’re going to tell me that Ethan still being infected or impacted by the mold from RE7 is some big secret??? did the BSAA not run tests on him and Mia to make sure they were back to normal levels??? how do they not know?!? the government was able to figure out that Sherry’s exposure to the G Virus altered her permanently and study her healing capabilities, how the fuck was that not the same with Ethan???

Also, how is it that the mold’s impact on him is so much higher? he was at the Baker estate for like, 2 days max and while, yes, he did sustain some serious damage, he never fell prey to Eveline’s control and showed absolutely no signs of infection outside of being able to heal/use his hand after it was chopped off. and depending on how you played RE7, the only major injury he sustains aside from probable bruising or broken bones is that hand being cut off as mentioned before

You’re also going to tell me of the number of Resident Evil characters who have been infected with viruses and parasites and what have you and have been cured or had the negative effects negated, Ethan was the only one “too far gone” to be saved??? Jill got infected with T Virus, Claire has been infected by two separate viruses, Leon has survived a parasite infection, both Zoe and Mia were exposed to mold for years and seem to be okay...why is it that Ethan was the only one who couldn’t be saved? because he “died”? how in the world did he get infected so fast - he’d been there an hour, max! - that he was able to be revived in the first place and it wasn’t even noticeable that he had changed at all???

“the BSAA can’t be trusted anymore, they’re involved in shady shit, like deploying bioweapons into battle”

we already went through this a bit back in Revelations 1 with the blackmailed director and double agents. but to full on go “well, the entire organization is now dirty” after it was legit founded by Chris, Jill, and Barry to combat bioterrorism really sits wrong with me. all i can think is that they are running out of villains at this point and now are poising the BSAA to be a Big Bad in the future. which, again, doesn’t sit right with me

Retconning

Tying Ozwell E. Spencer back to Miranda wasn’t such a huge dealbreaker for me, but it is a bit obnoxious to now have to go back and amend “he came up with the idea for Umbrella and its pursuits with Marcus and Ashford, its other founding members” to “well, he didn’t actually come up with the idea for Umbrella and its research with Marcus and Ashford, he already had the idea from his time spent with Miranda uwu”

More so, the retconning around Eveline is a bit of a pain in the ass. So she only came about as a result of Miranda crossing paths with the Connections and giving them some of her mold to work with? And Eveline was only a failed experiment to Miranda in her attempt to be able to transfer her daughter’s essence/subconscious/whatever into a living child? And there are pictures of ‘10 year old” Eveline in Miranda’s possession - how come Evie didn’t have any memory of her at all (speaking of Evie, why the fuck did she appear in 8 briefly as a hallucination [?] to explain to Ethan his condition???)

How are you going to try and tell me that some village from prior to the 19th century was using the “Umbrella” symbol and Spencer just snatched it for himself? that was just stupid, honestly - even more stupid how Ethan didn’t recognize the symbol, despite flying off in a Blue UMBRELLA helicopter at the end of RE7

Mocap and cutscenes

Was it just me or did parts of this game look severely unpolished compared to RE7??? some parts looked good - like the Dimitresus all seemed to be rendered very well. It became very noticeable to me in the back half of the game, mainly with Chris and Mia, but a little with Heisenberg too, where their mouths didn’t match up with the dialogue a lot and they looked a lot less put together than previous scenes and characters. Mia in particular, i was struck by how much better her mocap seemed in RE7 compared to RE8. Maybe because there was a bigger ensemble cast in 8 that they spread themselves a little too thin in that regard?

#i don't know how i feel throwing this in the main tags so i'm only putting my warning on the top of the post and not in the tags

[dazombi3fari3]

Hey doll hey!!! How’s your day/night going? Great I hope. I had a pretty good day … but it’s night now here in Florida and I am starting to hurt pretty badly…. I think I over did it today.

I noticed that I haven’t done any Monthly Beauty Favorites so I thought I’d start a new series for this blog… hope you like it.

Before we start I just wanted to shade with you what I made for dinner tonight! I am so proud of myself. I’ve never made Salmon on my own… I always just order it from a restaurant… but with the national quarantine and all the sit down restaurants being closed I’ve had to step out of my  comfort zone and teach myself to cook things I normally would order out! so …. here it is …

Honey lemon Salmon and garlic butter and corn white rice. This dish was so sublime that I don’t think I’ll ever order Salmon when we go out to eat again!

Not all categories will have a high end and drugstore entry. Please Note that I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any of the products or companies that I mention in this blog post. * Warning this will be a long post … just grab a snack, something to drink and settle in … I promise you wont be sorry for reading this post….. Well … Without further ado …let’s get into my April 2020 Beauty Favorites.

Favorite Beauty Store:

Beautylish has got to be my all time favorite place to shop for all things beauty!! 

I’ve been shopping at Beautylish for well over 5 years. Their customer service is of the highest quality. Their shipping rate is a flat rate of $5 on all orders (in the US it’s $5 on all orders under $35 anything above $35 is free shipping). The only downside is that they are unable to ship to P.O. boxes. They offer flex payments on orders of $100 or more where you pay a down payment and then they spread the rest of the bill over  3 to 4 payments depending how much the bill comes to. The down payment amount also depends on the amount spent… For example: I just placed an order for $102. I paid $37 as the down payment and the rest was split into 3 equal payments to be due on the 1st of each month. The due date depends on the date of purchase. I tend to pay my flex payments off faster than the allotted time, but it’s great to know I have the 3 months just in case I need them. Beautylish also ships international the the following countries: Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium,Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE, U.K., and U.S. Beautylish carries the following brands:

A

Aethera Beauty

Allies of Skin

Alphabet Bags

Anastasia Beverly Hills

Anna Sui

Ardell

Artis

ARTISAN&ARTIST

B

beautyblender

Beautylish Presents

BeautySoClean

BECCA Cosmetics

belif

Benefit Cosmetics

Benjabelle

Billy B

Bioderma

bkr

boscia

Briogeo

Brush Works

Bumble and bumble.

BY TERRY

C

Caudalie

Charlotte Tilbury

Chemist Confessions

CHIKUHODO

Clean Apothecary

COOLA

COVER | FX

D

Danessa Myricks Beauty

Dominique Cosmetics

Dr. Barbara Sturm

DUO

E

Eau Thermale Avène

Embryolisse

EVE LOM

Evian

F

Farmacy

G

Glamcor

Good Molecules

H

Hampton Sun

Herbalore

HoliFrog

Hourglass

I

ILIA

Indie Lee

Inglot Cosmetics

IT Cosmetics

J

Jeffree Star Cosmetics

JILL STUART Beauty

Jo Malone London

Jouer Cosmetics

JUNO & Co.

K

Kevyn Aucoin

Kjaer Weis

Klorane

Koh Gen Do

KOYUDO

L

La Mer

LASHES IN A BOX

Lilly Lashes

LINA CHOO

Lit Cosmetics

Lixirskin

Lord Jones

Lucas’ Papaw Remedies

M

MAHALO Skin Care

Make-Up Atelier

Max & Me

May Lindstrom

Mila Moursi

Miss Fame Beauty

Moon Juice

MYKITCO.

N

Natasha Denona

Naturally Serious

Nomad Noé

Nudestix

O

Omorovicza

Oribe

P

Pai Skincare

Parian Spirit

Paw Palette

Peter Thomas Roth

Q

Quintessence Paris

R

R+Co

Rae Morris

Raincry

RCMA Makeup

ReFa

Rene Furterer

rms beauty

S

SACHAJUAN

Saint Jane Beauty

Seche

Sisley-Paris

Skin Inc Supplement Bar

Skindinavia

Slip

Smith & Cult

Smith Cosmetics

Sol de Janeiro

Sonia G.

St. Tropez

Stila

Sugarpill Cosmetics

Sulwhasoo

Sunday Riley

Surratt Beauty

Susanne Kaufmann

Suwada

T

T3

Takahashi Hiroko

Taos AER

TEMPTU

The Beauty Chef

The Brush Guard

The Ordinary.

The Sacred Ritual

TOM FORD

Too Faced

TRIA Beauty

Tweezerman

U

U Beauty

Uma

UNITS

V

VDL

Velour Lashes

Vintner’s Daughter

Viseart

Vital Proteins

Vueset

W

Wayne Goss

Z

ZIIP

Z•Palette

I truly love to shop with them because the take time to package my purchases with care, it never takes more than a week to get my packages (except for now, it’s taking about 2-3 weeks because of the Corona Virus), and they have a great return policy: Their website states that their return policy is: If you are less than completely satisfied with your purchase, you may return your order within 60 days (from the delivery date) for a refund. We regret that we are unable to cover return shipping costs or refund the original shipping and duties charges unless the return was due to our error. Products must be returned in new or gently used condition. If your product arrived either damaged or defective, please contact us right away. Sets/bundles are sold as-is and products cannot be substituted, customized, and/or returned individually.

