Inception: The Destined Series, #1.5

By Ashley Suzanne

Danny Thomas was never the boy who got the girl—he was always second place to his best friend Skylar. All through high school, he rode shotgun, watching Skylar, in all his crowning glory, make his rounds through all the ladies on campus.

That all changed the first day of college when Danny finally took first place, landing a date with Mira. It only took a few encounters for her to steal his heart—and vice versa. She chose him.

Even through the ups and downs of college life, Danny and Mira’s relationship blossoms into something truly beautiful—something dreams are made of—only to be tested one fateful night. 

The core four—Mira, Danny, Skylar and Kylee—encounter a tragedy nobody should have to face alone. How do they survive? Together, that’s how.

Immediately following Mirage, Inception highlights Danny’s POV during those crucial four years at college. To understand the full story, you must go back to the beginning—the inception.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ashley Suzanne
• Release date: Feb 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386560227

Ashley Suzanne

Ashley Suzanne has been writing as long as she can remember. As a youngster, she was always creating stories and talking to her imaginary friends. Thankfully, her parents also carried this love of fiction, and helped her grow into the writer she is today. Ashley is a bestselling author and spends equal amounts of time writing and reading. Being the true book whore she is, Ashley would rather dive into a good book before going out of her house. Giving up her career in Real Estate, Ashley has officially moved to hermit status. When Ashley isn't coming up with her next story, you'll most likely find her on the couch with a kindle in her hand (probably watching some crappy reality show while , annoying her husband by telling him all about her new book boyfriend or spending quality time with her two gremlins ... Sorry, I mean adorable children. You can find Ashley on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and/or her blog.

Book preview

INCEPTION

Book 1.5

The Destined Series

By Ashley Suzanne

Cover Designed By:

Laura Hidalgo

Copyright 2013 Ashley Suzanne

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to author and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedication

This book is a little different than the last.  This book is still for Jesse and Lue.  Skylar and Danny are still living on in the words of this book.  But I’m going to dedicate this book to someone very near and dear to my heart.  She is my best friend.  Teresa, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t miss everything about you.  You always told me to go after my dreams.  Since you can’t go after your dreams, I’ll do this for both of us.  This is OUR happily ever after.  Give Danny and Sky a huge hug from us and we’ll see each other again one day.  Have us matching stilettos ready.  We’re dancing in the kitchen to keep our asses perky.  With my all my heart, I love you to heaven and back.

Chapter One

Me – Bro, did you get your letter yet?  Mine’s here

Impatiently pacing back and forth in my living room, I wait for the text back from Skylar.  We both applied to the University of Michigan last fall and now that our senior year is almost finished, I can’t help but worry that we won’t be going to the same college.  All we’ve talked about since junior high was going to U of M together. 

Skylar – Yeah man, it’s here.  OMW

My palms are sweating something fierce.  We’ve both done everything we could to get accepted.  We racked up on community service hours, kept good grades and joined clubs and teams; our applications were impeccable.  This is a journey I want to take.  I’ll take it without my best friend, but how awesome would it be to be able to do this with my brother?

Okay, he’s not my real brother, but we’re as close as it comes.  Sky and I have been inseparable since we were eleven.  That saying, ‘bros before hoes,’ could be said about us.  But not getting into the same college would be terrible and could break the brotherly bond we’ve been building since we were kids.

After twenty more minutes of wearing the carpet thin, Skylar finally pulls into the driveway behind my busted ass Ford Tempo.  My mom bought me this car for my birthday last year.  I’m grateful that I actually have a car, but this car is something else.  Midnight blue, one headlight, and an alignment that pulls so hard that I look like I’m driving sideways most of the time.  I prefer to ride my bike, and no not a bicycle, but my GSX-R.  As nice as the bike is, my mother would lose her shit if she even knew I had it, let alone rode it.  Skylar’s parents let me keep it in their garage, until I can get a place of my own.

Hey man, took you long enough, I yell to Skylar as he walks in the door, kicking off his shoes.

Really?  We both know we’re getting in.  I don’t know what the big fucking deal is.

Alright man.  I’m sorry.  Let’s just open them.

Sitting down on the worn couch in the den, Skylar and I prepare to open the letters that will tell us what our future holds. 

Ready? I ask.

Ready, Skylar responds, looking annoyed. 

I know I really shouldn’t be this worried about it, but after my dad died when I was fourteen, Skylar has been my only constant.  My mom, God bless her heart, has been working her ass off and going to school, trying to become something more than a widow that never had a career.  It was always nice growing up, coming home to a mom who was making snacks and doing laundry.  After Dad passed, it wasn’t cupcakes and rainbows.  Skylar and his parents kind of took me under their wing; not letting the bullies pick on me, making sure my homework was done, and driving Sky and me back and forth to school and other functions.  I really owe this guy and his parents a lot.

