《Love at First Spark》 1 | July: Firework Confessions Love is like a firework; at first, there¡¯s a spark that erupts with the glow of a thousand stars, a feeling of euphoria that bursts into a ¡®never-want-this-to-end¡¯ moment. That¡¯s what it felt like the first time I kissed my best friend the summer after our college graduation. The air by the lake was humid and filled with promise. A bonfire glowed and crackled from beside us while our friends giggled and yelled as they chased one another around the trees. ¡°I¡¯m really gonna miss this,¡± I said, clutching at the fraying strands of rope that held up my favorite swing. My feet scraped against the gravel. ¡°We have to go be adults now.¡± The sky consistently erupted with colors of white and gold, dispersing the last of our innocence before we all went our separate ways. Alexander, or Dex as I affectionately had nicknamed him, grinned from beside me. ¡°Ames, we¡¯ve been adults for years now.¡± ¡°Yeah, but now it¡¯s official.¡± I waved a hand at the scene in front of us. ¡°We just graduated from college and we are starting jobs. That¡¯s what really marks adulthood.¡± My twin, Eloise, shrieked in the background as her current boy-of-the-week picked her up and threw her into the lake. Her carefree attitude allowed her to go through boys like she went through clothes. I, however, preferred to spend as much precious time with my best friend as possible. I liked the consistency and didn¡¯t want anything to change. ¡°Then maybe we should enjoy what¡¯s left of our childhood before it¡¯s gone.¡± Dex pulled me to my feet. He grabbed a sparkler from the box on the picnic table and clicked a lighter. ¡°This spark represents our almost two decade friendship,¡± Dex said, holding the stick between his fingers. The light shining in front of us lit up his brown eyes. ¡°Something I hope we can have for a long time.¡± ¡°If only you weren¡¯t leaving next week.¡± I reached up and laced my fingers together around his neck. This is it, Amelia. Tell him how you feel. ¡°Ames, we¡¯ve lived next door to each other since we were four years old. Nothing is going to change between us.¡± Dex placed his hands on my shoulders. ¡°I promise.¡± I sighed and plopped my head on his chest. ¡°Dex, you¡¯re my best friend. You¡¯re moving away, starting over, and¡ª¡± ¡°And nothing is going to change how I feel about you,¡± he jumped in. My heart pounded in my chest. I hadn¡¯t anticipated that. Ever since I was fifteen, I¡¯d wanted something more with Dex. I never even knew how he felt about me. Until now at twenty-three. ¡°H-how do you feel about me?¡± I asked. He reached up and tucked my blonde hair behind my ears. ¡°I like you, Amelia. A lot. And I guess¡­I don¡¯t know, I never had the courage to tell you until now.¡± He leaned in close until I could feel his breath tickle my skin. ¡°You have terrible timing,¡± I whispered. ¡°So I¡¯ve been told.¡± Dex closed the gap between us. His lips landed on mine and he pulled my body close to his by hooking his finger through my belt loop. Loud booms echoed above us, exploding into a plethora of colors in the sky. I melted into Dex¡¯s embrace, never wanting to let go. He slid his hands up my bare back, rubbing small circles with his thumbs. The moment was perfect. Finally, me and Dex together with nothing that could stop us. And then that same glow that brought so much euphoria and so much happiness fizzles out, the remnants fading until all that was remains no more. Because moments like what I had with Dex only last so long ¡°I have to go,¡± Dex breathed against my mouth. ¡°Mom needs me to finish packing.¡± He pulled back and walked away, hands shoved into his pockets, before I could say another word. Later that night, I snuck over to the tree house built between our property and Dex¡¯s house next door. With a mirror, I flashed our signal at his room, hoping he¡¯d get the message. A few minutes later, there was a rustle and a series of grunts as Dex climbed up the wooden ladder into the tree house. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The tree house was something we¡¯d helped our fathers build when we were eight years old. It was somewhere we could go just the two of us. Our place. Our sanctuary. We kept it filled with board games, card games, and lots of blankets for when we fell asleep out there. ¡°Hey,¡± I greeted him. I opened a cooler and pulled out a root beer, offering one to him. He accepted it then sat down next to me. ¡°Hey. You know, you could¡¯ve just texted,¡± he teased. ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± I sipped my root beer. ¡°Sorry for the late call but I wanted to see you again. I know it probably sounds silly, but¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not silly.¡± Dex covered my hand with his own. ¡°I¡¯m gonna miss you too, Ames. It¡¯s gonna be so weird not to have you next door anymore.¡± ¡°Yeah. I wanted to ask you about that kiss.¡± I risked a glance over at him, and he smiled, pulling me closer. ¡°Mm, what about it?¡± He set his root beer down and brushed my hair away from my shoulders. ¡°What exactly does it mean for us, given that you¡¯re leaving in a week?¡± I stared down at my hands. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can exactly start a brand-new relationship right now. Can we?¡± ¡°Do you want to?¡± he asked. ¡°Or do you want to just leave things how they are?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Things have changed, Dex. You kissed me, I can¡¯t just let go of that.¡± Dex gathered me into his lap. ¡°Okay, then maybe¡­maybe we put ourselves on pause. And if the next time we see each other we¡¯re both still single, then maybe we can consider long distance. What do you say?¡± He stroked a finger down my cheek. ¡°Hm. I guess we can work with that,¡± I replied. With a grin, Dex cupped my face in his hands and kissed me for the second time that night. He leaned me back on the blankets beneath us, running his fingers over my back and under the straps of my top. His lips dropped down to my neck and my eyes fluttered closed. My fingers fluttered across his chest. My body wanted more, but something in my heart stopped me. ¡°Dex, wait.¡± I sat up, fixing my top and twirling my hair around a finger. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should do this. I mean, it¡¯s already going to hurt so much to lose you in a week, I don¡¯t want us to do something we can¡¯t come back from.¡± Dex nodded as I bit my lip in anticipation for his response. ¡°Yeah. Yes, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s just stay out here and enjoy each other¡¯s company, okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± As I looked into his eyes, I expected to see my future. But instead all I saw was my past fading away. *** A week later, my best friend left me. It was one of the hardest weeks of my life, but I knew it was going to be the start of a new adventure. For both of us. I hugged him tight, breathing in the woodsy scent of his cologne and wishing that he didn¡¯t have to leave yet. I didn¡¯t start teaching until August, but he had to get settled into his new apartment before his job started in two weeks. ¡°You¡¯re going to crush it in Cali.¡± I swiped at my eyes, cursing myself for not using waterproof mascara. ¡°And you¡¯re going to be an amazing teacher here in Portland.¡± Dex kissed the top of my head. ¡°I¡¯ll write to you, Amy. Every week, okay?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll come to visit?¡± He nodded. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s only two and a half hours by plane.¡± Not to mention over a thousand miles away. I pulled away slowly. ¡°I¡¯m going to hold you to that, Dex.¡± Dex leaned down and kissed me, letting his fingers hover over the straps to my tank top. ¡°Bye, Ames.¡± ¡°Bye, Dex. Don¡¯t forget me when you become a world-class chef.¡± He laughed as he got into the passenger seat of the car. ¡°I could never forget you, Amelia. I will never forget you.¡± I watched until his car, packed to the brim with all of his things for the 17 hour car ride, disappeared from the neighborhood. ¡°Don¡¯t dwell on it too much,¡± Eloise said, coming over to sling a tanned arm around my shoulders. ¡°You and Dex have always been inseparable. A thousand miles has nothing on you.¡± ¡°One thousand eighty two,¡± I clarified. ¡°And I hope you¡¯re right. Dex and I have never been that far apart. Like, ever.¡± Eloise rolled her eyes. ¡°Ugh, you are way too sappy to hang around right now.¡± She pulled her auburn hair back into a high ponytail. She¡¯d dyed it when we were fifteen in an attempt to make sure people could tell us apart. Considering we were already complete polar opposites, it just pushed us further apart. ¡°Enjoy the summer while it lasts, Ames!¡± she called over her shoulder. I sighed and shoved my hands into my back pockets. There were only a few weeks left in my summer vacation before I started my teaching job and I was bound and determined to enjoy them. My phone vibrated in my pocket with a text. Missing you already xo -Dex I smiled and texted him back. Miss you too, Dex. xo, Ames July 18th Dex, How¡¯s California? I know you¡¯re busy getting settled into your new apartment in San Diego. Only three weeks left until I start teaching! God, I¡¯ve been dreaming about this day for so long. It feels different without you here. You¡¯re doing great things out there in Cali but I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s not the same. Anyway, that¡¯s enough of my ramblings for now. Talk soon. Xo Ames July 20th Ames, California is beautiful. The restaurant is awesome and the view from my apartment is so amazing. I have two roommates and they¡¯re both pretty cool. Don¡¯t worry¡ªno one is going to replace you as my best friend ;) Wish you were here to see it with me. You¡¯re gonna rock it as a teacher. 2 | July: Meet Cute July 23rd Dex, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re having fun! Do me a favor though and don¡¯t turn into one of those douchey surfer guys haha xD. Eloise and I moved into our apartment this week. Mom convinced us that it would be better this way because we¡¯re family and it¡¯s a good way to save money. She¡¯s being her usual quirky self and we seem to be getting along well, even dividing up the chores to make things easier. It¡¯s nice to have a room I haven¡¯t lived in since I was little. I miss you every day. This long-distance friendship thing is really hard. Xo Ames ¡°You can¡¯t keep moping over Dex, Ames,¡± Eloise said as she added one last swipe of mascara to her lashes that same night. ¡°And you can¡¯t sit around waiting for him to return so you can have a chance at something more. That¡¯s all it is, really. Just a chance. What if he finds a girlfriend before you see each other again?¡± I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. Dex had always been popular with the girls while we were growing up. It made sense I wanted to hold onto the chance of something more; our relationship beyond friends was over before it could begin. But I knew Dex, and I knew he wouldn¡¯t hold off just for me. That was the stuff of fairytales. ¡°Look, all I¡¯m saying is there¡¯s other guys out there besides Dex.¡± Eloise stood up from her vanity. ¡°You know my saying, the best way to get over one guy¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping with someone else to get over my feelings for Dex.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°That may be your philosophy but it¡¯s not mine. Anyway, I don¡¯t need to get over him. Dex and I were always better off as friends anyway.¡± My fingers instinctively went to my lips, something I¡¯d been doing a lot as if trying to get the memory of his kiss to remain for a little longer. Eloise raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t say anything more. ¡°C¡¯mon, we¡¯re already late as it is.¡± She gave my outfit a onceover. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what you want to wear tonight?¡± I tugged at my top. ¡°Yes?¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°Huh. Okay, let¡¯s go.¡± Eloise tugged at my arm and I followed her out to the car. We pulled up to the club a little while later, the beat of the music inside pulsing through the car windows. Eloise parked then handed me the keys which was our signal that I was now considered designated driver for the night. My sister and her friends gravitated toward the bar to get drinks¡ªjudging by the sounds of their giggling. I found a seat at the end of the bar and ordered a virgin cosmopolitan. But I wasn¡¯t alone for long. ¡°I¡¯ll have what she¡¯s having.¡± The deep voice startled me as a man took a seat at one of the bar stools a few down from me. I snorted into my glass. ¡°Does that line actually work? You know, considering A, I¡¯ve ordered the girliest drink on the planet and B, it¡¯s non-alcoholic?