Cece & David 3: Love In Many Shades, #3

By Nia Arthurs

My mind erased her, but my heart never forgot.

 

The world changed when I lost my memories. 
Instead of holding onto Cece, I let her go.
But even with my memories gone, it still feels like something is missing.
When I find out the truth, all hell breaks loose.
I won't sit still until I have Cece back in my arms.
No matter what, our love story won't end here.   
I book a trip to Jamaica, determined to put things back where they belong.
The moment I meet Cece, it all clicks into place.
I love her. I need her.
But she's… with another man.
Can I win Cece back or is it too late to make her mine again?

 

Cece & David is a tender AMBW coming-of-age romance set in the Caribbean, featuring a strong, silent hero and his gorgeous best friend.

 

***Read all the novels in the Love In Many Shades Series***

Cece & David 
Cece & David 2
Cece & David 3
Cece & David 4
Haley & Rylin 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nia Arthurs
• Release date: Jul 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9798201338893

Book preview

Chapter 1

Sunlight blazed across the horizon and shot through wisps of clouds, turning them into evaporated mists.

Green treetops skirted brown lines, thin pathways of water feeding into the Belize River.

The view called to me like a beacon.

Excitement zipped down my spine.

It was so good to be home.

Or at least above it.

David, could you hand me my purse? Lacey held one hand out to me while the other secured her seatbelt.

My girlfriend’s fair skin was the shade of fresh typing paper and dotted with sweat.

Lacey hated flying. She’d tried her best to convince me to stay in the US this summer, but I refused to listen.

I haven’t seen my family in over a year. A visit was way overdue.

David, she whined, the purse?

Sorry. I pulled the bag’s strap with my feet.

She slapped my chest. Babe, please don’t do that. It’s a Prada.

Like the car? I teased.

Her brows puckered and I knew she hadn’t gotten the joke. I sighed and obediently handed her the purse with my hands.

While she rummaged through the bag for her ticket and passport, I took the time to study her.

Lacey Wu and I had been together for nearly three years and I was still taken aback by how beautiful she was.

Her skin was as smooth as porcelain. Her long, jet-black hair was a striking contrast to her pale makeup. Expressive brown eyes told me what she was thinking without the use of words. I could read her moods with only a flick of her eyelashes.

Lacey had been there for me through my amnesia, my hospital recovery, and my transition from junior college to university. I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it.

The voice of the captain, swathed in static, announced, "Thank you for flying with us. We’re preparing to descend into beautiful Belize. Have a good one."

A few of the passengers began to applaud.

Lacey gritted her teeth and held her chair with feral strength. I restrained my chuckle and grabbed her hand, winking at her to calm her nerves.

She bared her teeth at me.

It’s almost over. I assured her.

She nodded and then shut her eyes tight, breathing deeply through her nose and mumbling softly to herself.

Despite her fears, we landed on the tarmac with little issue. I laughed when Lacey threw her seatbelt aside and clutched her purse to her chest in relief.

While we waited our turn to exit the plane, I grabbed our carry on cases and prepared to join the crowd of travelers slowly inching their way forward.

After sorting through immigration and customs, Lacey and I walked through the automatic doors of the airport to the arrival area outside.

As soon as the doors parted, I spotted my mom and dad.

Hey, look. Lacey nodded her head to the right. My parents are here.

I’ll see you Monday? I asked her as she accepted her carryon from me and began waving to her family.

Yeah. Lacey smiled shyly and rose on her toes for a kiss.

I pressed my lips against her cheek and watched her blow a kiss at my parents before darting toward her own.

Mom smiled at Lacey and then caught my eye. At the sight of me, she abandoned her post beside my father and rushed forward.

Though my hands were filled with bags and suitcases, I managed to catch her and hug her back.

It’s so good to see you, she said, running her hands down my face.

You too, Mom, I said as guilt overcame me. I should have left Lacey in the US last summer and come home. If I had, maybe Mom wouldn’t be crying at the sight of me. It’s okay. I soothed her as she sniffed.

I’m sorry. Mom wiped her eyes. I’m not usually this emotional.

When she stepped back, I got a good look at her and nearly gasped. Shadows crept beneath her eyes and wrinkles pulled at her mouth. My mother had never shown her age but today, she looked every one of her forty five years.

It’s good to see you, David. My father clasped my shoulder, distracting me from my perusal.

You too, Dad. I smiled with genuine enthusiasm and slapped his back in a bear hug.

We released each other quickly. I searched for my little brother and found him with his head down, completely immersed in his phone.

Good to see you too, Adam! I cupped my mouth and yelled.

He waved me away with a flick of his wrists and returned his attention to the device in his hands.

Will Lacey be joining us for lunch? Mom asked.

No, ma’am. I shook my head. Her parents are taking her away for the weekend, but she’ll be back on Monday.

I understand. Mom nodded as we all walked toward the parking lot. I don’t want to share you with anyone right now either.

I chuckled but the laughter got stuck in my throat as I recognized the car we were nearing. I’d had the vehicle since my days in junior college with….

My mind put up blocks before I could finish the thought.

Am I driving? I asked to cover how disconcerted I felt inside.

Not on your life. Adam slapped me on the back. This is my truck.

Really? I blinked. You’re old enough to drive?

