This Is Love (The Light to My Darkness Book 3) Read online

  "So how long does it usually take to know if you love someone?" I was purposely trying to push her buttons, but it didn't mean I wasn't curious about the answer.

  She swallowed her mouthful of pizza and gave me a stern look. "At least a few weeks longer than that."

  Hmm. I wasn't sure that was true. I had fallen in love with Miles Young the first time I ever saw him. My family had moved here two years ago. The first time I saw Miles, he was riding a bike without a helmet. Just the thought of it was thrilling. I loved him before I ever even spoke to him. "What about love at first sight?"

  "That's only in fairy tales, Summer. What Jacob and I have is real."

  "But how do you know?"

  "I can feel it."

  "So are you getting married?"

  "I'm only 17. Of course I'm not getting married."

  "Then it probably isn't love."

  "Summer Brooks, what on earth do you know about love?"

  Everything. I shrugged my shoulders. "I've seen a lot of Disney movies. All of them I think."

  "Well this is real life. We're not in some movie."

  "Are you saying you don't like Cinderella? Or Beauty and the Beast? Or The Little Mermaid?"

  "I liked them when I was a kid."

  "It sounds like being a grown up is no fun at all."

  She laughed. "Trust me, it's fun."

  "Well, did Jacob at least ask you out in a really grand way?"

  "Actually, I asked him out."

  "That's really stupid."

  "Summer!"

  "Well it is, Julie! That's not how it's supposed to go at all. He's supposed to realize he loves you and then ask you to be with him forever. He should have proposed by now."

  "That's not how life works anymore. We're not in the dark ages. Women are empowered and independent now."

  "You're only 17. How would you know?"

  She raised her eyebrow at me.

  That's when I knew I had her just where I wanted her. She only ever raised her eyebrow when she was getting mad at me.

  "Clear the dishes, kiddo. And your mom mentioned that you were reading a book. Do you want to read that for a bit?"

  "Definitely. It's a big book of fairy tales."

  She sighed and shook her head. "I have to study anyway. How about you just read that in your room and then get to bed?"

  I glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. It was almost 8 pm. The timing couldn't have been any more perfect.

  Phase 2 complete.

  Made of Steel - Chapter 2

  I tiptoed down the hallway and peered around the corner into the living room. Julie was asleep in front of the TV. Her notes were strewn across the coffee table and she was snoring from the couch. Phase 3 was definitely complete. I tried to stifle my excitement as I ran back to my room. I pushed the window open while I slid my feet back into my bunny slippers. For just a moment, I thought about changing them. Bunny slippers were for children. I thought about Julie's new Converses that she couldn't stop talking about at dinner. I wanted Miles to think I was sophisticated. He was two years older than me. Maybe he liked Converses too. I bit my lip. But I loved bunnies. There was no better footwear than the slippers I was currently wearing. I climbed out the window without another thought.

  With one last look at my house to make sure the coast was clear, I ran across my lawn. I opened up the gate to Miles' backyard and closed it as quietly as possible. The light was already on in his tree house. I climbed up the rickety ladder and knocked twice on the boards above my head.

  "Secret password?" Miles said from the other side.

  The password was different every month. It was always a constellation that was easy to see in the sky during whatever month it was. It had taken me a long time to memorize them. But I preferred this method over what his password always was a couple of years ago: boys rule and girls drool. When I first moved in next door, I was pretty sure he hated me. I had worn him down though. Now we were best friends.

  "Lyra," I said. He had a habit of choosing the smallest constellations that were the hardest to see. It just so happened that I liked those ones the most. The ones that he had to point out in order to show me where they were hiding.

  "Access denied. It's September first, Summer. New month, new secret password."

  I laughed. "It's Sagitta then." It was one of my favorites. It looked like an arrow in the sky and reminded me of cupid's arrow. I had been waiting for it to hit Miles for two years.

  The board lifted above my head. I climbed up into the tree house and he closed the floorboard door behind me.

  "Nice slippers, Summer."

  I smiled up at him. Yes, he used to hate me. Yes, we were friends now. But what Miles didn't realize was that I was hopelessly in love with him. Every time I thought about him, my heart raced. Every time I saw him, I was momentarily speechless. I loved the way he smiled out of the corner of his mouth. And the way his brown eyes lit up when he talked about the stars. For me, it was love at first sight. It was like all the fairy tales I read about. Despite what Julie said, it was real. Now I just had to wait for him to realize he loved me back. It would happen one day. There wasn't a doubt in my mind. That arrow was coming his way.

  "What are you staring at?" He pushed his shaggy brown hair off his forehead.