¡± The man laughed and signaled the bartender¡ªwho¡¯d been watching us over the last minute¡ªto keep making his drink. ¡°It usually works,¡± he replied, ¡°but I¡¯m not going to hold my breath just in case it doesn¡¯t.¡± Smart move. I took a sip of my drink and gestured to the stool next to me. ¡°Most guys would just be cocky about it. Points for you, um¡­¡± The guy scooched over, grinning. ¡°Braden.¡± ¡°Amelia.¡± I smiled. ¡°So, Braden. What brings you out tonight?¡± ¡°Just needed a place to clear my head.¡± He raised his drink and glanced in my direction. ¡°But I¡¯m a little too sober to go into the whole story tonight.¡± I lifted my hands. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not here to pry.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± he asked. ¡°My sister. She wanted us to have one last night of freedom before I start my new job tomorrow and yet she stuck me with designated driver duty.¡± The liquid from my drink slipped down my throat and I pretended that it contained vodka in addition to the fruity elements. ¡°Sounds like she wanted it for herself,¡± he commented. Braden nodded in the direction of my sister who now danced, swinging her hips wildly up against a stranger. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yeah. Something like that.¡± Braden reached out his hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t we join them?¡± ¡°Oh no no no, I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t normally dance until I¡¯m at least three drinks in and I¡¯m clearly staying sober tonight, so¡­¡± I gulped down more of my drink to prevent my mouth from saying anything else. My companion laughed. ¡°Oh come on, you can¡¯t be too bad.¡± ¡°Oh, I never said I was bad at it,¡± I clarified. ¡°That said, everyone¡¯s better at dancing when they¡¯re drunk.¡± ¡°True, but that doesn¡¯t mean they should have more fun.¡± His blue eyes lit up when he smiled. ¡°One dance?¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°One dance.¡± I let Braden lead me out to the dance floor. We let loose, joining in with several of the other club patrons who smelled of sweat, perfume, and alcohol. Despite staying sober, what Braden said rang true. I danced with him, let him put his hands on my hips as they rocked side to side. He twirled me so that my back was to him. In the heat of the moment, amongst the pheromones in the club¡¯s atmosphere, there was no place I would rather be. Braden dipped his lips down to my ear. Given where we were, I was expecting a nip at the skin and the feel of his hands sliding up my body. Instead, his hands stayed planted on my hips and he said loudly above the music, ¡°Are you having fun?¡± In reply, I turned around again and wrapped my hands around his neck, pulling our torsos closer together. ¡°I didn¡¯t think dancing sober could be this fun.¡± Braden laughed, the noise rumbling deep in his chest. ¡°Good to know.¡± He twirled me again then tugged me back to the bar. We ordered two waters. The cold liquid felt refreshing against my now-sweating skin. I smiled at Braden as he leaned against the bar. When I was done, I grabbed his hand. He looked at me, surprised. ¡°You wanted to dance, didn¡¯t you?¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s get back out there!¡± I didn¡¯t know what had gotten into me. I never had this level of confidence unless I was at least tipsy, but just being around someone else who didn¡¯t have a care in the world was refreshing. Braden and I returned to the center of the dance floor. Hot breaths mixed with wandering hands and shimmying hips while the loud music continued to pump over our heads. This is what Eloise was talking about. Find a guy and¡­no. I shook the thought out of my head. I¡¯d just met him. Who was I, Eloise? At that moment, Braden spun me out then pulled me back in. I gasped, his lips mere inches away from mine. My heart thumped loudly in my chest and I hoped he couldn¡¯t hear it over the sound of the music. By 2am, Eloise whined that she was ready to go home. Braden and I walked toward the exit in a fit of giggles over something that he¡¯d said. ¡°Oh wow. You know I haven¡¯t laughed like that in a while.¡± Braden sighed, leaning with one hand against the wall. ¡°It was really great meeting you tonight, Amelia.¡± He scratched the back of his head. ¡°I was sort of hoping maybe I could kiss you?¡± I blushed. ¡°I don¡¯t normally kiss guys I¡¯ve just met. Not that I don¡¯t want to kiss you, because I do and I think maybe we should but also that it would be a really really bad¡­idea. Why are you staring at me like that?¡± Braden let out a chuckle. ¡°Are you sure the bartender didn¡¯t slip any alcohol into those drinks of yours?¡± I swatted at him. ¡°I ramble when I¡¯m nervous!¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok, I think it¡¯s cute.¡± He tucked my hair behind my ears, letting his fingers linger on my skin. ¡°Truth is, I recently got out of a rather complicated long-term relationship. I guess¡­I needed tonight to let loose a little.¡± ¡°I needed that too.¡± I tilted my head up as his mouth dipped down toward mine. Eloise squealed from behind me, making us jump apart. Before I could say anything, she slung an arm around my shoulders. ¡°See? What did I tell you, Ames. The best way to get over a guy is to get under a new one and damn, do you have taste!¡± She gave Braden a once over. ¡°El, that¡¯s enough!¡± Heat flushed my cheeks. I turned to Braden. ¡°I promise it¡¯s not like that.¡± He inhaled sharply. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s best that this, um, didn¡¯t happen. I¡¯ll, um, see you, Amelia.¡± He walked away, shoving the sleeves of his shirt up his arms. I flared my nostrils as I whirled on my sister. ¡°Are you seriously kidding me right now, El?¡± Eloise bit her lip and shrugged. ¡°Oops?¡± I groaned and stomped toward the car with my twin in tow. Just my luck that the first sweet guy I meet turns out to be a flop because of a minor slip up of words. But the truth of the matter was, I didn¡¯t get why he was so upset. He told me he needed tonight to let loose. Maybe sex wasn¡¯t on his mind, but it wasn¡¯t on mine either. Damn that stupid motto. ¡°Seriously, Ames.¡± My sister stumbled after me as we got back to the apartment. ¡°I¡¯m just a little drunk. I can¡¯t control my mouth, you know that.¡± ¡°Yeah, I do.¡± I sighed. ¡°Anyway, thanks for telling me to come out tonight. It was fun, even though¡­¡± ¡°Even though your drunk sister couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut?¡± Eloise finished with a tease in her voice. ¡°I really am sorry, Ames. If he¡¯s going to let some tiny mistake keep him from you, that''s his loss.¡± I nodded. ¡°Thanks. I know you didn¡¯t mean anything by it. Whatever, he was just a guy in a bar, right? There¡¯s hundreds of others in Portland.¡± Eloise placed a hand on my shoulder, although I wasn¡¯t sure if it was to comfort me or because she needed to steady herself. ¡°Dex was just one guy. Bar-man is just one guy. You¡¯ll find someone, I promise.¡± I walked past her through the kitchen to my room. I hoped she was right. As I fell asleep, Braden¡¯s blue eyes haunted my brain. But I didn¡¯t have to worry about him any longer. After all, he was just a guy in a bar. And I was just a girl needing to get over my best friend. 3 | July: Can We Try That Again? I met my best girl pal, Daphne, the next morning at our favorite coffee shop following a series of frantic text messages that I¡¯d sent to her after bringing Eloise home. As usual, she showed up early and waved me over from where she was already sitting and sipping an iced latte with a blueberry scone and a cinnamon bun on a plate in the middle of the table. I ordered a mocha frappe with extra whipped cream and walked over to her. ¡°So,¡± she said, ripping off a large chunk of the cinnamon bun and stuffing it into her mouth, ¡°what¡¯s the big emergency that required sustenance from the best coffee shop on the West Coast?¡± Grinning, I sat down across from her. ¡°At least let me have my coffee first.¡± I sipped at my drink, a shiver running down my spine at the chill from the ice. Daphne sat patiently across from me, her fingers teepeed together. ¡°Are you ready now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I took my fork and dug into my side of the blueberry muffin. ¡°So, last night I went out with Eloise and her friends.¡± ¡°Uh oh.¡± ¡°Yeah, ¡®uh oh¡¯ is right.¡± I relayed to her the story, from meeting Braden and dancing together, to Eloise¡¯s slip up and the lack of a goodnight kiss I somehow now realized I had wanted from him. When I was done, Daphne leaned back in her seat, chewing on her straw. ¡°Sounds like a hell of a guy,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s all you have to say? I barely know him. Knew him. And now I never will,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true,¡± Daph countered. ¡°You could always go back to the bar and get his information from the bartender. I mean, the guy probably paid for drinks with a credit card, right?¡± ¡°True.¡± I pulled out my phone, surprised to see that there was a set of messages from last night that I hadn¡¯t noticed before. ¡°Except, I might already have his number.¡± I turned the screen to show her. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± she rubbed her hands together then wiggled her fingers in a gesture, asking me to hand the phone over. ¡°Nuh uh, Daph. Scooch. I wanna see everything you type before I even think about agreeing to let you send him a message.¡± Reluctantly, my friend moved over and I slid into the booth beside her. My heart pounded in my chest. What were the chances this guy didn¡¯t want to hear from me ever again? I¡¯d clearly been just using him to scratch an itch but the chemistry I felt when we were dancing together was real. Real enough, that is, for me to still be obsessing over it now. Add in my soberness last night and¡­ Daphne¡¯s fingers flew over the keyboard, typing out a message. It was only when I leaned over her shoulder that I saw just how long she¡¯d made it. ¡°Daph, no.¡± I reached for the phone but she snatched it away and shook her head. ¡°I know you, Ames,¡± she said. ¡°If I give you back the phone, you¡¯re just going to erase the message and leave the ¡®what if¡¯ hanging over your head. At least if I help, you have a chance of him responding because they¡¯ll be something to respond to.¡± I slumped back in the booth, sipping the rest of my coffee while I waited. When she was done, she turned the phone to face me and I scanned the screen. After a few minutes of debating and arguing over ways to edit the message so it felt more ¡®me¡¯, I sent it. Braden, hey. I wanted to tell you I¡¯m so sorry for what happened last night. I did have fun with you and I wish maybe we could start over? If you¡¯re interested¡ªand I totally understand if you¡¯re not¡ªmeet me at Sweet Escape, the ice cream shop on Kibbard Street, at 3pm tomorrow. I hope to see you. - Amelia Satisfied, I locked my screen and set my phone on vibrate so I¡¯d know when he responded. When Daphne and I finished our coffees and pastries, we walked over to the mall which was only a few blocks away. Since it was now late July, it was the perfect time to stock up on school supplies for our classrooms. The scent of fresh notebooks and the rainbow displays were filled with rows upon rows of pens and dry-erase markers that were every teacher¡¯s dream for a fun, colorful classroom. ¡°Ames, I have to have these!¡± Daphne squealed, holding up a pack of liquid chalk pens in every color imaginable. ¡°Can you just imagine? Gosh, I love supply shopping.¡± I laughed. ¡°Easy there, Daph. We need to think practically about our materials. Plus, when are you actually going to use liquid chalk?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than regular chalk, think about how much dust that stuff coughs up,¡± she countered. ¡°I¡¯ll stick to my white board markers, thank you very much.¡± With a chuckle, I shook my head and pushed the cart down the end of the aisle. As we meandered into the next one, Daphne squeezed my arm and told me she¡¯d be right back. I continued down the aisle, my eyes scanning over the shelves under the bright lights. At the other end, I saw a woman standing with her hands on her hips next to a little girl in light up pink sneakers. ¡°But Mommy, I want it!¡± the little girl whined, sticking out her bottom lip. ¡°I¡¯m not buying you the My Little Pony plushie,¡± the woman said sternly. ¡°We¡¯re here for school supplies, not toys. And you have more than enough stuffed animals on your bed already.¡± ¡°What about this?¡± Two little hands produced a pencil, eraser, and sharpener set branded each with the three main characters of The Wonder Pets. The woman sighed, pushing her dark hair behind her ears. ¡°Yes, you can get that. Put it in the cart.