I’ve never had any issues with their services, in fact there was 1 time around 3 years ago that I ordered something from the brand It Cosmetics and the wrong item was delivered to me, I contact them straight away and they sent me out the product I had originally ordered that same day and as a way to apologize for the mistake they even allowed me to keep the product that I had received in error.

  Favorite Amazon Beauty Finds:

Pixnor 5″3″ Stainless Steel Makeup Palette with Spatula Tool $6.99 on Amazon: I am so happy I purchased this!!  I use to apply foundation to the back of my hand and then bonce my sponge off my hand … what I found is that this would cause waste of product because some of the foundation would sink into my skin and I would have to use more foundation… now I just apply a few pumps onto the palette and there is zero waste. I also love the spatula because I can use it to scrape moisturizers out of the jar without having to use my fingers. I also use the spatula to mix dew drops into my foundation and now I don’t have a big mess on my hands. 

Segbeauty 5.4oz/160ml Continuous Spray Plastic Squirt Bottle With A Fine Mist $14.99 on Amazon: This bottle is a curly hair girls dream!! It provides just the right amount of moisture without over-wetting your hair. It has a 360 degree sprayer and it’s perfect for re-wetting hair in the morning to restyle and freshen up curls. This bottle has changed my hair game for the better.

Every Drop Beauty Spatula $5.89 on Amazon. I’ve always hated the thought that there was still product in the bottom and sides of my products after I’ve run out. I started cutting plastic tubes open to get every last drop on product out but with bottles you just can’t do that. I came across this little baby when I was just browsing the beauty tools section of Amazon one day and thought OH! PERFECT!!! This spatula gets all the way to the bottom, the sides, and even the shoulders of bottles! I now have zero waste with my beauty products. I love this item so much that I have ordered it’s baby sister product the Every Drop Lip Spatula for $5.49 I ordered 2 one for lipsticks and lip glosses and one for concealers and other small wand items. This has truly helped me not waste my money by allowing me to get every last drop of product out of their containers.

Favorite Makeup Tool:

Face Halo Makeup Remover Pads: $17.60 for a 3 pack on Amazon. This little puppy is the perfect accompaniment to my vastly growing Eco-friendly arsenal. I find that I do not use as much of my Bioderma now because I am not using it to take off my makeup before I use it as my first cleanse…. 1 round is enough to completely remove all of my makeup from my face, neck, and ear lobes! You just soak it with warm water and remove your makeup… and it does remove 100% of my makeup, including lash glue! I just simply wash it after every use and it dries quickly too. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a way to reduce your carbon foot print on the planet!

Favorite Makeover Product: 

Schwarzkopf Keratin Permanent Hair Color Cream in the shade 4.6 Intense Cocoa $9.97 on Amazon (but Amazon only allows you to purchase 1 so I ordered 3 more from Walgreens.com buy 2 get 1 free for the same price). This was the first time I used this product and I’ve gotta tell ya … This has got to be the BEST boxed hair color on the market. It has Anti-Breakage Technology called K·BOND-PLEX technology (that repairs inner hair structure) and a Pre-Color Serum (that leaves your hair looking healthy and strong, with less hair breakage). It also doesn’t have that harsh hair dye smell to it. In fact my hair smelled so good that it was like I had just simply washed my hair. The conditioner it comes with left my hair so smooth and soft and fluffy. I believe they use the same technology as Olaplex does because my hair felt as if I had just done an Olaplex treatment to it. This will definitely be a product I repurchase again and again. 

Favorite Candle:

Bath and Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel 3 Wick Candle: This sadly is my last Vanilla Bean Noel candle… I purchase this scent every year at Christmas time … I stock up when they have their holiday sale and typically purchase 20 of them… it’s just the best scent ever

Favorite Body Care Item:

Nivea Essentially Enriched Body Lotion with Almond Oil $5 at Walmart for 16.9 Fluid Ounces: I use to use Bath and Body Works body creams but with my Fibromyalgia I tend to get very sensitive itchy skin and have noticed that the Bath and Body Works creams would aggravate my already sensitive skin … So on a whim I picked this up a few months ago. Firstly a little of this goes a long way. It’s very creamy and very hydrating and has a soft Almond scent to it. It sinks in quickly and doesn’t leave me body feeling greasy. I’m pleasantly surprised at how wonderful this product is.

Favorite Hair Care Item:

Olaplex No 6 Bond Smoother $28 for 3.3 fluid ounces at Sephora and No 7 Bonding Oil $28 for 1 fluid ounces at Sephora: These two products work together you add a few drops of the oil into the smoother and mix it together. I use this once about ever few days to revive my curls… since I don’t wash my hair everyday I need something to help my curls revive. I typically only wash my hair 1 time a week since I don’t put any hair products into my hair. This not only smells amazing, it leaves my hair soft and replenished and defines my curls when they start to go a bit frizzy. A little bit goes along way I only use a quarter sized amount of the smoother and about 5 drops of the oil. This is another item that has seriously upped my curly girl hair game.

Favorite Movie : (I know this isn’t beauty related, but I take my movie time to do my spa treatments … so I included it as a favorite.)

Synopsis: When Cecilia’s abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see. This was a very well thought out movie with lots of twists and turns. Highly Recomend.

Favorite Spa Day Item:

Revolution Skincare x Jake-Jamie Avocado Face Mask $11 for 1.6 ounces at Ulta: This mask is amazingly moisturizing. I use it once a week and my skin feels heavenly afterwards.

Favorite Skincare Item: 

I tried a ton of skincare in the month of April and there were several things that I loved but I would have to say that my all time favorite item(s) are as follows:

My 2 whole face (including eyes) serum routine: #1. Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum $12 for 1 fluid ounce through Beautylish (it’s also sold on the Good Molecules website) and it’s function is to target fine lines, wrinkles, and dullness. #2. Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum $6 for 1 fluid ounce through Beautylish (it’s also sold on the Good Molecules website) and it’s function is to replenish your skin’s moisture by drawing moisture into the skin for deep hydration.  My skin has never looks this good since I was in my teens. Both these serums are light weight and sink into the skin quickly and you only need 1/2 a dropper for your full face and neck … I also use whatever is left on my hands to rub into my hands as sort of a treat for my hands.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Light Face Sunscreen Fluid Broad Spectrum SPF 60: $29.99 for 1.7 fluid ounces and I purchase mine through Amazon. Ever since I starting using this sunscreen I have decluttered all other facial sunscreens. This is the perfect consistency for me. It’s light weight and hydrating. It sinks into the skin amazingly fast. It doesn’t interfere with my makeup application and it doesn’t have that sunscreen scent. BONUS: It’s a 60+ sunscreen which is the ideal level of protection for the face. 

  Favorite Face Primer: 

Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer $39 for .5 ounces at Ulta and Sephora: I typically switch up my face primers every day or two but the one that I use everyday is this one. It just fills in my pores so well that I reach for it time and time again over all of my pore primers.

Favorite High End Foundation:

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation $44 for 1 fluid ounce through Beautylish (but can also be purchased through Sephora and the Charlotte Tilbury website). As I said in my haul of this item this is such a beautiful foundation. I just can’t stop looking at my face anytime I’m wearing it. This full coverage foundation leaves my skin looking youthful and flawless. It plays well with dew drops mixed in and plays well with any primer. I will always have this foundation in my collections.

Favorite Drug Store Foundation: 

Believe Beauty Skin Finish Foundation: $5 for .85 fluid ounces only at Dollar General Stores. This foundation surprised me I truly didn’t believe that this was going to be a good foundation, however it is a FANTASTIC foundation and is  is a medium to full coverage. This is a semi-dewy foundation. What I mean is it’s just dewy enough to give you that youthful look without being to extreme. It lasts all day and doesn’t break down. I hope they never stop making this foundation!

Favorite High End BB/CC/Tinted Moisturizer: 

Tarte Maracuja Tinted Moisturizer $29 for 1 fluid ounce of product at Ulta. This is a super dewy product but not in a greasy sort of way. It’s light coverage and sets with powder nicely. This is such a beautiful product.. so much so that I purchased a back up just in case they pull it off the shelves. I find that it’s best to apply this one with your fingers since it’s such light coverage that using a sponge with soak it all up and using a brush will leave it looking streaky.

Favorite Concealer:

NYX Born to Glow Radiant Concealer $9 for .14 fluid ounces at Ulta. This is such a beautiful concealer! It doesn’t settle into my fine lines as long as I set it straight away upon application. It doesn’t crack throughout the day. A little tiny bit is all you need. It’s full coverage without being super thick. It gives an amazing glow to the under eye that can still be seen even after you set it with powder. I’d probably go out on a limb and say this may be my favorite concealer all year.

