Authors: Lily Paradis

Tags: #Ignite

Ignite (41 page)

When we got closer to home, Dean pulled off the main road.

“Where are we going?” I asked. “This isn’t the way home.”

“Actually,” he said, “it is. To your home.”

I was entirely confused until he pulled up to the house at Palmer Lake. He pressed a button on the roof of the car and the massive wooden garage door opened for us so he could put the car inside.

He put the car in park and looked over at me.

“Lauren, this is your dad’s house. You didn’t live here and you weren’t twenty-one, so Jed gave it to me for safekeeping until it was time for you to have it. Actually,” he said, patting the dashboard, “This is your car.”

“Are you serious?”

He nodded.

“No,” I said. “It’s ours.”

He leaned over the console and kissed me.

“Can we sleep here tonight?” I asked. “I’m exhausted.”

“Of course,” he said softly as he unlocked the car. “It might be a little dusty, but Jed’s been coming up here every couple of months to make sure everything still works.”

We both got out, not bothering to bring our bags. I wanted to admire how beautiful the house was, but I followed Dean straight upstairs to what I assumed was the master bedroom. I climbed in bed and he followed suit, pulling me close as he wrapped himself around me.

“I love you, Dean Powell,” I whispered as I fell asleep, warm in his arms.

“I love you, Lauren Lindsay,” he answered and kissed my lips, then my forehead. “I love you.”

When we finally awoke, the sun was shining through the giant panes of glass across the room. The entire house was breathtaking, and I loved every detail of it, as if I had custom designed it myself.

Dean’s eyes blinked open and he shut them again, almost like he couldn’t believe this was real.

I leaned down and kissed him. All of my hair engulfed his face, but if he cared, he didn’t show it.

“I’m so happy,” I whispered, meaning it.

He pulled me closer and took a deep breath.

“I’ve never been so happy in my life.”

“Are we really doing this?” I asked.

He opened his eyes.

“I don’t really have a choice to make, because I’m long gone.”

I smiled.

“Me too.”

He kissed me on the nose.

“Let’s go home,” he said softly.

I loved this house already, but I knew he meant home was where Jenny, Callie, Chase, and Emma were.

We both jumped out of bed and he handed me the keys.

“It’s yours,” he said.

“No,” I said, starting the car. “It’s
ours,
remember?”

“It’s ours,” he said, and it sounded like he’d waited an eternity to say that.

I pulled up in the driveway just as the front door opened. Callie, Jenny, and Chase stood there waving with Jed and Mary behind them as Emma ran out to meet us. I scooped her up in my arms and swung her around as she laughed gleefully. She reached out to Dean and tapped him on the nose.

The look on Dean’s face as the three of us hugged was something I’ll never forget as long as I lived.

Happiness.

Love.

Freedom.

I felt all of the things I had been longing for, for as long as I could remember, and now I had them all.

I stood on my toes and kissed Dean while we squished Emma between us.

“I love you so much,” I whispered as I looked up at him.

“Welcome home,” he said softly, glancing at Emma.

Nothing had ever felt this perfect and my heart felt like it was going to burst with happiness. Nothing had ever been as beautiful as this moment.

He was right. I
was
home.

Feel like you’re missing some of the details in IGNITE?

That’s because you are.

To get them, You’ll have to read Dean’s side of the story in

ARCLIGHT.

See
www.lilyparadis.com
for release date and more information.

You know that feeling in the pit of your stomach that stays with you, then tears you apart slowly at first, and all at once shreds your soul? It’s because you’re contradicting the universe. Everything lines up so perfectly that you couldn’t have imagined it to work out better, but then you have to go and do everything humanly possible to ruin it because you can’t stand to have it go right?

That’s what I did.

I did it because there’s a darkness that surrounds me, and I think I want it there.

My name is Tate McKenna, and my soul is blacker than my heart.

