Enzo Practice was just about finishing up, and the hockey team was running through one final mock scrimmage before I let them go for the day. I was leaning against the pillar next to the rink, wearing my plain clothes today; I didn’t want to be on the ice today in case there was an emergency cal
Nina I wasn’t sure exactly how long Lori and I sat in the hospital room, staring at our friend’s sleeping body. Each minute seemed to melt into the next, and both of us felt helpless. I did what I could to comfort Lori, but it was no easy task. Finally, the clock struck ten PM, and I knew th
“I just can’t stand the idea of her not being here,” she said with a sniff. “I don’t know what I would do without her.” “Me neither,” I said with a sigh. I sank down onto the couch beside her, and we were silent for a moment, each lost in our own thoughts. I kept thinking back to when we first m
Enzo “Are you sure you’re a human, Enzo?” Mila and I stood in the dimly lit room, the hum of medical equipment filling the air. She had just finished going over my physical therapy results, and her eyes were no longer fixed on the tablet in her hand, but were instead boring holes into me now
Nina Lori and I drove back to the hospital that night at midnight, the weight of the situation heavy on our shoulders. We had been there earlier in the day, but it was different now, under the cover of night when the nurses weren’t making their rounds. “You ready?” I asked once we parked in the
Enzo The bar was alive with the chatter and laughter of the team. The pub that Tim had introduced me to, O’Riley’s pub, was the perfect picture of a small-town bar. And right now, that was exactly what I needed. I had ordered a tall glass of beer; nothing that would get me too drunk because
With a sigh, I ended the call and leaned on the sink. This wasn’t like Nina at all. I would have expected her to be in bed by now, and she always called me right before she fell asleep when we were apart; even when we were both in Mountainview and I was out late, she would at least send a text to le
Nina That night, sleep eluded me. I found myself pacing around the kitchen, caught somewhere between a state of making tea and having a mental breakdown. My mind kept wandering back to Jessica, back to whether I should Claim her or not. Lori had been right; it was a huge decision. Life changing,
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