Novels by Turquoise Grace

The hot water beat down on Kate’s tired body, doing little to ease the aches and pains of her exhausted muscles and absolutely nothing to diffuse the mental depletion she felt. Perpetually fatigued was now her permanent state of being, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. She hurried to work the shampoo through her now shoulder-length brown hair, keeping one eye on the baby monitor that flashed on the vanity. She closed her eyes momentarily, silently praying that everyone stayed asleep for just five more minutes. Bubbles tingled across her pink chipped toenails - a reminder from her and Paloma’s last day out alone, sans kids. She stifled a giggle, remembering how Colton had phoned her, asking her a million questions while squeals echoed in the background. Upon her return, he had met her at the door, black tee covered in spit-up and mashed banana while exhausted eyes stared at her gratefully. The click of the bathroom door dragged her from her thoughts, squinting eye

Colton’s wide eyes stared back at Kate, as she panted through yet another excruciating contraction; her entire pelvis spreading apart to allow their baby to enter the world. The floral tones of Bernadette’s perfume wafted through the room as she returned, snapping on a pair of blue latex gloves, a stack of blue sheets tucked under her arm. Another woman trudged behind, not clearly as enthused as Bernadette, sanitizing her hands before sliding on her own pair of gloves. Snapping her gum, she made her way over to the machine beside Kate’s bed, mature hazel eyes peering over square glasses to scan the paper slowly rolling from the machine.“Okay, Kate,” Bernadette chirped from the end of the bed, her short hair curled eloquently atop her head. Kate took in the swirls of brown, ebbing and flowing across her crown as she pushed through another surge of pain. “Kate,” Bernadette smiled, patting Kate’s bare leg to garner her atten

Shivering as she swept the blankets off her bloated body, Kate groaned, awkwardly clambering from the bed, one hand attempting to massage her lower back as she waddled to the bathroom. The sun had begun to rise, its rays just starting to seep through the small crack of their curtain. It bounced off Colton’s watch face, illuminating a soft glowy spot on the roof. She cast a glance over her shoulder, unable to help the smile that grew across her face at Colton’s muffled snores, his bare torso exposed with one inked hand resting atop it. His wedding ring glistened ever so slightly in the dewy dawn light. She’d always assumed married life would feel no different and for the first few weeks, aside from the bubbling excitement that they’d actually gone through with it, it hadn’t, but as the weeks turned to months, Kate grew to understand exactly why people did it. Knowing that Colton had wholeheartedly committed himself to her for the rest of his life was an

The car jounced down the dirt road, wheels spinning stray flecks of gravel through the air. The sky was almost pitch black now, a thick blanket filled with tiny stars that glinted brightly against the navy backdrop. The woods, still filled with the unsettling presence of flashlights, seemed eerier in the rearview, the few police cars that remained at the cottage shining from the glow of the kitchen light emanating from the window. Kate tugged at the threads of Colton’s sweatshirt, pulling the fabric over her mouth as she buried herself into the passenger seat. The radio announcer's voice drifted through the otherwise silent interior, talking about a new song being released by a popular female artist. Kate tried to focus on what he was saying, to push away the intrusive thoughts that were swirling through her mind, but his words turned into a mish-mash of nonsense, garbled sounds that made no sense to her. From her peripheral, she caught Colton m’s hand resting gently aga

“Colton!”Her own voice rang in her ears, the sharp whistle of a gunshot pulsing deep in the chambers of her mind as all other noises diffused, dulling down to an almost non-existent whine. Colton’s body crumpled to the floor, the rifle discharging as it hit the scuffed floorboards; another loud pop burrowing into her eardrums. Attempting to stand, she clutched her stomach, huffing as she brought herself to her feet, watching in horror as a small team of officers, dressed in dark S.W.A.T vests, approached, their movements slow and controlled, methodically assessing the scene before them.“Kate!”Sandy’s voice cut through the mind-numbing noise, the warmth of her hand resting on Kate’s shoulder, preventing her from moving forward. Tearing away from her grasp, Kate stumbled forward, tripping over Preston’s extended leg and careening to the floor. She stuck out her hands, her wrists taking the brunt of the impact as s

Tucking her knees into her chest - as far as her pregnant stomach would allow - Kate covered her ears, consciously inhaling and exhaling through pursed lips in an attempt to steady her erratic heart. Somewhere in the lounge room, she heard Colton shuffling about, the harsh rake of the curtain rings sliding along the thick wooden rods, shading them from the view of the outside. He continued grumbling over the phone, the string of expletives showing no signs of easing as his heavy footsteps clunked past her, growing muffled in the weathered carpet as he retreated into the bedroom. Cabinet doors banged open, the clang and clatter of objects dispersing as he rifled through them before forcefully slamming them shut with an irritated grunt. The anxiety coursing through her triggered the baby, its tiny limbs poking and prodding her stomach as she strove to calm herself down.“You better have someone here soon, Sandy,” Colton spat in the background, the sound of ano