¡± Her daughter grinned, placing the kit gently into the basket. The woman¡¯s eyes met mine, and I smiled. ¡°They want everything at that age don¡¯t they?¡± I commented, having seen the whole conversation unfold. It sounded just like something I remember my own mother having with Eloise every year when we went school supply shopping. The woman laughed, ruffling her daughter¡¯s hair before the girl wriggled out of her grasp and ran to another section nearby. ¡°Everything that¡¯s not practical. Whatever happened to yellow no. 2 pencils and pink erasers?¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I joined in her sentiment of laughter. ¡°I know, right? They never want to be practical, and I totally get it. I was the same way.¡± My sister and I were always allowed one ¡°special supply¡± as my mom would call it and that idea never went away. To this day, I still had to stop myself from buying every cool-looking set of pens or notebooks I came across. It made me happy to know kids these days still enjoyed the innocence of shopping for fun materials, even if they ultimately were limited in how many they could get. We watched as the little girl came running back to her mom, holding something bright pink and sparkly in her hands. She stopped short in her tracks, turned around, then stomped back to return the item. ¡°I better go corral her before she tries to get me to buy out half the store,¡± the woman said. ¡°Well, good luck to you. And your daughter,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± As she walked away, the woman shook her head, her shoulders dancing with laughter. Daphne appeared by my side, her arms now filled with several things I knew neither of us needed for ourselves nor our classrooms. ¡°So, what¡¯d I miss?¡± she asked, setting the items down. ¡°Nothing really. And we¡¯re not buying all of those things.¡± I picked up a set of sparkly gel pens from the cart. ¡°Really, Daph?¡± She shrugged, plucking the pack from me and tossing it back into the cart. ¡°We¡¯re teachers. Pens are a necessity.¡± Before I could protest¡ªpartly because I really couldn¡¯t, she did have a point¡ªmy phone buzzed with a text message. My heart leapt in my chest when I saw the reply. I grasped at Daphne¡¯s arm. ¡°Daph! Daph, he responded!¡± I squealed, trying to keep my voice low. Daphne¡¯s brown eyes widened. ¡°What did he say?¡± My eyes scanned over the screen and the corners of my lips turned up into a smile as I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°He¡¯s agreed to meet me tomorrow. And he says he¡¯s glad that I texted.¡± Daphne jumped up and down, literally, in the middle of the aisle. ¡°That¡¯s really great news! See, I told you texting him would pay off.¡± She looped her arm through mine. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go pay for these items. Lunch is on me!¡± *** July 25th Ames, hey. Sorry I didn¡¯t send anything sooner but things have been so crazy. I miss you and wish I could be there to go supply shopping with you. Remember that year you got the powerpuff girls lunchbox but Eloise hid it from you before the first day because she claimed she wanted it more? I¡¯ll always remember that. Those kids are getting an amazing teacher. Dex He wasn¡¯t coming, of this I was absolutely convinced. I sat at a table outside of Sweet Escape the next day, watching the cars whiz by the street. It was twenty after three and Braden still wasn¡¯t here. He¡¯d even confirmed by text this morning that we were still on for our ice cream date. I drummed my fingers against my knee then used my knuckle to check the time on my phone again. Three twenty-five. Where was he? Just as I was about to unlock my phone to send him a new text, something I was avoiding because I didn¡¯t want to seem desperate, I saw him. A tall, dark-haired man emerged from a red Prius. Braden jogged toward me in a blue t-shirt and shorts. He waved when he saw me. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I¡¯m late,¡± he said when he got to the table. ¡°I had to get a ride from my sister and then we got stuck in traffic because of a construction zone.¡± I smiled. ¡°No worries, I¡¯m glad you made it. Shall we go inside to order?¡± Braden spread his hands in front of him and walked with me toward the door, opening it for me. The chilled air from the ice cream shop greeted us and I shivered, wishing I¡¯d brought a sweater despite the heat outside. ¡°Welcome! What can I get you?¡± the girl behind the counter asked. She couldn¡¯t have been more than sixteen. ¡°I¡¯ll have a scoop of Mint Chocolate Chip in a waffle cone, and, um¡ª¡± I glanced over at Braden. ¡°Butter pecan, please, in a waffle cone,¡± he replied, pulling out his wallet. I covered his hand with mine. ¡°Let me cover this. My treat.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± He hesitated with his wallet hovering back over his pocket. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure.¡± I dug out my own wallet from my purse and swiped my credit card. The girl behind the counter handed us our ice creams and we walked outside. ¡°Thank you so much for agreeing to meet me. I usually am all for the idea that first impressions really matter the most, so when my sister said what she said right when we¡­um, anyway I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Heat crept into my cheeks. Eloise had apologized profusely, but in truth it wasn¡¯t her fault. I wasn¡¯t honest about what I wanted in that moment with Braden, and he hadn¡¯t been honest with me either. It seemed an unspoken dictation that the night in the bar was just for fun. Braden sat back in his chair, crossing one ankle across the opposite thigh in a 4. ¡°Amelia, I have to apologize as well. I wasn¡¯t honest with you about what I wanted out of that night. I never expected anything to happen with us, but my first impression of you wasn¡¯t from what your sister said. It was from the moment you commented on my pick-up line.¡± I laughed, nearly dropping my ice cream. ¡°You''re lucky I like cheesy guys.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m not lactose intolerant.¡± He grinned. ¡°So what do you think we should call today? Our second date?¡± My tongue scooped up a large chunk of mint and chocolate, the coolness lingering in my mouth. ¡°First official date,¡± I said. ¡°Our initial meeting doesn¡¯t count as a date. Plus, I think this is us starting over, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to consider it picking up where we left off.¡± He brushed a few stray strands of hair out of my face. ¡°And this time I¡¯d like to kiss you.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I tapped my chin teasingly. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll let you.¡± For the rest of the time, we talked about bits and pieces of our lives: how I¡¯d just graduated college, how he was a landscape artist and also in the carpentry business. We¡¯d both recently become single, although I left out as much about Dex as I could since he wasn¡¯t exactly a boyfriend. He was also the official uncle babysitter for his sister¡¯s kiddos. Cars continued to pass by on the street and couples walked along the sidewalk past the shops. Soon I realized we¡¯d been out here for two hours and I needed to get back home. ¡°Can I drop you somewhere?¡± I asked, remembering that Braden didn¡¯t have a car. ¡°Sure, thanks. If it¡¯s not too much trouble.¡± I waved it off. ¡°Not at all. Follow me.¡± We walked next to each other toward where I¡¯d parked my car, letting our fingers brush even if only momentarily. Braden gently pressed a hand to the small of my back as he fell into step behind me while we let a few other folks pass. Once at my car, he gave me an address and we drove off. He didn¡¯t live too far away, in an apartment complex I¡¯d seen many times. It was one that was consistently voted ¡°prettiest views¡± in a landscaping magazine I¡¯d seen at my hairdresser¡¯s and I suddenly wondered if Braden was responsible given his job. I walked him up to the overhang of his building where he stopped and turned to face me. ¡°So, I had fun today,¡± he said, running a hand through his dark hair. ¡°I, um, I¡¯d like to do it again sometime. Whenever you¡¯re free.¡± I smiled. ¡°I¡¯d like that. How about next Friday?¡± ¡°Perfect. That¡¯s when my¡ªum, that¡¯s the next night I¡¯m free.¡± He fumbled for his keys in his pocket. ¡°How do you feel about bowling?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s right Up My Alley.¡± I waited for him to get the reference¡ªit was the name of the sole bowling alley in town¡ªto which he then burst into a fit of laughter that echoed against the concrete walls of the overhang. ¡°Good one. Six?¡± His blue eyes locked on mine as his fingers stroked over the curve of my jaw. ¡°Yeah, that works for me.¡± My heartbeat picked up the pace as Braden leaned in. Instinctively, I closed my eyes. Then remembering what ice cream he¡¯d had, I pulled away leaving my hand pressed lightly against his chest. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I chewed on the inside of my cheek. ¡°I really do want to kiss you. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m allergic to pecans and um, well, you had them in your ice cream so I¡­can¡¯t kiss you.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Braden kicked the toe of his shoe against the ground. ¡°Next time, then. I¡¯ll make sure I¡¯m pecan free.¡± ¡°Yes, next time.¡± I was really looking forward to seeing him again. And maybe finally getting to kiss him with no interruptions. ¡°I¡¯ll see you next week.¡± He waved to me and I headed back to my car. A successful day, I¡¯d say it was. Maybe even the start of a brand-new relationship. Things were certainly looking up. 4 | July: Something More Than Cliche July 29th Dex, I have just one more week before I start classes! I¡¯ve gotten all of my materials together and get to go in to decorate my classroom now. I also met this really great guy a few weeks ago. We¡¯ve hit it off but I¡¯m still keeping myself open to what could happen. We haven¡¯t exactly figured out what we are yet, but we¡¯re going bowling on Friday. Do you remember how much you used to tease me about how bad I was? Gosh, I miss that. I¡¯m hoping to redeem myself in your honor. I hope you¡¯re having fun in Cali. Miss you, Ames The smell of sweat and overpriced pizza hit my nose the minute I walked into Up My Alley bowling center the following Friday. Braden shook out his umbrella that had been shielding us on the mat by the front door. Even though the day decided to bring us rain, bowling was a perfect cozy activity to drown away the storm. We walked up to the counter and got settled with our shoes and a lane. ¡°Do you want to go first?¡± Braden asked, balancing one of the bowling balls on three fingers. ¡°Sure.¡± I took the ball from him and walked up to the lane, lining myself up with the pins on the other end. ¡°Take a deep breath and let go of the swing,¡± Dex had taught me the last time we went bowling. I inhaled deeply through my nose, only exhaling through my mouth when I let the ball sail from my fingers down the lane¡­and into the gutter. ¡°Dammit.¡± I pouted as I walked about to where Braden was standing. ¡°Your turn.¡± His blue eyes twinkled as he set up. I watched the way his arms moved, feet planted firmly and only taking the necessary steps forward. His left leg swept behind him as the ball left his hand. Rolling, rolling, rolling, clank! Eight pins down, but the remaining two were on opposite sides. He grabbed another ball and took a shot. The ball rolled seamlessly down the lane, listing to the left and smacking one of the pins so that it launched itself into the other. Braden pumped his fist in the air and began to do a very strange ¡®happy dance¡¯, leaving me in a fit of laughter. ¡°What the heck was that?¡± I managed to get out in between giggles. My hands gripped my sides. He shrugged. ¡°Beginner¡¯s luck, I guess.¡± I playfully whacked his arm. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, but okay. My turn.¡± I grabbed another ball¡ªthis one was pink and weighed less than the one Braden had used. With bowl hands gripping the bowling ball, I clambered forward. At the top of the lane, I swung both hands back and then forward, releasing the ball with a thud. Watching and quietly encouraging the ball to steer away from the gutter, it balanced precariously on the edge before managing to knock over a solid four pins. Braden clapped politely at my attempt; I stuck out my tongue at him. My second turn knocked down two more. It went on this way through the rest of the rounds in our game. Braden won with a solid lead over me. I¡¯d volunteered partway through the game that the loser would buy dinner, but I hadn¡¯t expected as much of an epic loss as what ended up happening. ¡°So, you still want me to buy you dinner?