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First Edition Design Publishing - Monica Chereches

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167 pages

English

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Less Ordinary, tells the story of a man whose life and marriage were torn apart by his kidnapping and abuse, and who's given a second chance for love when he meets his two other halves, a man and a womanWhen Benjamin is kidnapped in Brazil, life as he knew it ends, and the once happy, young man is turned into a wreck, a stranger to his family and fianc In his desperation he reaches out to his best friend, a former psychiatrist, for help and under his constant care he takes significant steps towards recovery. Eight years pass by, years of suffering, therapy and a painful divorce, until love finds its way into his life again, but when the love of his life turns out to be not one but two people, a man and a woman, things take an interesting turn. "Less Ordinary" explores the world of polyamory, the taboo of loving more than one person, in contemporary western society.

Sujets

Erotic literature

Romance

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Publié par	First Edition Design Publishing
Date de parution	15 mars 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781622878383
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0420€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Less
Ordinary

By
Monica Chereches

First Edition Design Publishing
Sarasota, Florida
Less Ordinary
Copyright ©2015 Monica Chereches

ISBN 978-1622-878-37-6 PRINT
ISBN 978-1622-878-38-3 EBOOK

LCCN 2015933048

February 2015

Published and Distributed by
First Edition Design Publishing, Inc.
P.O. Box 20217, Sarasota, FL 34276-3217
www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com

ALL R I G H T S R E S E R V E D. No p a r t o f t h i s b oo k pub li ca t i o n m a y b e r e p r o du ce d, s t o r e d i n a r e t r i e v a l s y s t e m , o r t r a n s mit t e d i n a ny f o r m o r by a ny m e a ns ─ e l e c t r o n i c , m e c h a n i c a l , p h o t o - c o p y , r ec o r d i n g, or a ny o t h e r ─ e x ce pt b r i e f qu ot a t i o n i n r e v i e w s , w i t h o ut t h e p r i o r p e r mi ss i on o f t h e a u t h o r or publisher .

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Cover Art Credit (front and back) www.truelovefotografie.prosite.com
Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – Our Lives
I. Benjamin
II. Michael
III. Emily
Chapter 2 - Who Would’ve Thought?
I.Benjamin
Chapter 3 – Step By Step
I. Emily
II. Michael
III. Benjamin
Chapter 1 – Our Lives
I. Benjamin

