The Empty Path: Where The Path Leads, #4

By Pamela Gail

Engagements, marriages, and babies…. When these things are not your own, life can feel… empty.

Such is the life of Adalyn Haynes. Her best friends move forward with the loves of their lives, while she feels stuck on the path to nowhere. Frustrated and dealing with her own turmoil, the last thing she wants is to burden them and bring down their happily-ever-afters.

Can love be lost if it was never found?
This is the question that haunts Turner Crosby, sending him into a downward spiral and shattering him at the bottom of a bottle. Full of rage and hurt, he refuses to tell anyone about his struggles, especially not the circle of friends that includes her.

Friendships and loyalties are being tested. Will Turner and Adalyn be able to find the strength to confide, or will they stay silent and alone in the darkness enveloping them?

It contains scenes of a delicate and adult nature and is not intended for readers under 18 years of age.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pamela Gail
• Release date: May 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224691609

Book preview

Dedication

To my friend, Katie Hicks.

Thank you for being my football buddy and introducing me to TikTok.

I appreciate your kindness, friendship, and support over the years.

Chapter One

Adalyn

The evening drags by, souring my mood. I’ve been stuck in this spot on my couch for over two hours, except for walking to the kitchen to refill my wine glass.

I didn’t even bother turning on the TV or picking up a book. I’ve simply spent hours drinking wine and staring at the wall, thinking about my life.

I haven’t been in the best mindset lately, and recent events aren’t helping. Growing up is part of life. Death is a part of life. I understand that, but being an adult hit me hard over the past few weeks. I’ve never known anyone who died, and I still have all four grandparents alive. For now, at least. I’ve never stopped to think about losing them one day. I’m only twenty, and I’m going to lose Grampy, my dad’s father. He fell a few weeks ago and broke his arm. What should have been an easy fix has turned into a nightmare. When he was in the hospital, they found bone cancer. The initial prognosis was okay. He was told he would likely live several years with proper treatment. After further testing, cancer was found all over his body. There’s nothing they can do for him, and he probably won’t last six months. This news was the first time I admitted that everyone I love would eventually die. Morbid, I know.

I grew up in Ashton Bay, a small Gulf Coast island in the bend of northern Florida. I’m one of seven children, and both sets of grandparents lived within a five-minute walk. To say we’re a close-knit family is an understatement. Losing Grampy is going to be hell for all of us. Even my two sets of grandparents are best friends.

I’m number five in the family, and the twins graduated from high school in May. My mom was only seventeen, and Dad was nineteen when my oldest sister, Naomi, was born. None of their friends thought they would make it, but all four of my grandparents supported their decision to marry and raise their daughter together. They’ve been married almost twenty-nine years and are as in love now as they were as teenagers.

Naomi is twenty-eight and lives and works in Texas with her wife and their two children, Marley and Jonas. At twenty-five, Andrew already owns a restaurant in our hometown. He works long hours and claims there’s no time for dating, but I think he secretly has a girlfriend. Noah married his high school sweetheart, Emma, the summer after high school graduation. They graduated from college last May and, over the summer, moved to Taiwan to teach English. I don’t think I’d be brave enough at twenty-three to move to the other side of the world. They plan to live there for five years then return to the states to start a family.

Nathan will be twenty-two in a couple of weeks. He’s a senior at Augusta University here in Georgia and will graduate in May with a degree in cyber security. I don’t know where he’ll end up, but I hope it’s nearby. Nat and I have always been close, and I worry he will move far away.

The twins, Axel and Alexis, are less than two years younger than me and turned nineteen a couple of weeks ago. Alexis lives at home and works at Andrew’s restaurant. She’s taking a few online classes but hates school, so I’m not convinced she’ll finish college, which is fine. It’s her life. Axel is a freshman at the University of Georgia and absolutely hates it. I told him not to follow his boyfriend there, but he wouldn’t listen to me or our parents. UGA is about an hour and a half from me, so I’m able to visit him often. It worries me that he’s absolutely miserable and won’t tell our parents.

Having a large family is amazing, but I can’t imagine having seven kids of my own, and my parents had seven in less than ten years. Needless to say, our house was chaotic and loud, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. I adore my parents and siblings and miss them every day.