  "Nothing." I laughed awkwardly and looked down at my slippers. Bunny slippers were always a good choice. I knew it. "How was soccer practice?"

  "Fantastic." He lay down on the blanket in the center of the tree house and put his hands underneath his head. "I get to be a striker in the first game tomorrow."

  "That's awesome." I really had no idea what it meant, but I knew he had been wanting it, and therefore I was just as happy as he was. I lay down on the blanket next to him and looked up at the stars. That was the coolest thing about Miles' tree house. It had no roof. Every night that the sky was clear, I'd sneak out of my room and meet him in his tree house. We never had a set plan or anything. It's just how it was.

  "You're coming to my game tomorrow after school, right?" he asked, breaking the silence.

  He wants me at his games. I smiled up at the stars. "Of course. I'll ask my parents if it's okay once they get home."

  "I thought I saw Julie's car. Did you annoy her to no end tonight?"

  "Not to no end. Just until she fell asleep."

  He laughed.

  The sound made my insides flip over.

  "My parents can drive you home after. We'll probably get dinner somewhere if we win."

  It wasn't a date. But he technically had kind of asked me to dinner. Maybe he reciprocated my unspoken feelings. I thought about what Julie said about her new boyfriend. She had asked him out. It wasn't exactly how fairy tales went. But she certainly seemed happy.

  "I got you something," Miles said as he sat up.

  He bought me a present too?

  He pulled something out of his pocket and then put both his hands behind his back. "I got it from that quarter machine at the grocery store. I thought you might like it." He put both his hands out in front of him with both his fists closed. "You have to guess which hand it's in, though."

  So he hadn't actually bought me a present. He probably tried to get something for himself and failed. But he thought of me when he opened it. That counted for something.

  I looked into his eyes. He had always been really hard to read.

  A smile spread over his face, like he already knew I was going to choose wrong.

  I slapped his left hand. He opened it up. It was just an empty palm.

  "You're lucky that we're friends." He opened up his other hand and tossed a small object at me.

  I caught it and opened my hand. It was a small keychain with an arrow on it. Sagitta. "I love it."

  "Thought you might." He lay back down, not reading into my words at all. "Can you see it tonight?"

  "See what?" How much you love me back? My eyes were glued to the arrow keychain. It was the perfect present.

  "Sagitta." He pointed t
o the stars.

  I lay back down and looked past his index finger at the arrow in the sky. The constellation was as bright as could be. I nodded.

  It was like he knew my response even though he couldn't hear it. He dropped his hand on the blanket between us. Without thinking, I slipped my hand into his.

  And then I held my breath. For one second. My heart is going to beat out of my chest. For two. What did I just do? For three. Should I say it was an accident? For four. He's never going to speak to me again. For five.

  His fingers tightened around mine.

  I exhaled slowly. Miles Young was holding my hand. It felt like I was dreaming, because I had dreamed of this exact moment for years. Miles Young is holding my hand!

  Neither one of us said a word. We just looked at the stars in the sky.

  Thank you, Sagitta.

  "Summer?"

  "Yes?"

  "I like this."

  I swallowed hard. "Me too." My life was complete. I could already picture the wedding. My dad would walk me down the aisle. Miles would wear a blue tie to match my bridesmaids' dresses. It would be the best day of my life. Besides for this one. It would definitely be hard to compete with this one.

  "Maybe we could do this more often?" Miles said.

  I nodded.

  He squeezed my hand, hearing my nod even though he couldn't see it. Miles could read me much easier than I could read him. Maybe he knew I was in love with him for the past two years. I was glad he finally got hit by that arrow.

  He really was perfect, because he never made me feel like I was one of the smallest constellations in the sky. That's how I knew it was true love. I stared up at Sagitta. Suddenly the sky turned red and blue.

  Miles' hand fell from mine as he sat up. "What is that?" He looked out the window of the tree house. "Summer..."

  His voice sounded strange. I sat up and looked out the window too.

  There was a police car. The officer walked to my door and knocked. Why was he knocking on my door? Why was Julie's hand covering her mouth? Why did it look like he was trying to comfort her?

  My feet started moving before my mind could even process what was happening.

  "Summer!" Miles called after me as I climbed down the rickety ladder and started running back toward my house.

  Once I was through the gate into my yard, I kicked off my bunny slippers so I could run even faster.

  Julie turned toward me. The police officer turned toward me. And then I froze. Because he started walking toward me. He wasn't there to tell Julie something. He was there to tell me something.

  The officer crouched down in front of me and I held my breath for one second.

  "Your parents were in an accident."

  For two seconds.

