When Shadows Fracture
Cherry Creek Series
By Callie Rae
Copyright © 2020 by Callie Rae
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Visit my website at http://www.authorcallierae.com
Cover Design by Callie Rae at Literary Designs. www.literarydesigns.com
Editing by Rebecca Kimmel at The Writing Refinery. https://www.thewritingrefinery.com/
Proofread by Brittany Balazs.at Book Nook Proofreading
Formatting by Callie Rae at Literary Designs
This book is cursed. Enter at your own risk.
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue Jesse
Chapter One Jesse
Chapter Two Fallon
Chapter Three Jesse
Chapter Four Fallon
Chapter Five Jesse
Chapter Six Fallon
Chapter Seven Jesse
Chapter Eight Fallon
Chapter Nine Jesse
Chapter Ten Jesse
Chapter Eleven Fallon
Chapter Twelve Jesse
Chapter Thirteen Fallon
Chapter Fourteen Jesse
Chapter Fifteen Fallon
Chapter Sixteen Jesse
Chapter Seventeen Jesse
Chapter Eighteen Fallon
Chapter Nineteen Jesse
Chapter Twenty Jesse
Chapter Twenty-One Fallon
Chapter Twenty-Two Fallon
Chapter Twenty-Three Jesse
Chapter Twenty-Four Fallon
Chapter Twenty-Five Jesse
Chapter Twenty-Six Fallon
Chapter Twenty-Seven Jesse
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Books by Callie Rae
“Yo Callaway. What’s good?” I look up from the ice chest filled with cheap beer to Jones approaching me with that goofy smirk. I straighten to meet him with a slap on the back. “We gonna kill it next week at tha game. They ain’t got a shot against us, son.”
Jones plays on the team, but he’s also loyal to me. He handles business when I call, no questions asked. He’s always a team player—even when the work gets dirty.
“Yeah man. They don’t have a chance. We got this,” I say as I glance over to put eyes on Fallon. I’m always looking for her. Even when I’m not thinking about it, my body just naturally gravitates towards her. It’s like my body understands my need for her more than my brain does sometimes. Except, right now it’s not getting what it needs. Fallon isn’t where I left her. My body tenses, the discomfort that arrives when she isn’t within my sight settling in quickly. I’m not trying to be that boyfriend, but when someone is with me they always have a target on their back. And Fallon came with her own target practice. The combination of the two hasn’t mixed well at all. I tend to be a little more protective of her than she likes.
“No doubt, no doubt. Aight man, check it later, enjoy the par-tay.”
“Alright, man. I’ll catch you later,” I say as I slap his hand and back away towards where Fallon is supposed to be. Unease settling over me as I turn around and my eyes search for her.
I look for her at the bench where she and Cason were sitting, then check the area around it. She isn’t here, and it’s unlike her to wander off without saying something to me. Even with her I’m-going-to-do-whatever-I-want attitude. She’s probably run off with Jade; those two are going to be the death of me. When I’m not constantly trying to convince Fallon to stay put, Jade is constantly pushing her to do more and “live life.” I want Fallon to live her life—but more than that, I want her to be safe. I prepare myself to enter the throng of people crowding the middle of the barn dancing, scanning each head in the crowd for her straight, light brown locks.
Come on, Fallon. You couldn’t have waited for me?
I keep searching the building for either of the girls or Cason. I’m starting to feel the trickle of panic set in underneath my calm facade. Something isn’t right—I can feel it—and my mask is slipping. I spot Cason huddled in the corner with that Narni chick that hangs out at the Depot. She’s got quite the reputation; hers is almost as bad as Cason’s.
I make a beeline to Cason. I hope he’s seen them, because I might just flip the fuck out if not. “Cason.”
As I approach the corner, the chick storms off, leaving Cason standing there watching after her. He rubs the back of his head as if it pains him to see her go before he looks my way. He seems as confused as I feel about the situation I’ve just interrupted.
“What’s that about?” I nod towards Narni’s retreating figure. She’s quickly putting plenty of distance between her and Cason.
“I don’t know. She needs to get laid or something,” Cason growls out. He shakes his head as if to clear his thoughts and turns to face me. “What’s up? You need something?”
“Yeah, have you seen Fallon? I can’t find her or Jade.”
He looks genuinely confused when he says, “Nah, man, I thought they were with you?”
“No, I went to get a beer and Jones stopped to talk. When I looked up she was gone,” I tell him. My eyes never stop scanning the interior of the barn, hoping to catch sight of her or Jade.
“She’s probably with Jade doing whatever girls do together.” He shrugs. “Maybe they held hands to the bathroom?”
I glance at him briefly before continuing my visual search of the party. “Yeah, maybe. But I don’t like it. Fallon knows I don’t like it when she wanders off.”
“Just chill. I’m sure they’re around here somewhere. Come on, I’ll help you look,” Cason says as he slaps my shoulder. As he heads off into the crowd, he turns and yells out, “I’ll check the front and outside. Meet you back at the doors in thirty?”
“Alright,” I say as I head towards the back, making a pit stop to check the one single bathroom awkwardly positioned in the middle of the barn, free standing next to the dance floor.
Who has bathrooms in a barn anyway?
I don’t think Fallon’s in the bathroom. The line to the bathroom is almost the length of the
