Make you love me make yo.., p.1
Make You Love Me : Make You Series Book 1, page 1
Copyright © 2022 by L.A. Shaw
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission from the publisher or author. Except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or as otherwise permitted by the U.S. Copyright Law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, brands, media, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased, or events is purely coincidence.
Make You Love Me
Editor: Brandi at www.mynotesinthemargins.com
Cover Design: L.A. Shaw - Canva
Formatting: L.A. Shaw - Atticus
Photo: Canva
To all the dreams we never thought were possible...
Contents
Author's Note
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
PART TWO
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Epilogue
Sneak Peek
Acknowledgments
About Author
Author's Note
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Prologue
My Love,
Where do I begin?
I want you to know that you mean the absolute world to me. Filling even my saddest days with rays of sun. The way you hold me just right and know exactly what my body and mind need whenever you are near.
I can't believe it has been over 2 years and you still evoke butterflies every time I see you. I sometimes think I can feel your loving gaze even when you're not around.
Thank you for loving me even through my ups and downs and let’s be real there have been more downs than ups lately. You have stayed by my side through the endless doctor appointments and treatments. Always smiling and making me feel beautiful and loved.
Even at my lowest, you empower me to be strong. You are my rock, which I am eternally thankful for.
But what about you and your life? I need to know that you will be okay even when I am no longer around. Living the life of a normal 18-year-old guy, with a future filled with endless possibilities.
Before you argue, I want you to know I have put some serious thought into this, and this is what I want for you.
I want you to be happy.
I want you to have a loving family filled with gorgeous, smiling children and the life you always dreamed about. Owning your own shop, designing, and seeing your sketches come to life.
I won’t be able to give you those things, of that, I am sure. You deserve the world because that is what you gave me every day, selflessly.
You have touched my soul with your love, and for that, I will always be grateful. I don’t think I would have made it through this past year without you.
This is probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do. To tell the man I love with all my heart and soul that this is the end…
I know this will come as a shock, but I'm leaving town. By the time you read this, I will already be gone. Don’t come looking for me… it’s better this way.
Just know I’ve gone to live out the rest of my time, however long that may be, with a heart filled with your love.
I want you to wake up every day and feel my love surround you, even if I am not there.
You will get past this and find a girl who will love you for the amazing man you are. Because you deserve that. You deserve everything. I’m just sorry it couldn’t be with me.
I'm doing this because I love you and I hope you never forget that.
Love Always,
Your Everything 🖤
Chapter One
As I stare at my reflection in the full-length mirror, all I see are the numerous imperfections I’ve been critiqued about for most of my life. While I have come to terms with my body, being told that my thighs should be smaller and more toned, or that my belly should be a bit flatter with less jiggle, definitely chips away at your self-confidence. My ass, although big and round, is one of my favorite parts about me. Unfortunately, I’ve been told that it too could benefit from me dropping several pounds and inches. Ethel has repeatedly lectured me about my size, saying “Well-to-do men don’t want their women to be too curvy and objectified, they want demure, dignified women by their side.” Thankfully, I’m not looking to marry a rich well-to-do guy, they don’t sound like much fun if you ask me.
It is what it is, and clearly my ass is not going anywhere anytime soon. So, to be perfectly honest, I’m not too mad at the cheeky cut of the costume I’m about to put on. It’s all the other parts I’m sort of dreading. Ashley swears it’ll fit, especially with the corseted back she designed. I obviously would have opted for at least one size larger, but she was in charge of designing the outfits.
Ashley has been my best friend since third grade, when she moved to our quiet New York neighborhood. She came into my life just when I needed her the most, right around the time my mother passed away. She was older than me by a year but that didn’t change a thing. Ashley is like the sister I always wanted. There isn’t a thing she wouldn’t do for me and the same goes for her. We’re frick and frack, tweedle dum and tweedle dee, thing one and thing two. You get the picture. We’re inseparable, making us the dynamic duo, Tig and Bitty. I’m Tig because of my tig ol’ bitties and she’s Bitty, since she's just so damn tiny in comparison to me.
After Ashley graduated, she stayed local due to family obligations and work, so I’m thrilled she spends her time off with me down in Nori Beach.
Hence why I’m staring at this Playboy Bunny for this stupid-ass party I agreed to go to. I love her to death, but right now I’m seriously regretting this decision.
She’s been hyped ever since we first heard about it a few days ago. Of course, some dipshit made it a costume party, and that was all Ashley needed to hear to get her creative gears turning.
