Revive Me (41 page)
He shrugged. “I know she’s my mom, but each day that passes, she reminds me more of him. Right now, a relationship with her would be too hard for the both of us. Maybe in the future, after the dust settles, we can try again. But I can’t forget how she’d choose him over me. To be honest, I don’t want a relationship with her right now, either.”
My heart broke for him. He didn’t ask who’d called her or if it was me. He just stayed silent and kept his focus on the wall in front of him. I gave him his time, rubbing his back in circles, until he looked over at me.
He suddenly grabbed my face and kissed me softly. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, babe,” he whispered against my lips. I twisted sideways and winded my arms around his neck.
“And I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I said, kissing him again.
“You ready to do this?”
I grinned. “You know it.”
He pulled himself up from my bed, and his hand shot out to pull me up. We walked out of my bedroom to find my parents and Derrick trekking down the stairs with boxes in their hands.
“Good thing we have a free moving crew,” I said, grabbing a box and following them.
“That’s what you think now, sweetie,” my mom said, looking back at me “Until you get there and have to carry these boxes up three flights of stairs.”
Shit! I hadn’t even thought about that. “Okay, I think I’ve changed my mind about you guys coming with us.” They’d gone to the school tour and apartment hunting with us, but we’d told them we could make the final trip on our own. I didn’t want them to have to make another expensive trip.
I walked outside with my mom, and she laughed. “Too late now.”
We loaded up the last of the boxes into my car; double-checked we had everything, and kissed my parents and Derrick, who immediately wiped his cheek off in disgust, goodbye.
My life hadn’t gone according to my plan, but I was finally realizing that was okay. I knew there wouldn’t be a day that I didn't miss Tanner, but his death taught me a lot about myself. He showed me how strong I could be on my own. He led me towards my life goals in spirit, leaving Dawson to help me along the way. Losing him gave us a bond that helped us heal one another and cope with our struggles. It showed me the importance of making every day count. We were in charge of our own lives, and if something didn’t go as planned, we’d make another one. A Plan B and if that didn’t work, we’d create another.
I stared out the passenger side window, the high of leaving wearing off, as I focused my mind on what was happening next. “You ready for our last goodbye?” Dawson asked, looking over at me.
I nodded, wiping away a tear, and taking a deep breath as we drove through the entrance to the cemetery. “I am.”
Suicide and self-harm are serious issues. Suicide is the twelfth leading cause of death in the United States. It is estimated that each year, 1 in 5 females and 1 in 7 males engage in self-injury, and approximately two million cases are reported annually in the US.
If you, or someone you know, are dealing with self-harm, depression, or thoughts of suicide, it is important to seek help.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
1-800-273-TALK
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Self-Injury Hotline: SAFE Alternatives
1-800-Don’t Cut (366-8288)
Resources:
Charity Ferrell lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. When she’s not writing, you can find her caving into her online shopping addiction (mainly shoes and handbags), catching up on her nearly-full DVR, reading, or spending time with her family.
She loves to hear from her readers! Connect with her:
Revive Me
Copyright © 2014 by Charity Ferrell
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Editing: Chelsea Kuhel (
www.madisonseidler.com
)
Cover design and interior design and formatting by
Table of Contents
Title Page
Foreword
Prologue
Chapter One – Tessa
Chapter Two – Tessa
Chapter Three – Dawson
Chapter Four – Tessa
Chapter Five – Tessa
Chapter Six- Dawson
Chapter Seven- Tessa
Chapter Eight- Tessa
Chapter Nine- Dawson
Chapter Ten – Tessa
Chapter Eleven - Tessa
Chapter Twelve - Tessa
Chapter Thirteen – Dawson
Chapter Fourteen- Tessa
Chapter Fifteen – Dawson
Chapter Sixteen - Tessa
Chapter Seventeen - Tessa
Chapter Eighteen – Dawson
Chapter Nineteen – Tessa
Chapter Twenty- Dawson
Chapter Twenty-One – Tessa
Chapter Twenty-Two - Tessa
Chapter Twenty-Three - Tessa
Chapter Twenty-Four - Tessa
Chapter Twenty-Five – Dawson
Chapter Twenty-Six – Tessa
Chapter Twenty-Seven - Tessa
Chapter Twenty-Eight - Tessa
Self Help Info
About the Author
Copyright Notice