Three years later...I roll over and stretch out an arm, only to find the space next to me empty and the sheets already cooling. I crack open an eye and glance around the room. The sun is just beginning to peek over the horizon, painting the vast stretch of space with pink and purple strokes.Where the hell did that girl disappear to?I throw off the covers and pad over to the bathroom.Empty.I don't bother to put on clothes. It's just the two of us. I surprised Alyssa with a weeklong vacation at the beach. One of my father's friends owns a house on Kiawah Island in South Carolina right on the ocean. We can hear the crash of the waves from our bedroom window. It's the perfect sound to fall asleep to with Alyssa tucked in my arms.I pad down the stairs to the first floor. The scent of fresh brewed coffee permeates the air and the door to the patio is open. I should have known that she was out here on the deck. She can't get enough of the fresh salty air.I push open the scree
Five years later..."Hey beautiful, I was wondering if I could buy you a drink?"I swing around at the bar only to find Colton standing next to me. A grin tips the edges of my lips as I shake my head. "Sorry, I'm afraid not. I'm waiting for my fiancé." I lift my hand to show off the glittering diamond that now sits on my second finger. His bright blue gaze drops to my left hand before flickering up again. "Wow. He's a lucky guy."I shrug before closing the distance between us and whispering, "Honestly, I'm the lucky one. I can't imagine my life without him."Colton's face softens. "I'm pretty sure he feels the same way."His hand rises to cup my cheek before he leans in and brushes his lips across mine. I tilt my face to give him better access. As soon as I open, his tongue slips inside my mouth to tangle with my own. That first touch is all it takes for the crowded restaurant to fall away and then it's just the two of us. It doesn't matter if I'm sitting at the bar in Mar
Summer before freshman year of college...My lips quirk at the corners as I glance around. It's fucking madness and I wouldn't have it any other way. This is exactly the way you kick off summer vacation. Leave it to Beck Hollingsworth to throw the mother of all graduation parties. The three key ingredients for a kickass party are present-scantily clad chicks, plenty of free-flowing booze, and last but not least, parents conspicuously absent from the festivities. Never let it be said that Beck doesn't know how to do it up right. After all, this isn't his first rodeo. This guy has thrown some over-the-top, police-called-to-break-it-up, someone-almost-drowns-in-the-pool parties over the years.There's a girl tucked under each arm as they stare adoringly up at me. Albeit drunkenly. A few more crowd around me, circling like sharks, waiting for an opportunity to home in on the action. Delicate hands stroke over my bare chest. Another female presses her breasts against my back as n
Spring of freshman year of college..."Do you have any idea how badly I need coffee?" At this time of the morning, I'm barely coherent. A girl walking in the opposite direction knocks into me as we make our way through the throng of student traffic moving across campus. I bare my teeth, ready to snap. "Watch where you're going!""Easy, tiger," Mia says, grabbing my arm. "Unfortunately for you, we don't have time to stop.""Ugh." I'm so blurry-eyed, I can barely see straight. I was up until the butt crack of dawn this morning working on a paper that needs to be turned in for this class. If it had been any other instructor, I would have shown up at their office and attempted to charm my way into a twenty-four-hour extension.But with this guy?No way. Professor Mendelson refuses to accept late work. I've heard horror stories about him. And so far, I can say with absolute authority that they are all true. He's already made a couple of students cry. In front of everyone. So,
Late spring of freshman year... The soft strains of stringed instruments fill the theatre as I crack open one of the double doors and carefully slip inside the darkened space. A few people seated in the back turn and stare as I settle on a seat in the last row.I've arrived in the middle of someone's performance. The ballerina leaps across the stage before halting. With her arms stretched out in front of her, she holds the pose before slowly folding in half and sweeping her arms across the floor. The spotlight shining on her dims as the music fades into nothingness. There's a moment of silence before applause rings throughout the packed auditorium.Did I miss it? Is the show over?I'd planned on getting here earlier, but Coach kept us an extra thirty minutes. We might not be in season, but practice and lifting starts up again in late winter and goes through the summer. Honestly, there is no down time. Especially when you play Division I college sports. It's more like a job
September of sophomore year..."Dude, why the hell did you drag my ass here?" Beck doesn't bother to wait for a response as he glares around the wide-open space. "You know I hate this place. It's too damn quiet."A librarian sitting behind a long stretch of counter in the middle of the second-floor scowls at us before raising a finger to her lips. "Shhhh!"Beck stiffens beside me as his mouth sinks at the corners. "That woman just shushed me."I glance at the older lady who is now full-on glaring at us. "Yup, that's her job.""Why the hell did you bring me here?" His grumbled words are barely decipherable. "Is it payback for something I did to you? If so, I'm sorry. All right? Whatever it is, I apologize. And I'll never do it again." There's a beat of silence. "Can we leave now?"I roll my eyes. What a damn baby. "Just give me a few minutes. I need to check out a few books for an econ project.""Sounds boring."He's not wrong. Most of the time, economics is dry and te
Her brows skyrocket across her forehead before she does the unthinkable and shakes her head. "Sorry, maybe another time. We're in the middle of something."I'm a little thrown off by her behavior.First of all, I'm damn well aware of what they're in the middle of and that's exactly what I'm attempting to break up.Second, is Alyssa really telling me no?Me?Is this the same girl who would have spread her legs for me at one of Beck's pool parties? Let's get serious here-or any other time I wanted?"Look, Mont-""Shut the hell up," I glance at Jameson and snap, "this doesn't concern you. So stay out of it."His eyes widen. I don't think he could be more surprised if I actually tackled him to the floor in the middle of the library. Jameson Daniels might be a senior, but I don't give a flying fuck. Alyssa is mine and he's encroaching on my territory. By the end of this, he'll know it and stay away.Alyssa's mouth falls open. Whatever she was expecting, that wasn't it.Since they'r
October of sophomore year...Mia and I push our way through the crowded student section at the stadium, searching for a place to park our asses. It's game day and I'm here to root on my man. Even though it's mid-October, the temperature is still seasonable and I'm able to wear Colton's red and black jersey over a turtleneck. He gave it to me a couple of weeks ago. It's a big deal. Only girlfriends get to wear player jerseys to the games or around campus. After he left my dorm room, I screamed at the top of my lungs.While wearing his jersey, of course.Sometimes I have to remind myself that this isn't a dream I'll wake from. It's my reality. I'm dating Colton Montgomery. Every time I think it, a little bubble of joy explodes inside me.This relationship has come out of nowhere and taken me completely by surprise. Sure, I'd always hoped we'd get together, but did I really think it was going to happen? No way in hell. How could I when Colton went to such great lengths to avoi