Echoes of The Heart (The Always Series Book 2)

Some echoes refuse to be silenced

Brielle Johnson has built a beautiful life—mother of four, founder of a thriving business, and wife to Marcus, a man who’s always done right by her. But comfort isn't connection, and behind her carefully curated life, Brielle is quietly fading. Then DeShawn Walker—the college love she never truly let go—returns with an invitation that threatens to upend everything. One weekend. One chance to remember who she was before the world asked her to forget.

As past and present collide, Brielle slips between two lives: one rooted in duty and the other in longing. While Marcus offers stability and forgiveness, DeShawn brings air to a soul that’s been holding its breath. In the quiet moments between bedtime stories and business meetings, Brielle must confront a truth that won’t stay buried.

In a single weekend, she must decide: stay where she’s needed, or go where she’s fully seen.

Read NEW and step into a story of passion, loyalty, and the cost of finally listening to your own heart.

Excerpt from the book

The office was quiet except for the hum of the small diffuser in the corner. The soft scent of lavender floated in the air calming, but not strong enough to drown out the storm inside Brielle.

She sat on the velvet couch, legs crossed at the ankles, fingers twisting the gold bracelet around her wrist. The therapist, Dr. Wells, sat opposite her, pen resting loosely on a notepad, not judging. Just…waiting.

“So,” she finally asked, “when did you first start feeling like something was missing in your marriage?”

Brielle looked out the window for a long moment before answering.

“It wasn’t one moment. That’s what makes it hard. If it had been a betrayal, or something big… I could’ve pointed at it and said there. That’s when it fell apart.”

She paused, her voice soft.

“But it wasn’t that. It was the little things. Quiet things.”

Dr. Wells nodded. “Tell me about the beginning.”

Brielle smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Marcus used to bring me flowers just because. We’d stay up talking until sunrise. He knew how I liked my tea, what songs made me cry, and what dreams I had. He made me feel like I was the most beautiful woman in every room.”

“And then?”

“Life happened,” she said simply. “Bills. Babies. Business. And somewhere in all of it, we stopped choosing each other.”

Her throat tightened, but she didn’t stop.

“I used to lie next to him at night and feel lonelier than when he was out of town. He stopped asking about my day. Stopped looking at me. Like really looking. I became Mom. Provider. Planner. Everything but me.”

Dr. Wells leaned forward gently. “And when did you realize you were gone?”

Tears filled her eyes.

“The day I got dressed up for our anniversary, made reservations, got a sitter… and he forgot.”

Silence.

“I waited two hours. I told the kids I was just grabbing dinner. Sat in that restaurant like a damn ghost, hoping he’d walk in with a smile and say he was sorry. But he never did. And I went home, took off my heels, kissed my baby's babies goodnight… and said nothing.”

She wiped a tear.

“That’s the night I started lying to myself. The first time I left myself.”

Dr. Wells gave her time, then asked, “And now?”

“Now,” Brielle said, voice stronger, “I’m tired of disappearing.”

It was the way he looked at her.

Like she was sunlight in a world full of shadows, Brielle still remembered that night at the poetry lounge on Auburn Avenue. She had come with her girls to support a friend on stage. She wasn’t trying to be seen; she wasn’t in the mood to flirt—— but Marcus?

He saw her from across the room and didn’t blink once.

He waited until the last round of snaps faded before walking up to her table. Smooth. Calm. Confidence without arrogance.