“Girl come on, I want to see it!” Ashley bellows as she practically knocks down the door to my bathroom. All I’ve managed to get on are the fishnet tights. My hair and makeup are done, but I haven’t worked up the courage to finish getting dressed.
“Um... I’m not ready yet.”
“Oh, come on, you’ve been in there for an hour.”
Turning back to the offending corset, I let out a defeated sigh. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be out in a minute.” There’s no point in faking sick at this point, right?
Ugh! This was a stupid idea. I mean, who has a Halloween party in June anyway? Nori Beach, North Carolina, is a well-known destination around the country. Families from all over come and spend their summers at their lavish beach houses that line the coast. With rich families, there are always over-the-top parties thrown by their spawn trying to one-up their fellow neighbors.
Don’t get me wrong, I love it here and I’m thankful my family has a summer house that has been in the Richmond family for generations. The only downside is that I’m left with the She-Devil herself in an enormous house with nothing much to do.
I don’t have many friends down here. I personally think most of the teen population here are a bunch of snobby assholes. Therefore, I keep myself busy during the weekdays, taking walks on the boardwalk and laying out on the beach with a book in my hand. My weekends are usually filled with more of the same or hanging with Ashley when she’s here.
Luckily I've avoided Ethel Richmond since arriving last week. Living with her brings on a whole new meaning of nitpicking. First, let me start by saying that Ethel is my grandmother on my mother’s side, but she thinks that phrase makes her seem too old and lacks the proper respect she rightfully deserves. Yeah, she’s a real peach. Second, she will be the first person to highlight your flaws and harp on them until you make the adjustments she deems appropriate. I’ve lived with her constant critiques for most of my life and you could certainly blame my body shaming habits on her. Honestly, I can’t stand being around her for extended periods of time, but she’s one of the few family members I have left, so I do what I can to keep the peace. Which means I’ll be keeping myself busy this summer and our interactions to a minimum.
This party will be fun, or at least that’s what Ashley keeps telling me. I just need to get myself out there and make the best of it, leaving Ethel’s critiques behind.
Tucking and fidgeting with this costume for the last
He’s nice and all, he’s just so serious, always on point—Mr. future President. I like to have fun and be young, and it’s like pulling teeth to get him to relax. I’m trying desperately to loosen him up a bit. Let’s see if a little skin does the trick.
Opening the bathroom door, I see Ashley sitting at the edge of my bed on her phone. The clicking of my heels on the hardwood gains her attention and her head pops up. “Holy shit, Babe! You look so fucking hot! I knew this design would work perfectly on your shape.” She whistles at me as she stands. I immediately blush at her attention and fidget my hands.
“Tig, I’m serious… you’re a knockout. I cannot wait to see the attention you get tonight. We’re going to have these Nori Beach guys drooling all over us.” She takes my hand and twirls me around. Like I said, she’s awesome at being a hype girl and I definitely feel more at ease. Her enthusiasm is contagious.
Ashley hands me a shot of who knows what to help calm my nerves. We raise our glasses and cheers. “Fuck it… here goes nothing,” I murmur to myself as I take it down.
“Did you send Mr. Stick-up-his-ass a pic of how fucking hot you are? I bet he doesn’t even know what to do with it. Probably thinks his phone will get confiscated with such deplorable images on it.” She laughs so hard she snorts, imitating a man with ramrod straight posture and a snooty-looking face. I literally burst out laughing. She’s so ridiculous sometimes.
I smack her arm when I regain my composure. “That’s not very nice Ash. Jonathan’s not that bad.”
“Ha! That’s one way of putting it… besides, do you even like him?” She raises one eyebrow in question, handing me another glass of who knows what.
“I mean… I guess. I don’t know,” I mutter into my drink.
“Oh, come on babe. You should absolutely, without a doubt, know if you’re into someone.”
“I guess you’re right. I honestly think I’m trying to make it work just to piss Ethel off. The look on her face when I brought him to dinner was priceless. Made me think if I held onto him for a bit longer—”
Ashley interrupts, “You can’t string him along just to piss off Ethel. As fun as that may be, it’s not fair to him. Although I’m not sure if he even has emotions, he’s such a robot.”
“Ugh, I guess you’re right.” I glance at my phone to see if he’s responded to my sexy selfie. Nope, nothing. “I’m supposed to see him soon. I guess I’ll break it off, even though we both agreed to just have fun this summer.”
“Set him free girl,” she fake-sings into her fist. This girl has definitely been pre-gaming without me. I smile and down the rest of my drink, holding my glass out for another.
