Title: Pieces
Series: The Riverdale Series Book One
Author: Janine Infante Bosco
Blog Tour 8/22 – 8/31
#janineinfantebosco
#theriverdaleseries
#pieces
Jake Lanza is one of Riverdale New York’s favorite sons. He owns a tattoo parlor in the small upstate town and prides himself on being a fun-loving, live by the seat of your pants type of guy. He has everything he wants in life, a thriving business, a great family and a best friend with whom he could never live without.
Cara Sloane weaved her way into Jake’s life when they were fifteen years old. After her life fell apart at such a young age, Jake helped her heal, and began to pick up the pieces of her fallen life. His unconventional ways slowly had him becoming the anchor in her life.
Now fourteen years later Jake begins to see Cara in a new light. The things he thought he never wanted, he suddenly began to yearn for. The only problem was they were both too frightened to lose the greatest love either of them has ever known. Can Jake convince Cara there is more for them than just a friendship? Is he willing to take that gamble himself?
Cara couldn’t help but stare at her
phone, willing it to ring as she wondered why she hadn’t heard from Jake in
hours and not for lack of trying on her behalf. The last time she checked she
had called him fifteen times the last of those calls had gone straight to
voicemail. She even tried calling Riverdale Ink, only for Pete to tell her that
he had never gone to work that day. She couldn’t help the sickening feeling in
the pit of her stomach that warned her something was wrong. In between
re-stocking the bar and tending to the few stragglers that had come into Rudy’s
she tried calling the Lanza home, only to get no answer from any of them. She
glanced at the clock, reminded that an hour ago she had promised herself if she
hadn’t heard from any of them she would leave to go in search of them. The hour
was up.
The front door opened and she turned
praying it was Jake only for her to shoulders to slump when she saw Nick. He
made his way towards her and she couldn’t help the dread that lurked inside
her. Had someone sent him to break some sort of bad news to her? She stared at
him trying to read his expression. His clothing was covered in grease stains
causing her to believe that he’d been at Lanza Automotive all day. His hair was
mussed from his fingers and she watched him drag them through what she could
only imagine was the umpteenth time. He leaned against the bar and gave her the
same assessing look she had given him.
“What’s the matter?” She choked, her
hands braced on the bar waiting for the blow he was about to deal her.
Nick shook his head letting out a
deep breath. “So you haven’t heard from them either? Great.” He said sullenly,
pausing a beat before snapping his fingers and pointing towards the door.
“Let’s go.”
Cara looked up at him startled and
confused. “Go where?”
“Where else? Deb and Joe’s we’ll
start there.”
She nodded quickly. “Alright, let me
just tell Rudy I’m leaving.” She had never been so relieved to see Nick in her
life. Not sure if relief was what she should be feeling especially knowing he
was just as concerned as she was. She grabbed her pocketbook and quickly told
Rudy she had an emergency. She made her way back towards the bar only to find Nick
was half way out the door. They got into his car and he peeled out of the lot.
“What do you think is the matter?”
Cara said realizing she was afraid to hear the answer, a thousand dark thoughts
ran in her head. Had something happened to one of them? Was it Jake?
“I don’t know. Luke never came to
work. Sam left work early and signed Ava out of school.”
“How do you know all that?”
“No one’s answering their phones so
I called the school.”
Cara glanced at his hands noting
that his knuckles were white as he gripped the wheel.
“Jake didn’t go to work either.” She
said flatly. Whatever was going on at the Lanza’s screamed disaster.
“I
know.” He said, glancing at her briefly before directing his eyes back to the
road in front of him.
“Why
wouldn’t they have called us?” She wondered aloud. Whenever something happened with
the family, whether good or bad Cara had always been included and when Nick had
been around so had he.
“I
have no idea.” He said as he pulled into the driveway. Cara quickly noticed
everyone’s car had been parked out front of the house except for Jake’s. She
felt the bile begin to rise in her throat and for a moment she thought she
threw up in her mouth.
“It’s
Jake.” She whispered, feeling her heart beating frantically. Nick was out of
the car before she even had her seatbelt off. She had merely managed to slam
her door shut by the time Nick pummeled the front door with his fist. The door
swung open just as Cara caught up to Nick and Luke stood in front of them.
Cara
began to tremble once she caught sight Luke’s bloodshot eyes unable to deny
that he had been crying. He tore his gaze from her sighing heavily as if she
was the last person he wanted to see right now. She didn’t know how she didn’t
burst into tears from just Luke’s looks alone.
“Luke,
what’s going on?” Nick asked dreadfully.
Luke stared at him for a moment,
trying to find his voice before he looked over Nick’s shoulder and his eyes met
Cara’s momentarily. He pulled Nick closer to him whispering to his buddy so
that Cara had to strain to hear.
“You
got to get her out of here.”
Nick
remained still and silent, looking at Luke who nodded as if there was some sort
of code that only the two of them knew.
“Luke
where’s Jake?” Cara demanded her patience running thin. Nick turned around meeting
her gaze as he took hold of her arm.
