Nina The next day, I headed to work with Tiffany. She was evaluating a sick student when I arrived. “Good morning!” Tiffany called over her shoulder when I entered. I started to take off my jacket, but she stopped me. “Don’t get too comfy,” she said. “We’ll be heading out right after this. Did yo
“He’s a professor here, actually,” she responded. “Still married to her, with two kids now. Needless to say, I avoid him like the plague.” I didn’t have a chance to ask Tiffany anything else before we got to the football field, and even if I had, I probably wouldn’t have pried anymore anyway. We s
Nina I caught up with the team in the middle of the athletic field. They were stretching for their run. I tried not to look at Enzo as he stretched, because watching his muscular form only made me want him more. Regardless of what Tiffany said about her college love, I still felt hesitant about Enz
Nina “Alright, alright, that’s enough,” Enzo said, the red in his eyes fading back to a soft brown. “Get back to training.” The team grumbled and set me back down on the ground, then started running again. I was still amazed at my landslide victory in the race, and stood there for a moment as they
With a smile, I let go of Justin’s hand. “Okay. I’ll think about it,” I said, and with that, I turned and walked off of the athletic field. But as I walked away from Justin, I felt more than one pair of eyes on me. Taking one last glance over my shoulder, I saw the distant form of Enzo as he watche
Nina I went to work that night with a smile on my face. It felt good to get back to work, and the diner was surprisingly busy, which kept me busy after spending so much time in my head for the past couple of weeks. It was refreshing to feel like my life was getting back to some sense of normalcy; n
Nina Somehow, I managed to fall asleep for a couple of hours that night. Those few hours of sleep were fraught with nightmares, but at least I slept. When I woke up the next morning, I knew what I needed to do. I couldn’t mention any of this to Enzo or Luke, because I knew that I wouldn’t get a tr
The bell on the shop door jingled when I entered. It was dark inside, and while my eyes adjusted from the bright sun, I heard the gruff voice of an older woman who sounded like she’d been smoking cigarettes for fifty years call out to me. “Mornin’, hun,” she said. My eyes adjusted so I could final
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