“That’s my girl!” She smiles and glances back at her phone. “Okay, our Uber should be here in about ten minutes, so let’s have another one before it gets here.” I nod, accepting my fate. Ashley beams as she pours us another shot of liquid courage.
***
We pull up to the elaborate iron gates that precede a long stone driveway. Ashley squeals in excitement as they slowly open and our car creeps closer to its destination. The sprawling historic home is decked out top to bottom with Halloween decorations, and it looks like there’s a haunted maze set up on the grounds. We come to a stop and Ash grabs my hand, practically dragging me out of the car.
We approach the steps just as the doors open, allowing the thumping bass to travel outside. Several people spill onto the stairs before us, just barely missing a collision. Still holding my hand, Ashley sidesteps the drunken masses, and we make our way into the home. We spot the bar set up on the opposite side of the room and weave our way through the crowd. I smile, hearing several guys whistle at us as we pass. Maybe this costume wasn’t an awful choice after all. Touché Bitty.
I grab two beers from the ice buckets and hand one to Ash while she scopes out the place. It’s quite dark in here besides the themed lighting and black lights. The space we’re in is super crowded and it appears that all the furniture and most of the decor have been removed to protect it from the impending chaos that will ensue by the end of the night. Because let’s be real, some shit always goes down by the end of the night.
We spot an opening on the dance floor and make our way over there just as “Essence” by Wizkid starts to play. My body takes the reins as the heavy beat pumps through my system, along with the shots we took earlier. Ashley and I love to dance. It’s probably why we like parties so much. If there are good beats playing, we will start a dance party just about anywhere. If I’m being honest, it’s so freeing to just let go and move to the music. I’m not thinking about what’s wrong with my body, who I should or shouldn’t be hanging out with, or what responsibilities I’m ignoring. I just let it all go.
We like to make a show of it out on the dance floor. Our surroundings disappear and we both vibe with one another, feeding off each other’s energy. My insecurities about the damn costume are long forgotten, and I am truly having a great time.
Several songs later, Ashley swigs her beer and leans in to speak. “Holy shit babe, we’re drawing quite the audience.” I peek over her shoulder and take notice of the crowd surrounding us. I give her a sly smile as I turn my ass into her, drop it down low, and slowly work my hips up. When I stand up, she grabs my hand and I spin her around. Just as she’s about to complete her turn, her elbow is grabbed by someone dressed as the Joker. A very tall and jacked Joker. I wish I could see his face beneath all the face paint, but damn, his presence is overwhelming. She side-eyes me, silently asking if it's okay if she dances with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Jacked. I give her a knowing smile and take my tipsy ass back to the ice buckets. My beer has been empty for quite some time now, and a girl needs to maintain her buzz.
Grabbing another beer, I make my way out the back doors that are right off the kitchen. If I know Ashley, she’ll be busy for several songs, so I have a few minutes to cool off. I find a secluded spot on the massive back deck and lean against the railing. It’s a beautiful night out. The bright stars light up the sky and I can’t help but get lost staring at them.
I startle out of my daze when I hear high-pitched screeches coming from the garden to my left. It takes me a few moments to realize I’m standing right next to the spooky maze I saw earlier.
Laughing to myself, I take a long swig of my beer. Silly girls, purposefully going into a haunted maze so they can be coddled and cling on the arm of some guy. I’ve never been one for spooky walks or haunted houses. Not because I’m scared, but because I would physically harm someone who jumps out at me even with a fake weapon. I don’t like things popping out at me. It triggers my inner warrior and I physically lash out with strength I forget I possess.
I once accidentally knocked out Ashley’s older brother Micah. We were in her room, deeply engrossed in a horror movie, when he jumped out of the closet with a mask on, scaring the ever-loving shit out of me. He thought it was absolutely hysterical. I, unfortunately for him, did not. My immediate response was not to scream, no that would be too typical, but instead to punch the masked offender square in the face. Not only did he crumple like a pile of fallen bricks, but he ended up with a broken nose and two matching black eyes. Needless to say, he no longer tries to pull pranks on me, even if he is a foot taller than me now.
“What’s so funny?” is whispered softly into my ear, causing me to jump to the side and swing my arm around, making contact with whomever just whispered to me. “Ouch.”
I eye the offender as he rubs his arm in his… Batman suit. “Serves you right. Seriously, who sneaks up on someone like that?”
“You were over here staring into space with a big smile on your face and I couldn’t help but ask what was so amusing. I didn’t realize you were going to go all Cobra Kai on my ass.”
I laugh as he jokingly continues to rub his arm. “I’m surprised the bat suit didn’t withstand the blow.”