  "We rushed them to the hospital."

  For three seconds.

  "I'm so sorry, Summer."

  For four seconds.

  "They didn't make it."

  It took five seconds for me to realize that my whole world had suddenly changed. Five seconds to realize that my life was no longer complete. Five seconds to realize that everything was broken.

  * * *

  For more, get Made of Steel for FREE now!!

  A Note From Ivy

  It’s been a few days since I’ve typed those two bittersweet words - The End. And I still feel sad yet warm and fuzzy at the same time. It’s a weird combination. I don’t think I’ve really accepted the fact that this truly is the end yet.

  It's been an incredible journey writing about Penny and James. I have never felt closer to two characters. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve looked like an insane person as I’ve written about this couple. And I can’t believe it’s over.

  Penny and James mean the world to me. I’ve been living and breathing these characters for so long now. Their story has consumed my life for the past 4 years. And I’m so glad that I had you to share it with. Yes…you! Thank you for picking up Temptation and going on this journey with me. I hope that you’ve enjoyed the conclusion to Penny and James’ story. And it would mean everything to me if you could share your thoughts in a review. I feel like it will be the final piece I need in order to accept that this is truly the end of their story. Your reaction.

  The End. Those two words have never hurt so much before. Fortunately, I think Scarlett’s journey is only just beginning…

  Read More

  Get more heart-pounding romantic suspense in Ivy Smoak's newest series, Made of Steel:

  The witness protection program has given me the fresh start I've always dreamed of. A new home. A new name. A new life. For the first time in ten years it feels like I can breathe again.

  But the cost of freedom is more than I bargained for. I put my foster father behind bars. It doesn't matter that he deserved it. What matters is that he's powerful, manipulative, and now he wants me dead.

  I can feel someone watching me. I know my time is running out. And the only other person who cares if I live or die is a masked stranger. So I'm putting my life in the vigilante's hands. And maybe a piece of my heart along with it. Even though I'm worried that he's just as dangerous as the man I sent to prison.

  Get it now for FREE!

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  Professor Hunter and Penny aren't the only couple heating up campus. Join Ivy Smoak's newsletter to get a FREE copy of Melissa & Josh's love story, BEST YEAR EVER.

  My best friend Penny and I made a pact that this is going to be our best year ever. So naturally it has to come true.

  Truth be told, we’ve started off the semester a little shaky. Penny may have accidentally fallen in love with her professor. I know, how awkward, right? And I may have accidentally fallen in love with a complete stranger. And by accidentally I mean I stalked him. What? Sue me. I’m the one that’s going to be a lawyer one day so I’ll just file a countersuit. God, when did I become a stalker?

  Regardless, Penny and I are going to turn this semester around. I’m nothing if not persistent. And that guy that I keep almost running into on campus? The one with the piercing brown eyes and panty-dropping smile? He’s going to be a big part of my best year ever. I can feel it.

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  Also by Ivy Smoak

  Not sure what to read next? Check out Ivy's suggested reading order!

  The Hunted Series (James & Penny)

  Temptation (Book 1)

  Addiction (Book 2)

  Eruption (Book 3)

  Devotion (Book 4)

  The Light to My Darkness (James & Penny cont.)

  The Light to My Darkness (Book 1)

  A Whirlwind of Color (Book 2)

  This Is Love (Book 3)

  Hunted Series Spin-offs

  Best Year Ever (Josh & Melissa)

  James the Christmas Grouch

  City of Sin (Mason & Bee)

  Third Chances (Rob & Daphne)

  Missing Pieces (Tyler & Hailey)

  Made of Steel Series (Romantic Suspense)

  Made of Steel (Book 1)

  Forged in Flames (Book 2)

  Carved in Ice (Book 3)

  Standalone Romances

  Playing a Player

  Going for Gold

  A Christmas Wish

  Standalone Thrillers

  The Truth in My Lies

  Pentavia Series (YA Fantasy)

  Be Careful What You Joust For

  To connect with Ivy, check out her Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is purely coincidental.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system without the express written permission of Ivy Smoak.

  Cover art copyright © 2019 by Ivy Smoak


  Cover photo by Anntuan/Shutterstock.com

  Cover background by ArtOfPhotos/Shutterstock.com

  2019 ebook Edition

  Copyright © 2019 by Ivy Smoak

  All rights reserved

  Table of Contents

  Title

  PART 1

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  PART 2

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  PART 3

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Made of Steel - Chapter 1

  Made of Steel - Chapter 2

  A Note From Ivy

  Read More

  Get a Free Book

  Also by Ivy Smoak

  Copyright