Darkness... Silence… Move! You’re almost there. Steps approaching! Stop! Listen… Quiet. Crawl. Crawl faster! A pale line of light ahead... It’s a door! Hurry! Get to the light! Suddenly, a hand grasped my shoulder, pulling me back into the darkness. Nooo!! I launched myself at the door, grabbed the handle and… "Ben. Benjamin! Wake up. It's just a dream," I heard a familiar voice calling my name as I opened my eyes. The room was dark, and my body was covered in sweat. "It's okay, I'm here," Mike said soothingly and tried to hug me.
"Don't touch me!" I shook his hands off. "Just don't." "Okay... okay!" He backed up slowly. "I’ll just sit here... I won't touch you..." I pulled farther away from him and took a moment to look around. ‘Okay Ben, calm down now. It’s alright. This is Michael, your best friend,’ I said to myself. He sat down in the armchair next to my bed, turned on the bedside lamp, and looked at me with worried eyes. As the dim light of the lamp slowly lit up the room, my brain started functioning again, and I remembered where I was. ‘It’s Michael’s house, you fool! You’re safe here,’ I said to myself again and breathed out, relieved. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean... Could you stay for a while? I don't want to be alone..."
"I’ll be here, don't worry. Now go on, try to sleep."
Later that night, I woke up screaming again. The pictures were so vivid, the people, the sound of their steps, the smell of blood and urine, they felt so real. Mike was still there, sitting in the armchair, watching over me.
"How can I help?"
"Just don't leave. I feel safer with you around."
"Do you need a pill or something to help you sleep?"
"I took one already, but... every time I close my eyes, I see them. I start screaming, but nobody can hear me. "
"Maybe... if you would talk about it... about what happened."
"If I talk about it, I'll remember, and I don't want to remember."
"I’m here if you change your mind. I’ll listen," He said as his eyes scrutinized my face.
"You look horrible," I tried to smile. "You could use some sleep too. I'm sorry for this..."
"I'm fine, don't worry about me," he smiled, but the dark lines under his eyes betrayed him.
"You can't stay in that chair all night."
"Ben, I’ll be fine, seriously. Now go on, try to sleep." He said with a tired smile.
"Yes, mum.” I closed my eyes and gradually fell asleep. It was a dreamless sleep, the first in the past two weeks. It was dawn when I opened my eyes again. Michael was still asleep in the armchair and looked really uncomfortable. I slid out of the bed, slowly, trying my best not to wake him.
I went to the bathroom, closed the door behind me and looked in the mirror. The man staring back at me looked somehow alien. He had bruises above his prominent cheek-bones, and the green color of his eyes seemed paler, beneath the dark, blue skin of his eyelids. A thin line of stitches stretched below his hairline. Looking further down on his bare upper body, you couldn’t miss the bandages that covered his slowly healing ribs. I lifted my hand to touch the cut on his forehead, but as soon as my fingertips reached the damaged skin, I found myself pulled into that dark room again. A hand was holding a gun to my head, and when I tried to move, I felt a sudden pain above my eyes. Blood flowed down to my eyelids, blinding me for a second. Somebody pushed me down onto the table in front of me, and the gun was at the back of my head. A shiver ran down my spine, and I was gasping for air. I couldn't move, so I did the only thing I could; I started begging. "Please, don't do this, I'm sorry, I really am... Please!" I felt the terror slowly crawling up on me, and my whole body trembled. "Oh, shut up and be a man!" He laughed.
"Please!"
"I said shut up!" He hit my face with the gun again.
"Why are you doing this? I can pay you..."
"Pay me!? You really think that's all I care about? I have money. More than I need. This," he gestured with his hand, moving it around in a wide circle, "is just for fun. You know, I really thought you were smarter than this. And for what? A woman?! You hit me in front of my men! I can't tolerate that. I could beat you alright, but the bruises will disappear, and you'll forget. I don't want you to forget!"
"Please! I'm sorry... I..."
"I said shut up! If you relax, you might actually enjoy it."
"Please..." I whispered now, closing my eyes tightly, waiting for the pain. Nothing happened, so I slowly opened my eyes. I was on the bathroom floor, curled up like a ball, with my hands wrapped around my knees. I needed a few moments to breath normally again and to relax my stiff muscles. I pulled myself up and looked in the mirror again. All in all, I concluded that I looked hideous and felt a sudden urge to break something. Instead, I turned my back to the mirror and unwrapped my bandages to take a shower. When I went back into the bedroom, Mike was awake and when he looked at me, there was shock and pain in his eyes. I then realized that this was the first time he had seen my torso. Except for the hospital personnel, no one else had seen me like this, and it was an uncomfortable moment. He noticed and looked away. "What do you want for breakfast?" he asked.
"I'm not hungry"
"You have to eat."
"Maybe later."
"Ben, you barely eat or sleep. You need to get your strength back if you want to go home."
"Who said I want to go home? How could I, after what happened? How can I look in their eyes and pretend everything is all right? Tell me! How?!"
"Hey, hey, it's okay... You can stay here as long as you want, you know that, but I don't think that's the solution. Your parents are worried, they have no idea what happened. Neither do I, as a matter of fact, and Amanda is calling me every day. I'm not sure how much longer I can fool her. You have to talk to them."
"I will, just not yet, I need a few more weeks. They can't see me like this. I don't want them to know, no one can know. I’ll be fine, I just need more time." I said, pacing like a trapped lion. He came closer and handed me a tissue. I was crying, and I didn't even notice. He hugged me, and I didn't protest this time. It felt like an eternity till the shaking stopped.
"Please tell me what happened. Maybe I can help."
"You can't. Nobody can..."
"Please. Just let me try, okay?" I looked into his eyes, hoping to find the strength to help me start, but as much as I wanted to, I couldn't form the words. I wasn't there yet, and I didn't know if I ever would be. I pushed him away gently and took a step backwards. "I'm sorry. I just can't..."
He looked at me with worried eyes. "It's alright, you don't have to apologize. When you feel ready, I’ll be here," he tapped me on the shoulder. "What are your thoughts about having breakfast with a starving old friend?" he smiled at me encouragingly.
"We can give it a try." I said, looking back at him.
I called my parents later that day. They were relieved to finally hear my voice and kept asking when I’ll return home. I told them not to worry; I just want to spend a few more sunny days in Los Angeles with Michael before I return to my rainy country. Next on the list was Amanda.
"Hello?" I always liked her melodic voice, it had a calming effect on my nerves.
"Hi honey. It's me."
"Oh my God, Ben! How are you? When are you coming home? Why didn't you call me sooner?!" Her tone changed from surprised and happy to anxious in a matter of seconds.
"I'm sorry... I'm fine. I’ll be home in a couple of weeks, I promise, and I will tell you everything. I just need some time... time to catch up with Michael and soak in some sun," the last words coming out in a whisper. I hated lying to her.
"You sound strange. Are you sure you’re alright? Would you like me to come?"
"No! I mean yes! Everything is all right now, you don't have to come. I’ll be home soon," the last thing I needed was her unstoppable desire to be there for me all the time. I needed to be alone for a while, without her following my every move. "So how are you?"
"I'm fine, but I miss you, and I’m worried. Don't you dare do this to me again! Promise you’ll call more often, okay?"
"I promise. I have to go now... Mike needs me. Love you, bye."
"Love you more. See you soon."
It was getting dark, so I went outside to look for Mike. I found him in the garage. He was working on his motorbike, and did not notice me at first. I watched him in silence. He had changed a lot since the last time we met and was more confiden