I jerk my shoulders. There's no way I can tell her the truth. That would mean opening up and letting her in. Like slitting my wrist and bleeding out emotionally. And that, I'm unwilling to do. So, I go with something believable. "I dunno, just kind of feels like this relationship has run its course." When her eyes widen, I force out the rest, needing a clean break. I can't have her coming back, trying to repair this. I need to blow it up. "There's only so much monotony I can deal with."Her mouth tumbles open as she sucks in a sharp breath. "What?" Whatever she was expecting me to say, that wasn't it.When her eyes turn glassy, I glance at the cement block wall beyond her. If I don't, I'll drop to my knees and beg for forgiveness. And I can't allow that to happen."We had a good run. Six months is practically an eternity as far as I'm concerned. But I'm over it. I need to mix things up. Explore my options.""You," there's a beat of silence as if she's having a difficu
There's a gentle tap on my arm."Lys?"I blink out of my thoughts and refocus my attention on Mia. "Hmmm?" If she asked a question, I have no idea what it was. I really need to snap out of this funk. Sympathy flashes across her face as she loops her arm through mine and tugs me to her. "Aww, girl. I'm sorry. I know this must be tough." There's a pause. "You want me to beat Colton's ass? For you, I'll do it."Even though it takes effort, I force out a snort. "Nah. He's not worth it." My lips quirk at the corners at the idea of Mia getting into any kind of physical altercation. She's never so much as had a disagreement. She's always walked the straight and narrow, but that behavior intensified after her sister, Brianne, died in a car accident. Sometimes I get the feeling that Mia is trying to distract her parents with all of her accomplishments. Straight A's, tennis tournaments, squeaky clean image and reputation. It must be exhausting to be so perfect.I wouldn't know.
One month later...The muscles of my belly spasm as I click on the email and skim over the first line. I'd mentally prepared myself for a-we regret to inform you...blah, blah, blah.Instead, it reads-Congratulations! You have been selected...I blink and read over the first line with more care, but the words remain the same. It still says congratulations.Holy shit! How did this happen? I didn't think I had a shot in the dark of being selected to attend LCDS. There were only a handful of spots and the competition was killer. Without Monsieur Dupre practically forcing me to apply, I wouldn't have bothered.A potent concoction of excitement and fear bubble up inside me. As that thought swirls through my head, the door to the dorm opens and Mia steps inside.Her lips lift into a smile when she spots me at the desk near the window. "Hey! I didn't expect you back so soon.""We were let out early," I tell her. "I just walked in ten minutes ago."With a huff of breath, she tosses
Summer before junior year of college...I pull my metallic grey 840i convertible BMW into Beck's circular driveway before shifting into park and leaving the car to idle. I shoot Beck a text to let him know that I'm outside waiting before drumming my fingers impatiently on the sleek leather steering wheel.A couple of minutes tick by and there's no sign of Beck. His truck is parked in the drive and there are lights on inside the house, so I know damn well that he's home.For fuck's sake, where the hell is that guy?Irritation pounds through me. We've got plans tonight and I'm impatient to get to them. We're supposed to meet up with a couple of chicks from high school. I fire off another text.Let's move!There's nothing but stereo silence from his end. It's enough to rile me up. Muttering under my breath, I slam out of the vehicle and stalk up the wide stairs to the massive front door before rapping my knuckles against the heavy wood.No answer.I ring the bell. It chimes throug
March of junior year...Jack grabs hold of my hand and laces our fingers together before flashing me a cheeky smile as we take in the shops on Oxford Street. The skies are overcast, but the weather is seasonable for this time of year in London, which means it's about fifty degrees. We're both bundled up in jackets. I can't help but return the easy expression.Effortless.That would be the perfect word to describe my relationship with him.He's handsome, charming, and so very British.I've turned into something I never expected to be-a cliché. I could listen to him talk all day long. And I flipping love when he uses words like-bullocks, bloody, and knackered. It makes me laugh every time. And the guy knows it, which is why he does it. He gets a little twinkle in his dark eyes when my lips start to twitch.And he's a footballer.Well, I mean soccer player. In England, it's called football and it's huge. Like nothing I could have imagined. Everyone is crazy for either Mancheste
"We're late," Beck mutters, hastening his step as we move through the lobby of our apartment building before pushing through the glass doors and into the bright sunshine, "and I'm in no mood to run suicides."Yeah, me neither. We've done more than enough of that this summer. My body already feels battered and bruised and it's only August. Coach came back in July when training camp started up with all these new workout regimes. I'm not sure if he's trying to scare the freshman, but I don't like it.Not one damn bit. Added to that, it's hot as hades out here. And it will feel a thousand degrees hotter running plays on the turf. There are times when the field actually looks hazy in the afternoon sun. A few of the guys have already passed out. That's Division I football for you. Pussies need not apply.I'll tell you this, it makes me glad that I decided not to enter the draft. As much as I love football and I'll miss the sport, I'm ready to move on with my life. I glance at Bec
You should know that Alyssa has moved on.What if that's true?Can I necessarily blame her for trying to find happiness with another guy?Nope.All this girl wanted to do was love me and I stomped on her heart and ran away like a little bitch. Truth be told, I'm embarrassed by my own behavior. My tongue darts out to moisten my lips as I make a second attempt to break through her icy veneer. What I don't know is how deep her cool exterior runs and if it's possible to drill down past it."It's really good to see you, Lys." When she continues to avoid eye contact, I decide to take my life into my own hands by stepping closer and pulling her into my arms. For a sliver of a moment, my mind tumbles back to what it felt like to hold her any damn time I wanted.I guess what they say is true-you don't realize what you have until it's gone. Her body goes whipcord tight as a growl of protest emanates from deep in her chest and then she's fighting her way out of my arms like I'm a serial kil
Oh my God! What the hell was that?Emotion churns through me as Mia shoves the key into the lock and twists the handle before dragging my bags inside our brand-new apartment. The confrontation with Colton has left me feeling shaken and out of sorts. Was I really under the delusion that it was possible to ease back into life at Wesley? I could take my time, adjust a bit, and find my bearings before having to come face-to-face with. I glance at my phone, noting that I haven't been back on American soil for a full hour before we had a run-in.Ugh.That encounter couldn't have gone any worse.After a couple of months in London, I'd all but convinced myself that I was over him. That I'd detoxed the guy from my heart.Only now do I realize that it was wishful thinking on my part. If I had, I wouldn't have gone off the rails like a complete psycho. I wince, remembering the avid faces watching from the sidelines. A few spectators had been on the verge of grabbing a bowl of popcorn and