Favorite Cream Bronzer/Contour: I wont be having 2 categories for this one… mainly because I don’t have a drug store option for this category as of yet, I have since purchased a drug store option today.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand in the shade 2 Medium/Dark $38 for .41 fluid ounces purchased through Beautylish (but can be purchased at Sephora and the Charlotte Tilbury website). I can’t believe I am saying that this is my favorite!! I have loved the Chanel Soleil De Chanel cream bronzer for so long that I didn’t think anything would ever replace it! Sad to say the Chanel bronzer was discontinued and a new cream bronzer replaced it … it looks more hydrating than the one I have so I’m keen to try it however … let’s talk Hollywood Contour Wand shall we!? This is the first cream contour product I’ve ever tried (bronze to me didn’t seem as scary as cream contour did). It is easy to use, easy to blend in, and gives the skin a natural looking contour. This is a light weight very pigmented product. You don’t get much product for the price tag, however a very little goes a very long way. I use 1 squeeze ever 2 days (it’s a sponge tipped applicator so the product stays in the sponge… I just squeeze 1 time and have enough product left over on the sponge that the next day I just have to dot what remains over the perimeter of my face. Unlike the Chanel bronzer this product doesn’t disrupt my foundation underneath. I love this product so much that I place an order today for a back up. 

Favorite Matte Bronzer/Contour:

Mac Bronzing Powder in the shade matte bronze: $30 for .35 ounces of product. I’ve had this compact for probably way too long because it’s starting to get hard pan, so I scraped the hard pan off … the powder works fine. The picture of the hand on the left is without flash and the one on the right is with flash. It’s just the perfect everyday natural looking bronzer. You can’t over do it with this bronzer since it’s so light of coverage. I always love my look when I’m wearing this one.

Favorite Glowy Bronzer :

Tarte Limited Edition Park Ave Princess Waterproof Face & Body Bronzer $34 for .55 ounces of product at Ulta. I do love a good glowy bronzer and this one does not disappoint! It’s the perfect shade, has just the right amount of glow without having shimmer to it … it’s just this glow from within! I just love how my skin looks with this bronzer on.

Favorite Dewy Primer: 

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter in the shade #3 Light/Medium $44 for 1.01 fluid ounces on the Beautylish website (can also be purchased from Sephora or the Charlotte Tilbury website). Ever since getting this product in I have not been able to put it down! It’s freaking amazing!!! AMAZING! It has just enough of a tint that this could be worn alone for “No Makeup” makeup days and has the perfect amount of glow without having any shimmer to it. 1 swipe per zone is all you need of this primer. It’s not sticky or greasy and it does hold foundation nicely.

Favorite Cream Highlighter: 

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Beauty Light Wand $39 for .41 fluid ounces on the Beautylish website (can also be purchased from Sephora or the Charlotte Tilbury website). I have tried many cream highlighters and hate every single one, until this one came into my life! This highlighter is just magical! It doesn’t disrupt the foundation under neither, it melts into the skin seamlessly, and it has no glitter to it… just a natrual looking glow. The glow can still be seen even after setting it with powder! I haven’t been able to stop using it because I’m so in love with it.

Favorite High End Face Powder:

Too Faced Born This Way Ethereal Setting Powder in the shade Translucent $33 for .53 ounces of product at Ulta and Sephora. This powder has the most beautiful finish ever! It give a slight glow to the skin without looking like glitter or shimmer. This one has taken the place of my beloved Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in my heart. I just never want to be without it!!! It doesn’t take much of this powder to set the full face either. I tap 3 shakes into the cap and that sets my full face! It even looks amazing under the eyes.

Favorite Drug Store Face Powder:

Believe Beauty Matte Blur Loose Powder in the shade Translucent $5 for .14 ounces of product sold only at Dollar General. This is such a light weight powder that sets the face flawlessly. It is matte but doesn’t leave the face looking cakey or dry. It even looks good under the eyes. I have repurchased this 2 time since discovering it and I have 2 back ups.

Favorite High End Finishing and Touch Up Setting Powder:

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder $45 for .28 ounces of product on the Beautylish website (can also be purchased at Sephora and on the Charlotte Tilbury website). This gives the prettiest soft focus to the face and doesn’t change the look of your makeup when you touch up with it. I find on days that I wear this one as a finishing powder I don’t have to touch up at all. I don’t quiet like this one as a setting powder, just as a finishing powder and touch up powder and sad to say I have hit pan … this is the most expensive pressed powder I own but it’s so worth it and I will definitely be repurchasing it when I’ve finished it.

Favorite Drug Store Finishing and Touch Up Setting Powder:

JCat Beauty AquaSurance Compact Foundation $13.99 for .31 ounces of product at Ulta. This is a spot on dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder. It’s basically a fuller coverage version and I can use it to set my set as well and I never have to touch up at all when I use this powder.

Favorite Powder Highlighter: 

Benefit Boxed Highlighter in the shade Cookie $30 for .28 ounces of product at Ulta and Sephora. OH BABY! This highlighter is so pretty and little is all you need. This is a beaming highlighter so definitely not for low maintenance makeup day but add this to your full glam look and watch out…. it’s the perfect highlighter to be noticed in.

Favorite Blush:

Tarte 12-HR Amazonian Clay Blush in the shade Captivating $29 for .2 ounce of product at Ulta and Sephora. This is the best just pinched shade I’ve ever owned. I wore it a ton in April and for good reason. It goes with everything from “No Makeup” makeup looks to full on glam looks. It lasts all day and is probably my all time favorite blush shade.

Favorite Lip Combo:

L’Oreal Rouge Signature Lightweight Matte Lip Stain ($5.99 at Ulta) in the shade 448 I-Tease (a soft taupey pink matte) a few dots of Makeup Geek Creme Stain ($11.99 on their website) in the shade Jitterbug (an intense coral matte) a touch of NARS Lip Gloss ($24 on the NARS website) in the shade Stripe Tease  (Sheer champagne nude). This makes the perfect shade for every look. I’ve worn this only for the past few days of April but I can already tell it will be worn a ton in the month of May.

Favorite Powder to Set My Under Eyes:

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder $28 for .14 ounces of product at Ulta and Sephora. This just leaves the under eyes looking flawless and it sets every concealer I own except the Dermablend concealer (that concealer is just too heavy and took emollient that nothing really sets it and I would return it but I lost the uni-carton it came in so Ulta wont take it back). I wish this came in a larger jar because I just know I will be repurchasing this over and over. It gives this soft focus glow to the under eye area that isn’t shimmery or glittery … just a sort of glow from within look.

Favorite Brow Pencil:

Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil $24 at Ulta and Sephora for .27 ounces of product. I have purchased this pencil 2 time since discovering it and I have 1 back up. This is just the most effortless brow product ever. I almost never have a bad brow day when I use this pencil. It’s a definite recommend in my book.

Favorite Brow Gel: 

Believe Beauty Eyebrow Styling Gel $4 for .2 ounces of product sold only at Dollar General. Even though it’s only got .2 ounces of product this brow gel lasts a long time. You only need 1 pass of the wand to fully set your brow. It is never crunchy and never goes flaky. The picture is of my back ups … this sucker goes fast at the store so I pick up 2 or 3 every time I go to Dollar General so I never run out. I adore this one so much that I never reach for my other brow gels.

Favorite High End Eye Shadow Palette: 

Too Faced Born This Way The Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette $45. It has 8 matte shades and 8 shimmer shades and you get .48 total ounces of product and is sold at Ulta and Sephora. Some of my all time favorite looks this past month have come from this palette! I just adore it so much. Too Faced really hit it out of the park with this one.

Favorite Drug Store Eye Shadow Palette: (I have 3, 1 is a bit more pricier, 1 is mid-ranged and the other is super inexpensive)

ColourPop Bare Necessities 30 Pan Eyeshadow Palette $34 on the ColourPop website. I have created so many beautiful neutral eye looks with this palette! With 30 shades I never get bored of this one.

  Believe Beauty Eyeshadow Palette  in the color story: Nearly Nude $5 only sold at Dollar General. It’s just simple an amazing palette. I was highly impressed with this one. I got a few looks out of it and it’s the perfect size for travel.

  Catrice Basic Bae Eyeshadow Palette $14.99 at Ulta. This was the first thing I ever tried from Catrice and I was super impressed! The shadows are super pigmented and blend like a dream.

Favorite Eye Liner:

Charlotte Tilbury The Classic Powder Eye Pencil in the shade Audrey $22 on the Beautylish website (but can also be purchased at Sephora and on the Charlotte Tilbury website). Now this one was a surprise to me. I hated this pencil when I first tried it…. I could never get it to work… Well I finally figured it out and I am in love. It gives such a effortless look to the eyes when I use it. This will be a repurchase when I run out.

Favorite Mascara: 

Milani Dangerous Lengths 3D Mascara regularly $9.99 nut currently on sale for $7.49 at Ulta. This is another item that surprised me but ever since I’ve been conditioning my lashes with the Jamaican Black Castor Oil my lashes have been looking so nice and combined with the mascara I just fell in love…. I can’t believe I have a favorite mascara and it’s, for the first time in years, not the L’Oreal voluminous Carbon Black!!! This just gives a nice fluffy airy look to the lashes.

Favorite Inner Corner Highlight:

Hikari Creme Pigment in the shade Honey Dew $15 on their website. I have been using this for a few years now but I just can’t seem to stay away. It just give the prettiest lilt to the inner corners.

