On Solid Ground: Sequel to in Too Deep
Read On Solid Ground: Sequel to in Too Deep Online
Authors: Michelle Kemper Brownlow
ON SOLID GROUND
“Michelle Kemper Brownlow delivers an emotional and empowering sequel to IN TOO DEEP that will take you on a journey of letting go, holding on and moving forward. Gracie Jordan is a character that will stick with me for years to come.” ~ Sarah Rostar,
Books She Reads
“It only takes Michelle a few sentences to put us right back into Gracie and Jake’s world. Filled with such raw emotion, my chest was physically aching for the love Gracie and Jake have found...and are fighting to keep. On Solid Ground is a journey of self-discovery and emotional healing written with such feeling that it’s a story I won’t soon forget. Poignant, relatable, humbling, tender and beautiful....truly remarkable.” ~ Jillian Stein,
Read-Love-Blog
“Follow Gracie’s journey as she searches for inner peace and holds tight to Jake’s love that’s supported her along the way. On Solid Ground is a riveting book that will captivate your heart and touch your soul.” ~ Heather Davenport,
Naughty and Nice Book Blog
“Captivating, emotional, beautiful, sexy, funny - Michelle Kemper Brownlow has surpassed my expectations with the conclusion of Jake and Gracie’s story. On Solid Ground is a book that will stay with you long after you turn the last page and has instantly become one of my favourite reads of 2013.” ~ Holly Baker,
Holly’s Hot Reads
“On Solid Ground is an extraordinary sequel that will have you reeling with tons of emotions. It’s such an awe-inspiring story about a once broken girl and how she finds her true self again while fighting to keep a love that is worthy of forever. Heartbreaking, soul-wrenching, and absolutely one of the best love stories I’ve read. On Solid Ground will leave you breathlessly content.” ~
Brooke, True Story Book Blog
Copyright © 2013 Michelle Kemper Brownlow
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior permission of the publisher.
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Names, characters, places, and plots are a product of the author’s imagination. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
ISBN-13: 978-1-78301-262-6
Cover Design: Michelle Kemper Brownlow
Book Jacket: Carrie Butler, Forward Authority
Cover Image: Sean van Tonder
Editing: Nancy S. Thompson
Formatting:
eBookPartnership.com
http://michellekemperbrownlow.blogspot.com
To the
friends and lovers
of those who carry baggage and struggle with the triggers Post-traumatic Stress Disorder carries with it.
Love them hard
and remember their junk isn’t part of your relationship but it
will always be
a part of their story.
Respect that.
And help them make new memories.
“Michelle did a stellar job with her playlist...If you aren’t familiar with [the music] I suggest while reading [On Solid Ground] you pull them up on whatever music app you use and listen to them right then & there at that particular part of the story. Not only did this enhance my reading experience it gave me further insight to the depth of Gracie’s pain and strength and truly made the book that much more!” ~ Kim Person,
Stick Girl Book Reviews
Behind Blue Eyes
by The Who
Comfortably Numb
by Pink Floyd
Enter Sandman
by Metallica
Breaking the Girl
by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Brown Eyed Girl
by Van Morrison
Give a Little Bit
by Goo Goo Dolls
Golden State
by EddieVedder & Natalie Maines
I Want You to Want Me
by Cheap Trick
Indifference
by Pearl Jam
Hunger Strike
by Temple of the Dog
Short Skirt, Long Jacket
by Cake
Sex on Fire
by Kings of Leon
Breathe
by Anna Nalick
Hurt Makes it Beautiful
by Hugo
Demons
by Imagine Dragons
F*ckin’ Perfect
by P!nk
Gone Away
by The Offspring
Rearview Mirror
by Pearl Jam
Courage and Control
by Brandon Boyd
Beautiful Ending
by BarlowGirl
Mountain Song
by Jane’s Addiction
Come As You Are
by Nirvana
Complicated
by Avril Lavigne
Kiss Me Slowly
by Parachute
Lucky
by Jason Mraz feat. Colbie Caillat
One Love
by Bob Marley
Just Breathe
by Pearl Jam
Stupid Boy
by Keith Urban
No Diggity
by Blackstreet & Dr. Dre
*
Search Michelle Kemper Brownlow on Spotify.com for this and other novel playlists
ON SOLID GROUND
One
Gracie
“Gracie, please.” Noah Foster stood unwelcome in the doorway of my apartment. I tried to slam it shut, but his hand stopped it. With that one, sharp movement, panic seized my heart. The adrenaline kicked in, and I forced the door closed and turned the lock.
My lips parted, but only a small whimper trembled from my throat. I didn’t know which was faster, my beating heart or my spinning brain. I couldn’t let him in. I wouldn’t.
Jake. Help.