¡± I asked, hooking two fingers in my bowling shoes and slinging my purse over the opposite shoulder. Braden shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d be down for that.¡± ¡°A deal¡¯s a deal.¡± I plunked the shoes down on the return counter and turned to him. ¡°What are you feeling tonight? Italian? Mexican?¡± ¡°I know this great steakhouse down the road if you¡¯re interested in that?¡± he suggested. I bit my lip. Steakhouses weren¡¯t exactly in my price range, but I really liked Braden and didn¡¯t want the date to end yet. ¡°Yeah, sure. We can do that.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°It¡¯s not too much?¡± He ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. ¡°I can honestly be flexible.¡± ¡°It does feel a little like later date material,¡± I admitted. ¡°So maybe we''ll take a rain check on the steakhouse and go somewhere else tonight?¡± ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll want another date?¡± The corners of his mouth turned up. I rolled my eyes, a smile slipping across my lips. ¡°I think you¡¯ve earned that much. But we¡¯ll see how dinner goes tonight before I make any promises for the future.¡± *** The restaurant we chose had checkered cloths on the table and dim lighting, a very romantic setting if I did say so myself. We chose italian, a cliche first date choice but it was something familiar and cozy. I let Braden order a bottle of wine and we opted to share an appetizer of fried calamari. The food came out quickly, a crisp aroma wafting from the platter that made my mouth water. ¡°So, I guess this is where we make small talk about our everyday lives,¡± Braden said, sipping from his wine. He swirled the red liquid around in his glass, letting it sit on his tongue before swallowing. I chuckled. ¡°Or we could make it interesting,¡± I folded my fingers together under my chin and propped my elbows on the table. ¡°Twenty questions?¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Braden sat back in his seat. ¡°You first.¡± ¡°Favorite place to visit,¡± I said. ¡°The Cape. I have family on the coast in Massachusetts, so I love visiting there in the summers.¡± He paused. ¡°Best year of high school.¡± ¡°Cliche, but senior year. I was that student who loved starting school but senior year holds a lot of great memories for me. Fraternity in college?¡± Braden shook his head. ¡°Nah, I wasn¡¯t into Greek Life.¡± It went on like this for a while, through two baskets of bread and the main course, all the way up to when the waiter asked if we were interested in hearing the dessert specials. ¡°Can we split something?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think I have room for a whole dessert on my own.¡± Braden nodded. ¡°How would you feel about Tiramisu?¡± ¡°You read my mind.¡± We turned to the waiter, ordering coffees and a slice of Tiramisu to share with two forks. While we waited, Braden poured us each a little more wine then raised his glass. ¡°I¡¯d like to propose a toast,¡± he said. ¡°To what we¡¯ve started that I hope will continue. Despite the rocky start, I see a chance for us and I hope we can see each other again. This might be cheesy and cliche but that seems to be a common denominator.¡± I chuckled at his comment as he winked. ¡°To the start of something more than cliche.¡± We clinked our glasses together. After dinner, Braden drove me back home, pulling up in front of the apartment complex and putting the car in park so he could walk me up the path to the door. ¡°So, I guess this is where I leave you.¡± Braden shoved his hands in his pockets. ¡°I had a lot of fun today.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± I said, tucking my hair behind my ears. My gaze flickered up to glance across his lips. ¡°You know, you didn¡¯t have any pecans with dinner tonight.¡± ¡°Guess I didn¡¯t.¡± A knowing grin crossed his features. ¡°Does that mean I can kiss you?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll allow it,¡± I teased. His fingers wove through my hair as he leaned down to my height. I instinctively rose up on my tip-toes to meet his mouth, our lips mere inches away. My heart thumped in my chest. His mouth was so close, I could practically taste the coffee that lingered on his lips. ¡°Oh good, you¡¯re home!¡± The front door to the apartment swung open to a grinning Eloise. Her gaze pinged between us as Braden cursed under his breath and stepped away from me. My sister always had such perfect timing, this being now the second time she¡¯d interrupted a moment between me and Braden. ¡°Um, Braden, this is my sister Eloise. El, this is Braden,¡± I said, wincing. Eloise¡¯s eyes widened as she made the connection. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re him!¡± she squealed. ¡°It¡¯s so nice to officially meet you being, um, sober.¡± She let out a laugh. ¡°Can I just say you and my sister make a great couple.¡± I rubbed at the back of my neck with my hand. ¡°El,¡± I murmured. ¡°Right, right.¡± She took the hint. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it. But Braden, if you don¡¯t mind my saying, whatever happens between the two of you¡­just know that as Amelia¡¯s older sister¡ªand yes, two minutes does count¡ªI want what¡¯s best for her. So you better make sure that if this is real, you¡¯re in it for the long haul.¡± ¡°Eloise!¡± I groaned. ¡°Go inside.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going!¡± She winked. ¡°Have fun!¡± Once she was gone, I dragged a hand down my face and let out a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I had no idea she was going to come out here and attack like that.¡± Braden chuckled. ¡°No, it¡¯s totally fine. My sister is like that too, always wants to make sure the girl I¡¯m seeing is in it for more than just a few nights, you know?¡± He ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Um, but speaking of sisters I do have to head out. My sister is¡ªum, well she likes me to babysit and I promised her I¡¯d drop by tonight for some family time.¡± ¡°Not a problem.¡± My heart sank a little. ¡°Maybe we can do something again soon?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± Braden grinned. ¡°What do you say to mini golf next weekend?¡± That soon? ¡°Sounds like a plan.¡± He brushed his lips across my cheek and whispered in my ear, ¡°Sometimes the slowest burns are the best.¡± Then he straightened up and waved as he got into his car. 5 | August: First Day The first day of school was always eight hours of pure excitement in elementary school. Then in middle school, it became more nerve wracking¡ªfacing middle school mean girls really took a toll. In high school, it became more of a chore. And college¡­well, college usually involved a lot more anxiety, waking up with hours to spare, and being the first one to class by at least half an hour. So it was no surprise that on my first day as a teacher, there was the familiar churn of excitement and terror that whirled in my stomach. I groaned at the sound of my alarm and rolled out of bed. The sun was barely up in the sky as I dressed in a blouse and pencil skirt and swiped on some mascara. But this was what I¡¯d worked so hard for! This was my first real grown-up job and a chance to teach young kids the ways of the world with math facts and Magic School Bus. With a final look in the mirror, I trudged into the kitchen and flipped on the keurig to brew some coffee¡ªextra strong¡ªin a travel mug. ¡°Oh my god, do you have to be so loud?¡± Eloise groaned. I smirked, turning around to lean against the counter. ¡°Morning, El. Late night?¡± Ever since the night that Braden dropped me off Eloise grunted and stomped over to the Keurig. ¡°Look, I have to head out to school,¡± I said. ¡°Drink some water and take some aspirin.¡± ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t stay and make me anything greasy?¡± she asked with a pout. I rolled my eyes. ¡°You know how to make it yourself, El. I can¡¯t keep doing that for you. I have a job now. And you have a job, too.¡± Eloise flopped on the couch after grabbing an ice pack from the freezer. ¡°I don¡¯t have to be in for a few hours.¡± I grabbed my purse and keys off of the kitchen counter, stuffing a blueberry muffin into a ziploc bag for the car ride. ¡°Then go back to sleep. Now, I seriously need to get going. Have you seen my tan wedges?¡± My sister waved in the general direction of¡­our entire apartment. ¡°Check my closet.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll just wear something else.¡± I slipped on a pair of simple flats and walked out to my car. Twenty minutes later, I arrived at the elementary school with the last dregs of coffee sloshing around the bottom of my travel mug. My closest friend, Daphne, greeted me with open arms from the classroom next to mine. We¡¯d been through all four years of college together, shared group projects, cried over the late hours, and finally screamed with joy when we found out we would both be teaching at the same school. ¡°So, how was your big date?¡± Daphne asked. She dipped a bag of peppermint tea leaves into a cup of hot water. A flush crept to my cheeks. ¡°Amazing. Braden is absolutely amazing. And I feel kind of bad because Dex is amazing too but¡ª¡± ¡°Dex isn¡¯t here anymore,¡± Daphne finished for me. ¡°I know that¡¯s tough to swallow but the two of you barely had a relationship. You kissed, what? A handful of times?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know I know. It was a fling if you could even call it that. But I still feel guilty because of the ¡®what if¡¯.¡± ¡°Ames, you can¡¯t get through life waiting on the ¡®what ifs¡¯. Braden is here and now. And you¡¯re acting on that. Two dates in as many weeks?¡± She sipped her tea. ¡°Yeah, and more coming once we figure out our schedules.¡± I scratched the back of my head. ¡°It sounds like he has a bit of a chaotic schedule some weeks with work maybe or helping out his sister with childcare.¡± ¡°Well, it sounds like things are already going pretty well. Have you kissed him yet?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Are we thirteen, Daph? No, not yet. But not for lack of trying.¡± I sighed and relayed the story about the pecans and then my sister¡¯s fateful interruption on the front stoop. ¡°Ah, classic Eloise,¡± Daphne commented, a glint in her eyes. ¡°Also can we just comment on Braden¡¯s line about the slow burn? I mean what a swoon.¡± ¡°Yeah, it was pretty cute.¡± I glanced through my class list on my clipboard. ¡°Anyway, enough gossiping! We can save that for after school. Right now, we should focus on the kiddos. Our students should be arriving soon.¡± My heartbeat quickened. Our first day of actual paid teaching. It was a moment I¡¯d dreamed about since my first internship. ¡°Oh look, here comes one of our students!¡± Daphne squeezed my arm. I turned around and gasped. ¡°Oh no.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Daphne frowned as a little girl and her father approached. HIs dark hair was parted neatly over his left eye. The casual weekend clothes had been swapped for flannel and work boots, a denim jacket thrown over his shoulders. My mouth turned up into a fake smile so I could talk through my teeth as I leaned toward my friend. I clutched the clipboard with the name roster to my chest. ¡°So you know the guy we¡¯ve been talking about?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Yeah. His daughter is in one of our classes.¡± Braden and the little girl approached us. His gaze caught mine, and although it never wavered, his body tensed when the realization hit him. His foot caught on an invisible barrier and he stumbled forward slightly, a squeak emanating from his shoes on the linoleum floor. Yeah, he deserved that. I hadn¡¯t lied to him and he¡¯d kept this secret from me. He had every right to¡ª A nudge from Daphne brought me back to the present moment. She sent me a smile and a nod toward them. I crouched down so I was closer to the girl¡¯s height. ¡°Hi, what¡¯s your name?¡± The girl looked up at Braden, pouting out her bottom lip. ¡°Go on, sweetie,¡± he urged her. She held close to his leg. ¡°Lucy.¡± I checked my list; her name was indeed on my roster. Lucy Callahan. ¡°Hi Lucy, I¡¯m Miss Lawrence, your teacher. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± I gave her a soft smile as she murmured something back. I stood back up to greet her father. ¡°Mr. Callahan, it¡¯s nice to¡­meet you.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Likewise.¡± His voice stayed steady as his gaze locked on mine. ¡°I know we¡¯re a bit early. Lucy was at her mom¡¯s yesterday and we weren¡¯t sure how bad traffic would be.¡± ¡°Um, Lucy, do you like to color?¡± I asked her. She nodded. ¡°Great. Why don¡¯t you go on inside and Miss Powell from next door will help you get started on a name tag.