"Resisting You" Charity Anthology

Many of you know that I was asked to be part of the "Resisting You" charity anthology benefiting Stop AAPI Hate (www.stopaapihate.org). I am very honored and excited to be a part of this anthology and to support such an amazing organization doing important work during these hard times.

___________ BLURB ___________ RELEASING JUNE 15, 2021!!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What do you do when first time promises fall through? When letting go was one-sided and you're wanting to try again...resisting you might be my safest bet. But can I do it?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Resisting You is a series of different second-chance, small-town contemporary romance stories from 20+ different authors. ⠀⠀ Pre-order Now!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ https://books2read.com/resistingyouanthology

Add to your Goodreads TBR: http://bit.ly/ResistingYouAnthologyGR⠀

100% of the proceeds will go to Stop AAPI Hate @stopaapihate. (www.stopaapihate.org)

Resisting You Anthology: A Charity Collection of Second-Chance Romance Novels by:⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Aurora Paige, Heather Lauren, M.L. Cranium, JJ Grice, Garnet Christie, MK Moore, Kat Obie, Elyse Kelly, Mya Nealy, Lynn Yorke, Gia Kim, JJ Carlson, KF Hassall, Amara Kent, JLynn Autumn, Robecca Austin, Layne Daniels, M.L. Philpitt, Cat Bloom, Kristina King, Erin Randall, LM Fox, Jemma Ryken, Josie O’Sullivan

Sneak Peek at "Resisting You" by JLynn Autumn

Prologue - Sam

I scan the gate for an open seat and spot one with an unobstructed view of the walkway and two other nearby gates.

Perfect.

I set my backpack on the floor between my feet and pull a magazine from the pocket. Scanning the gates, I search for her honey color curls. It's been eight years since I've seen her, so I check faces too in case she changed her hair. No one even slightly similar passes by. I already spent close to two hours searching other gates, shops, and restaurants throughout the airport and had her paged twice with no response.

It's always a long shot, but I search for you every day. I search every hotel lobby, restaurant, bar, and airport. I've looked for you every day since you left home a year after I last saw you, crying on your granny’s porch steps. I'll never stop looking for you.

I slowly scan each row on the plane, searching for her sapphire eyes. Once seated, I watch every passenger board. I know that fate will put the two of us in the same place one day. It has to.

I promised her it would one day. I had to walk away from her so she'd chase her dreams. I know I did what was best for her, but I will always regret it until I find her again.

Come on, Brooke. Where are you? Don't give up on me, baby. I'm going to find you. Do the thing I was too afraid to ask you to do. Wait for me, please. Baby, wait for me.

One - Brooke

Coffee and calendar updates have become my morning routine after a nice long shower. I stare at this week’s schedule; I’m in town for five days this trip. I’m always on a countdown to get out once I get here, but after a month or two, I’m searching for a gap in my schedule to get back. I rearranged this trip a bit already. Initially, I was supposed to get in late tomorrow night and leave on Friday, but my next shoot starts Saturday, so I have to leave on Thursday instead. I rescheduled some appointments and flew in early. My eyes wander over this week’s appointments and stop on his name.

I hope I’m doing the right thing. I want to see him, but I’m also terrified.

I grab my sketchbook and head to my back porch. It’s been two years since this house became mine, but it didn’t start feeling like home until last Thanksgiving. That’s when I brought the last of my stuff from Seattle and officially made this place my permanent residence.

Granny left this house to me and wanted me to make it a home. On my last trip to see her, she told me she wanted me to have roots in this town because it would always be home. She was right. No matter how much I didn’t want to admit it, Louisiana, specifically this town, would always be home. I ran from here as soon as I could, but I always find myself coming back.

I sit on the chair in the corner of the porch and look toward the hunting lands. Scanning the horizon for the maple tree, I open my sketch pad and begin adding details. Memories of that land, that tree, and that boy flood me. The weight of everything that I’ve avoided for years consumes me.

I’ve spent years looking for him in crowded airports. I scan every seat on airplanes, hoping he’s on the flight. He left me sitting on these porch steps eight years ago and promised that if we were meant to be, the way we thought we were, fate would bring us together again. He wanted me to live my life and not wait for him. His college scholarship gave him his path out of this town, and I wanted him to take it. I had two more years of school before I could follow him. I hadn’t told him I would follow him, but he knew, and that’s why he broke my heart.

‘Brooke, your dream is art school in San Francisco. I can’t let you give that up for me. One day, fate will bring us together. Until then, live your life, baby. Chase your dreams. I can’t ask you to give up your dreams to follow me while I chase mine. You’ll always be the only one I want, but I won’t let you regret me, even if it means I’m the one to break your heart. I know I promised I’d never do anything to hurt you. I’m sorry that I’m breaking that promise, but I’m doing it because I can’t let you regret me, and I won’t let you give up your dreams for me. Always remember that I love you, and I always have.’

He kissed my forehead and then turned and walked away from me. I waited for him to turn back and look at me. I waited for him to change his mind, but he didn’t. He never looked back, and he never came back to town. I always thought he’d come back for me, but he didn’t.

I cover my face with my hands and lean forward.

Come back for me, Sam. Please.

Find out more about Brooke & Sam's story in Resisting Forever part of the Resisting You anthology available to pre-order now.