Tonight has officially ended up in the shitter. I'd been looking forward to spending time with Mia away from campus, but that hasn't happened. It doesn't take a genius to realize that she's been avoiding me all evening.For fuck's sake, she was hiding behind a potted palm.No girl has ever gone to such great lengths in their quest to evade me.It's official. My ego has been completely annihilated.And then there's Ari, that rat bastard. Every time they were together, his arm was tucked around her waist. I'm this close to wrapping my hands around his neck and squeezing the damn life out of him.Exactly when did he become so interested in Mia?I can compete with a lot of guys, but not my brother.Out of the two of us, Ari is the better man. There isn't anything he hasn't tried and succeeded at. High school, football, college, law school. Nothing fazes the guy. He comes, conquers, and then leaves.If I didn't love him so damn much, I'd be annoyed.My father can't sing his praises
"Okay," Dad peeks around the hood of my Jeep, "try starting it again."I turn the key, but nothing happens. Not even the clicking sound that means the engine is trying to turn over. Dad grumbles before straightening to his full height. I open the door and hop out, coming around to the front.With our heads bent together, we stare at the engine."Any ideas?" I ask, already knowing the answer. Neither one of us understands a damn thing about cars, except how to drive them.Dad scratches the side of his head, looking perplexed. Ask him anything about the stock market or assets and equity management, and he can give you a dissertation that would bore you to tears.Ask him about cars, and he's as silent as a church mouse."Nope," he says cheerfully, "I got nothing." He puffs out his lips as he continues staring. "I guess the next step is to call the garage and have it towed."My shoulders collapse. This Jeep is my baby, and I hate being without it. It was a gift for my sixteenth bi
I rap my knuckles against Dr. Hayes' office door."Come in," is the muffled response from the other side.As I push open the door and poke my head in, she glances up from her desk and smiles. Papers are spread out all around her. "Thanks for stopping by. I wanted to check-in with you regarding the progress you've been making." She pauses for a beat. "Please tell me that you've been working on the paper."I crack a smile. "Yeah, I have.""Good. I was worried after our last conversation. It seemed like you were dragging your heels about delving in.""You're right, I was," I admit. "It's a little overwhelming."She wags a finger at me. "You athletes are all alike."I really hope not. School might not come easy, but that doesn't mean I don't work at it. As I get ready to slide onto the chair parked across from her desk, Dr. Hayes rises to her feet and points to the small couch against the far side of the office. "Would you mind if we sit over there?" She arches, thrusting the
As I crest the second-floor landing of the library, my gaze sweeps over the tables strategically placed near the anthropology and sociology section, but I don't immediately notice Beck.I'm about to pull out my phone when a high-pitched giggle draws my attention to a girl lounging on top of a study table. I'm not able to see who she's talking to, but my guess is that it's a guy. I know flirty behavior when I see it.Dismissing her, I glance away and continue searching for Beck. Maybe we were supposed to meet on a different floor or section. When another laugh erupts, I glance at her again. She shifts, and I catch a glimpse of dark wavy hair.I don't need to see any more to know she's talking to Beck. I step to the side, and his handsome features come into view. The strawberry-blond-haired girl perched on the table leans over, giving him what I assume is an unobstructed view of her cleavage.Jealousy bubbles up inside me like a geyser before I quickly stomp it out. I'm not one o
He presses another kiss against me. "Yup, we're talking dinner and the whole shebang."His smile is contagious. "Now you've piqued my interest.""Good. It goes a little something like this-I'll pick you up and take you to a nice restaurant, and then afterward, we'll find a secluded spot to make out for a while. We can pretend we're back in high school again."I laugh, loving the sound of that."Maybe we should practice the making out part to be sure we get it right." I add shyly, "We can head back to my place after we're done working. Alyssa won't be home for a while.""Nope," he says firmly. "All messing around will have to wait until after the date. We're going to do this right."My heart melts into a puddle of goo.What's this guy doing to me?A grin flashes across his face. "What?"I shake my head and trace his lips with my index finger. "You're not the guy I thought you were.""I'll take that as a compliment."When my finger dips inside his mouth, he bites down gently, a
Nerves prickle at the bottom of my gut as I park my truck in Mia's circular driveway and cut the engine. This is the same nauseous feeling I get in the tunnel, waiting to run onto the field before a game. Like I'm going to puke. I have no idea why taking Mia out on a date feels like such a big deal, but it does. All I know is that I want everything to be perfect.I grab the flowers from the front seat and take the wide stone steps two at a time before ringing the bell. The sound echoes inside the cavernous entryway. I run a hand over my button-down shirt and khakis one last time.Wait a minute-are the khakis and dress-shirt overkill? Maybe I should have kept it casual. I'm not looking to spook her.Damnit.It's too late to do anything about it now.Why did I think this was a good idea?After a few agonizing moments that feel like an eternity, the door swings open, and Mia stands on the other side of the threshold. That's all it takes for the doubts filling my head to disappear
When I fail to respond, she glances at me. "What do you think?""Oh, ah..." Even though I have no idea what to do, I realize staying is not an option. At some point, Mia will notice her dad, and I can't allow that to happen. "You know what? We should go somewhere else." When her eyes widen, I add hastily, "Some place better.""You want to leave?"I wince at the shock lacing her voice. "I want our first date to be special, and this isn't going to cut it."She lays the menu down in front of her. "I can't tell if you're being serious or not.""Dead serious," I say nervously. "Let's go."As Mia opens her mouth to pelt me with questions, our server arrives at the table with a smile plastered across her face."Hello, my name is Kimber, and I'll be your waitress for the evening. Have you ever been to Marco's? If not, welcome!" Her gaze bounces between us. "The chef has created several specials this evening-""We won't be staying," I interrupt.Mia's eyes bulge, looking like they
Unable to sleep, I stare sightlessly at the ceiling. No matter how much I try to block out what I saw at Marco's, I can't. The image of my dad having an intimate dinner with a strange woman refuses to be buried.Even though I know what I saw and how I felt in the moment, part of me wonders if it's possible I could have misconstrued the relationship. Was it a dinner between friends? Or colleagues?From across the restaurant, I could see the besotted look in Dad's eyes as he stared at the blonde across from him. How long has it been since he looked at Mom that way?I sift through my memories, going back years, but can't come up with a definitive answer. If Dad ever looked at Mom like that, it was before Brianna died.Beck's words ring unwantedly throughout my head.This has nothing to do with you.He's right, it doesn't. This is between my dad and mom, but still...seeing him with another woman feels like a betrayal to our family.How could he do this?After everything Mom has been