No Strings Attached

Copyright © 2022 Laura Rocca. All rights reserved.This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.Translation by: Amanda BleeCover Model: Benjamin Atkins @benatkins._Photographer: Michelle Lancaster@lanefotograf www.michellelancaster.comCover Design: Manuela Serra Vincent Van Gogh once said, “I dream my paintings, then I paint my dreams.”It’s the same for me when I write: they are not dreams but visions, a voice that speaks to me, a face in the crowd, a look that moves me.And that’s how I imagine you.Sitting under a huge tree, whose roots entwine naturally to form a seat. I see you, sitting in the shade, under a leafy canopy, rays of sunlight filtering through the thick foliage to light up your face. You’re reading a book, you turn a page and sigh – you’re at a crucial point in the story - you smile and think that, sometimes, some moments are simply perfect, moments like these.Laura“You can’t put a limit on anything…The more you dream, the farther you go.”Michael Phelps Let's get to know each other Visit my website and my socials, I'll be waiting for you!WebsiteFacebook PageInstagramTikTokBookBubNewsletter SynopsisSometimes you meet someone, and you know your life will never be the same again. One single, fleeting moment is all it takes to change everything.Skylar Allen is only five years old when Jaxon arrives at the orphanage where she has spent her whole life.For the first time ever, she has someone to love, a friend who protects her and encourages her. Skylar and Jaxon become inseparable - until the day Jaxon is adopted.Before leaving the orphanage, he promises Skylar that he’ll write every day but, after a year, Skylar is forced to face the truth: Jaxon has forgotten about her.She still believes that when, eighteen years later, they come face to face in the lobby of the hotel where she works.Things have changed over the years, however: Jaxon is now lead singer of The Blind Spot. His dreams of becoming a rockstar have come true, while Skylar feels like a failure: injury shattered her dreams of becoming a figure-skating champion.Jaxon is no longer the boy she knew all those years ago, however; he’s brash and arrogant and Skylar is more than happy when he fails to recognize her.Jaxon Mitchell is nine years old when he arrives at the Laporte orphanage after a family tragedy. There he meets little Jas and together they dream of a life far away, and putting a smile on Jas’s face becomes Jax’s purpose in life.When he is adopted and taken to the other side of the country, he spends his days waiting for Jas to answer his letters, but the mailbox remains empty, and he is forced to admit that his new mother was right after all; Jas wants nothing more to do with him.It’s not until seventeen years later that he discovers that those letters were never sent.As soon as he gets a break in his busy schedule, he books a vacation at Giant Ridge ski-resort in Minnesota, not far from the orphanage where he spent that fateful year with Jas, hoping to Chapter 1I’m skating around the pond. I trip and fall. It hurts and the other kids are laughing. No one comes to help, and I can’t get up. I keep trying, but it’s impossible.Suddenly a hand appears. “Gotcha! You can always count on me, Jas.”I reach out, grab it, and pull myself upright. I’m an adult again and we’re back together.He’s here. He never left me - not for real, anyway.When two soulmates meet, that moment can change their lives forever.Anything can happen. You can try to resist, run away, try to forget, but it’s useless, there’s no going back. The only place you’ll always want to go back to is Him. He’s your everything; your home, your favorite scent, your heartbeat, your dreams, your tomorrow.He wraps his arms around me, he stares deep into my eyes and...The alarm goes off.I turn it off then rub my eyes and climb out of bed.I take Jax from his cage and put him on my chest. As soon as I let go, he walks up my body and nuzzles his little face against my neck. Jax, btw, is an African pygmy hedgehog. I’ve had him for a year now and he’s just adorable.Obviously, before getting him, I asked my roommate, Alyson, if she was okay with it: fortunately, she couldn’t wait to meet our new roomie either.Who wouldn’t fall in love with him – with that cheeky, inquisitive little face and those sweet little black eyes?My second alarm goes off, the real one this time. Groaning, I switch it off.I always set two alarms: that way I have more time to spend with Jax before starting work.“Skylar, babe. Can we change the tune? Please?” Alyson groans, rolling out of bed.“Why? I love ‘Frozen Melody’, it’s my favorite,” I reply, placing Jax back in his cage and offering him a piece of apple.“So do I but now I associate it with getting out of bed in the morning. Excellent idea, using a song