Excerpt from VOLITION by Lily Paradis

For more information, visit
Goodreads

TO MY FAMILY, for always supporting me no matter what. I still remember when you went to the bookstore with me when I was in first grade because they didn’t provide me with a book that had enough space to write what I wanted. Funny enough, I wrote about my first trip to Disneyland. The blank books they gave us didn’t have enough pages for my story, and it looks like things haven’t changed much. None of this would be possible without your eternal love and support.

Maddie Stankiewicz, thank you for being my literary soul mate. If I could, I would put the sunglasses emoji right here in this book, because only you know what that means. Without you, this book wouldn’t exist. Lauren and Dean’s story would never have been told, and I would be a crazy person. Well, I’m still a crazy person, but now I’m a crazy person writing this acknowledgement. Thank you for all of the times that you talked me through this for hours on end even though I told you it would take two seconds. You’re the reason that Lauren, Dean, Tate, Hayden, Jesse, Aric, Alie, and so many other characters in my head come out the way they do. Nothing I can say will be enough to express how grateful I am to have you in my life, and I can’t wait for all of the great things ahead of us. You’ll always be the person who gets to read everything seconds after it’s written, because that’s just what we do.

Hannah Stanley, for being the best roommate on the planet. You dealt with me being nocturnal for two years while I was writing, and that’s not an easy task. Thank you for always giving me honest feedback and being there for me when I start to freak out.

Chyti Kompala, for listening to me rant endlessly wherever we are, even if that means people in HAPA are listening to our every word. Your support throughout the years has been overwhelming, and this wouldn’t be a reality without you.

Amanda Arner, Erin Bove, Chyti Kompala, Hannah Stanley, Linden Northern, and Kat Shanahan, thank you for being my first readers. Your feedback helped shape IGNITE into what it is today, and I couldn’t have done it without you even if it meant biting all of my nails off after I sent it to you.

Courtney Lindau, thank you for our unending phone calls and text messages and everything in between when I just need to rant. I am lucky to call you my Little, but even more blessed to have you as my friend for life.

Kenzie Miles, I’m sorry I stole your name for this book. You’re just so cool. I couldn’t help it. Iċ lufie þē!

Mara Radis, Pam Bond-Simmons, Ed Rivers, Christie Anne Putnam, and Dr. Erin Kingsley, thank you for being the best academic role models I could ask for, and whether or not you know it, you made my writing better every step of the way.

Meg Cabot, thank you for writing that “How to Write A Novel” post about books and LOCUSTS way back in 2005. That post, along with your books, made me pursue this.

Cattie Supple-Craig, for writing with me way back in the MCBC days. You got to read some of the crappiest things I’ve ever written, and that’s hilarious to look back on. At least, I hope it is… No matter how far away we are from each other, I know we’ll always be in touch.

Will Louison, thank you for being my writing best friend, and same person. Oh, and for keeping me insane… like I need any help with that.

Emily Beard, my English major BFF, thank you for quite literally keeping me from having a panic attack in Ed’s class whenever we had to read our work out loud. And for making that the best class ever all from “um… are you in this class too?” I’m going to buy you some Men’s Health mixed nuts. And maybe a leather jacket to go with your scarf.

Terri Willis, thank your support and for listening when Maddie reads you the entire book out loud!

To all of the book bloggers who are reading this, thank you for your endless support. You are so incredibly critical to the success of Indie Authors, so from all of us, THANK YOU! I’m so honored to have met all of you through this wonderful adventure, and can’t wait for the next one.

To my G-Phi family, thank you for being your beautiful, sarcastic, supportive selves. I love every last one of you.

Leonardo DiCaprio… thanks for just… being you.

Oh, and Dillon? Thanks for crossing your fingers that all of this works out.

LILY IS 22 and recently graduated from the University of Colorado where she earned a degree in English Literature. She lives with her family and loves reading, running, and hiking. Although she’s a Colorado native, New York City is her favorite place in the world and fosters her borderline unhealthy obsession with the Empire State Building and F. Scott Fitzgerald. IGNITE is her debut novel.

For more information about IGNITE and her upcoming novels, visit
www.lilyparadis.com

Lily loves to hear from her readers.

Contact her at: [email protected]

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