Chapter 1

Considering all the things that have happened in my life, I still consider myself a pretty lucky person. At this very moment though, I was questioning whether I truly believed this. It was 90 degrees out and I was helping my brother move into his college dorm-style apartment. This wouldn’t have been such a horrible thing… if there had been an elevator. I’m praying that any minute my boyfriend will roll up and help out with the heavier items. I could manage to get them up the steps, but I really don’t want to be covered in more sweat than I already am.

Just as I was pulling the last tote out of my car a guy walks up to me and says “You look like you could use a water. Here, take this and I’ll help you carry the rest up to your place. I moved in last week and I understand the struggle.” I glanced at him. His face soft, but yet rigid as well. He had short blonde hair that was neatly fixed with sort of a spike. His blue eyes gleamed and when I made eye contact, he had a smile that would make any woman’s heart melt. Then my eyes went straight to the bottle of water he was handing over to me. His arm slightly startled me… it was robotic. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. But I quickly looked away and stopped staring so I didn’t make him uncomfortable.

“As much as I would love to take that from you, I don’t necessarily take drinks from strangers.” I say with a jokingly smile. “I will however take you up on the offer to help carry some of this stuff up. My boyfriend is running behind and is unable to help us.” Just as I mentioned it, my brother appeared.

“Thank God that this is the last tote from your car. That means we only have what’s in my truck left.” He then notices the man standing next to me. He offers out his hand, “Hi, my name’s Tim. I seen you up on my floor. Moved in already?”

The mystery man extended out his hand in return, but I noticed it was the opposite one he had offered out to me. It was the opposite hand that he had offered me. “Maybe I did make him uncomfortable” I thought.

“I did. I actually moved in last week. I was just telling…” and his voice trailed off as he stared at me.

Tim chimes in “Becca. Yeah, she’s my big sister. She’s already did the big college thing. She has a couple degrees. I’m just here to outsmart her and get another one myself.” Tim looked at me and grinned. We are very competitive, but in the best of ways.

“Well my name is Will. I actually was just telling your sister that I don’t mind helping you get the rest of your stuff up to your room.”

“That’s awesome! I’ll owe you one man. My sister is capable, but let’s be honest. Carrying furniture up the stairs is not what she’s good at.” I rolled my eyes and smiled at my brother. Although he was absolutely right, I didn’t want to tell him that.

“Let me pull my truck over and we can get started!”

As my brother ran over to his truck that was in the next lot over, Will took advantage of the time and started to ask me about myself.

“So YOU aren’t moving in. That makes more sense. You look a little older than most of the young girls around here.”

I looked at him as if I took offense to what he just said and he quickly turned red and started stuttering “I really didn’t mean that you look old. It’s just you don’t look naive like most of these girls do.” His face started to fade to pink as I laughed and said that I was just messing with him and I knew what he meant. He looked beyond relieved. “I’m actually working on my second degree right now too. The company I work for needs me to have a knowledge base in biotechnology. I already have an engineering and robotics degree.

I look at him as if he’s kidding. “My brother is actually an engineering major with interest in robotics. What are the chances of that?” I say with a slight laugh. At that moment, we catch each other’s eyes again. I feel myself blushing. I now see his built figure. But my eyes are drawn back to his arm. He must have caught my lingering look because he started to explain “A few years back I was in a car accident. I lost my arm. Fortunately my dad is something of an inventor and didn’t stop until he figured out how to give me my arm back. It’s actually very functional versus a lot of prosthetics out there.” He reached out to let me touch it, like he knew I was beyond curious about it. It was a hard metal and cool to the touch. “My dad has someone helping him work on sensors that can be added so I can feel the physical touch as well.”

“That’s absolutely amazing. I can’t believe the technology like this exists. I dabble in A LOT of things but have never seen anything like this.”

“To be honest, I’m slightly surprised that your interested. Most people avoid it all together. Makes them uncomfortable I guess.”

My eyes met his again. “I guess that’s their loss.”

And at that moment I stop touching his arm. My brother is about to pull in to the unloading spot. And none other than my boyfriend is behind him in his Range Rover.

“Look who I found driving around the lots lost!” Tim yelled out his truck window. “He said he tried calling you, but you didn’t pick up. Luckily I had my phone on me!” I pat myself down, where on Earth could my phone have gone. It’s not on me.

“It must be up in your apartment” I yell at my brother as I walk over to the Rover. “Sorry Jared.” I apologize as he winds down the window.

“It’s all good babe. I know you never seem to have your phone on you.” He says with a grin. I can’t protest his statement. I was ALWAYS misplacing my phone.

As they both get out of their vehicles, Will walks over towards the truck. “Hey Jarod, this is Will. He lives up on my floor. He’s offered to help me finish moving too.” Will extends his hand out to shake Jared’s. Once again, I notice that it’s not his robotic hand.

As the guys figure out who is going to carry what up, I take advantage and take a seat in Jared’s Rover. He left his car running and the A/C was on full blast. I don’t know if I could have been happier to sit down in the cool air. Between the three guys, they had everything else carried up the stair and into my brother’s apartment within 30 minutes. I wasn’t needed, so I just hung out in Jared’s car- avoiding starting mine until just before I was going to leave. When I noticed the guys were on their last trip up, I got out of the car and headed up the stairs. My brother’s apartment was now filled with boxes and was unorganized with furniture.

“Do you want me to stay and help you put things together and away?” I ask Tim hoping he would say no… but I didn’t mind either way. I didn’t have anything special planned for the rest of my day. I was just about to finish the extra anatomy and physiology class I was taking online.

“No, I’ll be fine. I’ll work on it over the week. I was actually going to go out and see what trouble I can get into.” He said with a smirk. Any other sister would be worried, but I knew that it meant my brother was going to set up his library study times and tutors and such. He and I were the same. We didn’t really drink or party. We were focused on our studies.

“Alright, well at least call if you change your mind. And please for the love of God, PLEASE shower first. You smell.” He started laughing.

“I will.”

Jared and I made our way out of the apartment and down the stairs. “I’ll meet you over at your place. I want to go home and shower myself first though.”

“Okay. I’ll see you in a little.”

I give him a peck on the lips and head over to my car. It wasn’t until I started my car and was about to put the car in drive that there was a knock on my window. It was Will.

“You scared me.” I say as laughing and rolling down my window.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to tell you that if you ever wanted to hang out, I’d be up for it.” He says with a sheepish smile.

“Look you seem like a great guy, but I do have a boyfriend and I’m not the kind of girl that messes around. Loyalty is huge to me.”

I can see that it must have taken some courage for him to come over to my window at all. His smile slightly fades and almost looks defeated and his face is slightly red from embarrassment.

“I’m so sorry. Its just that there’s something about you. Your absolutely stunning but your smart and well educated and not in the least bit snobby. It was just so refreshing. I’d love to at least be your friend and get to know more about you.” He says with something of a shrug. “Your the first girl in a long time that hasn’t avoided me because of my arm.”

“Friends then.” I say with a smile. I instantly felt bad for him. I was saddened by the thought that some girls care that much about appearance. “I’m sure I’ll be back plenty over the next couple weeks when Tim realizes he needs help organizing his place.” I wave and start to drive out of the lot. I can see Will waving in my rear view mirror. Then I blush. I realized that his compliment was the first one I’ve gotten in months. It felt nice to be noticed.