“How am I going to know it’s you?” Zoe squeaked, rising on trembling legs as the whooshing of her heartbeat echoed in her ears. She steadied herself on the vanity, feeling a fresh wave of nausea roil her stomach.“Black button-down. Grey tie. Short brown hair.”He was clipped, curt and Zoe assumed he was trying to avoid detection. The phone disconnected, her legs hastily moving as she scrambled to pack a bag with enough essentials to last her a week, at least. Hoisting up her flimsy mattress, she clutched the small amount of cash she’d saved and stuffed it into her duffel. Thank God she’d taken to working the floor, she sighed. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have had the money to pay George’s discounted price.A sharp rap rang through the terse apartment. Tiptoeing to the front door, her heart thudding in her throat, Zoe pressed her eye to the peephole. A stocky figure stood in the doorway, distorted by the lens. She spied the black button-down, the grey tie, the cropped brown hair. It w

Sunlight filtered through the lounge room window, illuminating the dusty, thrifted furniture littering Zoe’s apartment. Aching muscles groaned as she lifted herself off the sofa, stretching her weary limbs as memories of last night flooded back. Remaining where she was sounded ideal, however the kink in her neck, ache in her back and the thick stench of the bar permeating her clothes forced her up. Her fingers twitched, inching toward her upturned cell phone as a small eddy of nerves twirled in her stomach.Three message notifications awaited her, Jon’s name repeated on the screen.‘I’m so sorry, Zo. I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking.’‘Please say something.’‘I love you. I know that’s hard to believe considering what I’ve done, but I do. If I could take it back, I would. You have to know that.’Zoe squeezed her eyes shut, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tossed the phone back onto the sofa. She rolled her neck, wincing at the twinge on her left side, before ambling to t

The garage door had closed long ago yet Jon remained frozen where he was. The lights had shut off automatically a few moments after Zoe’s car had disappeared, leaving him alone in the darkness. His knees ached, perched against the concrete, his shoulders slumping as tears stung the corners of his eyes. Self-pity was slowly morphing, the first lashes of rage ripping through his sinewy frame - fury for thinking fucking Elizabeth was the smartest option, anger for being so fucking impatient he couldn’t have spent a few more days away from Zoe, plotting Harley’s location to end it once and for all, rage for allowing himself to truly believe that he could sustain a relationship with someone as sweet and pure as Zoe.Before he could even comprehend what he was doing, he was up on tender knees, the frenzied tempest boiling through his veins exploding. His fist collided against the concrete wall with a dull thud. Pain radiated through his knuckles, traipsing up his

The tiny one-bedroom apartment Zoe called home seemed more faded and rundown than she’d remembered, and her shoulders drooped as she shuffled in the door, her keys clinking into the dusty bowl. Muffled voices from above and the soft rumble of the television next door reminded her she wasn’t alone. Sighing, she dumped her bag beside her feet, ambling towards the sofa. She needed a shower, a sleep and some food but any remaining energy after her shift had been zapped from her. Curling her legs beneath her, Zoe flicked on the television, attempting to drown out the events of the night with mind-numbing reality TV.A sharp rap on the scratched door destroyed that glimmer of hope.Squeezing her eyes closed, Zoe prayed it wasn’t Jon on the other side. She wasn’t certain she’d be able to walk away so easily this time. Onyx eyes rimming red as he stared up at her hopelessly, the tormented look of desperation etching in to his features, had been hard enough to leave the first time. Tiptoeing t

With her mind humming, a tornado of thoughts hurtling against the confines of her skull, Zoe pressed her foot on the pedal. The thrum of her heart racing beneath her sternum, the churning of her stomach, her body was giving in to the sensory overload of her grief. Jon had slept with Elizabeth. As much as she ached to deny the claim, something deep down inside her screamed that it was true.The drive was mind-numbingly slow, no matter how hard she mashed her foot against the metal, however, as she glanced at the speedometer, it hovered far above the speed limit. She exhaled shakily. The streets whipped by in a wicked blur, streetlights fuzzy through tear-streaked eyes. The weightlessness she had felt earlier had disappeared, replaced with a sickening pain that threatened to snap her in two.By the time her car skidded to a halt in Jon’s garage, Zoe was certain her heart was physically protruding through the black cotton of her shirt. With clammy hands, she stepped from the car. She fel

The parking lot was quiet, dark in the early hours of the morning as a small cluster of women filed out of the metal doors of SubTerra, under the watchful gaze of Elford and one of Simon’s new hires. Anja and Zoe walked together, tugging their long coats tightly around themselves as the air nipped at their bare legs.“Was it just me or did Danny fucking reek tonight?” Anja scrunched her nose, rustling through her handbag to retrieve her vape. She sucked in a long draw, a fruity cloud of smoke hiding the amusement tinging her eyes.Zoe laughed, shaking her shoulders dramatically. “He has to have eaten raw fish fresh from the dock.”“Fish is good for you, you know,” Anja mimicked Danny’s gruff voice, Zoe erupting into a fit of giggles. “Omega-3 and all that shit, ya’know. Keeps the brain ticking.”“You got the lecture too?” Zoe laughed, shaking her head as she ran her fingers through her hair. “I was stuck at his table for like ten minutes listening to it.”Anja opened her mouth to spea