Angel scored an eighty on his Spanish quiz and was happy to be in the game that week. It was an important one too. They were playing their rivals, and both teams were in the running for the playoffs.Sarah sat in the stands with Sofia, Valerie, and Valerie's friend Monica. Angel's parents had flown out earlier that evening to Florida for Alex's game the next day. Sofia was Angel's responsibility until they got back. Rather than leaving her alone at the restaurant tonight, Angel got the go ahead to close up early and have her tag along with them.Sarah didn't mind having her along for the night. She liked Sofia, and ever since Sarah started practicing with the track team, they'd gotten a lot closer. Sarah felt bad though. The relay team never even came close to the times Sarah put on the board when she stood in for the fourth place runner during practice. The coach was always going on and on about how heartbroken he was that she wouldn't be sticking around for next semester. She'd sta
Saturday mornings were always busy at the restaurant. Angel's parents wouldn't be back until that evening, so Sarah offered to come in and help. Angel picked her up an hour before they opened. Sarah smiled when she saw Sofia in the car also. She was anxious to speak with her alone.No sooner were they in the restaurant than Sofia pulled Sarah by the arm. "I'll take Sarah to the back, so she can try on one of the shirts."Angel frowned. "That's okay, Sofie. Sarah, you don't have to wear a uniform, babe."Sarah lifted her chin. "But I like the shirts." She turned to Sofia. "I'll take a medium."Angel smiled, and she blew him a kiss. When they got to the back room, Sofia closed the door behind them and grinned wickedly. "Oh my God, I've been dying to talk to someone about this, and you're the only person I can."Sarah wasn't sure she wanted to be the only one that knew. From the very beginning, Angel didn't even have to say it. It was so obvious how protective he and his brothers wer
Angel"Frances?" Sarah was almost in tears. "Yeah, it's me. How's Sydney?"She clutched the paper Angel had handed to her at her chest and listened. She stared at Angel. "Oh, thank God," she said. "I was so scared."Angel exhaled relieved. "No, no, I'm glad you called." she said. "So, what happened? Why was an ambulance called?"She was on the phone for a few more minutes, and Angel sat down on the desk chair, leaning all the way back. He watched as Sarah hung up and looked at him. He held his arms out for her to come to him. She walked over and sat on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her. "So, she's okay?"Sarah nodded. "The ambulance was called because Sydney complained of pain in the stomach. They wanted to make sure there was no internal bleeding.""Was there?"Sarah shook her head and took a deep breath. "No."Angel leaned his forehead against hers. "How are you doing?"She smiled weakly and shrugged. "I was just imagining the worst.""Sarah." He kissed her head. "Tom
Coach Rudy set up a friendly relay with another school in the middle of the week. Sarah was torn because the football team had made the playoffs and they were starting that same day. The game was during the day and away. Sofia and the coach really wanted her at the meet. Angel told her not to worry; it was supposed to be a pretty easy win. They were playing the wild card team.It had been a while since she'd last competed, and she was nervous. The football team was due to be back just after school around the time the relay would be going on. The boys were in the middle of their relay when Sarah saw the bus with the football team pull in. They were loud and being rowdy, so she knew they'd won. She smiled even though her stomach was doing flips. She hadn't realized how nervous she was about Angel watching her race, until now.There were a few more relays before hers, and she knew Angel would be out of the locker room and in the bleachers in plenty of time. She concentrated on stretchin
SarahThe football team didn't make it to the championships, losing in the second game of the playoffs to a team they'd beat during the regular season. It was a heartbreaking loss, but Sarah had her own special way of consoling Angel.It had been just over two months since she'd started going out with Angel, and already she felt as if she'd known him forever. Still, every kiss they shared felt as exciting and as passionate as that first night, if not more so.Sarah loved the way Angel touched her with such urgency—the way he never even tried to hide his need to feel her, taste her. They'd done things lately that were getting awfully close to the real deal.Because of the circumstances in which Sarah had been born and all that her mom had gone through, the birds and the bees talk had come early for Sarah. She was only eleven when her mom sat her down and told her everything. And ever since, she'd been hammering the importance of birth control and protection from disease into Sarah's
It was two days before Thanksgiving, and the entire Moreno family was scrambling. The weekend after the holiday was always their busiest. Angel never understood it. He knew people's fridges must be overflowing with leftovers. Why would anyone go out and eat?His mom's theory was that people were burnt out from cooking, eating leftovers, and entertaining out of town guests. So, they went out. Whatever the reason, Thanksgiving week was anything but relaxing for the Morenos.Although the restaurant was closed on Thanksgiving and only open half the day on Friday, they always stocked up in preparation for the busy weekend. Now Angel's dad was having a fit because he'd just been informed some of the deliveries might be delayed due to the weather up north."Up north? What the hell does the weather up north have to do with me? We're in San Diego County!" His voice boomed all the way up stairs.Angel couldn't tell if he was on the phone or if he was just talking to himself, as he often did
It was only seven in the evening, a little early for Sarah to be home already. But it was a school night, and she had a paper she absolutely had to turn in before the end of the week. Since this was Thanksgiving week, the end of the week would be sneaking up real fast.She thought she heard Valerie get home and stopped to listen. She hadn't expected her home until much later. She was out with Alex and usually got home pretty late, even if it was a school night.It turned out Sarah had been right about Alex. He had been pissed about Valerie having hung out with Romero—very pissed. At first telling her off, then calling her back when he'd calmed down, saying he'd never been jealous in his life and hadn't known how to handle it.With that said, Valerie had allowed herself to continue to go out with him, even at the risk of getting hurt. They'd been going out at least twice a week since. From what Valerie had told her, Alex was a lot like Angel when it came to being possessive. Only the
Thanksgiving felt different this year. From the moment Angel woke up, he was all nerves. Sarah would be spending the day with his family, then he'd take her back to her aunt's for dinner there.It'd worked out perfect because his family's Thanksgivings were always more of a brunch with everything meticulously laid out by one in the afternoon at the latest, buffet style in the kitchen.He was worried about Sarah. He knew this would be her first Thanksgiving without her mom. The only time she'd mentioned the holiday at all was a few days ago and only to ask him to please not be hurt that she wasn't inviting him to dinner at her aunt's. She wasn't looking forward to being with a bunch of family members she'd never met, and she thought having him there might make her even more nervous.He did want to be there to protect her from any unpleasantness, but he respected her wishes and agreed.Angel had big plans for this evening. Depending only on if she was up to it, he wanted tonight to b