SXL Story Sampler #4 | The Shadows Between Us
Hi, lovers,
Welcome to the SXL Story Sampler. Here’s your chance to dip into stories you might’ve missed. Each feature includes a full chapter (or two) from one of my published novels to inspire your next read.
I’m running this one back for good reason. Check out another chapter of The Shadows Between Us below. ♡
(Copyrighted material)
Before you dive in, please note that this story brings you a mix of arousal, adventure, and unapologetic raunchiness. I invite you to read with an open mind so you can fully experience the passion that unfolds within.
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I was getting frustrated—no, scratch that, I was losing my damn mind. How do I pour three years of my life into a relationship only to be ignored daily? Especially after I told this man that I was pregnant with his child. It took everything in me not to show him just how crazy I could be, but the truth was, I was desperate. My emotions were running wild, and I was stuck in a constant whirlwind of anger, sadness, and hope. So, I did what any woman in my weak position would do: I called him back to back because it was Monday night, I was alone, and the weather app flashed a thunderstorm warning on my screen.
I needed him.
The more I called, the more desperate I felt, but I couldn’t stop myself. I needed to hear his voice, even if it was to argue. The silence made it all worse, and our house felt emptier than ever, the darkest corners stretching out like they were swallowing me whole.
You’d think he’d be home with his fiancée during a storm. But no. I had no clue where David was. Probably cuddled up with the next bitch, since I hadn’t seen his face in days. And before that, it had been a month since I last saw him.
I was fed up.
“I can’t keep doing this with you, David,” I thought.
The house felt vast and empty—the silence pierced only by the relentless drumming of rain against the windowpane. I gripped my phone tighter, watching the screen as it rang and rang. For an hour straight, I called him. My thumb was sore from tapping the screen repeatedly, but I was determined.
Suddenly, I heard keys jiggling and the front door creak open. My heart jumped, and I ran down the stairs before thinking twice, my backless nightgown bouncing over my feet. I was on fire, ready to unload everything bottled inside me. I spotted him making a beeline for his game room.
“David, where the hell have you been!” I screamed while quickly on his trail, my hands balling into fists. He didn’t even pause or look at me.
I caught up with him, my body moving faster than my mind as I started punching his back, each hit fueled by the frustration that had been building for weeks. “Answer me! I’m sick of this shit!” My voice rose, booming through the quiet house.
He turned and grabbed me with one hand, shoving me against the wall like it was nothing. My wrists were pinned above my head, his grip unyielding.
The bitter coldness of the wall against my back made me yelp, but it was nothing compared to the chill I felt when I looked into his eyes. They used to be a place where I found acceptance and comfort. Now, all I saw was indifference—as if I was just another draining problem he had to deal with.
“Stop,” he calmly murmured. I hated how easy it was for him to overpower me, but I knew my strength was no match for his.
“Akeaya, don’t put your hands on me again, aight? You’d think I was wrong if I knocked yo little ass out. Every time I come here, it’s the same thing with you. I can’t keep explaining why we’re done.” His tone was cold, his eyes devoid of anything familiar. I struggled against his hold, but it was useless. When I finally stopped fighting, he released me and walked toward his game room again.
“We aren’t done,” I said, following him. “I’m having your child. We’re engaged. What’s going on with you? This is our home, but you’ve been treating it like a storage unit.”
I knew relationships went through rough patches, but this was different. We’d been arguing for months, and the distance between us had only grown wider. Still, I believed in us. I had faith in our love, even while holding onto it alone.
He stopped at the closet, his fingers working the lock as he scoffed, then said, “Suddenly, you’re pregnant, huh? Just the other week, you were packin’ your shit, talkin’ about moving back with your parents because you couldn’t deal with my lifestyle anymore. Now you’re talkin’ about marriage again. Leave me alone with that shit.” The sting of his words hit my heart. He talked to me like I was a stranger; I knew David had a rough edge, but this was savage.
He opened the closet, blocking my view as he entered the code for the safe. He did that whenever I was around, proving he didn’t trust me. It was one of the main things we argued about. He hid a lot of things from me, and it tore me up inside how he could claim to love me but keep secrets.
“I figured if you really loved me, you’d be willing to change things about your lifestyle for me. Silly me, I guess.” I threw my hands up, the anger and hurt pouring out. “And what do you mean ‘suddenly,’ like we weren’t trying for months to have a baby before things changed? I’m so sick of your shit, David. I’m busting my ass at work, keeping our home together, and you only show up when you feel like it!” I was practically shouting, my hands clapping in front of his face as I stomped my feet, tears streaming down my cheeks as I made a bigger fool of myself.
Everything was falling apart, and I couldn’t stop it.
“Bills are always paid up,” he said, his voice maddeningly calm. “I’m the one who pays them. So what the fuck are you talkin’ about, for real? You’ve never paid for anything while we were together, Akeaya.”
He taunted me, and I sensed the underlying sarcasm in his voice. He thought this was a game, and maybe it was to him, but my heart was shattering, and I was stunned that he couldn’t hear it breaking.
He continued sorting the money in his safe, casually counting and writing things down. I stood there, feeling more desperation build inside me until I couldn’t hold back any longer.
“I know it’s been rough, baby. We’ve been fighting nonstop, and I know I’ve complained a lot about things I already knew when I got with you. But I need you, and I want to fix this. I don’t want to change you, David, but I want a future. The things you do don’t always give me hope in that.” I paused, trying to control my shaky voice. “After three years of loving you, I don’t want to lose you. Please, let’s fix this.” My voice softened more and more until it became a whisper, my tears refusing to stop.
David used to be my best friend. I missed when we were inseparable, with him waking me up with kisses and spending hours making love.
I missed feeling like I was enough for him.
I waited, my eyes fixed on him, hoping for even the slightest sign that he still cared. He slammed the safe shut, made sure it was secure, and replaced the rug over the floorboard, hiding it all away like he always did. After securing his closet, he turned to leave without another word.
“I love you, Dav…” I started, but he cut me off.
“I have an important meeting tonight. We’ll talk another time,” he mumbled, cold detachment blatant as he stalked past me.
I ran in front of him, blocking his path to the door. “Important meeting? At eight o’clock at night?”
His eyes met mine, cold and unreadable. He didn’t respond and only replied with the same menacing expression on his mug.
“I have a doctor’s appointment on Wednesday morning to check on our baby. I need you there with me,” I pleaded, my voice trembling again.
“What time?” he asked, sounding unimpressed.
“Eleven. Can you take me?” I asked, praying he’d show up for me, for us.
I tried to hide the tremble in my voice, but I knew he heard it. I was practically begging him to show up… to prove that something was still left between us.
“Yeah,” he grumbled. It felt like a tiny victory when he finally agreed, but I wondered if he’d even show.
I stood on my toes, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek and then his lips. He didn’t return either, his face emotionless.
He opened the front door and gently pushed me aside. “Later,” he said, stepping out into the storm. I watched him go, the door closing behind him with a finality that made my chest ache more severely.
I knew “later” could mean anything… possibly weeks, but the fact that he agreed to take me to the doctor’s appointment gave me hope. David had always wanted kids; I knew everything would change when he heard the doctor confirm my pregnancy and listened to our baby’s heartbeat. We’d be the family I always dreamed of. But as the rain poured outside, and I stood alone in our quiet house, I wondered if that hope was just another lie I told myself to keep from falling apart.
#end of sample#
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Enjoyed this chapter and want to know what happens next between Akeaya & David? Check out The Shadows Between Us, over 100k of beautiful chaos.
That’s it for now, lovers. ♡