Alternate Reality...

Lately, I've been working on several projects at once. One of these projects happens to be my first published book. Written in 2004 and published in 2012, I allowed this book to remain on the bookshelves for two years before pulling it.

Although the core of the story remains the same, I realized my writing style had changed quite a bit since those early years. I also knew that this story needed to be edited, something that I did not do when I first came out. It's currently in the hands of one of my Beta readers, and then it will go to my editor.

Sometimes the people that we're dealing with are not exactly who we think they are. Sometimes, the person we're looking at in the mirror is a different one that we present to the world. When we cannot accept our own deception, we create alternate realities, living two different lives. Here's a snippet of Reflections of Promises...I hope you enjoy this #writerwednesday with me. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

Excerpt...

Time seemed to fly by as they sat in the living room and caught up on old times over a couple of glasses of wine. They laughed and giggled as they reminisced on how silly they had been as teenagers.
 
Their relationship had spanned a time period of two years. Terrence had been Patricia’s only friend, during a very difficult and depressing time in her life. After she had gone through a rough patch he had been the one to inspire her to move forward and believe in herself.
 
He encouraged her to give her best even when she didn’t feel like it. He had even been the one to help her to apply for college and make out her five year plan at that time. So, it was no wonder that both of their worlds had been rocked when she left him without a word.  
 
“Terry, I knew that if I had kept in touch with you, the changes that I made to that five year plan wouldn’t have occurred. I know you,” she shared.
 
“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You would’ve made me remain true to myself. That wasn’t an option at the time. We’d known each other since third grade, and although we didn’t become romantically involved until sixteen, no one knew me like you did. Being back here with you talking like this is like being at home again,” she confided.
 
“You are home, girl,” he teased, lightening up the moment.
 
“No, Terry, you’re home for me. You wouldn’t have approved of my need to change. You knew me in ways that no one else ever did or would. I’ve missed that, and I didn’t realize how desperately until tonight,” Patricia revealed.
 
“Wow.” He cleared his throat and rubbed his hand over his head, clear signs to Patricia that he was feeling discomfort.
 
Changing the subject, she asked “So your…wife what’s she like?”
 
“She’s…I don’t know. She’s…my wife. Umm,” he cleared his throat again. “She’s very intelligent, beautiful, inside and out, and very hot tempered.  Did you ever consider getting married?” Terrance asked.
 
“How do you know I’m not married?” Patricia bristled.
 
“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to assume that you weren’t. I just noticed that you weren’t wearing a wedding ring.”  
 
Patricia absently looked down at her finger. She had left it packed in her suitcase, until she had a chance to tell her mother. She laughed to throw off the tension. 
 
“Actually, you’re right, I’m not. I guess I just don’t have time with my career and all.”
 
She ran her fingers through her hair and looked back up into his face.  Terrance had always been on the lean side. But over the years he had put a little meat on his bones, she noticed not without appreciation. He still had those dark brooding eyes, the cleft in his chin and that crooked grin that was so sexy, it could make a woman lose her mind. 
 
She ran a hand through her hair again to clear those thoughts, because she was a married woman whether he knew it or not. And he was definitely a married man, with a ring to prove it. Although Jared had probably run back into Lauren’s arms by now, she refused to stoop to that point. No matter how tempting the eye candy. Besides, what they had was something between two foolish kids. Yes, he had been a true friend to her as well, but they were two full grown adults now. 
 
“Is your wife a jealous girl, Terry?” Patricia asked, as she pulled her legs up on the couch underneath her. Terrance watched as her dress slid up just a little, exposing her thighs.   
 
“Normally, no, but she might be under these circumstances,” he confessed.
 
“Why?” Patricia asked, as she began rubbing his arm tenderly and staring into his eyes.
 
“Because you’re a very beautiful, tempting woman. A woman who…a woman who was my first love.”

He ran his hands down his face and kept his face hidden for a moment. Sighing loudly, he turned his head sideways, allowing his eyes to caress her.
 
“There’s more. Shawn, I don’t know how to tell you this, but…” Terrance held his head down in his hands and then looked up at Patricia with a sad look in his eyes. 
 
She reached out to rub him on the shoulder to offer him comfort. She was startled when he jumped back, almost as though her touch was venomous.
 
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you or offend you by—” 
 
“No, stop, Shawn. You didn’t offend or upset me in any way. Girl, I’m just having a hard time keeping my head clear around you,” he began. His voice lowered to a whisper as he continued to scoot closer to her.
 
“I mean, coming here today I didn’t expect to see you. Hell, Shawn, I didn’t even know you were back in town. When I stepped out on the deck this afternoon, you were the last face I expected to see. But…as soon as I saw your profile, I knew it was you. You’ve changed a lot, yet, the way that you sat and held your head was Shawn from way back. It’s like you being back has me questioning my life now,” he admitted.
 
Terrance distractedly began tracing a finger down her jaw line. As Patricia kept staring into his eyes, she found herself getting lost in the memory. Her heart began thrumming as she anticipated a kiss between the two of them. As their lips touched, she instantly drew back with a questioning look in her eyes. It wasn’t the fact that they were both married that had Pat’s head reeling. 
 
That little niggling thought that had been bothering her since he arrived, came back stronger. And she had to clear it out of her mind, and him out of her system. She stood up and walked to the other side of the living room to place distance between them. 
 
“Terry, if you didn’t come over because you’d heard that I was in town, why did you come? Mama, didn’t tell me that she had maintained a relationship with you all this time. Hell, she didn’t even tell me that she had invited you.” 
 
“It’s not that. I mean yeah, your mom and I still have a relationship, but that’s not why I came today. I mean that’s not the only reason why,” he confessed.  

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