PERFECTLY HOPELESS
HOLLY HOOD
Booktrope Editions
Seattle, WA 2015
COPYRIGHT 2013, 2015 HOLLY HOOD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
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Cover Design by Yosbe Designs
Edited by Samantha Zeiner
Previously self-published Perfectly Hopeless, 2013
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to similarly named places or to persons living or deceased is unintentional.
PRINT ISBN 978-1-5137-0467-8
EPUB ISBN 978-1-5137-0517-0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015918118
Table of Contents
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT
BOOKS BY HOLLY HOOD
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CHAPTER ONE
SUMMER TIME
CHAPTER TWO
THE BROWN-EYED BOY
CHAPTER THREE
WHAT AILS YOU?
CHAPTER FOUR
SPARKS
CHAPTER FIVE
ANYTHING IS BETTER
CHAPTER SIX
ART
CHAPTER SEVEN
MYSTERIOUS
CHAPTER EIGHT
ISN’T IT OBVIOUS?
CHAPTER NINE
TIME
CHAPTER TEN
FEELINGS
CHAPTER ELEVEN
HORRIBLE GOSSIP
CHAPTER TWELVE
UNINVITED
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
USELESS ISSUES
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
GIFT
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
SUNBEAMS
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
UNSURE
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
WHAT-IFS
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
TACTICS
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ESCAPE
CHAPTER TWENTY
IS THIS THE WAY?
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
TAKE IT
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
WHO SAID?
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
FALL
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MORE GREAT READS
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT HOLLY HOOD
Five stars! “ She knows how to bring the characters to life and into your heart. You feel for the characters almost from page one.”
Five stars! “This book was beautiful and some people might think it wasn't a happy story I think it was. There was love and sadness and hope but it was the best book I have read in a while.”
Four stars! “As an avid reader, I have become used to the highs and lows of emotion in my books. With that said it is very difficult to spark an emotion dark enough to make me cry, but Perfectly Hopeless reaches deep enough to touch that nerve”
BOOKS BY HOLLY HOOD
Wingless Series
Wingless
Polar
Scattered and Broken
Prison of Paradise
Letters to You
Back to Life
Ink Series
Ink
For more information about the author or upcoming books visit:
simplyhollyhood.com
Twitter @WinglessReapers
I love you more my sweet meatloaf!
To
My imagination, may we stay the best of friends for a lifetime.
And to Anne Ball, I love you and miss you! Life is hard without you here on earth but you are with me in my heart!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you to everyone in my life that makes writing so much fun. The readers, my family, my friends, I appreciate all of you. It’s always nice to share my imagination with willing readers. Some books come easily, some are more difficult. Some make me cry. Others make me laugh. A few drag me into dark places. Regardless of what story it is, I am proud of them all. From the wobbly first, to the more recent ones, they all helped mold me as a writer. The Wingless Series marked my first steps into my journey as a writer, and as I release Perfectly Hopeless into the world I feel accomplished—and a little bittersweet. I feel like Henri and Maven took a special place in my heart and I hope they do the same for you.
SUMMER TIME
THIS WAS HER SUMMER. She swore it. This summer, life would go from devastating to incredible. Maven stared out of the window as her parents gossiped in the front seat about Claudia, their excessively confident neighbor with more money than the entire town.
She closed her eyes, dropping her head back against the leather seat, her golden blonde hair cascading around her shoulders. Maven was a young woman full of hope. She never went to bed without reflecting on all she wished would happen for her.
Portwood was the setting of their summer home. Every home was nestled between giant willow trees. A small town full of southern charm, right outside the lake. Maven’s family came here every year during the summer. It was a place filled with memories. Remembering all the good times always brought smiles. Portwood was magical.
“I wonder if Jake is going to be there,” her older brother, Nick mocked. Doing his best to tease Maven from his spot in the family car, Nick knew Maven was hoping for the opposite. After their messy breakup, Jake was the last person she wanted to lay eyes on. Jake was a jerk, and the entire family knew it.
“I don’t know and I don’t care.”
After the tears she cried over a guy like Jake, it was the truth. And suddenly the family’s annual vacation was sounding less exciting and more torturous. She shrank down in her seat as the Portwood “Welcome” sign whizzed by the window.
Her mom shot her a sympathetic smile.
“Everyone who is anyone is at Portwood for Summer vacay,” Maggie, her younger sister, said, tearing off her sunglasses to gain a better view of all the younger guys as they carried beach towels and coolers on their way to the lake.
“I don’t think the Maves considers Jake Summit anyone anymore,” Nick smirked. He leaned forward, clamping down on Maven’s shoulder. “If he gives you any trouble you just let me know. I’ll rough him up for you.”
Their mother aimed a concerned look in both of their directions. She knew how Nick’s temper could get sometimes. This wasn’t a joke in her eyes. “Nicky you remember what we said.”
Nick sighed, letting out the loudest grumble he could muster. “I know, I know. No more money for college if I lay a finger on Summit. I thought that was what family was for though, Mom.” He ran a hand through his shaggy brown mop of hair giving Maven a secret smirk.