Sitting in the dark, sipping on strawberry wine alone, isn’t the best decision, but these past months have taken their toll on me, and I can’t confide in my friends. I mean, I can confide in them. Lily and Dallas are great, but they have their own busy lives. I don’t want to burden them with my negativity.

Dallas and Wylde are busy with their baby, and Turner is struggling with his own shitty situation after a fallout with Lily. Lily is madly in love with Ledger, and Dean is usually with his hookup of the night. I’m glad Dallas and Lily are happy and have found their person. I try to smile and pretend everything is great when I’m with them. I must be doing a good job since neither has asked me if something is wrong. I haven’t told any of my friends about my grandfather or my mom.

Lily’s boyfriend, Ledger, runs a non-profit called Healing Homes, and they are having a huge fundraiser this weekend for their new scholarship fund. This is not the time to burden Lily with my problems. I’m looking forward to the gala. It will be fun to dress up and have time with my friends.

A knock on the front door startles me out of my personal pity party. I glance at my phone. After ten. Who the heck is knocking on my door this late on a Tuesday night? My heart races as I quietly walk to the door and look through the peephole. On the other side, Axel is bouncing from one foot to the other, hands in his pockets, looking beyond anxious.

I swing the door open, Hey, what’s wrong? I pull Axel into my arms. As soon as his arms wrap around me, his body starts shaking, and he releases an audible sob. Pushing the door closed, I lead him to the couch. Seeing my little brother in this condition breaks my heart. Taking one hand in mine, I use the other thumb to wipe his tears. Tell me what happened.

Miles is cheating on me.

What? Are you sure?

Yes, I’m sure! He cries. I caught him fucking another guy in our bed.

Our bed? Is he living with Miles? That’s news to me and something I bet our parents don’t know. Oh, Axel, I’m sorry. Pulling my brother into my arms again, I hug him tightly. You can stay here tonight.

I’m moving home.

You don’t have to move home. I will help you get through this. It will be okay.

I can’t stay in Athens. I’m flunking out. There is no way I can salvage my grades. I didn’t take any of my midterms.

Axel. Why?

Because I hate it there. The school is too big, my classes are stupid, and now I don’t have a boyfriend. I thought if I failed out, I could get a job and still live with Miles. I thought everything was going well. Now, I wonder if he was with this guy last year.

Miles is a year older than Axel. I never trusted him in high school and always thought he was kind of a player. Ax didn’t see it and thought I was being mean. During one argument, he even accused me of trying to break them up because he’s gay. Later, he apologized, but it hurt when he said it. The only thing I care about when it comes to my siblings is that they are happy. I don’t care who they date unless he or she is an asshole or a cheater – like Miles.

Did you bring any clothes?

No. I ran out, jumped in my car, and started driving. He didn’t even know I came home. I was halfway here before I realized where I was headed.

In the morning, I’ll go with you to get some clothes. You can stay here for a few days until we figure out what to do. I won’t tell mom and dad. You can tell them about Miles and school when you’re ready.

Really? You’ll do that for me?

I’ll do anything for you. I love you. Are you hungry? Thirsty?

I don’t think I can eat. Can I have a glass of that? He points to my wine. Unlike most of the people my age, I don’t like the taste of beer and only drink liquor if the taste is masked with something sweet. I prefer super sweet, fruity wines for the same reason. They taste more like juice than alcohol.

I can’t say anything about my brother not being old enough to drink since I’m only twenty myself, so I walk to the kitchen and pour him a glass. If anyone deserves to drink right now, it’s Ax. We can wallow in our misery together. Mine will be silent wallowing because there is no way I’m telling my brother I’m on the verge of my own mental breakdown. A little sibling bonding time with my brother will be good for our souls.

Chapter Two

Turner

This class may never end. The past twenty minutes feel like a lifetime. The longer I sit here, the more on edge I get. This is a senior architecture class, and by now, I should know my shit, but none of it makes sense. Maybe I’m not cut out for this career path. Maybe I should have called it quits months ago when I didn’t graduate. Maybe I should walk out right now, cut my losses, and go work at a fast-food joint. Hell, I’d probably fail