“Come
on, this was a bad idea.” Nick said. Cara looked up at him incredulously. Her
veins throbbed with anger and she smacked Nick’s hands away.
“Get
off of me.” She pushed passed him standing in front of Luke who was about to
close the door. She stuck her foot out in the doorjamb and stared up at him her
eyes blazing with fury. “I’m going to say it one more time. Where is Jake?”
“Cara.”
He whispered. She looked up at him and could see he was struggling. Nick’s arms
wrap around her from behind her.
“Don’t!”
She yelled, viciously tearing his hands off her as she slammed her hands
against Luke’s chest and he stumbled back. “JAKE?” She hollered from the
doorway. Luke grabbed her wrist. “I said get off of me!” She spat.
“Cara
listen to me!” Luke yelled. She looked at him, shocked, unable to recall ever
hearing him raise his voice. “You need to leave. He will call you I promise.
But right you need to let him be.”
She
felt the tears slide down her cheeks as she stared coldly at Luke. She wanted
to tear his heart from his chest just as he was tearing hers out. “I’m not
going anywhere until I see Jake and then he can throw me out. But you…?” She
shook her head, swallowing the lump lodged in her throat. “No, I don’t answer
to you.”
“What
the hell is going on in here?” Joe Lanza said. She had rarely heard the man
raise his voice in all the years she knew him. Well, that wasn’t entirely true
Joe was always hollering about something but she had never seen him yell so angrily
before. The three of them stood in the entryway of the house, staring at Joe
who sadly wore a solemn expression on his face one that was full of angst.
“Dad,
I’ve got this. Go back inside with mom.” Luke said in a raspy voice.
“You’ve
got what? Why are they standing in the door like strangers and you’re standing on
the sidelines braced for war? You want to kill your mother today?” He swallowed,
shaking his head at his son grabbing before taking hold of Cara’s hand.
“Pop
Jake asked me…”Joe silenced his son with one bold stare, daring him to speak
another word. It didn’t matter how old you were if Joe pierced you with that
look, you shut your mouth because there were very seldom times when he showed
authority. Jake was a lot like his father, he rolled with the punches and
didn’t let much get to him. However, like Jake when he was adamant about
something no one questioned him.
Cara
met Joe’s gaze her heart breaking for him never seeing him so completely
undone. “I’m sorry.” She mumbled. “I just--“
“It’s
okay.” He pressed his lips to her temple affectionately, leading her by the
hand into the living room, instantly making her feel as if she belonged. She froze
her feet unable to take the next step, too afraid of what awaited her. She
didn’t know what to expect but by the looks that adorned Luke and Joe’s face,
she knew it was worse than she imagined. She took a deep breath and stepped
next to Joe. Her eyes roamed the room until they locked on Jake as he sat by
the window with his back towards her.
“Jake?”
She breathed. Her hand dropped Joe’s and she made her way towards him. He
turned around lifting his head to meet her gaze. The look on his face caused
her to stop in her tracks as she raked her eyes over him. Physically, he
appeared fine no visible injuries in sight. Her eyes settled on his and she saw
the pained expression that crossed his face. Her heart broke as she couldn’t
remember a time when Jake hadn’t been happy to see her.
“I
tried to stop her.” She heard Luke say from behind her. She glanced over her
shoulder, saw that the sorrow reflected in his eyes and it dawned on her that
Luke wasn’t trying to be mean spirited or even attempting to hurt her. He was
just doing as Jake had asked of him. She felt as if the wind had been knocked
out of her. Cara was broken from her thoughts as Sam entered the room with
Deb’s hand firmly in hers. As soon as Deb’s eyes met hers, the woman began to
cry uncontrollably. What the hell was going on? Cara felt like the plague. Sam
closed her eyes, wrapping her arms tightly around her mother walking her to the
couch. Joe slipped his hands in his pockets and dropped his head.
She
turned around to look at Jake once again. “I don’t know what’s wrong but I’m
sorry you’re all hurting.” She wiped at her face feeling shunted and pitiful.
“Nick, would you take me back home, please?”
“Yes.”
Nick replied softly. She imagined he felt a little of what she was feeling as
he was still in the dark too.
Her
eyes didn’t leave Jake’s hoping he saw the pain in the eyes, the pain he was
creating. She knew he was hurting, wished she could help, but he was doing
everything in his power to push her away.
“Cara wait.” Jake said his voice was
just above a whisper. “I’m sorry.” He threw his head back and stared at the
ceiling. “I’m so sorry.” After a brief pause his tear filled eyes met hers. She
ached for him knowing whatever this whole charade was about it was eating away
at him. She wanted to be the one who made everything okay for him for all of
them she thought. However, he was making that impossible.
“There’s something I have to tell
you.” His voice breaking as he said the words. Sam stood from cradling her
mother, shifting her eyes to Luke. Like an obedient puppy, he went to sit with
their mother as Sam took a seat next to her brother. She grabbed his hand,
clutching it as if she was radiating whatever strength she had left in her to
Jake.
