Claudia Burgoa
Unsurprisingly Complicated
4/30/2015
Blurb:
AJ
The lies between my parents and I came to light and now I’m
working on a new life for myself. Along the way, I have my trusty superhero,
Mason, to lean on when I have a hard time standing or when my crazy
ex-boyfriend continues to feel he has a claim on me.
Porter has trouble understanding that there hasn’t been an
‘us’ for more than three years plus all the issues he had brought upon himself.
My father was right, drugs do kill. My other concern is the growing feelings I
am having regarding Mason. There’s something between us I want to explore but I
keep getting mixed signals. Here, I thought that after telling my parents about
my lies and having their full support, things wouldn’t be as complicated as
they are.
Mason
My parents divorced before I even made my entrance into this
world. My father has been obsessed with that love for years while my mother
searches for love in all the wrong places. I don’t want a place to call home or
a girl I can claim as mine. Except… Ainsley Janine –better known as ‘Nine’—has
some special power that makes me question my preferences. The more I try to
stay away from her, the more she pulls me closer.
Exploring the possibilities of having something steady in my
life isn’t a problem; it’s the long term that worries me. In addition to that,
the scumbag she dated years ago keeps popping up everywhere we go. If I could
use my license to kill, maybe I can stop worrying about one thing and
concentrate on what to do with the green eyed girl who keeps me awake most
nights.
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Excerpt:
“Are you sure this is okay with you?
“Yes, Mason Bradley.” This is the tenth time he has asked me
the question.
“Did you use sex to distract me?”
I clamp my lips together and refuse to answer the question.
I wasn’t going to, but he gave me the perfect idea when I was desperate to make
a point that his mother had to stay with me.
Of course, now I’m chewing my lip because Mrs. Reality
knocks me down with full force. My boyfriend’s mother is staying with me. Not
just any woman—his mother. She’s going to judge me, hate me, and, what else do
mothers do?
“Does she know about me?”
“No.” He takes his eyes off the road for a second.
My hands slam against my face.
“Of course she knows about you. She’s known about you since
you were little, Nine.”
“I don’t mean that way.” I toss my head against the seat and
roll my eyes.
“Girlfriend. I mean, I am your girl right?”
“Oh, that detail. You are?”
I groan like a wounded bear.
“It’s a joke. Damn, you get feisty when you’re nervous. Take
it easy. Yes, she knows and she’s aware that you and I are dating. You hold the
girlfriend title, the girl who tamed me, my other half, the one who holds the
key to my cell and that’s why I stick around.”
I suck on my lip as I gift him with my deep, hard glare of
‘die’. “You’re not funny.”
“Oh, I am.” He laughs as I burn with panic, fear, and unamused
anger.
My entire body is shaking at the prospect of having the
woman in my house for however long she’s staying here.
“How long is she staying?” I’m trying to figure out my
schedule for the next few days.
“She didn’t say.” A response that won’t help me with the
jitters eating the insides of my stomach or with planning.
Ugh, I put myself into this situation. Great.
“Stop,” he orders. “I’m the only one allowed to nibble those
lips. They’re mine.”
He takes my hand and kisses the inside of my wrist. Then his
finger caresses my skin soothing the knotted nerves.
“She’s going to like you.”
Not love me? My world is in danger of crumbling as I learn
that winning over his mom may be a bigger challenge that I originally thought.
“Oh, God!” I finally let the excruciating panic out.
“What is she going to think about me?” The question comes
out of my subconscious. “That we’re going too fast. I mean, you’re practically
living in my house, which I love. Each day a new pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and
some other item finds a spot in my closet. Scott, your sports car, lives next
to Eleanor. Tucker stays at my parents’.”
“Huh, you just noticed?” He kisses my hand again. “To
clarify, I’m not living with you. There are a few items I have around to make
things simpler when I stay overnight. That brings me to another issue. Stop
naming my stuff. It’s a car, not Scott; a truck, not Tucker.” He pats the
dashboard.
“Ready?” he taps my nose with his free hand. “Stamp on that
pretty smile of yours. That, ‘I’m about to die’ look isn’t flattering. Here
they are.”
Mason parks the car in front of a couple. Mr. and Mrs.
Daugherty wait for us outside the terminal with their luggage. Mason’s
stepfather is only a few inches taller than his wife, bald but with handsome
features.
“Wait here,” Mason orders.
Mason’s mom is an inch or two taller than me, maybe
five-seven. Porcelain skin with dark almond-shaped eyes and fine, soft
features. Dark hair and a smooth complexion, just like I remember her from
childhood.
Due to airport restrictions, within seconds Mason shoves
their luggage in the trunk and helps his mom into the car as his stepfather did
not offer.
“Mother, meet Ainsley Colthurst-Decker, better known as Nine
or the girl I casually date.” He used the dorky jokester voice. I narrowed my
eyes at him. “My lovely girlfriend. I’m not sure if you remember her. Nine,
Mom.”
About Claudia Burgoa:
Born on the mystical day of October
30th in the not so mystical lands of Mexico City,
Claudia grew up with a childhood that resembled a caffeine-injected soap
opera. Seventeen years ago she ventured to the lands of her techie
husband—a.k.a. the U.S.—with their offspring to start a new adventure.
She now lives in Colorado working as a CFO for a small IT
company, managing her household filled with three confused dogs, said nerd
husband, two daughters wrought with fandoms and a son who thinks he’s the boss
of the house. To survive she works continually to find purpose for the
voices flitting through her head, plus she consumes high quantities of
chocolate to keep the last threads of sanity intact.
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