Hero (Unfit Hero #2) by Hayley Faiman

Defeated. Coward. Gutless. Weak.

Perceptions define the man that I have become on the inside.
The world may not see me this way, but this is who I am.

Sullied. Contaminated. Worthless. Masked.

The way I perceive myself affects every aspect of my life.
The world may see a perfectly clean person, but on the inside, I am nothing but dirty and scarred.

The world sees us one way.
We see ourselves another.
Perceptions are what we’ve given ourselves.
Perceptions of what we think we deserve.

*INCLUDES THE SHORT STORY: SAVIOR

Excerpt Hero (Unfit Hero #2) by Hayley Faiman

“She’s it for me, Dad,”
I say. My dad blinks, his eyes widening and then a smile slowly spreads on his face, but it won’t last long.
“She has something ugly in her past, she’s hiding it from me,” I admit.
My dad’s smile falters, then his lips press close together. He takes a step toward me, his hand lifting and grabbing hold of my shoulder with a squeeze.
“You think your mama didn’t come from somethin’ real ugly?” he asks. I gulp, nodding my head as I think about Rylan’s drug addict father, who so happens to be my mama’s brother.
“You ain’t gonna fix her, not ever. Don’t try. But you know what you can do? You can love her. You can show her that her past doesn’t define her future, that she can live a good clean life at your side. Just love her, even when it’s hard, even when shit gets really fuckin’ ugly, because it will,” he says, his voice is like steel, his body held tight like granite. This man has experience. He knows what I’m getting ready to involve myself in and he’s not warning me to run. “Love her,” I repeat.
I do, fucking hell I’m falling in love with her, every second of every day I fall a bit farther. I didn’t think it was possible, didn’t think that I would ever find someone, but there is something different about her. Something intriguing, sexy and wonderful.
“Love her,” he repeats back. “Don’t give up, even when she pushes you away, and she will. Call me, I’m here for advice if you ever need it, son.”