Favorite Setting Spray: (I have 2 this month)

ColourPop Hyaluronic Acid Setting Mist $12 for 3.72 fluid ounces of product at Ulta and on the ColourPop website. This setting spray smells like the beach and leaves the skin looking dewy and healthy. It holds your makeup fairly well … I don’t really need a setting spray that will hold my makeup on until the wee hours of the morning, I just need a spray that will take down the powderiness of freshly applied makeup.  I’ve been using this bottle for 2 months and I’m almost out of it. This makes me sad because it’s sold out everywhere. I think this may just be my favorite setting spray of the year.

Belif Aqua Bomb Mist $34 for 2 2.02 fluid ounces of product on the Beautylish website (but can also be purchased at Ulta and Sephora). This one adds tons of hydration to the skin and I love it as a touch up spray too. Lately I have been using it in combination with the other setting spray just to add a bit more hydration to my under eye area. 

Favorite Find of the Year So Far: 

HonHey Portable Hand Held Rechargeable Fan. $13 on Amazon. I purchased this back in the beginning of March but it has quickly become my favorite beauty extra! It helps me dry my setting spray and lash glue. It also helps keep me cooler when the hot lights of my makeup table start to make me over heat. It has a great charge life as well. 

Well … We have reached the end dolls. Thank you ever so much for hanging in there with this post …. I know it was a long one … but this is the flagship post of this series and I thought I should be as thorough as possible with at least the first in the series… Now that’s not to say I wont have heaps of favorites in any given month, but I may just have a few favorites in other months too.

Well that’s all for now dolls. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day/night and that your spirits are high and your health is good! Remember dolls, Save a spoon for a bit of lipstick.

XOXO

April 2020 Beauty Favorites Hey doll hey!!! How's your day/night going? Great I hope. I had a pretty good day ...

#Beauty #beauty haul #favorites #Makeup #makeup haul #makeup review #makeup swatches #Product Review #Skin Care #Swatches

[kp-reading-blog]

One Summer Day: A Short Story by LG O'Connor

One Summer Day is a prequel novelette to L.G. O'Connor's novel Shelter My Heart. It serves as a standalone offering to introduce new readers to the world of her Kindle Press Book. Check it out and learn more about the romantic world of Shelter My Heart!

You can also check out the feature of her book and find out more about characters of that world and pick up your copy!

Author's Note

Meet Jenny and Devon ten months before their story begins in Shelter My Heart. This short prequel gives you a glimpse into three of my favorite characters: Jenny, Devon, and his twin, Lettie. These characters have flaws, doubts, and in some cases, shattered dreams, but they also have hope and determination. This story, like all of the stories in the Caught Up in Love series, has a central theme of love, loyalty, and the meaning of family. Welcome to my Kindle Press world!

About One Summer Day

Recently dumped by her long-time boyfriend and still looking for her first job out of college, Jenny is grieving the recent loss of a family member, the fourth in six years. Her aunt thinks their family is plagued by death, Jenny doesn’t disagree. She only wishes she wasn’t partially to blame for the first one.

In remission for the last twelve months, Devon won a battle for his life to sacrifice what’s left of it to protect his family. Groomed since birth to step into his deceased father’s shoes as CEO of the family’s multi-billion-dollar conglomerate when he turns twenty-five, Devon has fourteen months left to prepare with the help of his twin sister Lettie…if he lives that long.

She's haunted by nightmares of the past.

He's bound to a future he can't escape.

All they want to do is forget for One Summer Day.

One Summer Day

Chapter 1

Jenny

“THEY’RE BACK.” I slide deeper into the plush couch across the desk from my therapist, Dr. Graham, inside her sleek, modern office. Like an addict admitting a slip, I whisper, “The nightmares…they’re back.”

Not that shocking, since I lost someone else I love two weeks ago. The perfect trigger for unhinging my coping mechanisms and opening the Vault of Black Doom to prey on my grief and drag back me into its macabre maw.

My aunt Jill thinks our family is cursed by the specter of death. Maybe. Someone close to me has died every two years since I was sixteen, Great-Aunt Vee makes the fourth. Right on time. I’m twenty-two.

The guilt I carry over the first death, my friend Brittany, and knowing I’m partially to blame, is what brought me to Dr. Graham six years ago. That, and the near catatonic state I was in after finding her body. Nightmares and other PTSD-like symptoms have plagued me on and off ever since, along with an unnatural fear of the people I love dying. After Brittany, the other deaths felt like punishment.

So here I am, on the heels of my great-aunt’s memorial service. A total mess. Again.

Unlike before, someone new haunts my dreams. A guy I’ve never met. His face remains out of view, though I’ve seen the back of his sandy-blond head and a sliver of his profile. Not enough to pick him out in a crowd.

Dr. Graham, a slender and attractive woman in her late thirties, lifts a perfectly shaped brow and scribbles a note. “The same dream as before?”

I chew my lip and shake my head. “No…I don’t know this person, and I didn’t see his eyes.”

That’s the other thing that’s different. I never see his body. I wish I could say the same about all the others.

I shiver and remember the morning I found Brittany. Cool mist hanging in the early morning air at the campsite just past sunrise. Brittany, lips parted, lying in her sleeping bag. Her sightless eyes wearing the filmy, white calling card of Death. My screams…

It’s a memory I can’t expunge from my brain no matter how hard I try. In my nightmares, the dead eyes are always there, it’s only the person who changes.

My hands tremble with remembered panic as I run them over my shorts. “I was trapped on a plane, far away. They kept us on the tarmac and wouldn’t let us take off. I couldn’t save him.” Phantom pain, raw and bottomless, assaults me and raises a lump in my throat when I think of failing him over and over, every night for a week. My lip quivers and I brush away an escaping tear. “This hurts more than the others. I don’t know why.”

There’s an odd intimacy between me and the faceless stranger. Something important is at stake. Whatever it is, his survival hinges on me. And I fail him. Every. Night. Just like Brittany.

Dr. Graham gentles her voice and relaxes the hold on her pen, tapping it on her notepad. “Given the plane, perhaps this new man is a metaphor for Russ’s departure. How do you feel now that he’s been gone a few weeks?”

Simmering anger replaces any weepiness over the blond guy and a heavy scowl settles over my lips.

Russ. His name sits silently on my tongue like a lead weight. He’d been my boyfriend since high school, and my ex-boyfriend ever since he accepted a job in California—three thousand miles from Summit, New Jersey—without me. We’d graduated in May from NYU. His tech degree scored him an offer in July at a start-up in Silicon Valley, while my communications degree… Well, let’s just say I’m still waitressing and living off tips.

Abandoned. That’s how I feel.

My jaw tics. “How am I supposed to feel?” I pick at my chipped Posey Pink polish, my new favorite color until it became a reminder of the night Russ and I broke up.

Bastard. I’m not even close to being over it.

I try to stifle a replay of our beach weekend at the Jersey shore almost a month before Great-Aunt Vee died. I lose…

****

I hold up my champagne flute. An excited flush fills my cheeks as I smile, ready to celebrate my upcoming job interview at a prestigious media company in New York City. “To our bright future?”

Instead of picking up his glass, Russ flinches and takes my hand across the candlelit table. He’s been distracted ever since we arrived at the bed and breakfast this afternoon. Even our pre-dinner lovemaking fell flat.

“What’s the matter?” I ask, reaching the limit of my patience and trying to ignore the uncomfortable buzz traveling over my skin.

The flickering candlelight dances over his dark curls and sends shadows across his face. The set of his jaw and the distant look in his swoon-worthy green eyes puts me on edge.

“I have something to tell you,” he whispers, and then kisses the back of my hand before releasing it.

I sit up straighter and a shiver travels down my bare back. “What is it?”

Taking a deep breath, he lowers his gaze to the table. “I got a job offer from a company called Nanotekx.”

I lean into my chair and frown. “When was this?” And why didn’t I know about the interview?

His face flushes a light pink. “Recently…”

My instincts fire, sending my stomach into free fall. Liar.

My brain rapidly snaps the puzzle together, and the distance between us widens into a cavernous gorge. My voice turns hollow. “Where are they located?”

“Silicon Valley,” he whispers, still not looking at me.

My lips part as the last piece falls into place. “You’ve accepted,” I whisper back. An icy numbness settles in the center of my chest, knowing the answer to the next question before I ask. “And you’re going alone…”

“I’m sorry…,” he whispers, peeking up to meet my gaze. “This doesn’t mean… I just need to get established first…”

I can’t speak. I’ve lost the ability to form words. Yeah, a bright future, but not for us. For him. He plans to leave me behind.

At least he has the good sense to look regretful. “I love you, Jen. That hasn’t changed.”

Bile and the bitter taste of betrayal rises in my throat. I push back my chair and drop the napkin on the table. “Obviously, not enough,” I grit out. “I thought…”

Angry tears collect in my eyes and I brush them away. I thought we’d get an apartment, have some fun, and plan our future together.