¡± I glanced over at Daphne. None of her students had arrived yet, so she quickly caught my drift and led Lucy inside. ¡°So, you neglected to tell me you have a daughter,¡± I said to Braden once Lucy was out of earshot. ¡°We both neglected a lot of details it seems,¡± he countered, keeping his voice low. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you were a teacher." I rolled my eyes. ¡°I think forgetting to mention you have a kid takes precedence. And I told you I was doing teaching. Anyway, your daughter is in my class so it¡¯s not like anything can happen with us now anyway.¡± A pause. ¡°Because teachers and parents can¡¯t date,¡± I added when it was clear he needed me to explain. ¡°Right.¡± He nodded, although the look on his face pointed more toward disappointment than understanding. ¡°So, what? This whole thing between us has been nothing?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say nothing,¡± I replied, embarrassment creeping into my voice. ¡°We¡¯ve had fun, or at least I¡¯ve thought so.¡± ¡°We have, but now you¡¯re telling me we can¡¯t see each other? You know, I¡¯ve been a rebound guy before but never during a sober encounter.¡± Tears pricked at my eyes. I knew he was upset. I was upset. But that didn¡¯t mean he had to say these things. ¡°You weren¡¯t a rebound in any way, Braden.¡± Braden smirked. ¡°Oh yeah? So you aren¡¯t getting over someone?¡± I bit my lip. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. And plus you¡¯re one to talk.¡± Daphne walked over and nudged me, throwing a glare in Braden¡¯s direction. ¡°There¡¯s some other students arriving, Ames,¡± she whispered. ¡°We can¡¯t talk about this here, Braden.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Pick up is at three.¡± ¡°See you then.¡± He held out his hand for me to shake. I regarded him warily. ¡°It¡¯s just a handshake, Amelia. I don¡¯t bite. And I do think we need to talk about this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Miss Lawrence when we¡¯re at school,¡± I threw back. ¡°And I¡¯ll see you at pickup.¡± Once he was gone I let out a sigh of relief and went over to where Daphne was covering for me. ¡°Lunch,¡± she whispered, giving my shoulder a squeeze before walking over to her classroom. Lucy grinned up at me, holding up her colorful name tag. ¡°Look, Miss Law¡­wence. I spel-led my name.¡± ¡°Very good! Can I help you with the sticker?¡± She nodded, and I unpeeled the sticker before handing it to her. She sloppily attached it to her shirt, upside down. All I could do was chuckle. ¡°Well, Lucy,¡± I said, planting my hands on my knees in the plastic seat next to her. ¡°Do you like to read?¡± Lucy wrinkled her nose. ¡°Kinda. I like it when daddy reads to me.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°Hi, are you Miss Lawrence?¡± a new voice asked. I turned around to see my next student who stood shyly by his mother. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± I smiled, walking over to greet them. Within minutes, I had my full class of 15 students. The chatter of noises and laughter filled the room and my heart swelled. This was it. I was finally here, in my dream job. It was going to be a great year. *** The end of the day arrived sooner than I anticipated. Soon my students lined up by the front door, tugging on their book bag straps and pushing each other playfully in line. ¡°Now remember,¡± I said, talking above the giggles in an attempt to quiet them down. ¡°I want you to come prepared for the library tomorrow where we¡¯ll pick out a book to read during quiet time. Does everyone remember the library rules?¡± Murmurs filled the classroom but no one actually spoke the answer. Then Lucy raised her hand. ¡°Yes, Lucy?¡± Lucy stuck a finger in her mouth like she was contemplating what to say. ¡°Um, Miss La¡­lawe¡­lawence, do we have to get a book?¡± My smile wavered. ¡°I do want everyone to pick out something they like, but you may also bring something from home to read.¡± I didn¡¯t know if that¡¯s what Lucy meant but she seemed satisfied with the answer and didn¡¯t say anything more. We walked out to the hallway where the parents were arriving to pick up their kids. Soon, only one child remained. Lucy. ¡°Hey, Lucy. Can I ask you a question?¡± I crouched beside her like I did that morning. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Can you tell me what you like to read with your dad?¡± Lucy stuck a finger back in her mouth and gnashed her teeth around it. ¡°Cookie mouse.¡± I let out a chuckle. ¡°Do you mean ¡®if you give a mouse a cookie¡¯?¡± She nodded. I walked over to our little classroom library with Lucy following closely at my heels. After flipping through a few of the choices, I found the exact one she liked. Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, and she tugged me down to the carpet. She flipped to the first page and I pointed to the words. ¡°I-if yo g-g i b¡ªgib a¡­mo¡ªa moo¡ªmoose¡ª¡± she started. ¡°Mouse,¡± I softly corrected, showing her the way my mouth formed the letters. ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll learn that this year. ¡°Mo¡ªmus¡ªmouse,¡± she continued, her bottom lip quivering. ¡°a co¡ªcookie. His go-gon-gong ask for a gluss of mlik.¡± ¡°Milk.¡± ¡°Milk.¡± She repeated the word, her lips moving slowly as she copied me. ¡°I¡¯m impressed. She¡¯s never read aloud with anyone but me before.¡± I turned at the sound of Braden¡¯s voice. Lucy jumped to her feet and yelled, ¡°Daddy!¡± before running headfirst into his legs. He laughed, scooping her up into his arms and balancing her on his hip. ¡°Hey there, cupcake. Did you have a good first day?¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± She leaned her head against his chest. Braden glanced at me. His hair stuck to his forehead like he¡¯d spent a lot of time out in the warm August air. ¡°Sorry I was late. Work was¡­well, work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. Lucy did great today.¡± The ticking clock filled the silence. ¡°Um, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, then? Lucy, it was great meeting you.¡± Lucy grinned. ¡°What do we say, Luce?¡± Braden whispered to her. ¡°Thank you, Miss La¡ªwence.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± I waved to them as Braden led his daughter down the hallway. At the end of the hall, he turned back briefly and sent a smile in my direction. But once he was out of earshot, I let out a groan and slid down the wall. I¡¯d survived the first day. But I had no idea how I¡¯d face Braden for the rest of the school year. My phone pinged with a text message and I fished it out of my pocket. It was from Braden. For the record, you were never a rebound either. Lucy¡¯s mom and I are separated. We share custody and have family gatherings but it¡¯s over between her and me. I¡¯m sorry for earlier. I want you to know that. And I hope maybe we can figure out a way for there to still be something between us. A spark like that doesn¡¯t just fade overnight. My heart sighed a breath of relief, but this didn¡¯t change anything. At least, not enough that would let us resume our relationship. I hated the rules, but there was no changing them. It wasn¡¯t my fault Braden and I were dating. I wondered, had this ever happened before? What were the rules if a teacher and a parent were dating prior to the student coming to school? I formulated a reply and sent it off: I appreciate your candidness now that things have become more complicated. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know if it can change anything. Rules are rules and I don¡¯t want to risk being fired. Maybe when I¡¯m not Lucy¡¯s teacher anymore we can resume what could¡¯ve been a great relationship. But for now, I think we¡¯re better off as friends. I¡¯m sorry, Braden. Truly, I am. This time, the tears did fall from my eyes, dripping down my cheeks and plopping onto the screen of my phone. Of all the guys¡­ I sure had the worst timing. August 8th Dex, Oh my gosh you¡¯re never going to believe that happened! I met this guy at a bar a few weeks back and we totally hit it off. Turns out, he has a daughter and she¡¯s in my class! Ugh, I feel so¡­I don¡¯t know, cheated? He neglected to tell me about her, even lied to me about the times he¡¯s had to babysit. He wants things to work between us and I sort of do too but the school has a rule against parents and teachers dating. I don¡¯t know how to feel about all of this and I wish you were there to talk to. I miss you so much. Amelia 6 | August: Miss Freeman, Formerly Callahan August 15th Ames, Sounds like you¡¯ve had quite a whirlwind! I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not at all what you expected with this guy. Does he make you happy? That¡¯s the main thing. I know you, Ames, and you can get through anything. A kid changes things but does it change how you feel about him? Keep living it up, you¡¯re doing great. Talk soon, Dex Life as a teacher showed me a new side to elementary school I¡¯d never witnessed before: the teacher¡¯s job is never done. This was something that stuck with me after watching Lucy in class and the way she struggled with reading. And yet, for all the days that Braden picked her up after school¡ªlate each time¡ªshe and I would spend a few minutes working on some extra practice. ¡°Miss Lawence,¡± Lucy asked at the end of the first week. ¡°Can we read the moo¡ªmowse book? ¡°Again?¡± I was pleased she enjoyed it. It was wonderful watching her begin to feel comfortable with reading the words, but still she struggled in class with the other students. ¡°Uh huh.¡± Her little head nodded up and down and she looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes. ¡°Of course.¡± She settled in a beanbag chair, leaning over my shoulder while I sat with my legs tucked beneath me on the floor. ¡°If you give a mouse a cookie,¡± I began. Lucy¡¯s breath was warm on my cheek from where she perched. Her small fingers curled around the ends of my hair. ¡°He¡¯s going to ask for¡ª¡± A pair of heels clicked their way across the linoleum floor. ¡°Mrs. Lawrence?¡± a strong feminine voice called out. I stood up, easing Lucy carefully away from her spot nestled against my shoulder, and smoothed down my skirt. ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Miss¡¯, actually. Hi, you must be Ms. Callahan.¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Lucy squealed, running over to catapult into her mother¡¯s long, slender legs. Ms. Callahan¡¯s dark hair was tied back into a simple twist and she held a Prada handbag between perfectly manicured fingers. She smiled ever so slightly at the child clinging to her and extended a hand in my direction. ¡°Formerly, Callahan. Linda Freeman, pleasure to meet you. How was Lucy today?¡± ¡°She was great as always. We were just reading one of her favorite stories together.¡± ¡°Miss Law-ence reads me the cookie mouse book every day,¡± Lucy contributed. I beamed down at her as Lucy gave me a cheeky grin. ¡°Are you and, um, Mr. Callahan coming to the Parent-Teacher night next week?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be there. Braden should be there as well, but we haven¡¯t quite talked about it yet,¡± Linda replied. She fiddled with the straps of her daughter¡¯s backpack. ¡°No worries.¡± An awkward silence spread between us, broken up only by the slow ticking of the clock on the wall. Miss Freeman looked me up and down. ¡°Braden speaks very highly of you, Miss Lawrence.¡± I swallowed. ¡°Does he?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Linda turned up her nose. ¡°Lucy worships her father. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just because she talks about you on his nights.¡± Lucy nodded at us. ¡°That¡¯s because Miss La-wence is the bestest.¡± I laughed. ¡°Thank you, Lucy.¡± I turned back to Linda. ¡°I look forward to seeing you and, um, hopefully Lucy¡¯s dad next week at the event. Have a great weekend.¡± With a smile and a wave, Linda left with Lucy clutching at her hand. ¡°Mommy, Miss Law-la-wence read me the cookie moose book!¡± I heard Lucy say to her mom as they walked down the hall. ¡°That¡¯s nice, sweetie. Did you have fun?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Lucy skipped alongside her mom. ¡°Can we get ice cream?¡± ¡°Maybe later, baby. Mommy¡¯s got to finish up some work before we get dinner and then maybe we can get ice cream.¡± ¡°Yay! Can daddy¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as she and Linda walked further away from the room. I sighed. All of my students were like my own children, I loved them in their own ways. Watching them leave at the end of the day was hard, but it was even harder when I thought about my future with Braden. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Whatever a future like that looked like, Linda would still most likely be in the picture. I could never replace Lucy¡¯s mom, nor did I ever want to. I shook my head. Where was that even coming from? Braden and I could only be friends right now. There was no future for us. A knock sounded at the connecting door between my classroom and Daphne¡¯s classroom, and I turned to find my friend lingering in the doorway. ¡°First week over,¡± she commented. ¡°How¡¯d you do?¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s a learning curve. I miss having my professors to lean on for support.¡± Daphne nodded. ¡°I totally understand.¡± Her gaze lingered on a spot behind us on my desk. ¡°What have you determined about Braden?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers. We¡¯d seen each other throughout the week at drop off and pick up, not exchanging more than a pleasant ¡®hello¡¯ and ¡®see you tomorrow¡¯. He hadn¡¯t texted me since that first day and I hadn¡¯t reached out either. What would I say? ¡°You should come out with us tonight!¡± Daphne¡¯s voice broke my train of thought. ¡°You deserve a chance to let loose after such a long chaotic week. Give yourself a break from thinking about what goes on in that head of yours.¡± I shook my head and gave her an apologetic smile. ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I already have a date with some pizza and my couch tonight.¡± If Linda had Lucy tonight, Braden had a chance to go out which meant I could run into him again. And I didn¡¯t want that. ¡°Okay.¡± Daphne chewed her bottom lip. ¡°Next time, then?¡± ¡°Sure thing.¡± She started for the classroom door, lingering in the adjoining doorway and tapping her fingers along the doorframe. ¡°You can¡¯t hide from him forever, Ames. Maybe give Dex a call. He¡¯s always been good at giving advice.¡± ¡°I will, thanks. Have fun tonight.¡± I gathered the rest of my things and flicked off the lights in my classroom before locking the door. The twenty-minute car ride felt instantaneous, likely because I had two days off before I had to be back at school. But it also meant I had to lesson plan for the following week. In school, I¡¯d learned that most of my peers hated the lesson planning part of education. For me, though, it allowed me to come up with creative ways to invest my students in their learning for something as mundane as long and short vowel sounds. As I sat at the coffee table in the living room, chewing on the end of a pen, my sister came into the room, decked out for another night at a bar. She pouted when she saw me. ¡°Ames, tell me you¡¯re not lesson planning on a Friday night. You just finished teaching at three!¡± ¡°I have a lot to do to prepare for next week,¡± I replied, not even looking up from my work. ¡°You go, though. Have fun but be safe.¡± Eloise pouted. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°Now, go! Have fun.¡± While Eloise was out at the bar, I spent the next few hours working on all the technical details for next week¡¯s classes. All of my students were doing great and I was pleased. First grade was meant to introduce these kids to the skills they¡¯d need in further education. I shuffled through my bag and took out the reading sheets for the class. Most of the students had successfully completed their logs, but one name stood out to me: Lucy Callahan. Lucy¡¯s log included ¡°If You Give a Mouse a Cookie¡± in the first slot, then nothing else for the rest of the time. I thought back to who picked her up during the week. With separated parents, I knew it would be harder for her to always have the log completed, but I was now curious about how much she read on nights when she was with her mom. She wasn¡¯t the only student with an incomplete log, and I made a note to discuss the reading log with all the parents at the Parent-Teacher Night next week. I hoped it would be a fun way for the students to pick what they read at home and I¡¯d encourage them all to check out books on our first library trip next week. Next week¡¯s book of choice for our class would be ¡®Miss Nelson is Missing¡¯, a classic that I hoped all the students would enjoy. That was one part of my teaching degree I always enjoyed: reading the books I grew up with and getting to teach them to my students. By the time the clock flashed an angry 10:30pm, I was exhausted but not tired enough to go to bed. I grabbed a beer from the fridge and took a sip. The bitter liquid coated my tongue, slipping easily down my throat. I glanced at my phone. Still no word from Dex. I frowned. I knew he was busy but he couldn¡¯t take just two seconds to text me? I curled my fingers around my phone, willing it to ring or ping with a text. No luck. My fingers absentmindedly punched at the keys and a ringing filled my ears. One ring, two rings, three rings. Then: Hey, you¡¯ve reached Alexander Larson! I¡¯m not able to take your call right now but please leave a message and I¡¯ll get back to ya. Stay cool! Hot tears dripped down my cheeks, staining the fabric of my pants. Disappointment choked in my throat and I tried to compose words in my brain. Beep! ¡°Hey, Dex,¡± I started breezily. ¡°It¡¯s Ames. Just thought I¡¯d give a call to tell you I miss you and hope Cali is treating you well. Portland is different without you. There¡¯s just¡­there¡¯s so much going on and I really could use a friend to talk to right now. The girls think I¡¯m being stubborn with not wanting to go out but I can¡¯t. The guy I told you about? I¡¯m just so scared. I¡¯m scared of what will happen if we don¡¯t see each other. And even more of what will happen¡ªwould happen¡ªif we do.¡± My throat constricted again. ¡°You said we¡¯d talk soon but we haven¡¯t and I miss you so much and I just feel so lonely¡­¡± I trailed off, realizing I¡¯d stumbled into blame territory. Clearing my throat, I started again, letting shaky confidence return to my voice. ¡°We should catch up soon! So, um, give me a call¡ªor send a text, whatever is fine¡ªand we can figure something out. Love ya. Bye.¡± I hung up and tossed my phone onto the couch. Another day without Dex, without my best friend. It hadn¡¯t been very long but I already felt like he was slipping away. Shaking my head, I turned on the tv and picked out Definitely, Maybe¡ªa classic that I¡¯d made Dex watch with me many times before. I needed something to get my mind off of my MIA best friend and my ¡°not a chance in hell¡±. What better way than watching a classic romantic comedy? 7 | August: Parent-teacher Night The gymnasium swarmed with teachers mingling with parents who now dressed down to casual slacks and blouses. ¡°Congrats on surviving the first week and a half of school!¡± Daphne greeted me when I arrived. She held a plastic cup with a bright red liquid in it. Next to her stood a woman in her thirties whom I recognized from the teacher¡¯s lounge. She had a name tag that said, ¡°Miss Rachel Atlas, 5th grade.¡± ¡°Ah, if only they were all as easy,¡± I joked and waved to them. ¡°Looks like a good turn out tonight.¡± Daphne nodded. ¡°And speaking of looking good¡­¡± she jutted her chin toward a spot behind me. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Braden Callahan?¡± I whacked my friend¡¯s arm. ¡°Daph!¡± Heat rose to my cheeks as I took in his easy going outfit of slacks and a dark blue shirt. Damn, he cleaned up nice. Rachel laughed next to us. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Amelia. Many of the young first time teachers develop crushes on the single parents. And the same goes for some of those not-first time teachers.¡± She raised her own plastic cup to her lips. ¡°It¡¯s not a crush,¡± I said hurriedly. Rachel and Daphne looked at me with matching eager grins. I rolled my eyes and gave the short version of the ¡®forbidden love¡¯ story that we could¡¯ve almost had together. After the exhausting rehashing of the story to my friends, I walked over to the drink table and poured myself some juice from one of the clear containers. "Is the punch any good?" I choked on my drink, turning to find Braden standing there. He had impeccable timing. My hand flailed around in the air to signal that I was ok, but I needed a second to regain control of my lungs. "Yes, it is," I finally managed to say. "Sorry, you scared me. I didn''t see you standing there." Braden chuckled. "Seems like we can''t get away from each other. Lucy loves you, by the way. You''re all she talks about at home." I smiled. "I''m glad. She''s a great kid." Braden rapped his knuckles on the drink table. "Amelia¡ªMiss Lawrence¡ªI wanted to apologize for¡­well, for not telling you the truth about Lucy sooner. Maybe it¡¯s not something typically divulged on the first date,¡± he said, lowering his voice, ¡°but it¡¯s still something that I should¡¯ve said. And now that you''re teaching my daughter, I don''t want things to be...weird between us, you know? This week has been busy at work but I do want for us to be friends. I think¡­I think it can work." "Thank you. I need to apologize too. I also just got out of something complicated too, although I can¡¯t really say that it was anything because he confessed his feelings before moving away, but I want to make sure we set some ground rules if we¡¯re going to do this friendship thing. You and me¡­it¡¯s a lot to process right now." ¡°Amelia.¡± Braden slipped a hand over mine, sending electric shocks down my spine. ¡°We¡¯ll start over as many times as we need, okay? I can¡¯t just forget that I met you but I can sure as hell can suppress my feelings for you when we¡¯re in the same vicinity at school.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Braden nodded. I leaned forward. ¡°Then take your hand away before you get us both in trouble.¡± He uncovered my hand and shoved it back into his pocket. ¡°Good boy,¡± I murmured. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. A mischievous twinkle glimmered in his eyes as a grin slipped onto his face, and I couldn¡¯t help but burst into a fit of giggles. That earned us a few odd stares from people passing by the drinks table. We stepped away to the side to have more privacy. ¡°So anyway, in the spirit of staying professional, I haven¡¯t had the chance to be a normal twenty-six year old. Ever since Linda and I split, things have just been hard. And it sounds like we could both use a chance to be young and free and¡­friendly.¡± He added the last word as I raised my eyebrows. "Anyway, I know this great Italian restaurant and¡ª" "Braden." I tucked my hair behind my ears and an edge creeped into my voice. "That¡¯s not¡­I-I can''t. You know I can''t. This is what I¡¯m talking about as ¡®too much¡¯. We can¡¯t¡ªthe rules..." I couldn¡¯t figure out how to articulate what I wanted to say. It seemed there was no good way for us to be friends without slipping into date territory. He put his hands up in defense. "Yeah, too fancy. I know. Staying professional." He tilted his gaze up to meet mine. "Why don''t we set up lunch sometimes? Take my card, you already have my cell number. If anything changes, or if something comes up with Lucy. Don''t hesitate to call, ok?" He took a card out of his pocket and scribbled something onto the back. Callahan & Sons Construction Hesitantly, I took the card from him. Our pinkies touched briefly and for a moment, there was a spark. ¡°Welcome, everyone!¡± The principal¡¯s voice boomed over a microphone. ¡°I¡¯m Victoria Mullins, Principal here at Williams Preparatory School. I am so pleased to see so many wonderful new faces among us tonight. I will begin by calling up each grade level¡¯s teachers, and parents with children in those grades will follow them to their classroom. Now let¡¯s kick off Parent-Teacher night!¡± All while the principal spoke, I glanced around to see how many parents showed up for my class. As my gaze wandered through the crowd, it stopped cold on a familiar face. A face belonging to a woman with dark hair pulled back, a Prada handbag on her shoulder, and eyes that bore deep into my soul. Daphne squeezed my arm, and I jumped. ¡°Woah. Are you ok?¡± she asked. I tore my eyes away from Linda Callahan and forced a smile. ¡°Yeah, fine. Let¡¯s go meet the parents.¡± *** The night went smoother than I¡¯d anticipated. Braden caught my eye several times throughout the night, and each time I felt my cheeks flush. ¡°As you can see, our class has spent a lot of time working on these wonderful little projects you see throughout the room,¡± I said. ¡°Feel free to look around and let me know if you have any questions about our classroom. It was great meeting you all tonight, and I hope to see some familiar faces at our PTA meeting next week!¡± Several parents came up to thank me for my time before heading home to relieve their babysitters. Others stayed to mingle a bit longer. Soon, everyone had left¡ªor at least I thought I was all alone until I heard a pair of heels clacking against the floor, the sound growing louder with every step. ¡°Miss Calla¡ªFreeman,¡± I said. ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Linda quirked an eyebrow. ¡°I saw you getting pretty cozy with Braden earlier. Anything I should be concerned about?¡± I stumbled backwards. Did she suspect something? For someone only a few years older than me, she certainly had intimidation down to a T. ¡°N-no. There¡¯s nothing going on.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°Let¡¯s ensure it stays that way.¡± Linda took a step forward. ¡°I¡¯m the president of the school¡¯s board, you know. I¡¯d hate for them to have to find out that such a¡­¡± she gave me a once over just like she¡¯d done the day we met, ¡°young and promising teacher fooled around with a parent. They might begin to question whether you can actually do your job.¡± Heat rose to my cheeks and my heart jumped in my chest. Where the hell was she getting her information? She acted like I was a child! ¡°I¡¯m twenty-three and more than qualified to be a teacher,¡± I tossed at her. ¡°Braden has nothing to do with my abilities to work at this school. You have nothing to be worried about either because there is nothing going on with me and Braden.¡± Linda clucked her tongue. ¡°The minute that dumb act of yours wears off, you¡¯ll realize he¡¯s just mooching off of you because he¡¯s bored without me. You are nothing more than a plaything. Soon enough he¡¯ll toss you away without a second glance. Believe me, he¡¯s done it before and he¡¯ll do it again.¡± Before I could inquire anymore about what she meant, she turned up her nose and spun on her heel, walking out the classroom door and leaving me dumbfounded in the wake of her heels echoing off the cinderblock walls of the school. Oh boy. I took a deep breath. Braden had flirted with me tonight and Linda must¡¯ve picked up on it. Clearly. It¡¯s not like we were being subtle at all. 8 | August: Conference Call The end of August came much too quickly, and we were already a few weeks into school. Lucy kept bringing in her reading log half-finished and it was getting harder and harder to let that slide. As much as I wanted to confront Braden about it, I realized that he wasn¡¯t the issue. Linda was. After a few additional days of an empty sheet, Lucy slipped me her paper with something scrawled across the top. It was enough to make my heart shatter. Redn is stupt :( ¡°How¡¯re the kiddos?¡± Daphne asked me one morning as we filled our coffee mugs in the staff lounge. The room was larger than it had ever been at any of my college placements, complete with a flat-screen television, huge sofas, and an espresso machine. We even had one of those special vending machines that spit out gourmet salads for lunch. At $12 a pop, I¡¯d stick with my leftovers from the Thai place down the road. ¡°They¡¯re good,¡± I replied, breathing in the deep aroma of hazelnut and vanilla wafting from our mugs. ¡°I¡¯m a little concerned about Lucy, though.¡± ¡°Because of¡ª¡± she lowered her voice and wiggled her eyebrows. ¡°Not exactly. But keep your voice down.¡± It was already hard enough seeing Braden every morning when he dropped Lucy off. I didn¡¯t need any more suspicions. I poured a generous amount of cream into my coffee, watching the milky swirls turn it from a deep chocolate brown to a golden caramel. It reminded me of the color of Dex¡¯s eyes when the sun hit them. ¡°She¡¯s only turning in her reading log on the nights she¡¯s with her dad. I¡¯m worried about how the separation is affecting her, and I¡¯m worried about the effort that Linda is not putting in.¡± ¡°Linda, her mom?¡± Daphne sipped her espresso. I nodded. ¡°I mean, this is clearly a parental issue, right? It¡¯s something Linda and Braden need to work through. I don¡¯t want to tell them how to parent their child.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re Lucy¡¯s teacher. You see that she¡¯s not getting her work done. Divorced parents or not, that¡¯s still a problem.¡± ¡°Separated,¡± I clarified. Not that it mattered. But the distinction felt important to me. Daphne cocked her head to the side. ¡°Ames, you have to look at this from the professional aspect, as a teacher. Would you approach it any differently if this were any other student.¡± ¡°No, but that¡¯s not the point.¡± ¡°Yes, it is,¡± she argued, setting her mug down. Daphne placed her hands on my shoulders and stared into my eyes. She could be very intimidating when she wanted to be. Now was definitely one of those times. ¡°Amelia, you are first and foremost this child¡¯s teacher. That¡¯s what matters. Your job is to make sure she succeeds. You¡¯ve identified how she is not succeeding and other concerns you have about her level of improvement. This is when we intervene with the parents. You know this, it¡¯s what we were taught.¡± The clock on the wall ticked closer to the start of the school day. If I could catch Braden before the swarm¡­ ¡°She doesn¡¯t enjoy reading anymore,¡± I blurted. ¡°Something has clearly changed, and I need to figure it out.¡± Daphne nodded, a smile growing across her face. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Call a conference with Braden and Linda. If it¡¯s really the reading ability that she¡¯s struggling with and not so much that she¡¯s not reading with Linda, maybe Cindy can be there.¡± I blinked. ¡°Cindy¡­¡± My best friend rolled her eyes. ¡°The reading specialist. Damn girl, do you ever pay attention at our staff meetings?¡± The mug went back to my lips to prevent me from answering. Luckily, I didn¡¯t have to, as the bell rang to signal the start of school. We hurried over to our classrooms, with plans to follow up at lunchtime. *** One ring, two rings, three rings. I tapped my fingers against my desk as I waited for the call to connect on the other end. Please answer, I silently begged. This wasn¡¯t going to be an easy conversation. ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve reached Braden Callahan at Callahan & Sons Construction!¡± his voicemail answered cheerfully. ¡°Please leave a message with your name, number, and business inquiry and I¡¯ll return your call as soon as I can. Thanks!¡± Beep. A pause. I cleared my throat. ¡°Hi Braden, it¡¯s me. Er, Amelia. Miss Lawrence, Lucy¡¯s teacher.¡± I pinched the bridge of my nose between two fingers. Well this was starting off great. ¡°Um, I wanted to talk to you about Lucy and her reading log. It seems that lately¡ª¡± A click cut off the voicemail and background noise filled the receiver. I held it away from my ear, wrinkling my nose. ¡°Hello?¡± a strong masculine voice said on the other end. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°H-hello?¡± I replied. ¡°Braden?¡± ¡°Amelia!¡± Surprise laced his voice. ¡°Sorry about the noise, let me pick up on my second line.¡± ¡°Oh ok, but¡ª¡± Suddenly he was gone, but so was the background noise. A few seconds later, he returned. ¡°Much better,¡± he said breezily. ¡°So, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Um, I wanted to talk to you about Lucy.¡± I gave him the brief rundown of what I¡¯d learned, from the empty logs to the expression of hatred for reading that she¡¯d written on the most recent. ¡°Damn,¡± Braden said when I was finished. ¡°I had no idea she was having so much trouble.¡± I raised my eyebrows. ¡°She¡¯s not showing any difficulties at home?¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s not necessarily that¡­I mean we have a system¡­¡± That had certainly caught him off guard. Regardless, I was a teacher and seeing my students succeed was my job. ¡°We¡¯d really like you to come in for a conference.¡± I tapped a pencil against my desk and twirled the cord around one finger. ¡°We? Or you?¡± I sat up straighter. ¡°We at the school, Mr. Callahan. Lucy needs this support right now and since you and Linda are her primary, it¡¯s pertinent that you and Linda come in for a meeting.¡± Silence filled the other end of the phone. ¡°Let me give Linda a call and see what we can work out. But just so you know, our schedules are not always compat¡ª¡± ¡°This is for your daughter,¡± I snapped. Then remembering I was still a teacher first and foremost, my feelings for Braden aside, I changed tactics. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I-I hate to see her struggling so much and I want you both to be aware of the circumstances and how we might be able to help. I¡¯ll be coordinating with our reading specialist so that she can join us on the call.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± A pause, then, ¡°I really appreciate your help, Amelia. This¡­I want what¡¯s best for Lucy.¡± ¡°I understand that.¡± We weren¡¯t supposed to have favorites, but Lucy certainly held a special place in my heart. And not just because I was sweet on Braden. ¡°So, um, you¡¯ll call me with some times that¡¯ll work for you and Linda?¡± ¡°Yeah. Talk soon.¡± We hung up and I went back to the stack of papers on my desk. No sooner had I uncapped my red grading pen that one of the playground aides came into the room with a sniffling, red-eyed Lucy by her side. ¡°Hi Miss Lawrence,¡± the aide said. Lucy held tight to her hand. ¡°We had a little trouble with another student on the playground, so Miss Lucy here wanted to come back inside and see you.¡± I rolled my chair out from behind the desk and beckoned Lucy to walk forward. She immediately ran to my side, butting her head into my stomach. ¡°I got her from here, thanks,¡± I told the aide. Then I turned to Lucy. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Miss Lucy?¡± Her lower lip quivered as she spoke. ¡°M-michael was b-be¡ªbeing mean to me on the playground.¡± She hiccuped and swiped her sleeve across her face. I frowned. Michael was another student in our class, but as far as I know he¡¯d never bothered her before. ¡°He was? What did he do?¡± Lucy¡¯s fingers grasped at my sleeve. ¡°He¡ªhe, he said I can¡¯t read. And that I¡¯m too slow.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s certainly not nice of him to say.¡± She bobbed her head up and down. ¡°And, and, and then I told him he was a meanie and that I hated-ed him.¡± ¡°Oh, sweetie.¡± I bit back a chuckle. ¡°Do you remember what we learned about kindness? We have to be nice to people even when they¡¯re mean to us.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Her lip quivered again and her eyes filled with tears. ¡°M-michael is right. I c-can¡¯t read.¡± Tears dripped down her face, surrounding her puffy eyes as her chest heaved up and down. My throat constricted as I realized just how much self-confidence had greatly depleted in the child that stood before me. She looked so helpless, the disappointment in her blue eyes matching the same look I got from Braden when I told him we couldn¡¯t date. ¡°Why do you think that?¡± I found her log on my desk and handed it over. ¡°Is it because of this?¡± She nodded, sniffling. ¡°Sorry,¡± she whispered. ¡°Aw, sweetie. It¡¯s okay, we all feel like this sometimes. But you know what? The important thing is getting an adult to help so we can begin to enjoy things a bit more.¡± Lucy swung her hands by her sides. ¡°Can you help me?¡± she asked, her voice barely above a hoarse whisper.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I started to stand up but Lucy ran over to our classroom bookshelves and pulled out a book. She pointed to the title then looked up at me. ¡°Give it a try, okay?¡± I encouraged her with a nod of my head. Lucy looked down at the words, her eyes growing wide. ¡°C-can¡¯t do it.¡± Her lower lip trembled again. ¡°T-the w-words¡­the words¡­I can¡¯t¡­it''s hard to read.¡± ¡°Do they get blurry?¡± I asked. ¡°Upside down,¡± she clarified. So it was something to do about how the words appeared on the page. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk, okay? I know someone who might be able to help us,¡± I said, getting to my feet. Lucy¡¯s eyes brightened and she walked beside me as we made our way down the empty hallway to the open door for Miss Cindy¡¯s office. ¡°Hi there,¡± I greeted her quietly. Cindy was sitting at her desk, typing on her computer. She removed the pair of cat eye glasses perched on her nose and placed them on her head. The glasses were attached to a purple bejeweled string that hung around her neck. Cindy smiled when she saw us, her brown eyes crinkling at the edges. ¡°Well, hello there. How are you today?¡± Lucy whimpered and moved closer to my leg. ¡°This is Lucy, Miss Cindy. We wanted to see if you could help us a little bit.¡± I crouched down to Lucy. ¡°Miss Cindy helps kids with their reading.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t do it,¡± Lucy whispered. I glanced up at Cindy for help. She smiled down at us. ¡°Let¡¯s see if I might be able to help,¡± she said. ¡°Do you want to go pick out a book from my reading center?