Something Like This by Eileen Cruz Coleman
(Secrets Series, #1)
Publication date: April 24th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult
(Secrets Series, #1)
Publication date: April 24th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult
Synopsis:
Twenty-three-year old Jadie Santiago has a secret.
One morning on her way to work she stops to offer a homeless man a bottle of water. As she meets the man’s eyes, Jadie instantly recognizes they belong to her father, whom she hasn’t seen since she was sixteen. Unable to accept the truth of her encounter, Jadie flees, hoping eventually to forget the experience and continue leading a normal life.
But then she meets Reece, an aspiring writer with a mysterious past who is set on capturing Jadie’s affection. Jadie wants nothing more than to give her heart to Reece, but her broken past and crippling secret keep her from surrendering it to him fully.
Things won’t come easy to Jadie as she fights for her place in the world, but there is strength in her, and she is determined never to stop struggling for what so many others have: love, happiness, and a sense of belonging.
Excerpt One:
I
have a secret and I need to tell someone.
So it went something like this. I
passed him every day on my way to and from work. He lived on the sidewalk under
the train tracks. Sometimes, he was asleep, a stained blanket on his thin and
frail body. Sometimes, he was awake and sitting against a concrete wall, his
folded blanket at his side, glazed eyes staring at nothingness. Sometimes, I
chose to walk on the other side of the street because I just couldn’t bear it.
I couldn’t stand seeing him. And sometimes, when he wasn’t there, I felt my
heart sink, wondering if he was okay, if he was hurt, if he had left me again,
this time forever. Those were the worst days. I’d spend all day worried about
him, feeling guilty, unable to close my mind to the dark thoughts that screamed
I was a horrible, horrible person.
The next day, I’d get up earlier
than usual, frantic, no coffee, no ironing my clothes, no combing my hair, and
dart out of the apartment I shared with two other girls. I’d fly down the Metro
escalator.
Once on the platform, I’d shove my
way to the front and wait for the flashing lights, signaling an approaching
train. Come on, come on, stupid train.
There we stood, a crowd of commuters waiting to be whisked off.
In my most frantic moments, I’d often
wonder what the people standing next to me or behind me were thinking. I wanted
to ask them to let me take a peek inside, a small, quick glance at their souls.
Excuse me, mind if I ask you a question?
Are you happy? Ridiculous, I know.
Excerpt Two:
I ran my fingers down the sides of
my dress. Wow, could I be more obvious? Here I was trying to fix myself up in
front of a complete stranger, who for some reason was making me very nervous.
“Oh, well, why are you here?” I managed to spit out.
He winked at me. “To see you.”
Yep,
I’m going to faint right here in front of him.
“Oh?”
“I came to ask you if you’ve
changed your mind about having lunch with me.”
I swallowed and forced my cheeks
not to blush. “I have a busy day today…I’m not sure I can take lunch.” I lied.
Mr. Walker didn’t have a single appointment on his schedule. And on days when
he had a clear schedule, he often came in late or took a longer than usual
lunch.
“I know for a fact you can take
lunch today. I called my uncle and asked him.”
“What?”
“Don’t take it the wrong way. I’m
not stalking you or anything.”
“You called my boss about my
schedule. Why would I think you’re stalking me? What you did is completely
normal. Yep, totally normal.”
He crossed his arms. “Maybe it
comes across a little weird.” Then he uncrossed his arms. “Look, I’m a good
guy. All I’m asking is for you to let me take you to lunch. One hour, less, if
you want, and then you can see for yourself whether or not I’m some crazy
stalker, which I assure you, I’m not.”
I looked him up and down and gave
in. “I’ll agree to coffee and if that
goes well…”
He smiled. “Coffee it is.”
“Come back tomorrow morning,” I
said, taking my handbag off my chair and placing it on my desk.
“What’s wrong with now?”
I sat down and pulled myself close
to my desk. “I just got here.”
“Oh, come on, you’ll only be gone a
few minutes.” He gave Mr. Walker’s door a glance. “My uncle isn’t even in yet.”
Sighing, I said, “Twenty minutes,
and if I get fired over this…”
“You won’t get fired, I promise.”
Grabbing my purse, I stood. “Where
shall we go?”
My stomach started aching. Had I
known Reece was going to surprise me, I would have called in sick.
“There’s a place down the street
just past the train tracks,” he said.
My heart melted and slid to my
toes. We’d have to pass my father. “I’d rather not go to that one.”
“Why not?”
I cleared my throat. “I would
rather we not go to that one. Is that okay?”
“There’s one across the street. You
okay with going there?”
I nodded.
“We’re off to a good start,” he
said.
“What makes you say that?”
“We haven’t even been on a date and
I already know something about you.”
“And what is that?”
“You’re very particular about where
you get your coffee from.”
Excerpt Three:
Moments later, we held each other,
my head resting on his chest.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, kissing
the top of my head.
“A little, but I need to get back
soon.”
“How about I fix you a sandwich to
go?”
“That would be great.”
It would also be great if I told
you I loved you and you said the words back to me. Did I dare tell him? I could
almost hear myself saying the words to him. What if he didn’t say them back? It
was too soon. I was acting like a needy, crazy girl.
He jumped out of the bed and
proceeded to get dressed.
“Meet you in the kitchen?” he
asked.
I nodded.
Once alone, I took a deep breath
and gathered my thoughts. I decided not to tell Reece what I was feeling. Doing
so would end up scaring him. I didn’t want to risk losing him. Not before we
even got started.
I got up, got dressed, and headed
for the kitchen.
“Here you go,” he said, holding a
sandwich in a Ziploc bag in front of me.
“Thank you.” I took the bag. “I
guess I better get going.”
“I’ll drive you back.”
“No, it’s okay, I’ll take the
Metro.”
“I’ll drive you.”
“No, really, it’s okay. I’d
actually rather take the Metro, if you don’t mind.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m sorry, I have to meet
with a new guy in our office to go over some manuscripts this afternoon and I
could use the alone time to think.”
I had to leave before I blurted out
the words.
“Okay. If you’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
He leaned in and gave me a kiss on
the cheek. “I miss you already.”
I smiled. “Me too.”
“Can I call you later?”
“You better.”
He walked me to the door.
“Okay, be careful,” he said.
“Will do.”
I started walking down the hall.
“Are you watching me?”
“Yes.”
“That’s kind of creepy.”
“I can’t help it.”
I pushed the elevator button and
the doors instantly opened. I took a step.
“Wait,” he said.
“Is something wrong?”
“I have to tell you something.”
“What is it?”
He ran toward me. “Jadie, the thing
is. Well, I…”
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AUTHOR BIO:
Eileen Cruz Coleman was born in Washington, D.C. to an immigrant El Salvadoran mother and a Puerto Rican father. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in History. Her short stories have appeared in numerous literary journals both online and in print. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two children.
To stay in touch with her, subscribe to her e-newsletter. Cut and paste this URL into your browser: eepurl.com/vAmTz
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Author Links:
Giveaway (INTL)
- $75 Amazon Gift Card
Really enjoyed the excerpts, they brought to life the main character. Her problem with her father is heart-breaking and sounds like it will be a good book.
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