“Please, Jen,” he whispers, his pleading eyes glitter a green that used to weaken my knees. “I’m not saying we should break-up, just see how things work out.” He reaches for my hand, but I snatch it out of reach.

“And how’s that supposed to work?” I snap. “I thought we were doing this together. What happened to that?”

He sighs, and his shoulders collapse forward. “My parents think I should go alone.”

I knew it. They always wanted him to find someone with more potential than me. Translation: someone from a wealthier family. It’s been a bone of contention in our relationship since day one.

“No,” I whisper. “Let’s not do that. You’ve made your choice, and it’s not me.”

Before I realize what I’ve done, I’m halfway across the dining room, taking whatever dignity I have left with me. I’m not going to waste any more of my life on someone who doesn’t have the strength to choose me.

“Wait! Jen…”

I don’t stop.

****

Dr. Graham gives me a pointed look and taps a finger to her lips. “Doesn’t this separation give you an opportunity to test your love?”

I grimace. “How do you figure that?”

She tents her hands and leans towards me. “Do you miss him?”

I shake my head. “I’ve been too mad.”

“Maybe that’s your answer,” she says gently.

“What answer is that? That I’m not important? That I don’t matter?” I’m unable to hide my bitterness. “I gave him six years of my life, for what? So he could run off without me? I thought…I don’t know what I thought.” Whatever it was, he’s no longer in my nightmares. He’s no longer someone I’m afraid to lose because I’ve already lost him.

I study my nails and admit the truth. “He betrayed my trust, and I’m not sure I can ever forgive him for that.”

Dr. Graham smiles and asks, “So who’s the stranger?”

Great question. I run my hands over the gooseflesh suddenly covering my arms. “No clue…Whoever he is, he’s someone I’m afraid will die.”

Chapter 2

Devon

MY PAINTBRUSH hugs the canvas like a lover’s touch as I take refuge in creating whatever the hell it is I’m creating. Nothing about the painting felt right until I added her. Why my landscape needs a woman crouching at the water’s edge, I’ll never understand. But something about the way my brush sensuously caresses the curve of her neck sends my mind heading in a much different direction.

I lean back and soak in my monthly therapy assignment—to create a place of solace—and a smile creeps onto my lips.

My concentration breaks with a rubber band snapping and the sting of it hitting the back of my head.

“What the—?” I snarl, spinning on my stool in the light-filled studio to find James grinning like an idiot next to his easel. We’re the only two who showed up today. Not that I can blame everyone else. It’s a sunny Saturday in early September. According to some, it’s the perfect time for an end of summer holiday. Wish I had the time to take one, but with the little time I do have, I’d rather paint.

James wiggles his eyebrows and points to my canvas. “Dude, you want to go clubbing tonight? Looks like you need to get laid.”

I snort and give him a cocky grin. “Tempting, but I don’t need to go clubbing to get laid, man.”

Yeah, well, maybe I do, or one of those dating apps, but I’m not about to admit it. Besides, that would involve contact with a real woman, and right now, I have all I can handle keeping my own counsel to retain my goddamn sanity outside the sanctity of this studio. It’s my safe place. A place I can escape everyone else’s expectations and do what I love. Today, that’s painting a tranquil place I once visited in England’s Lake District.

Our painter’s loft is on the top floor of a ten-story, pre-war building near Mount Sinai Hospital on New York City’s Upper East Side. The studio occupies a corner unit with high windows on two sides. Just shy of nine hundred square feet, the space has twelve-foot ceilings, a kitchenette, bathroom, hang-out area with a sofa and two chairs, six work stations, and a storage room.

I share it with James and four of our cohorts as part of a hospital-sponsored experimental arts program. All of us are cancer survivors in varying stages of remission. My chemo ended a year ago. I’m in full remission, but I’m not out of the woods. Not by a long shot.

Chemo nearly destroyed my kidneys, putting a major crimp in my life. I’m getting by for now on diet, exercise, and meds. But that won’t last forever. Whatever happens, dialysis isn’t an option for reasons that aren’t medical.

Outside of here, obligations of gargantuan proportions lurk, ready to coil around my neck and throttle me to death. With the help of my twin sister Lettie, every second of my life is absorbed in learning all there is to know about Kingsbridge Industries.

As heir to my father’s global conglomerate, in eighteen months when I turn twenty-five, I will take over as CEO from the board that’s been running the show since my father died.

If I live that long.

If I don’t, we could lose everything. And I’m not only talking about money.

I hop off my stool and walk over to take a gander at James’s work. He’s got a hot nude going on that’s painted in black watercolor brush strokes of varying thickness. It’s good but borders on pornographic. I cock a brow and stare harder. I take that back, it is pornographic. Hidden within the folds of fabric pooled between her thighs is a rather large phallus.

“And you think I need to get laid?” I snort and give his shoulder a friendly shove. James, standing a few of inches taller than my six feet one, throws out a foot to keep his lanky frame from slipping off the stool. Like me, he’s done with chemo and has been N.E.D. (no evidence of disease) for the last twelve months.

Sweeping a piece of shaggy brown hair from his face, he shrugs and smiles broadly. “Never said I didn’t. Can’t think of a better place of solace than that. Just looking for a partner in crime.” He points at my canvas. “What’s with the chick by the lake?”

I rub my chin. “No clue. She just kind of popped into my head, so I added her.”

He gives my landscape a dubious eye. “Need something better than that to submit to the ArtExpo SOLO show next spring.” He’s been obsessed with that show since we were in treatment. Having hope and aspirations is a beautiful thing, especially when you’re sick. Even better when you’ll live long enough to make them happen.

I don’t want to come off like a conceited dick, so I don’t tell him about the body of work I have in storage and the art shows I exhibited at in England when I was still too young to realize I’d never be allowed to have my own dreams despite my talent.

I point at the hidden penis and smirk. “You should talk.”

The alarm on James’s cell phone chimes. “Crap.” He taps it, grabs a pill bottle, and heads to the kitchen area.

I lean against James’s station and glance at my picture, assessing it. Not my best work. My mystery girl is the only thing good about it. “Hmm. You’re right. It’s absolute rubbish.”

He chuckles and opens the refrigerator. “Your Briticisms kill me.”

“Yeah, well, see how you speak after spending your formative years in an English boarding school.” I mindlessly pass a hand through my hair and realize too late that I have paint on my fingers. I look behind me to find a discarded palette, and then glance in the mirror affixed above James’s work table on the wall. Multi-colored streaks cut a haphazard path through my light hair, which borders on sandy whereas Lettie’s is pure cornsilk. “Bollocks,” I mutter and look for a clean rag.

Behind the stainless steel door, James chuckles again, followed by pills rustling and the pop of a soft drink top. “Maybe you should go full-on James Bond and speak with a British accent. Girls love dudes with accents.” The door slams shut and he takes a long draught from his soda as I head to the small bathroom to check the supply cabinet.

“That could definitely help us in the getting-laid department,” he yells after me.

I roll my eyes and scrub at my head in front of the tarnished mirror. My efforts just make it worse. Dammit. “May I borrow your baby oil?” I yell back. Better choice than mineral spirits.

His muffled laughter filters through the wall. “What’s the matter? Can’t wait? Need a little tension relief?”

I stick my head out the doorway, glare at him, and point at the multi-colored streaks. “Hardly. Pull your mind out of the gutter. I need to get the paint off my hands then out of my hair.”

His brows shoot up and he takes the can from his lips. “Dude, you look like a peacock.”

I scowl. “Thanks.” Before I can do any more damage, my cell phone rings. James gives it a toss, and I catch it one-handed.

I eye the display. It’s my sister. “Hey, Lettie. What’s up?”

“Hey, Dev. When will you be ready to leave?”

I roll my neck and suppress the urge to snarl at her. “Why?” We have an unspoken agreement: I’m her willing slave for everything Kingsbridge twenty-four-by-seven, except for the time I carve out to be here.

“It’s a surprise,” she says too sweetly, tripping my alarms. Lettie may look underage and deceptively innocent, but looks are deceiving, and there’s nothing sweet about my sister. My condolences to anyone who underestimates her.

“I hate surprises.” Especially the Lettie variety, since her motives aren’t always apparent at first blush. Although we’re close and fiercely loyal to each other, she has no shame when it comes to manipulating the hell out of me to get what she wants.

“You’ll like this one.”

Doubtful. I glance at my watch. It’s half past three. “I’ll be home by six.”

“Wrong answer. A car will meet you downstairs in thirty minutes. Ta!” She hangs up. I grit my teeth and swear under my breath.

Classic freaking Lettie.

I text her. “I’m covered in paint. I need a shower and clothes.”

She texts back a crazy face emoji with a winking eye and tongue sticking out. “Have some faith, little brother.”

I roll my eyes at the reminder of our three-minute separation in pecking order. I text her a middle finger emoji and stomp back to my station to clean my brushes.

She texts two pink hearts followed by blond prince and princess emojis.

James holds out a plastic bottle of baby oil. “Leticia?”