“You can say it. It’s not going to
change anything.” Sam whispered to her brother pressing her lips to his cheek
before glancing around the room at her family. “Why don’t we give them some
space?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Cara said,
closing the space between them kneeling in front of Jake. Sam nodded before she
stood and slipped away from them. Cara took hold of both of his hands as her
eyes and words pleaded with him. “Please tell me what’s going on.”
He reached out to touch her hair
looking at it as if he was for the first time. “You love me?” He asked as he
searched her face.
“I love you more than anything.” She
said her voice full of conviction.
He smiled genuinely. Her eyes closed
for the briefest of moments as his knuckles caressed her cheek. “I love you
Cara.” He leaned his forehead against hers remaining silent for a few seconds
before whispering. “I have cancer.” He
swallowed hard dropping his hands from her face as he stared at her quietly,
giving her a chance to process the words he had just spoken.
She leaned back on her heels and
stared at him blankly. Surely, she didn’t hear him correctly. Did he just say
he had cancer? Cancer. She began to shake her head in disbelief.
“I didn’t want to tell you because I
don’t know what stage it is yet or what kind of treatment I’ll need.” He said
softly.
She felt as if she was switched to
autopilot. “Where is it?”
“In my lymph nodes I have
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.”
It struck her like a Mack Truck he had just
been diagnosed with cancer and his first concern was keeping things from her so
she wouldn’t worry. He always put her first even now. She knew him, could tell
you undoubtedly that he planned to get all of the facts and make light of
everything so that it would be easier for her to deal with.
“I
know you love me Cara and it’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me
but I don’t want you to think you’re stuck in this mess with me. More than
anything, more than getting well and living my life, I want you to be able to
live yours and live it fully. I don’t want this to bring you down so –“
“Oh
My God shut up!” She said, scrambling to stand up. “Let’s get some things
straight, okay?” She looked around at the family who was pretending not to
listen but crying because they had been. “I want you all to hear what I’m about
to say so listen up.” Her tone was harsh and demanding she’d apologize later for
it but for now she wanted them to pay attention to what she was saying. She
turned back to Jake taking his hands in hers kissing each of his fingertips
before squeezing his hands in hers. She
took a deep breath, surprised by her own strength and her lack of tears. “I
love you Jake Lanza.” She smiled at him holding his gaze. “It doesn’t matter
that you have cancer. It doesn’t matter that we don’t know what stage it is. It
doesn’t matter that we don’t know what your treatment will be. It doesn’t
change my love for you. You want me to live my life and live it well? That’s
great, but my life is meant to be lived with you. So we’re not going to worry
about anyone but you right now do you understand? There’s no good life if
you’re not in it.” She watched his face as he stared at her with love evident
in his eyes as tears slid down his cheeks. “We’re in this together. All of us.”
She gestured towards his family before her eyes settled back on him. “No giving
up on me Jake. You’re going to kick this diseases ass and leave a wake of
destruction behind.” She winked at him, wrapping her arms around him and pulled
him to her. He fell into her arms and clutched her to his body. She pulled back
slightly, pressing her lips to his, kissing him desperately in hopes that she
could will him to fight for his life. “Say the words Jake.” She murmured
against his lips.
He
pulled back cupping her face in his hands. “I’ll fight with everything in me.”
His thumb traced her lower lip and he smiled at her. “No giving up.”
She
threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest, holding on for dear
life as the truth sunk in. They were going to embark on the biggest fight of
Jake’s life but they were going to do it together.
Broken Pieces (Book Two)
Buy Links:
Fitting the Pieces (Book Three)
Jake’s Journal (Book 3.5)
IN HONOR OF THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE SERIES YOU CAN NOW GET YOUR HANDS ON JAKE'S JOURNALS
Read his inner thoughts as he goes through the hardest time in his life. Read his letters to Cara as he pours out his heart and soul to her, though his works and drawings he wished to create. Discover the plans he had for his loved ones and the promises he left behind.
Help Janine raise money for the Light the Night Foundation. Janine has signed up for a walk in her hometown of Staten Island, NY. To be part of the team click the link below to donate funds towards the cause. Any donations are appreciated.
Beautiful by Maria Cary
Never
Beneath Your Beautiful by Labrinth
If Today Was Your Last Day by Nickleback
I’ll Be There for You by Bon Jovi
How to Save a Life by The Fray
Team by Lorde
Rave On by Buddy Holly
I’ll be standing by You by The Pretenders
Anytime You Need a Friend by Maria Carey
Janine Infante Bosco lives in New York City, she has always loved reading and writing. When she was thirteen, she began to write her own stories and her passion for writing took off as the years went on. At eighteen, she even wrote a full screenplay with dreams of one day becoming a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Now in her early thirties Janine is dedicated to her family, her boys the lights of her life. In her spare time, she wrote the Riverdale Series a labor of love and family that she is so very thrilled to share with you. Hope you enjoy the Lanza’s.
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