Taking in a deep breath, I peel open the envelope, exposing a cream colored piece of paper that holds my fate. 

Hurry up man, Skylar says as he pulls the letter from his envelope, wasting no time.

I try to hurry my pace along, but the stress of the situation is giving me a migraine.  I want to know, but the thought of going to college alone pisses me off.  I need Skylar to keep me out of my shell just like he needs me to make sure he’s not having too much fun.  There’s no telling what kind of experience either of us will have if we’re not together.

I’m in! Skylar yells, jumping up from the couch, grinning from ear to ear.

I finally get the letter free from the death grip of the envelope, opening it to reveal the news I had been praying for, Me too.  Relief sweeps over my body and I can finally start looking forward to college.

Jumping up and giving my friend a high five, we start talking about our plans for the fall semester.  I pray that the rest of the year doesn’t take its sweet ass time. In just a few more months and I’ll be on my own, living the life that I want to live, with my best friend—my partner in crime.

We decide to go and celebrate at Skylar’s uncle’s club house.  High school parties were cool and all, but that isn’t our scene.  We like to be where the action is and it’s a perfect excuse for us to pull our bikes out. 

Taking the long way to the club house, avoiding as many side streets as we can, we finally arrive and run in to tell Sky’s uncle the good news.

Hey, we got into U of M! Skylar yells to his uncle.

Well I’ll be damned.  You two really fucking did it.  Shit, looks like I gotta give you guys a drink or buy you a dance or some shit, he says, shaking his head. I can’t believe you two. Smash and Axe are going to college instead of patching up.  I just knew I had you guys in my back pocket.

When Skylar and I were kids, we used to play wrestle all the time.  It was right around the same time that Sky’s uncle Lance joined the Hooliganz.  We were running around in the parking lot and trying to tackle each other.  That day, Lance deemed us Smash and Axe.  I don’t understand why, but since that day, that’s what he calls us.  Actually, it’s what everyone in the club calls us, so we go with it.  It’s kind of cool having a nickname.

I’ll take a drink.  Thanks, I called out, walking to the bar with every intention of ordering the strongest thing I could stomach.  I don’t drink often but when I do, I want to get drunk fast and then sober up to ride home.

Fuck that, I want that dance.  My birthday is next week anyway.  Pick me a hot ass girl, Skylar says.

With Skylar heading upstairs to one of the private rooms with a blond with huge fake tits, I settle into the bar with my double shot of Sambuka. 

Here’s to getting my own life and living the fuck out of it, I say to myself before downing the shot that tastes like hell.  I can feel the burn deep in the pit of my stomach before my head gets a little fuzzy.  One more.  Put it on Axe’s tab.

Chapter Two

Time didn’t take too long.  We both went to our graduation commencement at the beginning of the summer.  In July, we went into Ann Arbor to look at apartments.  Freshmen are supposed to stay in student housing but some strings were pulled—I don’t know if it was my mother or Skylar’s uncle, but needless to say, we decide not to stay in the dorms.

Skylar’s mother is a real estate agent in town and she found us a great little house just off campus.  It looks big enough for Skylar and me and there’s even an extra bedroom. Our friend from high school, Trevor, is accepted into U of M also, so we give him the third bedroom.

Before I know it, the first week of August is here.  I barely have all my stuff packed up and in the moving van before Skylar is yelling for me to ‘hurry my bitch ass up’.  I’m already aggravated today.  This guy has one more time to call me a bitch before I punch him right in the jugular. 

When I finally get in the van, the ride to campus is quiet.  We have one day to unpack and get organized before orientation.  We pull up to the house and Skylar’s mom is there to give us the keys to the place.  She signed the lease so my mom didn’t know I was living off campus, especially with Skylar.  She loved Skylar like her own son, but she worried that I wouldn’t be much of a star student if I was living with the playboy himself.  Sky’s mom agreed to help us with the rent until we were on our feet.  Trevor’s parents just sent the landlord a check to cover his rent for the year.  Nice, right?

Trevor takes the room in the front of the house, leaving Skylar and I to fight over the other two rooms.  The second bedroom isn’t all that bad, other than it’s a bit smaller, but the third bedroom is right next to the bathroom.  Flipping a coin, Skylar gets stuck with the room by the bathroom.  Chuckling, I start to grab my things out of the van and start to set up my room.

The house came furnished with a living room outfit, beds in the bedrooms and