“Who else could annoy me this much?” I retort, and wave off the Johnson & Johnson. Screw it. I’ll keep the Technicolor hair. If for no other reason than to annoy Lettie, because God knows, it’s not like I have any plans to get laid.

Chapter 3

Jenny

“HOW WAS the headshrinker?” Dad asks and chuckles at his own joke. He does that a lot, laughs at his own jokes. Whether they’re funny or not, I can’t help but smile. What can you expect from a guy who works with numbers all day? Like my mom, he’s in financial services.

As far as dads go, he’s the best. Just shy of six feet, he’s kind of geeky in an endearing way. Smart, bespectacled, and a little paunchy, he has a warm smile and the same blue eyes as me.

Oh, and he collects classic cars and has decent taste in music.

I belt myself into the passenger side of his ’75 Mustang GT, and mock groan. “Like my head’s three times larger than when I walked in, and it’s about to explode.”

Dad throws the car into reverse. “Sounds like you could use a little Magic Fountain to set you right. Do you have time before work?”

Ice cream for lunch? Sold.

I sit up straighter. “You bet.” I’m not due at the diner until two o’clock for a short shift. I’m filling in for one of the other waitresses until six. “Where’s Mom?”

“Your aunt Jillian asked her to meet with Raine to consult on an investment plan for his inheritance.”

That’s right. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own crazy town that I haven’t made time to check in on Raine. He lost his father the same week Aunt Vera died. Though rumor has it, his father was abusive and a total bastard. Still… Now that we’re finally friends after a rough start and my eventual apology, I need to reach out.

I’m ashamed to admit that when we first met, I accused him of only being interested in my aunt for her money. Who could blame me? He’s eighteen years younger and she’s, well, a rich and famous romance author. Yeah, not one of my finer moments. But we’re passed that now.

Dad parks and we join the end of the line at Magic Fountain. There’s always a line no matter what time you go. It’s an institution and has been around forever. Case in point, my mom used to go there when she was a teenager.

“Hey, hey, hey!” A girl a whole head shorter with blue-streaked hair tackles me into a hug.

“Hey, Crystal. What are you doing home?” I ask, smiling at the expected surprise. She moves from me to my father, “Hey, Jenster’s dad.” He chuckles and gives her a squeeze.

Voted “Most Outrageous” in high school, Crystal has always been a little out there. We used to work on set design together for all the school plays. She’s an artist now and lives in New York City on the Lower East Side. We both went to college in the city, so we’ve stayed in touch.

“Came home for my sister’s baby shower,” she says. “How’s Russell?”

I blow out a breath, shake my head, and gag on the words. “He broke up with me.” Okay, so maybe I broke up with him, but he’s the one who left. Jerk.

Crystal squints and give me a look like someone peed in her soup. “What’s wrong with that boy?” Then she lights up. “Come to the city with me tonight. We’ll go out and you can crash at my place. My friend’s band has a gig. It’ll be fun.” She nods vigorously and shakes my arm. The multi-hued blue streaks swishing over the blonde underneath. Then she looks at my dad. “She should come, right?”

Dad cocks his head and shrugs. “A change of scenery might be good for you. It’s been a rough couple of weeks.” Understatement. More like a rough summer.

Hmm. It’s been a while since Crystal and I spent time together…Why not?

“I won’t be able to leave until seven, will that work?”

Crystal high-fives me. “Perfecto!”

I shrug and wink at Dad. “You and Mom have the house to yourselves tonight…Go wild.”

He laughs and shakes his head as if there’s no chance of that ever happening.

“Here. Put this on.” Crystal thrusts a plastic hanger into my hand with a tiny black dress dangling off it.

I frown and give her a look like she’s gone mad. “In what universe do you expect me to fit into this?” I glance at the tag and roll my eyes. “A size four? It won’t even cover one of my thighs.”

Crystal runs an assessing eye over me, snatches the dress, and disappears back into the melee inside her closet. She squeals and comes out with another hanger and another black dress. “This should work. It’s from my fat days.”

My head jerks back. “You’ve never been fat.”

“Have so.” She breezes by and grabs a glittery top and skin tight shorts.

I fish out the tag. It’s a six. I discard the dress on Crystal’s queen-size bed, and plant my hands on my hips. “What’s wrong with what I brought?”

She stares heavenward. “Help me!” Then she looks at me like I’m dimwitted. “Duh. Jeans aren’t slutty enough.”

“I’m not trying to look slutty.”

Crystal blows out an exasperated breath. “After dedicating your whole dating life to Russell, you need to rustle up—” She giggles and snaps her fingers. “No pun intended—some new male attention, stat!”

I glower but she ignores me.

“It’s the only way to get that look of misery out of your eyes, Jenster. Face it, you’re hot. Men want you.” Then she puts the tip of a finger to her lips. “And at least one woman I know.” Then she shakes her head as if to clear it. “Never mind. My point is there were guys in high school that would’ve sacrificed small animals just to get a date with you. They prayed that you would dump Russell Montieth.”

Huh? “What are you talking about? And by the way, that’s disgusting. I’d never date anyone who would harm an animal.”

She rolls her eyes and tosses herself, back first, onto the bed. “That’s not the point. It’s only a metaphor. Real conversation, ‘Oh, Crystal, do you think Jenny Lynch will ever break up with that dick Montieth?’”

I stare at her, stunned, and then let out a nervous laugh. “Who said that?”

She purses her lips, lifts onto her elbows, and raises a brow. “Hint: nickname Delish.”

My jaw drops. “Michael Delicious Dawson.” Captain of the varsity soccer team. Sweet. Smart. Gorgeous. Taken.

A maniacal smile stretches over her lips and she tosses me the dress. “He’s coming tonight.”

“Wait, but what about—”

She waves me off. “Old news. They broke up ages ago. He’s ripe for the pickin’.”

Is that so?

I chew my lip and eye the dress. The top part won’t be a problem. God knows most of what I have upstairs is the clever disguise of Victoria’s Secret pushup technology. My curvy hips are another story.

There’s only one way to find out. My shoulders slump and I grab the scrap of black fabric.

We totter into the small bar on Avenue A at ten o’clock. I say “we,” but I mean “me.” I’m the only one in heels. Crystal has on long socks that reach her knees and a pair of bedazzled Converse high tops.

We pay a cover charge on the way in. Half-full, the space is dark and casual, on the industrial side with a black-painted ceiling and aluminum bar stools. Other than a long bar and twelve tables, there’s not much else except a stage on the far wall. From the looks of the place, I’m woefully overdressed. Or underdressed, depending on how I look at it. I’ve already spent the better part of the walk over from Crystal’s apartment tugging at my hem to keep the dress from flashing my underwear.

Chrystal propels me up to the stage, where four guys are hanging out. One of them is tuning a guitar.

“Hey, guys!” Crystal greets each of the band members with a hug, and then turns to introduce me. “This is my friend, Jen.”

I get a combination of waves and smiles. A guy with shaggy dark hair pairs an appreciative glance with his smile. My cheeks flush and I’m suddenly wishing my dress was a few inches longer.

Shaggy Hair makes his way over. Dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and a casual button-down that’s open and rolled up sleeves to expose his tattooed forearms, he’s on the skinny side, but not half bad.

“Hi, I’m Rick.” He gaze lingers on my lips as he tips his head toward the bar. “Buy you a drink before our first set?”

Crystal steps in between us and pokes Rick in the chest. “Back off, Hound Dog. I said she’s a friend.”

He throws up his hands and glares at her. “What’s the problem? I just offered to buy her a drink.”

Crystal gives him the evil eye. “Uh-huh.” Then she pivots and gives him her back. Widening her eyes, she moves her lips without speaking, S.T.D.s, and ushers me away.

“Nice to meet you,” I say over my shoulder and follow Crystal to the bar. I heave a sigh of relief and collapse onto an empty bar stool.

“Kip! A round of tequila shots with salt,” Crystal yells at the bartender, then sits down next to me. “Sorry, I should’ve warned you about him. He’s a walking petri dish.”

I cradle my head in my hands. “This was a bad idea. I’m going to hate dating,” I whine. For the first time in a month, I feel something other than anger toward Russ…I miss him.

Crystal rubs my back. “Don’t worry, Jenster. It’s easier than you think.” The bartender pours the shots, and Crystal slides one in front of me. “Lick the back of your hand and give it to me.”

I do as she asks. She sprinkles salt on the wet spot, then hands me the shot. I take it and she holds a slice of lime.

“Lick, drink, suck.”

I lick the back of my hand, down the tequila without choking, and suck the lime dry. “Holy crap. Do me a favor?” I pant.

“What’s that?”

“Don’t let me drunk dial Russ tonight.”

Crystal snorts a laugh. “Deal.”

The band is well into the second set when someone taps me on the shoulder. My head swims and my vision is fuzzy from the four tequila shots, but I feel good. Real good. Too good. Dancing-all-night-long good.

I spin and almost lose my balance, right into Mike Dawson’s arms.

He keeps me from taking a spill on the makeshift dance floor.

“Jen?” he asks, wearing a tentative smile.

