Show Me the Way

SHOW ME THE WAY WORTH THE WAIT BOOK 1 TC MATSON SENSITIVE CONTENT WARNING This book contains sensitive content that could be triggering. Childhood trauma, verbal abuse, and suicide are discussed. Copyright © 2022 TC Matson 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 permissions of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at [email protected]. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to people, whether living or deceased is purely coincidental. Names, places, and characters are figments of the author’s imagination, or, if real, used fictitiously. The author recognizes the trademarks and copyrights of all registered products and works mentioned within this work. Cover Created By: Sommer Stein, Perfect Pear Cover Creations Cover Photographer: WANDER AGUIAR Cover Model: Robbin K Edited by: Amanda Brown CONTENTS Sensitive Content Warning To My Readers Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Also by TC Matson About the Author TO MY READERS I know it’s been a hot minute since I’ve released a book. I took most of 2022 off to get my shit together and together my shit got. Okay, not entirely, but let’s pretend it is. While I may have taken a step back from releasing, I wasn’t just sitting around watching ghost investigation shows or reading or spending time with my family. I was also hammering out a new series. I am EXCITED to introduce you to the Worth the Wait series. I hope you love these characters as much as I do. Thank you for all your love and support! Sign up to my newsletter for exclusive sneak peeks, giveaways, and up-to-date information. Sign Up Here Join my fan group for exclusive everything, epic fun, and whatever else my wonderful Book Corner peeps can think of. Join Here Even in the darkest days, the sun always shines. CHAPTER ONE MORGAN Sunlight bursts through the windshield in vivid, blinding hues, distorting the road in front of me. Sunglasses be damned. It’s strange how important the sun is when you think about it. The warmth. The beauty. The promise of life and energy day in and day out. The need for it so things can grow. Yet underneath all its stunning and bedazzling glory is nothing but a ruse. Bathe in it, and you’ll burn your skin. Too much of it, and you’ll have skin cancer. Stare at it too long, and you’ll burn your retinas. As important as it is, it’s also harmful. Take right now for instance. As I head in the direction of my new life, scared shitless of how I’m going to make it, the sun isn’t offering me hope. Instead, it mangles the clear view toward my future. That’s my life. Full of deception. Two days ago, I was confident. I thought for sure no one in their right mind would remove me and my son from the home I shared with my husband of eight years. I was certain since he was at fault, he’d walk away with nothing. Yesterday, I found out I was heartbreakingly mistaken. I lost everything. The home. The money. The stability. The sentimentals. My life was altered by a judge with no heart or conscience. Yesterday was a total shitshow. A nightmare. I knew Kevin was going to use Ryan, his big shot lawyer brother, but what I didn’t think was Colby’s uncle would strip him of everything. Instead of the single mother getting the house, a car, and money, the man who stepped out on our marriage and has zero interest in custody of his son got it all. The confidence I carried into the court hearing was stripped away the moment Kevin and Ryan walked in and were buddy-buddy with the judge. The cheating bastard got the two-story, three-bedroom, two and a half bath brownstone we’d made a home and everything inside of it. All the furniture held my firsts—where I made love to my new husband the night of our wedding, where we found out I was pregnant, where I brought home my newborn son, where I rocked him, where I played peek-a-boo with him, where I watched him take his first steps, and where I sobbed when I found out that the man I vowed my life to was a piece of shit. Kevin got to keep the Mercedes—which I didn’t care about because I hated that thing—and all the money except for ten-thousand dollars and the amount to pay for the divorce. Yes. My cheating husband who broke every vow he promised walked away a winner. So, while he continues to live his life like normal, I’m starting over with a three-year-old who thinks we’re going on an adventure. While I try to keep some sort of normalcy for my son, Kevin gets to share the house with his new girlfriend. He allowed me ten minutes to pack up and get out. Two boxes of my clothes, a few boxes of Colby’s, some of his toys, and the door was shut in my face as an officer escorted me out. “Mommy,” Colby’s sweet voice pulls me out of the thoughts that were promising more tears I shouldn’t shed. “Yes, baby?” “I’s gots to pee.” I thought by now we’d be at my brother’s house, but the five-hour trek has taken a lot longer than anticipated thanks to my little guy being hungry, which turned into two extra bathroom stops. “How bad?” I glance at him