Redeem Me: Oakville Series:Book Four

The Oakville Series

First Love
- Kyle and Amber’s Story (Book #1 Part 1)

Remember Me
- Kyle and Amber’s Story (Book #2 Part 2)

Protect Me
- Paul and Holly’s Story (Book #3)

Redeem Me
- Angel and Chelsie’s Story (Book #4)

Coming Soon (in no particular order)

Save Me
- Liam and Kelly’s Story

Forgive Me
- Beasley and Tanya’s Story

Love Me
- Marcus and Taryn’s Story

Clark and Becky’s Story

Fallen Angels Series

New Series Coming Soon

Can opposites really attract? Chelsie Amell is a shy wholesome girl looking for the forever kind of love. Angel Walker is a guilt ridden man whore who is not capable of love. Both are wildly attracted to each other, but do everything in their power to fight it.Will their pasts leave a barrier between them they can't cross? Or will they climb it together and over come it all?

This book is dedicated to
Chelsie Leverette
. Thank you for your friendship and the support you’ve given me throughout this journey.

Angel

Sixteen years ago

“I’
m going out with a friend, I need you to watch Katherine for me,” my mother tells me. After a brief hug, she’s out the door to meet her “friend”. At twelve years old, I’m wise enough to know by “friend”, she means another man she’s trying to rope into marrying her. Over the last three years, ever since my dad ran off, my mother has had lots of “friends”.

Katherine, or Katie, as I like to call her, is my little sister. She’s three now and I’ve been taking care of her since she was about six months old, around the time my dad left us. My mom was devastated when he left. She’d sit in her room all day and night crying. This went on for almost a year. I have no idea why he left. For about a month or so before, all they did was fight, though. He stopped playing with me and the loving, fatherly look I used to see in his eyes changed to a hateful one.

From the moment I first saw Katie, I loved her. She was so tiny and sweet. Always gripping onto my finger as if she knew I was her big brother. As a baby, she was always happy. Hardly ever cried, except when she was really hungry. The day she was born, I remember my father telling me, “Your job as a big brother is to watch out for her and protect her.” For the last three years, that’s exactly what I’ve done.

While my mom suffered through her depression, I was the one who fed, changed, and bathed Katie. I also had to take care of my mom, as well as myself. Someone had to do it. She sure as hell couldn’t, or wouldn’t—whichever the case may have been. For a nine-year-old boy, it was a lot to take on. I had no idea what I was doing at first, but I quickly learned as I went and read a ton of books along the way.

After coming home once to a filthy, hungry, screaming baby one day, I had to convince my mom to hire someone to homeschool me. It proved my mom wasn’t capable, and I was too afraid to leave Katie alone with her all day while I was at school after that point. At least we had the means to pay for the homeschooling. My mother knew she wasn’t in the right headspace to do what needed to be done, so she was more than willing for me to stay home—anything to allow her to stay in her alcohol and drug induced bubble.

I grew up way too fast, but being the man of the house and taking care of my mother along with an infant will do that to you. I had no friends. Never went outside to play. Every night, I’d go to bed praying tomorrow would be the day she finally snapped out of her funk. Every morning, I’d wake up to find those prayers unanswered.

It took a year before I got my wish. She wasn’t holed up in her room crying any longer, but she also wasn’t home much either. She had it in her head that she needed to find a man to take care of the three of us. It was the last thing I wanted. I just wanted my mom to step up and be a mom. I wanted to be a normal kid. We didn’t need a man to take care of us, I was already that man. Plus, it was bad enough I had the impression my dad left because of me; I didn’t need to keep feeling like my mom didn’t love or want me. Though, ever since he left, that’s the vibe she throws off.

For the last two years, I’ve heard it’ll all be great again once she finds the right man. Friend after friend came around to take her out, but usually only for one date. When they found out she had two children, they ran for the hills. Instead of realizing she needed to focus on us, she kept searching—staying out all hours of the night, sometimes not coming home at all until the next day. Once she was even gone for the whole weekend.

As all children do, I love my mom. I know she doesn’t mean to cause us harm. My dad walking out on her just seemed to break her beyond repair. She couldn’t see that her daughter and son needed her and not a replacement dad. All we needed was a mom who cared for us. Unfortunately, the tunnel vision she had prevented that from happening.