Dude, I’m eighteen. My little brother pocketed his phone and lifted his chin.

A chin that actually had some scruff on it.

Taken aback, I studied Adam for the first time. He was right. The lanky little brother that I’d always known had grown up into a tall, lean, eighteen-year-old man.

I was only twenty-one but, in that moment, I felt ancient.

The thought must have been written on my face because Adam slipped past me and murmured, You are.

Ah, yes. Just like old times.

My parents peppered me with questions as we drove home. I managed to answer as many as I could while taking in the elements of Belizean life that I’d missed so much while studying abroad.

Coconut trees abounded everywhere I turned. They cropped up in yards, in empty lots, and in the grassy middle of concrete street dividers. Colorful houses ranging from blue to green to pink stood proudly side by side, each building alive in its uniqueness.

Creole women on bicycles zipped by, carrying plastic grocery bags on their handle bars. Men on motorcycles darted through traffic and revved their engines. My eyes traced the landmarks that I’d grown up passing everyday: my primary school, the civic center and the roundabout with Belizean flags waving proudly.

In less than fifteen minutes, Dad pulled up in front of my childhood home. I hopped out, rounding the truck to lug my suitcase up the pathway lined with hibiscus bushes.

I stopped at the steps leading to the front door.

The wave of something hit again, and I clutched my chest.

Something important had happened on these steps, something that lay just beyond the memories that a gunshot wound and a concussion had stolen from me.

Was it… her?

David? Mom’s gentle voice led me out of the discomfort. Are you okay?

I blinked. I’m fine.

She studied me for a moment more and then offered her arm. I’ll help you upstairs.

With my mom beside me, the strange feelings fled and I successfully entered the house.

Everything’s almost exactly how you left it, Mom explained as she guided me through the rooms. I wasn’t sure about your memories so I didn’t touch anything.

Thanks. I smiled reassuringly as her eyes slipped down to my side.

Now go wash your hands. The airport is full of germs. Mom shoved me toward an open door.

Yes ma’am.

I locked myself in the bathroom and washed my hands at the sink. After flashing water against my face, I flicked the recess liquid away, catching my reflection in the mirror as I did so.

The man in the glass had pale skin and a floppy mass of black hair. His brown eyes were small, his brows dark. His thin nose tapered down to regular sized pink lips.

I was especially proud of the mustache that had sprouted above that area.

Slowly, I rolled up my shirt and stared at the large, ugly scar on my side.

My knees grew weak.

The room spun.

It was starting to happen again. The memories I couldn’t quite grasp were taunting me, playing against the familiar objects that linked feelings and emotions to things that had happened that summer.

Angrily, I shoved my shirt back down and covered the scar.

The past was in the past.

I had no desire to go back.

Chapter 2

A few days later, Rider paid me a visit. My cousin was nearly drunk on enthusiasm. Rider was the only element of that summer that didn’t send discomfort swimming through my stomach.

Look at you! he yelled, flopping onto the sofa and slapping me across the shoulder. You got fat!

I laughed. At least I’m not as skinny as a bean pole.

The truth was, Rider looked the same as he always had. His brown eyes were wide and slanted and his laughter was just as warm and welcoming as always.

Rider flexed his muscles. Lean people get abs faster.

I turned the television volume down. It’s good to see you, man.

You too. Rider’s frank eyes regarded me with only a hint of pity.

I knew my cousin felt responsible for what had gone down that night at the shop. It wasn’t his fault and I wouldn’t dream of blaming him for any of it.

"You want me to check if Empress of China is on?" I pointed the remote toward the television.

Wow… Rider made a show of fluttering his eyelashes. It’s like you never left.

Shut up.

We shared another laugh and I changed the channel to the Chinese soap opera.

Hey, Rider. Adam appeared from the direction of the staircase and crossed into the hall.

I straightened, surprised that he’d emerged from his cave. Uh, Adam. I think your room is that way. I pointed to the left and up the stairs.

Har, har. My little brother glanced at his reflection in the mirror and combed his hair back.

Instantly, I grew suspicious.

Dude, I whispered to Rider, does Adam have a girlfriend?

Not that I know of, Rider said distractedly as the opening credits of his show blasted through the hall.

I sniffed the air and got a distinct cologne hit.

He’s going to see a girl.

I knew it in my bones.

Slightly stunned, I watched Adam preen in the mirror. A part of me was certain that my little brother had been kidnapped by aliens and replaced with a double.

I remembered when Adam wouldn’t leave his room for hours. He’d watch Japanese cartoons all day if he could and only reappeared when it was feeding time.

Rider, I hissed. Are you sure?

Sure of what? Rider frowned.

That he’s not dating.

Rider spared Adam a quick glance. Oh, he’s just going to hang out with Clarissa. As his words touched the air, his expression changed. I-I mean…

Clarissa? Clarissa Walker?

No, Rider swallowed audibly, it’s some other girl.

But it was too late.

Flashes of memories sprinted through my head.

Clarissa Walker is Cece’s middle sister.

Clarissa’s birthday is the twenty sixth of April.

In my mind’s eye, I saw Clarissa’s brown skin and long curly hair so similar to Cece’s.

I saw a sixteen year old Clarissa propped up in the Walker living room sofa watching animes.