That Art of Letting Go
The Uni Files: Year One
Anna Bloom
The Art of Letting Go (The Uni Files: Year One)
Anna Bloom
Publication date: September 25th 2013
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Synopsis
One year. One woman. One Diary. One question: can you ever
stop history from repeating itself and if you could what would you do to stop
it?
When Lilah McCannon realises at the age of twenty-five that
history is going to repeat itself and she is going to become her mother—bored,
drunk and wearing a twinset—there is only one thing to do: take drastic action.
Turning her back on her old life, Lilah’s plan is to enrol
at university, get a degree and prove she is a grown-up.
As plans go, it is a good one. There are rules to follow: no
alcohol, no cigarettes, no boys and no going home. But when Lilah meets the
lead singer of a local band and finds herself unexpectedly falling in love, she
realises her rules are not going to be the only things hard to keep.
With the academic year slipping by too quickly, Lilah faces
a barrage of new challenges: will she ever make it up the Library stairs
without having a heart attack? Can she handle a day on campus without drinking
vodka? Will she ever manage to read a history book without falling asleep? And
most importantly, can she become the grown-up that she desperately wants to be.
With her head and her heart pulling her in different
directions can Lilah learn the hardest lesson that her first year of university
has to teach her: The Art of Letting Go?
Excerpt From The Art of Letting Go
Friday Night Out
Last night.
By the time there was a knock on my door, I was ready and
completely geared up. I enhanced my normal minimal makeup routine with smoky
eyes and lashings of eyeliner. The crazy fuzz cut was managing to look quite
funky. I could not guarantee it would hold.
I am rewarded for my efforts by Meredith dropping her drink
all over the floor and Beth announcing very loudly that she may fancy me after
all. I cringe at her loud voice, shushing her with my hand, which they both
think is hilarious.
“Don’t worry, Lil, he has already walked over with Jayne.
You would have heard them leave had you not been so busy singing.”
“Bite me.”
“You look lovely, Lilah,” Meredith says, seeming very
sincere, and I give her a big hug.
I should own up to the fact that I have had a few sneaky
drinkies in my room whilst getting ready.
We head out of the door and run across to Digby. Well, I
totter, but at a reasonable pace despite the stilettos.
As we push through the doors, I have the immense
satisfaction of seeing Ben, who is sitting in the corner, choke on his beer. I
give a little half-interested wave of my hand, acknowledging that I have seen
him, and saunter over to the bar.
Trev gives a low whistle when he sees me, and proceeds to
give me a drink on the house.
Blimey! Who would have thought that getting dressed up would
have had this much effect? I should have done it ages ago. There is a DJ
playing, but as yet there is no one on the dance floor, so we stand at the bar
and make girly chitchat.
Jayne comes over from her table and high fives me. “Well
done. Lilah! The whole football team wants to give you a shot.”
I blush furiously and swat her away. Shame for them, there is
only one member of the team from which I would be open to offers.
After a while, Tristan arrives. He actually spends so much
time on campus I don’t know why he does not enrol and just study here as well.
He gives me a wink as he leans in to say hi.
“Going all out, Lil?”
“Better believe it,” I respond with a wink of my own.
I feel completely amazing. For the first time in my entire
life, my confidence is at an all-time high. I grab a drink and start mingling
around, greeting people I recognise. It takes them all a moment to register who
I am, and then I get a lot of hugs. It's great, but then again it's a bit
worrying. Do I walk around looking like scruffy moose the rest of the time? The
only person who doesn’t come and speak to me is Ben. I maturely decide to
ignore this. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the blues flash as he
watches me talk to a couple of the guys from History class. Ha! Stick that,
sucker.
Five vodkas later and the Lilah dancing machine is out in
full force. There are not that many people on the dance floor but I don’t care.
I dance away quite merrily until I realise that the room is spinning rather a
lot. I try to slow my pace but the room is still spinning which makes me realise
that it must be my head and not the crazy dance I am performing.
“I am going out for a
smoke,” I tell Meredith, who is doing something I would rather not witness with
Tristan on the dance floor.