“Mike. How are you?” Oh my God, did I slur his name?

“Crystal said you’d be here…It’s good to see you.” He points toward a table. “Get a drink?”

I nod. A table? Yes. A drink? No. Make that, a “Hell No.” I signal to Crystal, who’s dancing with some guy she picked out of the crowd. She salutes and turns back to her partner.

Mike laces his fingers through mine and leads me to an empty table in the corner. There’s something unsettling about the familiarity of his touch. He’s even better looking than I remember. Dark hair, light eyes, muscled, a nice smile. Delicious. An object of teenage worship, but not someone I know well.

He flags down a waitress, and raises a brow when I order a club soda. “I’ve had enough already.” I fail to tell him I should’ve started on club soda two drinks ago. A fleeting look of disappointment travels over his face.

Our drinks come and we trade news about ourselves and then mutual friends. It’s nice. Then he takes my hand and puts it to his lips. There’s a hunger in his eyes that wasn’t there a moment ago. If it was, I missed it. “I’ve had a crush on you since high school,” he says.

Heat burns a path to my cheeks. I smile. “Really?”

He nods and his lips quirk to the side. He stares at my mouth, and I lick my lips. Not to entice him, but because my mouth has suddenly gone dry.

Instead of answering, he leans in and kisses me. His tongue feels foreign in my mouth. But it’s not until his fingers slide up my inner thigh that I go dead still.

Only a heartbeat passes and I scream. “Get away!” I wrench his hand out from under my dress. Blind panic fills my chest, and I scramble away from him. This is wrong, all wrong. He’s not Russ. He’s not…The faceless stranger.

I can’t breathe. I push my way through the dense crowd to find Crystal. She’s on the dance floor right where I left her. I’m shaking violently by the time I tug on her arm.

One look at my face and she drags me to the bathroom.

“I’m sorry…” I mutter, a moment before the tequila roils and makes a hasty exit.

I can’t do this.

I’m not ready.

True to her word, Crystal takes my phone, and that’s the last thing I remember.

Chapter 4

Devon

WHEN I EXIT the building, a suit-clad driver with clasped hands, stands next to the black Lincoln Town Car idling at the curb.

I soak up the sun for the few yards of sidewalk it takes me to reach the limo and give the driver a friendly nod as he reaches for the back door.

Inside, I glimpse Lettie wearing a pair of Jackie O. sunglasses, her fine, blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun at her nape. Crap. She’s in full makeup. Bad sign. This is more than a casual jaunt.

I toss my backpack on the floor and climb in. The air conditioning chills my skin as I slide onto the cool leather and the door closes us into semi-darkness.

Lifting a brow, Lettie slides down her glasses to reveal pale blue eyes. “What’s up with your hair?”

Mirroring her raised brow, I counter, “What’s up with sunglasses in the dark?”

Her red-painted lips curve into a mischievous smile that on anyone else would look playful. On Lettie it radiates vigilant intent. She pushes the glasses up to perch atop her head. “Why so pissy, little brother?”

“Where are we going?” I scowl, still annoyed that she interrupted my afternoon and probably my night.

“The Hamptons. Howie wants to meet you. He invited us for the night and sent his jet to Teterboro to pick us up.”

I cut Lettie with a glare. “What? How about a little more notice next time?” I snap, glancing at my grungy clothes and the paint still embedded in my skin. At least I had the foresight to toss the baby oil into my bag on the way out. “I can’t show up like this.”

Appearances have taken on a new importance since I went into remission and started the grooming process for CEO. Lettie’s new boyfriend—a term I use loosely—Howard Cato III, happens to be the chief operating officer of a large shipping conglomerate, a privately held family business like ours.

Like it or not, tonight we represent Kingsbridge. In Lettie’s case, inside the bedroom and out. Though I’ve no doubt Howard is the disposable party in this equation once she gets whatever it is she wants. No-strings sex has never been a problem for Lettie. Wish I could say the same.

Lettie releases what I recognize is a patient—and slightly patronizing—breath. “Relax. You can shower on the plane.”

Gritting my teeth, I make another feeble attempt at slipping her hold. “I can’t just leave. I need my—”

“Meds,” she cuts in and waves her hand as if she’s batting away a horde of insects. “I know. I packed you a bag. Live a little, Dev. Your life could use some excitement.”

Not her kind. I’m happy having all my limbs intact and a clean arrest record.

“What—”

She holds up a hand and cuts me off a second time. “About Mom? She said to have a good time.”

My mouth snaps shut. Great. She’s enlisted our mother into her “force Devon to have fun” campaign. Though I’ve no doubt this trip to the Hamptons is a weakly disguised Trojan horse for a business meeting.

She pokes my side with a perfectly manicured red nail. “Relax. Gladys is with Mom.”

I fend her off with an elbow and mutter, “Not the point.”

Our mother, though vibrant and alive, is bedridden and requires around-the-clock care. Until it went bankrupt, she had been living in an all-expenses-paid, luxury Kingsbridge facility where my father had ensconced her when he was alive. Now she lives with us, and I make a point to visit the west wing every night. Besides Lettie, she’s all I have. She’s the only reason I’ve agreed to pledge whatever’s left of my potentially very short life to taking on a birthright I never wanted.

Exasperated, I slump back into the seat, brush a hand across my face, and admit defeat. “Fine. So why are we really going, and what’s your plan?”

***

By the time we touch down at Southampton Airport, all traces of paint are gone from my hair and skin, and I’m dressed in something suitably professional yet casual: pressed khakis, a Vineyard Vines button-down, and Italian leather loafers. Lettie selected the Breitling Superocean from my watch case. All I’m missing is a tan, which Lettie doesn’t hesitate to comment on.

“You really should get a little sun this weekend,” she says in a light, breezy tone, before descending the stairs onto the sun-baked tarmac.

I bite back a snide remark about her spray tan, and bring up the rear like a good pack mule, carrying an overnight bag over each shoulder. Fake or not, the bronzing on her legs works for her, along with the clingy dress and high heels.

A ruggedly handsome guy, almost a decade older than us and the size of a linebacker, waits with a driver next to a Rolls-Royce. He’s sheer muscle and power with dark hair that touches his collar, piercing blue eyes, and a strong jaw dusted in shadow on a head with no neck. The kind of guy who needs to shave twice a day and can pound you into dog meat without breaking a sweat.

I’d be afraid of him if he wasn’t wearing pink shorts with tiny whales and a bright green polo shirt. His mouth tips up in a smile revealing a slash of white teeth when he homes in on Lettie.

“Howie!” My sister almost squeals as she throws out her arms and accelerates into a high-heeled sprint.

“Hey, Baby,” he says in a low, affectionate growl, opening his arms. A second later, her delicate frame is swallowed inside his embrace and his mouth is on hers.

I shove down a pang of jealousy half wishing I had someone like the girl by the lake for the same kind of greeting. But I’m not that stupid. There’s no happy ending to my fairy tale.

Resisting the urge to clear my throat and remind them I’m here, I wait patiently until they come up for air.

Lettie spins in his arms and extends her hand, palm up, in my direction. “Howard, my brother Devon. Devon, Howard.”

Keeping one arm locked securely around Lettie’s slim waist, Howard reaches out a meaty hand. “It’s a pleasure. Lettie says amazing things about you,” he says in a gravel-filled voice that reminds me of whiskey and cigars.

I resist a snort as Lettie stares up at him and glows. He blazes just as bright, his smile reaching his eyes. Poor bastard. Only I can see through Lettie’s doe-eyed gaze. He’s a means to an end, I’m just not sure which one. Lettie sidestepped my question on the plane, but I’m sure I’ll have an idea by the end of the night if not sooner.

I shift the weight of my bag, extend a hand, and give a genteel smile the way I was schooled. “The pleasure’s mine.” Despite myself, I like him already. His handshake is firm and confident but not crushing. “Thank you for the invitation.”

“Let me take those,” he nods at our luggage, then takes the bags and hands them to the driver. “I’m glad you could make it for the beach party tonight. Lettie says you’re not much of a partier, so I’ve had a guest room prepared in case you want to turn in early.”

Lettie winks to confirm my secret’s safe—that fatigue puts me in bed most nights by ten. I quirk a brow at the singular room reference, and assume that means Lettie won’t need one. We trade a glance. Her answering smirk tells me she doesn’t expect me to defend her honor.

Fine. I hadn’t planned on it. She’s a big girl and can make her own decisions. It’s when she makes mine that I have a problem.

Howard gives me a crooked smile, and herds us toward the waiting car. “You guys must be hungry. We’ll grab a bite before the party.”

Ah. There it is. The business meeting.

***

“So what’s your position on Kingsbridge’s Russian shipping concerns?” Howard asks as he leans back in his chair with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from one of the nearby North Fork wineries. He and Lettie share the bottle while I drink sparkling water with lime.

We’re having a quiet dinner on a private upper deck of Howard’s massive cedar-shingled beach house, away from the caterers buzzing around preparing for tonight’s party.

