BLISS Read online

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by reviewers, who may quote brief passages in a review. The characters and events in this book are fictious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Copyright © 2020 by A.R. Breck. All rights reserved.

  Cover design by Q Design Cover

  Editing by Chell Reads

  CONTENT WARNING:

  BLISS contains mature themes that might make some readers uncomfortable. Foul language, criminal activity, and drug use are included in this book. Please proceed with caution.

  Prologue

  "Can we stop for ice cream?" I say from the backseat of the car as I pull out my phone. My best friend, Brielle, is trying to get our friends together to go the local street racing tonight. It’s popular on the weekends—and illegal—but always super fun to go to.

  But first, we’re celebrating my parent's wedding anniversary. Instead of doing something romantic like going on a date like a normal wedding anniversary, it's a family tradition that all three of us go and do something fun together. So, my friends are going to have to wait, because my parents fucking rock.

  Tonight, we went to an art show downtown and then went out to eat. Ever since I was little, on the way home I would shout, "Can we stop for ice cream?" I don't find any sense to stop now.

  Mom chuckles. "You know it, baby. We're almost there."

  Shocked, I look up and see we are, in fact, almost to our favorite ice cream shop, Velma's. I text Brielle and let her know we’re about to be at the ice cream shoppe. She’ll know I won’t be too much longer.

  If someone were to ask me what I wanted in life, I would say one thing.

  I want love as great as my parents. I've never seen them fight, not once. That doesn't mean they don't fight. I mean, who doesn't ever fight? But the love that shines in their eyes as they look at each other has never—not once—faded. If anything, over the years it has grown stronger.

  That's what I want.

  If I could find a love that’s like theirs—soul crushing, heart stopping, so intense you can barely breathe type of love—yes, that’s exactly what I want.

  "Honey..." My dad says from the driver's seat. His tone is uneasy, rushed and squeezed out of his throat like a closed fist. I snap my head up.

  "What is it, dear?" She looks away from the night sky and over at him.

  When I lean up, I see him clutching his chest. His face is pale, and maybe a little sweaty.

  "Dad?" I say. I grab onto his head rest and lean up, trying to see what’s going on. “Dad, what is it?” Ice cream forgotten, street racing forgotten, the only thing I can think of is my dad.

  "Shawn, what's wrong?" My mom says with a shaky, panicked voice. "Pull over." She orders.

  "Denise... something... something's not right." If possible, his grip on his chest gets even tighter. Moments after he finishes his sentence, something happens to him that I was not prepared for. He passes out—I think. His hands fall down to his lap and his head lulls forward.

  I can hear my mom and I screaming for him to wake up. She tries to take the wheel and pull over to the side, but it's too late.

  We're already in the left lane on the highway. Going too fast. Going way too fast. We crash into the median so hard the wind gets knocked out of my chest. The car rolls once, twice, three times, hitting a few other vehicles maybe, I'm not so sure.

  I can feel the presence of death surround me like a cloak. I just know, without a doubt, that my dad is dead.

  The only thing I remember before everything went black is hearing my mom whisper my dad's name before she loses her own fight.

  1

  Mercy

  "Mercy, are you ready to get started?" Mr. Lawyer says from the other side of the table. We're sitting in one of the massive conference rooms at his office. The dark wood table fits about fifteen people, so I'm not sure why we need to be in this huge room to talk such morbid details.

  He could have brought me in the coat closet for all I care.

  I'm here because, well, death.

  That's putting it in simple terms.

  Two months ago, was my parents’ anniversary. The one day of the year we celebrate harder than we do Christmas or birthdays. The day of my parents’ anniversary has always been the most important day of the year.

  There will never be another one of those days again.

  I shiver, hating where I am and why I'm here. More than that, I can't fucking warm up since the accident. My hands, my feet, my entire being is freezing. No matter what I do, I just can't warm up.

  "Sure." I mumble and squeeze my hands together in my lap. I don't want to touch anything. Everything here is expensive. I barely want to breathe, too worried I will break or get my clammy fingerprints somewhere.

  "I first wanted to say I'm sorry for your loss." He gives me a cold, formal nod. I'm sure he does this shit every day. He didn't know my parents. Apparently, he met with them two years ago and created their estate documents in case something catastrophic were to happen.

  Well, surprise, it did.

  "They were very nice people and it's tragic what happened to them." He rambles on like he's a family friend or something. It's uncomfortable, and it honestly makes my skin itch. If it were up to me, I would have done this shit over the phone.

  I can barely think about my parents without choking up, but at the end of the day, I had to come here and deal with this. The accident happened two months ago, and it's been a constant whirlwind since. I ended up being in the hospital for two weeks after the accident. They kept me in a coma in the beginning. I had too much trauma to my brain. When I woke up, I found out that I lost the two most important people in my life.

  My dad, he had a heart attack. Nothing could have saved him. It was pretty severe, and he died instantly.

  My mom on the other hand...

  She didn't die instantly. After our car rolled across the highway, we ended up getting pinned by a guardrail and another car.

  It took an hour for them to pry us out. My mother had been cut open from her seat belt and was bleeding profusely. She was awake for some time. Not that I remember anything, I blacked out at the first impact.