Outside, I lean against my tree (yes, it is mine) and
merrily smoke away. As I smoke I start to sober up a little bit. What on earth
am I doing? My whole reasoning for the day begins to make no sense to me at
all.
I don’t want to get back together with Ben because I want him
to go to the States and have his great career.
It was me who suggested being friends.
It is me who has enjoyed the last week of being friends and
the casual flirting that has been simmering under the surface.
It is me who knows that eventually I am just going to have
to let go of him being a part of my life.
So why the fuck am I dressed up to the nines attempting to
get his attention?
By the time I am on my second cigarette, leaning against the
tree with my eyes shut, I am feeling like a complete idiot and just want to go
back home and get changed into my comfy jeans and a hoodie.
I feel a hand slide down my arm. I don’t have to open my
eyes to know who it is. I would know that touch anywhere.
“What are you doing out here, Lilah? It is freezing.”
I don’t bother opening my eyes, but wave my cigarette in the
general direction of his voice, hoping I don’t set his hair alight.
“Look at me,” he says, his voice soft and very close to my
ear.
I open my eyes and meet his. “Hey,” I say.
“Hey,” he
whispers back. “You look amazing. I mean, you always do, but there is something
different about you tonight.”
He stops
to think of the words.
Yep. I am
a deranged lunatic attempting to make you fancy me even though I know I should
not want you to.
“You look
confident,” he finally says through lips that are distractingly close to my
neck.
I want him so badly that my entire
body could set alight, burning like dry tinder in a fire of need for this man
with his dark hair, flashing eyes, and his long fingers made to entwine with
mine. Even though we are not touching, I can feel every contour of his body
against mine. The space between us zings with electricity.
I think about his words for a few seconds. He’s right. I am
confident. I am buzzing with it.
“I wish I could be
this confident every day,” I admit. “Then, I think, I could be with you.”
The words are out before I can stop them. I hear him take a
sharp intake of breath as he absorbs what I am saying. I need to correct this,
fast.
“It’s not real
though, Ben. It’s just an illusion, someone that I could be if I was brave
enough.”
My words are a whisper, my lips getting closer and closer to
his jaw.
“Be brave with me, Lilah.”
As he says my name in the way only he does—half whisper,
half wish—I can’t stop the single tear that betrays me by falling down my
cheek. He stops its tracks with his lips, and my willpower crumbles. I give a
shudder as I lean against him, and his arms slide around me pulling me in
tight.
“Ben, you know this is not the real me. I’m obsessive and
negative and worry about everything,” I explain as I try to ignore his lips
that are still against my cheek. “You deserve so much more than that.”
He leans down so he can look right at me, the pressure of
his body pushes me back against the tree, long, hard lines moulding against
mine.
“I only see the best in you,” he says, “and you need to see
that, too.”
I just stare at him. His face is so close I can see his
freckles illuminated in the moonlight.
We shouldn't do it again. I know that. What is it, two or
three times we have attempted a relationship now? Every time, for one reason or
another, we end up pushing each other away saying words that hurt. I know this,
but still I say, “I can’t stay away from you.”
He gives a low groan as he crushes us together, his lips on
mine. The moment he touches me, and I feel the familiar sensation of his mouth
against mine, I know it is right. I can’t keep fighting this chemistry between us.
Purchase Links
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About the Author
Anna Bloom is a contemporary romance writer who writes about
life as it happens. Combining a busy schedule of looking after two small
children whilst working in a local school and completing The Uni Files series.
Anna’s main aim in life is to create the perfect book which makes a reader
laugh and cry at the same time, hopefully causing a convulsive (impossible to
ignore) donkey noise. It’s a work in progress!
Anna also spends a lot of time imagining kissing hot guys – all in the
name of her art.
Author Links
Anna Bloom is a contemporary romance writer who writes about life as it happens. Combining a busy schedule of looking after two small children whilst working in a local school and completing The Uni Files series. Anna’s main aim in life is to create the perfect book which makes a reader laugh and cry at the same time, hopefully causing a convulsive (impossible to ignore) donkey noise. It’s a work in progress! Anna also spends a lot of time imagining kissing hot guys – all in the name of her art.
