It was a VIP ticket to a hockey game. “What’s thi-” “Hey, Nina!” Jessica’s voice suddenly rang through the restaurant. I had completely forgotten that we had planned to meet up at the end of my shift, which was almost over. I nervously clutched the ticket in my hand as she approached the counter a
Nina “Well? What’s your assignment?” Jessica asked. “Um… sports medicine,” I replied, handing the phone back. Jessica looked confused. “I thought you wanted-” “Surgery, yeah,” I said, grabbing my bag and heading for the door with Jessica on my heels. First thing in the morning, I would go to the
“You must be Nina!” she said, standing up from her desk and coming around to greet me. Much to my surprise, she hugged me. I was a bit taken aback by my mentor’s vitality and warmth; it was not at all what I expected from a person who would deal with sweaty, whiny athletes all day. In fact, even tho
Nina The next morning was my first day at my new internship. I woke up feeling both nervous and excited for what was to come. Hopefully I wouldn’t have to interact with the hockey team too much. It was raining and chilly, so I wore something warm. I put on my usual skinny jeans, a knit sweater tha
Nina The locker room was pitch black. Had we lost power? I didn’t dare to move in case I would accidentally bump into Enzo and give him the wrong idea. He was still hovering over me, his hand on the locker above me and his muscular body shielding me. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t fantas
I didn’t hear Enzo’s response. “Interesting first day, huh?” Tiffany said as I approached. She held the door open for me and we stepped out into the rain. It was more of a drizzle now, and there was a bit of a fog on the campus. The chill in the air felt nice after being cooped up in the smelly loc
Enzo “Why did you run away like that yesterday?” I asked. Nina and I were standing in the middle of the football field. I knew she was supposed to be working, but I didn’t care. After what I discovered yesterday, I couldn’t sleep all night from thinking about her. I had to talk to her. Nina’s fac
Nina My encounter on the football field with Enzo left me both confused and upset. First of all, how had he shown up like that just in time to catch the football helmet before it hit me in the face? Second, why did he continue following me around campus like a lost puppy? For someone who was suppo
Nina The warm summer breeze brushed across my skin as I stood on the patio, clutching my robe tightly around my body. Laughter and splashes echoed up from the pool below, where our friends were already gathered for our big end-of-summer party. I should have been down there too, soaking up the ve
“What... what do you mean?” He braced his hands on the doorframe, leaning in closer with a heavy sigh. “I mean, by the time I caught up to them this morning, I only saw them long enough to get that photo before they were boarding a speedboat and taking off. Hell, I’m still not even totally sure wh
Nina My breath caught in my throat as I pulled open the front door expecting to see excited party guests, only to be immediately met with the sight of Luke’s grim expression. His brow was furrowed in a deep frown, his lips pressed into a tight line—clear signs that something was very wrong. “Luk
Nina I huffed out a breath as I hoisted the oversized cardboard box higher in my arms, carefully navigating my way through the living room. Strings of fairy lights poked out haphazardly from the top, and I could feel the weight of glass jars and other assorted decor inside shifting precariously wi
Then, at the last possible second, the scout seemed to find an extra burst of speed. He surged forward, hurtling between two towering oak trees and vanishing into the cover of the forest beyond. “Dammit!” I slammed my palms against the rough bark of the nearest trunk, powerless to do anything but
Enzo The crunch of leaves and snap of twigs echoed through the trees as Matt and I tore after the Schreiber scout. Our breaths came in ragged gasps, the hot summer air burning our lungs. Overhead, a little red bird chirped and flitted through the green canopy of trees; Daphne. But even she wasn’
Shaking my head, I turned without another word and stormed out of the fitting room. I took the two strides across the hall to Jessica’s fitting room and knocked on the door, folding my arms across my chest. “Jess? You in there?” There was a muffled thump in the fitting room, followed by the soun
Nina “How’s it looking in there?” I called out, rapping lightly on the wooden door of Jessica’s fitting room. “Um… decent, I guess?” her muffled voice floated back a moment later, although I could sense the uncertainty in her tone. “Decent? That’s it? Come on, Jess, this is your wedding gown w
Had I really known him at all, I wondered? Or had I merely been too self-absorbed and naive to see past the facade of unshakable command he projected? After a long silence, I found my voice. “Why didn’t he ever tell me that?” “He didn’t want you to see his weakness, I suppose,” Angelica replied