  Anyway, when rescue came and was able to get my mom out of the car, she was still alive. Barely, but she was hanging on. When they got her to the hospital and the doctor’s started having hopes she might pull through, the worst thing happened.

  She had a clot in her brain and had an aneurism. Died instantly.

  When I woke up, they were both gone.

  We don't have any family, so all I had were some of my friends from school and their parents.

  Oh, and the social worker I was assigned right away.

  She tried to place me in the foster system, but neither my friend’s mom nor I wanted that.

  I had two weeks left of school, and I wasn’t going anywhere.

  They allowed me to stay in the house while we dealt with the funeral and finishing junior year. I "technically" stayed with my friend, but was mostly at my house, in my room, wallowing in my grief.

  With some help of the both funerals from my friend’s parents, I was able to get that burden off my chest and worry about packing up all our belongings.

  Everything else went to storage.

  We weren't wealthy by any means, but with the sale of the house, I had some extra cash to find a reasonably priced storage unit to store my parent’s stuff.

  The worst came after school let out.

  I couldn't stay with my friend anymore. Brielle’s mom has some medical issues, and she couldn’t take on an orphan. I wouldn’t want to put that burden on h
er anyway.

  My social worker, Linda, was going to place me in temporary foster care for the year until I turned eighteen. That was until I received a call from my parents’ attorney stating they both had a Last Will and Testament.

  I didn't know they had an attorney, and I honestly had no idea what a Last Will and Testament was, either.

  That was until I looked it up, searched this firm, made an appointment, and here I am.

  Not sure what I'm going to find out, but Linda wanted to put everything on hold until I met with Mr. Lawyer.

  I don't even know what his name is, so I've just decided to call him Mr. Lawyer. Easier that way.

  "Are you okay?" Mr. Lawyer stops his sympathetic, but completely fake, rambling when he sees my pale face.

  My cold hands sweat profusely where they sit clenched in between my yoga pants. "I'm fine." My voice shakes as I snap out of my daydream. Day nightmare, really.

  "As I was saying, they created their Will's about five years ago. Their estate was valued at seven hundred thousand, which is supposed to go in trust for you for college expenses and anything else you may need. You are the sole beneficiary."

  "Okay." A bunch of legal talk that makes no sense to me.

  He smiles as if he understands. "You don't need to worry about the details right now. Just know that they set something up for you for college, for housing, medical expenses, or anything else you may need."

  "Okay." I say again.

  Is that it? I'm ready to go.

  "I also wanted to go over the guardian provisions with you. It lists here that in the event you were to be a minor at the time of their passing, Mr. David Reid is to be your guardian."

  I blink at him. "Who?"

  He lets out an awkward chuckle and adjusts his tie. "Uh, Mr. David Reid. He is listed as your guardian. You must know him?"

  I shake my head. "No, I don’t."

  He steeples his fingers on the glass table and leans forward. "Mercy, I've reached out to Mr. Reid and he's agreed and accepted to act as your legal guardian until you turn eighteen. He's actually here. Your social worker reached out to me and we made arrangements. Mr. Reid will bring you home with him."

  I instantly push my wheeled chair back and stand up. "I'm sorry, are you sure you have the right Will's, or documents, or whatever? I don't know a Mr. David Reid, and I'm definitely not going to go to some strange man's house just because that's what written on a fucking piece of paper."

  His face reddens, obviously not used to a traumatized teenager swearing at him in his million-dollar office. He sits there for a beat too long, unsure of what he should say.

  "I think I'm going to go now. Please talk to Linda and arrange the finances. I'll figure out the rest."

  "Wait. Wait, Mercy." He stands up and walks over to me with his arm out but doesn't dare touch me. “Please, sit down. Will you?” He gestures to the chair I was sitting in. Feeling like I have no other option, I let out a breath and walk back to my chair.

  "Give me a moment." He opens the door a crack and slips out, closing the door behind him.

  "Oh, God. Mom, Dad, why did you have to die? I don't want to go live with anyone. I want to go home with you." I whisper and bite my inner cheek until the tears dry up in my eyes.

  When the door opens again, my eyes are dry, which is a good thing because with Mr. Lawyer is with a man I've never seen before.

  "Mercy, I'd like you to meet Mr. David Reid, your legal guardian." I stiffen at his words. I don't want to deal with this.

  I want to go home.

  "Mercy?" Mr. Reid comes over to me and sits down in the chair next to me. "I'm Dave." He extends his hand, and his kind face and voice allow me to loosen up enough to shake his hand.

  "I'll let you two have a moment." Mr. Lawyer says before fleeing the room.

  Yeah, you go ahead Mr. Lawyer. You're stale as a fucking cracker, anyway.

  "I'm assuming he read you the Will's?" He hikes his thumb over his shoulder. He must not know Mr. Lawyer's name, either.

  I nod my head. "How do you know my parents? Did, do... whatever." I frown. I hate this.

  "I'm so, so sorry, Mercy. I couldn't make it to their funerals because I was in Europe on business. By the time I heard of their deaths, I couldn't make it back in time. I wanted to. I really did."