“Gracie...” I heard a soft bump and imagined his forehead hitting the door on the other side. Before the door slammed closed, we made eye contact, and his big brown eyes were sad. The kind of sad that had always grabbed my heart and squeezed. But feeling sorry for Noah was not going to happen anymore. All I felt was disgust. A flashback took over my mind. A paralyzing fear enveloped me. I could clearly see the seething anger in his eyes the night he physically dragged me from Mitchell’s and down the sidewalk against my will. That memory sent another shockwave of fear through my body. I wasn’t worried I’d cave to him; I was worried he’d hurt me.
I couldn’t move. My feet and hands tingled. I needed to call Jake. I rolled my body so my back pressed against the cool steel door. Instantly, my mind went further back to the night at Murphy’s, when Noah held the back door closed and kissed me deeply and forcibly for the first time, the night my heart was paralyzed by a love that threatened to unravel me.
“Gracie!” He knocked lightly, and my body jolted with the reverberation straight through to my spine. I looked down at my phone and, with shaky fingers, speed dialed Jake. But before it connected, I hung up. The last time I stood up to Noah, Jake was right there with me. This time I needed to do it on my own.
I threw my phone into the laundry basket by the door, swirled around, turned the latch, and opened the only thing keeping Noah at a safe distance.
“What the hell are you doing here? You’ve got a lot of nerve...”
“Gracie, wait. Please. Just. Wait.” His big, brown eyes were filled with hope.
With one hand on the edge of the open door and the other on my hip, I did my best to look fearless, but my insides shook, and I could barely stand still. My bones vibrated beneath my muscles. It was unsettling that he still had this effect on me. It pissed me off. I motioned with my hand for him to speak but kept my focus on his movements. One step closer and I was slamming the door again.
“Gracie. I...I just can’t...I’m lost, Gracie baby. I am so lost without you.”
“Noah, I am no longer yours. There is nothing here anymore.” I threw my hand into the space between us.
I shouldn’t have let any part of my body cross the threshold, but I didn’t think fast enough. He grabbed my arm and stepped toward me, knocking my other hand from the door and stepping back in. He was back in my life, even if only for a moment. By the time the door shut behind him, my heart soared back to the dark night I stumbled down the sidewalk, afraid the bones in my wrist would crush within his violent grasp. A wave of nausea hit me, but I wasn’t going to let him do this to me again.
“Gracie. I just need you to hear me out. I just want to talk, to explain.”
“Explain? There is nothing you could say that could erase all the scars on my heart, Noah. Scars you put there. Scars that will never go away.” I yanked my wrist from his grip.
“You have every right to hate me...”
“Damn straight I do!”
When I clenched my jaw, a tear fell from my eye and rolled down my cheek. Noah reached to wipe it away, and when I flinched, he stumbled back a little and leaned against the door. Our hands fell to our sides.
“Are you afraid of me?”
“Terrified.” As the word tumbled from my mouth, I wished I hadn’t said it. Admitting he scared me gave him the upper hand. And, like an idiot, I freely handed that card to him. Again.
I felt trapped.
Jake.
I sat straight up in bed. Nauseous and sweating profusely. What had I done? Why was I here, in this bed?
I’m naked.
“Baby what’s wrong?” His hands touched my shoulders and sent me over the edge.
“Don’t! Touch! Me!” I spun around, armed with an open hand, and launched my palm into the side of his face with a loud crack.
And that’s when I realized who I’d slapped.
“Jake.”
“God, Gracie, what the...” Jake’s hand flew up to his face, and he held my gaze, but there was a fire in his eyes. He had to know the slap was not directed at him, and I was sure he deduced he’d just taken the brunt of my residual anger for Noah.
“It was a dream. Another nightmare. Jake, I am so sorry!” I reached for his face then kissed the spot I’d nailed. My hand stung, but not as much as my heart. I had never hit anyone before, not even Noah. I hated that I just took out my aggression against the person who deserved it most on the person who deserved it least.
I waited for him to say something. Even anger would be better than his complete and utter silence and the look of total shock.
“It was Noah.” Saying Noah’s name made me cringe.
Jake’s biceps flexed. “I kind of figured...”
“He was at my door and forced his way in...” My teeth started to chatter.
“Shhh, baby girl. He’s not here, and he’s never going to hurt you again. You ended it. And with such conviction, he had nothing to throw back at you. Nothing. All he could do was walk away.”
“I wish I felt as strong as you think I am.” It was as if Noah haunted me and still had the power to make me feel small and weak. I felt so far from
strong
.
“You will, Gracie. We just have to work through all the damage to get you there, but you will get there. I promise.” He brushed the hair from my forehead to clear a space for his lips.
“I hate that I dream about him when I’m in
your
bed. It’s a horrible feeling.” Guilt washed over me.
