This is a scene from the original rough draft of Game Changer. This was before Jenithiyah was created and included a true love triangle between Tori, Seyer, and a co-worker of Seyer’s, Shawn.
Rough Draft History: Originally, the story was called Twitter Me. I had a long conversation with the staff at Twitter and their response was basically, “You can not use Twitter in the title of your book. This may cause confusion between the site and book. You may mention Twitter, but you must create an account for each character.” Thus, Chatter was born and the book’s name changed to Chatter Me.
Tori trained with Seyer all afternoon. Her nerves were torn up and she had thought she had seen Rey standing in the parking lot at the hotel that morning. She tried to shake it out of her head, sure she was imagining it.
“It’s just old ghosts playing with my mind.” she assured Seyer. “I’ll be alright. I mean it’s ridiculous to think he would have followed me all the way to Washington. I haven’t heard or seen anything of him since I left home.”
“Just the same, I think I will walk you to your car.” Seyer told her but she shook her head.
“I’ll be fine. I’m going to meet Hailey at the nail salon and then go to lunch.” she knew Shawn would be leaving soon as well and didn’t want him to think there was something going on, even though he had never acted like he was jealous or suspicious of her relationship with Seyer, she didn’t want him to have any reason to doubt her love for him. She still loved Seyer, but she had made her choice and refused to change her mind when she loved them both equally.
She stepped out of the back door into the alley way and headed to her parked rental car.
She dug in her purse for her keys and hurried to get to her car, wishing she had let Seyer walk with her or at least waited on Shawn.
Suddenly she was grabbed from behind and she was dragged deeper into the alley and slammed against the brick wall.
“You think you’re so smart.” Rey’s voice was hateful. He sneered at her with anger in his eyes. She fought him wishing she had trusted her own eyes that day. “You really thought you could get away from me.” He slammed her against the wall once more and wrapped a large hand around her throat. Rey was a big man standing nearly six foot seven and he was as muscular as Dave Batista. No matter how much Tori had trained she had never been strong enough to win a battle against him. “I told you once, you will be mine or no one will have you.” he slapped her hard on the cheek and again tightening his grip. Her feet dangled inches from the ground as he held her up with one hand.
“So, what’s it going to be?” he kissed her lips and she began to cry. “What’s it going to be!”
“I would rather be dead than be your girl.” Tori whispered with hate for the man in her eyes. Rey growled and slung her across the small alley and she hit the brick wall with a thud. She dropped to the ground and tried to get to her feet.
“You bitch!” he yelled and pulled a gun from where he had tucked it into the back of his jeans.
“Hey Seyer, did Tori already leave.” Shawn asked picking up his gear and heading to the parking lot.
“Ya, she said she was meeting Hailey to get her nails done.” Shawn chuckled. “I guess I better go and get Caden. John probably has his hands full by now.”
Seyer agreed.
“I’ll walk with ya. I want to see Caden before I go to that autograph signing tonight.” They walked out the back door and headed to Seyer’s car. Shawn had planned to take a cab back to the hotel but Seyer had told him he would give him a ride.
They saw a bag lying in the center of the alley and they immediately knew it was Tori’s. A scream caught both their attention and they ran towards it.
“You’re going to wish you had answered me differently, bitch!” Rey said holding the gun to Tori’s temple. She kicked her leg forcefully and caught him in the groin. It gave her enough time to dart away from his gun and head out of the alley.
But Rey was quick to recover and he again picked his gun up from the asphalt and pointed it toward her.
“No!” She ran into Shawn and he caught her and swung her so that he was standing between her and Rey’s bullet. He fell to the ground. The bullet had caught him in the back but Rey kept shooting. Seyer fell to the ground covering Tori just as Shawn had. He reached into his bag and frantically grasped his own 9 mm and jerked it from the bag. He pointed it and took one shot to stop their attacker. Soon Rey lay on the ground motionless. He would never be able to hurt Tori again.
“Shawn?” Tori was disoriented when all the commotion had ended and all was silent. Seyer helped her to her feet, but Shawn didn’t move. “Shawn!” she ran to where he still laid face down. She rolled him over and he looked into her eyes and slowly his hand came to rest on her cheek. He smiled.
“I love you.” his words barely could be heard. Seyer couldn’t believe what was happening. Shawn was dying and he knew it. He had given his life to save Tori.
Seyer knelt beside them.
Tori screamed and cried uncontrollably.
“No. Shawn. Don’t talk like that. You’re not going to die! Do you hear me?”
“Everyone has a time to die my love and it’s my turn.” he tried to ease her pain. He was weak and fading. He took her hand from his and placed it on Seyer’s. “Take care of her …..” then he was gone.
“No!” Seyer pulled Tori into his arms and rocked her. He didn’t want to win her that way, and even though Shawn had wanted him to take care of her, he knew she wouldn’t go into his arms so easily and he wouldn’t push her. It hurt him more that Shawn was gone from her life when she had been so happy.
***
Six months later they stood on a grassy bank in Ireland in front of Shawn’s tombstone. Tori’s heart still held his love strongly. Seyer took her hand and gave it a gently squeeze as she kissed a single red rose then placed it on the stone. She smiled weakly and hugged him. They had just been married the day before, now she had to say good bye to a man who had showed her how to let her heart love again and how to trust again. A man who had given up his own life so that she could go on.
Now she found that love with Seyer, Just as Shawn had hoped they would in his last moments.
“You can’t let one evil soul keep you from letting love into your heart love.” his words echoed. They always would be in her mind.
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