  "You didn't answer my question, though. How do you know them?" I tilt my head. He doesn't seem like a bad guy. Probably someone my parents would have gotten along with. So why don't I know him?

  He lets out a little laugh. "I've been friends with your dad since grade school. It's funny, we used to be inseparable. In college, we both made a pact that if started a family, we would always take care of each other's kids if we needed to. I'm telling you; we were the biggest nerds in school. The likelihood of us actually finding someone was so slim. I guess Shawn kept his promise." He gets a faraway look in his eyes.

  "But, why don't I know you if you guys were so close?"

  He shoulders lift in a sad shrug. "Life, really. Once your dad met your mom, they became wrapped up in their own world. Then I met Shonda and the rest is history. We just lost touch, I guess."

  I nod, not really having any other words to say. He seems legit.

  There is one thing, though. Moving in with a stranger.

  "Where do you live?" If it's anywhere far away, I'm not game.

  "About two hours north, in Lake City." He gives me a friendly smile.

  "Lake City? That's far! What about school? I... I want to graduate with my friends." I frown. "Can I stay in town and you still be my guardian or whatever?"

  He tilts his head to the side and gives me a sympathetic smile. "I'm afraid not. I've already made the arrangements with your social worker. Since the house is already packed, we're to head back to my place today."

  For the first time since I've arrived in this prestigious law office, I put my hands on the glass covered wooden table. I can feel the sweat and worry from my palms seeping into the cool glass. I'm sure when I lift my hands up, there will be a huge, ugly handprint in its place. "I'm sorry, I can't." There is no possible way I can leave my hometown and go somewhere completely unfamiliar.

  I just can’t.

  He sighs and crosses his hands across his chest. "I'm so sorry, Mercy. I know this isn't what you envisioned your final year at high school to be like. Shit, I'm sure this isn't what you expected your life to be like at all. But, in the worst of times we have to stick together. Your father entrusted me with your care and that's what I'm here to do."

  At the mention of my father, my chest clenches and my throat starts to close. Pretty soon, I let out a pitiful sob at the path my life is making me take.

  Arms encircle me, and a warm body with a minty smell to it surrounds me. "It's okay, Mercy. We'll get through this together."

  I nod in his arms. Not because I want to go. But because this man who knew my father is now the closest thing to a parental figure I'll ever get. I feel lost, so lost even a compass wouldn't help me find my way.

  But, with Dave's arms wrapped around me and his comforting pat on my back, life doesn't seem so lost. At least for the moment.

  ~

  On our way to my new home, I watch the landscape change from the city, with its buildings, small trees, and bushes to nature, tall trees with a wilderness feel to it. Northern Minnesota. It’s like I'm in an entirely different world.

  Sitting in his comfortable Lexus, I can't help but notice the wealth surrounding me. "What do you do for a living?"

  He grins at me from behind his glasses and says, "I'm a manager at a local financial institution."

  I give him a nod, not sure what that job entails. But it sounds rich.

  "You have no idea what I said, do you?" He chuckles.

  I give him a sheepish smile and shake my head. "Sorry, no. Mom was a teacher and my dad, well, he was an accountant. But I'm sure you knew that.”

  He nods his head. "Yes, I did. We both were big into numbers. He was always better than me when
it came to math."

  "Yeah... he was pretty smart."

  A somber mood fills the car like a heavy blanket, and Dave instantly tries to steer it away.

  "So, are you in any sports or anything?"

  I shake my head. "No, I used to be in dance, but stopped when… yeah." I look off, staring at the window as my vision turns blurry.

  “You know… we can get you back in it, if you really want to.” Dave says softly.

  “No.” I stress. “I really, really, don’t.” Dance was something I’ve always done. Ballet, hip hop, contemporary… I’ve done it all. I’m great, but it’s… it’s in the past.

  “Okay.” He says, and I let a breath out at his words.

  Minutes pass in silence, and I rest my forehead up against the window. Then his next words come out.

  "My son is in football. Star quarterback, actually."

  His words make me whip my head in his direction. He never told me about a son. I'm going to be living with another teenager. Fuck. Why didn’t I even think about kids? Obviously, he has kids.

  "You have kids?" I snap.

  His eyes widen slightly at this. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even realize you wouldn't have known that. Aric, my younger son, he's your age. I'm sure you will get along just fine, don't worry about anything like that. If he gives you any trouble, let me know and I'll kick him out." He laughs, but it fades out quickly. My mind is still stuck on the fact I’m going to be living with some random dude.

  No, not just one.

  My mind got stuck on younger son.

  "You have more than one kid?" Please, please let him say a daughter.

  "Yes. I have an older son, Aeron. He's nineteen. He doesn't live at home right now." His mouth tilts down.

  "Oh, He’s in college?" Shit, please...

  “Something like that. He’s in a program right now." He doesn't elaborate more than that. His short tone cuts our conversation short.

  Touchy subject.

  I sit back in my seat and we spend the last hour of the car ride in complete silence.

  2

  Mercy

  "Mercy." I hear the faded voice in the back of my mind.