Prime Hamptons real estate, the house sits tucked at the end of a narrow lane with a sweeping view of the ocean over the dunes. It’s serene and beautiful. I forgot how much I love being near water.

“Hmm.” I breathe in the refreshing salt air, pensively stare over Howard’s shoulder, and pretend to ponder his question. Instead, I admire the view. My gaze sweeps over the water’s edge and the colors painting the sky as the sun meets the horizon. Caterers wind down the stairs below us to the private beach where stacks of wood are tented and set up in an open pit ready for tonight’s bonfire.

After a long pause, I stick to the script that Lettie and I discussed before dinner, and shrug. “They’re turning a healthy profit. If memory serves, they grew by seven percent last year. Why? You want to buy them?”

Lettie stays uncharacteristically quiet. She doesn’t want Howard to know she’s running the show as much as I am.

Howard chuckles and sips his wine before his gaze sharpens. “And what if I do?”

Feigning nonchalance, I raise the bubbled water to my lips and drink. “Why do you want them?”

He pinches the stem of his wine glass and swirls the liquid inside. “Cato Shipping needs to expand its Eastern European routes to cover our growth in the oil and gas sector. The number of barrels is more than our fleet can handle long-term. We may not want to buy, just rent some capacity. Kingsbridge has the second largest fleet, and Maersk already turned us down.”

I purse my lips and nod, as if considering, then say, “Give me a call in eighteen months.” After I assume the mantle of CEO.

Howie holds up his glass for a toast and tips his chin. “I’ll send you some projections and a proposal. I won’t need it until then anyway.”

My glass meets his. “I’ll take a look.” I hate getting his hopes up, but there isn’t a snowball’s chance in Hell I’ll give him the Russian trade routes, or use his company for shipping of any kind. Given what Lettie dug up on Howard’s father, chances are high he’s looking for an unwitting partner to smuggle illegal goods into the United States. The only thing she’s not sure of is Howard’s involvement. No matter. Lettie’s using him as an insurance policy for something else entirely. That’s one of the things I love most about my sister: she’s always three steps ahead.

I play my part well. His eyes carry a triumphant gleam. “Good man.”

***

As midnight approaches, the party is still raging in the house and on the beach. There must be over two hundred people blanketing the property. The steady beat of dance music and chatter ride the mild breeze, comingling in the night air. I lost Lettie hours ago somewhere inside.

Breaking my own dietary rule, I grab a beer at the nearest bar, and then skirt the edge of the crowd on the lower deck. I’m not exhausted, but I’m talked out and no longer in a partying mood. Holing up in the guest room seems lame, so I make my way to toward the wood plank stairs leading down to the beach.

I’m almost there when a female voice behind me slows my pace. “Devon? Devon Soames… is that you?”

Bloody hell. A vaguely familiar English accent. Oxford, more specifically. I cringe and rapidly contemplate whether to keep walking and let whomever it is think she’s staring at someone else’s retreating back.

The decision is made for me when delicate but firm fingers grasp my arm. “Devon?”

Inhaling deeply, I slip on a pleasant smile and turn.

My pulse quickens and not in a good way. Painful memories batter my chest in unceasing waves as I stare into Isla’s face. The sister of the only woman I ever loved.

An attractive, statuesque brunette with the same slanted green eyes as Tessa, Isla smiles broadly. “It is you!”

Before I can react, she’s got me wrapped in a hug. “It’s so lovely to see you,” she says, holding me uncomfortably close. Her thin frame warms me and I fight back revulsion when my body unconsciously tingles with awareness.

I wiggle out of her grasp and move aside. “Issie, what are you doing here?” I ask in a heated whisper.

“I’m on holiday in New York…I’m here with a friend. How are you?” Her gaze turns to the one thing I can’t tolerate: pity.

 My mask of cool confidence slips back into place. “I’m well, and have been for some time.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Her smile wavers and she looks away but makes no move to leave.

Rather than ask the question I’m sure she expects, I give her arm a gentle squeeze. “Good to see you. Enjoy the party.”

I clutch my beer harder and pivot, eyeing the stairs like a convict about to make a prison break.

“Devon, wait!”

Cursing under my breath, I stiffen and press my eyes shut.

“I’m sorry…for what she did. I’m sorry she chose Phillip.”

My teeth gnash at the mention of my bastard half-brother. I can’t turn around and look at Isla for fear of exorcising my pent up rage over her sister’s betrayal. I hate myself for still caring.

“Goodbye, Isla,” I say without turning or betraying a hint of the emotion roiling around inside me. I reach the stairs and descend at a steady clip.

The heat of the bonfire’s flames hits me when I reach the bottom. Pulling off my shoes, I tuck them underneath the stairs. The sand cools my feet as I move unnoticed past the edge of the crowd and head for the stretch of empty beach to the north.

Beer in hand, I take a long draught of the hoppy, amber liquid. The alcohol hits my bloodstream by the time I finish the bottle. After no alcohol for nearly three years, I’m a cheap date.

I drop down in front of a dune and lie back on the sand, not caring that I’ll be covered in it when I get up.

“Dev…” Lettie’s voice and near-silent footsteps travel over the sound of gently crashing waves. “Where are you?”

“Over here,” I say, staring up at the stars. So bright, so welcoming. “How’d you find me?” Though I’m not sure I care…about anything right now.

Lettie drops down next to me. “Hey,” she says gently, “I’ve been looking for you…to warn you about Isla. I was too late. I followed you from the house.”

I give a mirthless laugh. “Out of all the people on the planet I’d like to avoid…”

Lettie touches my arm and gives it a small squeeze. “I’m sorry, Dev,” she says with an unmistakable ache in her voice.

“I hate this…,” I whisper, not talking about my past, but about my future. “All of it.” I don’t want it. Everyday puts me closer to being a prisoner in my own life, or dead. Not much of a choice.

“I know.” Her voice is small and there’s a quiver I only ever hear when we’re alone. She lays down next to me and rests her head on my chest. “I love you, Dev. I’d make it all go away if I could.”

A lump rises in my throat as I stare at the stars, and wrap her in an embrace. We’ve clung to each other for comfort since we were toddlers. I can’t imagine doing any of this without Lettie by my side. She feels fragile in my arms, but it’s her strength that’s gotten me through. “I know.”

She sniffles and brushes at her eyes. Then she bolts upright and lets out a devilish chuckle. “You know what might make you feel better?”

Clearing my throat, I slip back into my mental armor and lean up on my elbows. “I’m afraid to ask.”

She snickers and claps her hands with giddy abandon. “Seduce Isla! Poetic justice and all that rubbish.”

My lip curves up at her use of the same British slang. Lettie spent her formative years at an English boarding school, too. Just not mine.

I snort. “No, thanks. That’s not who I am and you know it.”

“Oh, come on, Dev. When was the last time you got laid?”

Seriously? That’s the second time in one day.

“None of your business!” I sit up, incensed she would ask, and start to wonder if I’m giving off some sort of desperate scent.

She laughs. “Now that’s the Dev I know and love. Having you pissed at me is much better than watching you mope.” She stands, grabs my hand, and pulls me to my feet. “Come on. Let’s go back.”

“Fine.” I give the stars one last look, and think about the girl I painted by the lake. I’m not sure who she is, or where she lives in my imagination, but there’s one thing I do know…she’s nothing like Tessa.

The Next Day

Jenny

A DULL PAIN thuds behind my eyes in a mad staccato beat, and every step jostles my brain inside my skull. Payment for all those tequila shots. Sunglasses barely help as I step out of the train station into the heat. Taking out my phone, I text Dad to pick me up in ten minutes then amble across the street to the Starbucks on the corner.

Nothing less than a triple espresso will do this morning. Wait, I mean this afternoon. I glance at my phone. Yup. Almost two o’clock.

Most of the umbrella-covered tables outside are taken. I shift my backpack higher on my shoulder and sidestep a Rolls-Royce limo with tinted windows that’s double parked halfway in the crosswalk. A white-gloved driver stands next to the back door.

Okay, that’s over the top even for Summit. I’m shaking my head as I walk into the cool interior. The line extends almost out the door. I scan the fifteen or so people in front of me. No one in particular stands out. I’m still gawking when someone accidentally brushes passed me.

“Sorry,” a woman’s voice whispers.

Startled, I twist to see a blond, casually dressed couple pass behind me. I catch a glimpse of her pulled-back hair and sunglasses, but she’s blocking him from view. I don’t catch his face. A moment later, they’re out the door.

Through the window, I see the limo driver pull open the back door. They duck inside and my skin pebbles with a sudden chill. My gaze is glued to the limo as it pulls away from the curb.

I blink and remember. My dream. It was different last night.

The faceless stranger; I saw his eyes this time.

They were blue, and he was very much alive.

Shelter My Heart

Check out Shelter My Heart, the Kindle Scout novel by L.G. O'Connor where this novelette is set!

Summer Solstice

One Summer Day short story is also featured in the Kindle Press Anthology Summer Solstice. You can get it from Instafreebie for free!

#Romance