Shattered Ties Prologue

We are only THREE days away from the release of Shattered Ties. I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday that I was hitting publish on first Torn, and then Twisted. I have trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that it's been almost a year (1-25-13) since I released my first book. My life has changed drastically since then.

I'm a small town girl that is living her dream. I couldn't have done it without you guys. You rock my world on a daily basis. I just want you all to know how much you mean to me. I love talking with you online and meeting everyone at signings.

Just a note - Shattered Ties is not part of The Torn Series. It is book one of two of a brand new series. I know you all love Drake, but I really think you'll like Jesse too.

And while this is a romance novel, I hope that you pick up on the underlying message I was trying to get out. It's obvious once you start reading.

Love you all! <3

Prologue

     Every child puts his or her parents up on a pedestal. Parents could do no
wrong, and their opinions were your opinions as well.
      At the tender age of six, I felt the same way. My mother, the famous
supermodel, Andria Bellokavich, was my idol. I wanted to wear her clothes,
make my hair look the same as hers, and share her opinions with the world.
     “I can’t believe they let that kind of riffraff in this park,” my mother said as
she wrinkled her nose in distaste.
     I followed her gaze to see a boy around my age and his mother playing by
the sandbox. “What’s wrong with them, Mommy?”
     “They’re low-class white trash, and I don’t see why they feel the need to
invade our park.”

      I stared at the boy. I saw nothing low-class about him, but what did I
know? My mommy knew everything, and if she said they were icky, then they
must be.     “Can we make them go away?” I asked, eager to please my mommy.
      “I wish, but unfortunately, this is a public park, so there’s nothing I can
do. I will say this—we will not be coming back here anytime soon.”
I loved this park, and it made me sad that we couldn’t come back. I
instantly hated the boy and his mother for taking away my favorite place in
the world.
      “Can I go play on the slides?” I asked, not wanting to waste a minute of
my time here since it would be my last.
     “Of course, honey, but don’t go anywhere near them.” She sniffed as she
pulled out her BlackBerry and started punching buttons.
I hated that thing. Mommy was always on it, and she never paid attention
to me when she was. Daddy had one, too, but he always put it down if I
wanted his attention. I didn’t mind Daddy’s so much.
     “Thank you, Mommy!” I said as I leaped off the bench we were sitting on
and ran for the slides.
      I looked back once to see if Mommy was watching, so I could show her
just how fast I could climb up the slide, but of course, she wasn’t looking. She
still had that stupid thing glued to her hand.
      I sighed in defeat and slowly climbed the ladder. I was so proud of myself
when I made it to the top. Not every six-year-old could climb this high
without being afraid, but I could. I’d been doing it forever or at least since I
was five and Mommy had started to let me run around the park on my own.
She always told me that I was a big girl now and that I could take care of
myself while she worked.
      I sat down and pushed myself down the slide, giggling when I got to the
bottom as I felt the static in my pigtails. I loved the slide. It was my favorite
part of the park—after the sandbox, of course. I glanced over at the sandbox
to see that the boy and his mommy had moved on to the swings.
     Now’s my chance! I jumped off the slide and ran as fast as I could to the
sandbox. Once I made it there, I sat on the edge, so I wouldn’t make Mommy
mad by getting sand all over my dress. I picked up the bucket and started
filling it with sand to make my very own fairy princess castle. One day, when I
was all grown-up like Mommy, I would find a prince who would build me my
very own castle.
     “Whatcha making?” an unfamiliar voice asked.
      I looked up to see the boy from earlier standing above me. I wasn’t
supposed to talk to him, but how could I not when he’d asked me a question?
     “Making my princess castle,” I replied, hoping he would lose interest
after the princess part and leave me alone. If Mommy saw us talking, she
would be so mad at me.
     “Can I help?” he asked as he sat down right in the middle of the sandbox.
      I looked around, expecting his mommy to yell at him for getting his
clothes dirty, but she was just watching us and smiling as she sat on one of
the slides.
     “I can do it on my own,” I replied shortly, hoping that he would take the
hint and leave me alone.
     “Don’t you want to play with me?” he asked, sounding hurt.
     “I’m not supposed to play with you. My mommy said so.”
     “Why not?”
     “Because you don’t belong here, and you’re trash.”
     His eyes widened at my words, and he frowned. “I am not trash!”
     “Well, my mommy says you are, and she’s always right. She says you
shouldn’t even be allowed to play here.”
     “Well, your mommy is wrong. My mommy says that we are welcome
here, just like everyone else.”
      I shrugged. “I don’t care what your mommy says. My mommy is right,
and you shouldn’t be here. Go away.”
      Before he could respond, I heard my mommy calling my name.
      “Emma Bellokavich Preston! Come here!”
      I glared at the boy as I stood. “Now see what you’ve done? I’m in trouble
all because of you!” I turned and ran back to my mommy. I felt a twinge of
fear as I saw the angry sneer on her face.
     “What did I tell you? I do not want you around people like that!”
     I hung my head, ashamed that I’d disobeyed her. “I’m sorry, Mommy. I
told him to go away, but he wouldn’t listen.”
     “I don’t want to hear it! If you can’t listen to me, then you don’t need to
be here. Come on, we’re going home.”
      I sighed as I followed her out to the parking lot where her brand-new
Mercedes was parked.
     All I wanted was a princess castle.