¡± Lucy nodded and ran over to a shelf. ¡°We¡¯re setting up a conference with mom and dad,¡± I said in a lowered voice as Lucy perused the little library in the corner of the room. ¡°She seems like such a sweet kid,¡± Cindy observed. ¡°Do you know when the reading issues started?¡± ¡°Seems like ever since the beginning of the year.¡± Lucy back over, holding a book close to her chest. ¡°This one, please.¡± Cindy clapped her hands together. ¡°That is one of my favorites, too.¡± She winked at Lucy who giggled. ¡°Go find a seat and I¡¯ll be right over.¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t mind?¡± I asked. Cindy waved off the question. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem at all. I¡¯ll just bring her back to class when we¡¯re all finished up here?¡± I nodded. ¡°Thanks, Cindy.¡± I gave Lucy a thumbs up and a wave before heading back to my room. It was with a heavy heart that I left her behind but Cindy was the best we had to help students with their educational struggles. The sooner we got Lucy this help, the sooner we could make sure she had the resources needed to succeed. 9 | September: The Date We finally had a break about a month into school. Labor Day. Talk about a good holiday to have off. After all of the hard work us teachers had put in with our kiddos, this 3-day weekend was well deserved. One evening when I was sitting on my couch watching tv, Eloise walked over and stood in front of me, her arms crossed over her chest. I hit the pause button. ¡°What¡¯s up, El?¡± ¡°That puppy dog boy toy of yours keeps pacing outside our apartment,¡± she said. ¡°At first I thought it was kinda cute, but he¡¯s been there for like twenty minutes. It¡¯s getting a little weird now.¡± I frowned. ¡°What?¡± Eloise rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah. The guy from the bar with the daughter who¡¯s in your class? He¡¯s outside. With flowers.¡± I jumped up and ran to the window. Sure enough, Braden was walking around holding a bouquet. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡± ¡°Probably wants to see you,¡± Eloise replied. ¡°Although he should know better considering the way he¡¯s already gotten onto my bitch list.¡± A laugh sputtered from my lips. ¡°Your bitch list? Like, the one we used to make about all those mean girls in middle school?¡± El nodded. ¡°Yeah. I told him not to hurt you and what does he do? He goes and keeps the fact that he has a daughter from you.¡± She spread her hands out in front of her as if this made her point clearer. ¡°Bitch list.¡± I shook my head in disbelief. ¡°He¡¯s probably scared of you, El.¡± ¡°As he should be.¡± She fished the remote from the sofa then nudged me. ¡°Go deal with him. You know you want to.¡± ¡°You say that as if he¡¯s a nuisance,¡± I muttered but went to pull on a sweater before hurrying outside to meet him. As I got closer, I realized he was murmuring something to himself, as if rehearsing a speech over and over again. ¡°...and I really, really want us to¡ª¡± ¡°You know some people would get the wrong idea seeing somebody pacing outside an apartment complex like this,¡± I called out. Braden chuckled, turning around. ¡°I, uh, I wanted to call you but I didn¡¯t exactly know what to say. So I somehow just ended up here.¡± I crossed the path to meet him, the damp grass soaking through my shoes. ¡°Why are you here, Braden? You know we can¡¯t¡­you and I can¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°I know. I do. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t stop thinking about what we could¡¯ve been,¡± he said. ¡°Or could still be.¡± I sighed. ¡°Neither can I. But Braden, your ex is suspicious of us. She almost pegged us at the parent-teacher night and all we did was talk. So if she catches us together even casually, she could out us, especially because she is president of the school¡¯s board. And I can¡¯t afford to lose my job.¡± Braden shook his head. ¡°Linda is like that. Her bark is worse than her bite.¡± ¡°Are you defending her?¡± I crossed my arms over my chest. It was half from the cold, but mostly from the fact that Braden was clearly still hung up on his ex.¡± ¡°Not at all. If it weren¡¯t for Lucy, she and I would¡¯ve cut ties long ago.¡± He ran a hand through his hair. It was damp as if he¡¯d just taken a shower. Or had a swim. I bit my lip. I wondered what kind of soap he used. From here, my nose detected hints of lavender and maybe honey? Something sweet for sure. ¡°Amelia.¡± Braden¡¯s voice snapped me back to attention where I realized my gaze had wandered away from his face and down his body. His lips twitched into a smile. ¡°My eyes are up here, you know.¡± Heat flooded to my cheeks as I refocused my gaze upwards where it belonged. ¡°Sorry. But my point still stands; why are you defending her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, I just know how she gets. She¡¯s never been one to act on those threats,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe not, but it doesn¡¯t mean she won¡¯t.¡± I sighed. ¡°A lioness does whatever she must to protect her cub.¡± Braden took a step forward. ¡°And the king of the jungle defends his woman¡¯s honor.¡± He tilted my chin up with one finger so I had no choice but to stare into those deep pools of blue. ¡°We can figure out a way to make this work.¡± ¡°I wish¡­if things were different, if I wasn¡¯t your daughter¡¯s teacher, then maybe we¡¯d have an actual chance. Because I really do like you, Braden.¡± I pushed off of his chest. He brushed his fingers over my arm, catching my hand in his. ¡°Amelia, we¡¯ve played this game before. We¡¯ve tried not dating, we¡¯ve tried to be friends. None of it is working. Is it working for you?¡± I didn¡¯t dignify that with a response, and he took my silence as expected. ¡°We work well together. And you had no idea Lucy would be in your class when we met. Why punish ourselves for that?¡± If the school found out¡­ Then my phone buzzed. Fishing it out of my pocket, a text glowered at me from the screen. Goddamn it, Amelia Louise Lawrence. If you don¡¯t say yes to him right now I will come out there and do it myself. Well, clearly there was only one choice. Even though he hadn¡¯t asked me anything yet. ¡°Come to my place tomorrow night?¡± he suggested. ¡°I¡¯ll cook for you. Lucy is at her mom¡¯s so we don¡¯t have to worry about any interruptions. Please?¡± Alone together and a homemade meal? That could be a very dangerous combination. On two very opposing fronts. I looked up at him, my gaze scanning over his hypnotic blue eyes as his thumb drew circles on the back of my hand. A new wave of confidence flowed over me as if washing me anew. ¡°Okay. One night.¡± Braden grinned. ¡°Great! I¡¯ll pick you up at seven-thirty and I¡¯ll make my famous chicken enchiladas.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± I replied, and it surprised me that I actually meant it. *** I never thought I¡¯d be so nervous to go on a date with a cute guy. Then again, I never expected to be going out with the parent of one of my students. Especially after telling myself how much I would regret dismissing the rules like this. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be doing this,¡± I said as Eloise finished styling my hair the next evening. ¡°Yes, you should.¡± Eloise spun me around and planted her hands on my shoulders. ¡°He¡¯s hot and single, and so are you. So what if he has a kid? If you like each other, take your shot. Plus, he¡¯s got some making up to do for the fact that he kept the kid a secret.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, El. In fact, it¡¯s extremely complicated.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not supposed to be simple, Ames.¡± She dug around in her vanity and pulled out a pink tube. ¡°Here¡ªbest liquid lip on the planet. And kiss proof.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I twisted the cap off and pulled out the applicator. Eloise crossed her legs beneath her on her bed. ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll have fun tonight?¡± I glanced at my sister. For someone as carefree and adventurous as she was, her attitude toward love¡ªthe real one, not the one she showed to her barhopping friends¡ªwas always one of caution and optimism. ¡°I¡¯ll try. Promise,¡± I said. ¡°Good. Condoms are under the¡ª¡± A knock sounded at the door, breaking my sister¡¯s words off mid-sentence. Thank goodness. Eloise jumped up from the bed with a squeal then went to answer the door, all mentions of sexual protection vanishing from the room. I ran after her and grabbed my purse. The last thing I needed was for my twin to scare him off before I had the chance to do it myself. And given her history with interrupting our moments, the sooner I intervened the better. ¡°Braden, hi,¡± I greeted him. His crisp white shirt had two buttons undone and his brown hair was carefully tousled, falling ever so slightly into his eyes. ¡°Good evening, Amelia.¡± Braden smiled at me then winked at my sister. ¡°Are you ready for the best date ever?¡± I smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that. But yes, let¡¯s go.¡± Braden grinned. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s.¡± He turned to Eloise. ¡°I¡¯ll have her home by midnight.¡± I rolled my eyes as El called out behind us, ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t expect to see her before noon tomorrow.¡± Braden laughed and led me to his car, keeping his hand on the small of my back. The car ride was silent, save for the soft rock playlist that Braden clicked on to calm the air between us. Once at his apartment, Braden led me up and unlocked the door. ¡°Dinner shouldn¡¯t take too long to prepare,¡± he said. ¡°Make yourself comfortable.¡± I smoothed down my corduroy skirt and sank into the plush sofa next to the kitchen. ¡°It¡¯s a nice place you have here.¡± A clang of metal and then, ¡°Thanks, I make do. Can I get you something to drink while we wait for dinner to cook?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good with water, thanks.¡± I turned around and cupped my chin in my hands, leaning on the back on his sofa. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± Braden shook his head. ¡°Nah, but thanks.¡± He walked over and handed me a glass of water, letting our fingers brush lightly. Then he returned to the stove where a pan began to sizzle and an aroma of chicken wafted through the apartment. ¡°So, when we first met you told me that you¡¯re a landscape artist and carpenter but your card indicates construction,¡± I said. ¡°How does that work exactly? Every time I see you, you don¡¯t exactly look dressed for a construction site.¡± Braden let out a chuckle. ¡°On the landscape artistry side, I design lawns for upscale rich folk. But my heart lies in sculpture work, although many of my paying sculptures have been topiaries¡ªmade from plants¡ªand not crafted from clay or wood which I like to make in my off-time.¡± ¡°Is landscape artistry lucrative?¡± I asked, then immediately kicked myself. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, that was insensitive. I mean, is it something you get a lot of work from?¡± He shrugged. ¡°For most of the year, yes. Winter¡¯s the hardest, but I make do. That¡¯s when I typically turn to other kinds of sculpture and crafting work. So my job really takes me down different avenues depending on the season.¡± ¡°Is that when you turn to carpentry?¡± Braden nodded, flipping over the strips of chicken as they sizzled in the pan. ¡°Construction is the family business. I work on the carpentry side of things. It helps pay the bills in the colder months.¡± ¡°I bet you¡¯re really good with your hands,¡± I commented. Braden chuckled, facing the stove. Oh my God. I cannot believe I just said that! Before I could correct my mistake, he¡¯d finished cooking the shredded chicken and was scooping it into the tortillas which were warming with melted cheese in another pan on the next burner. With the spatula, he served the quesadillas and brought the plates over to the table. ¡°Dinner is served,¡± he announced. ¡°Can I get you anything else?¡± I shook my head and smiled. ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. Thank you.¡± Braden took a seat at the table across from me. ¡°This looks delicious. Are you sure that¡¯s all you do? You should really add ¡®chef¡¯ to your resume.¡± His face lit up at the comment. ¡°Thanks. Cooking isn¡¯t really my thing though, I have a few dishes I can make but that¡¯s really it.¡± I picked up one of the quesadilla slices, the heat warming my fingers as I tilted it toward my mouth. It was the right amount of cheese-to-chicken ratio; the perfect quesadilla. ¡°You could¡¯ve fooled me. This really is fantastic, Braden.¡± I took another bite of cheesy goodness. Braden smiled. ¡°Thank you, Amelia. And, uh, thank you for agreeing to come to dinner tonight. I just¡­um, well¡ª¡± ¡°I know.¡± I put my fork down. ¡°I think you¡¯re right about what you¡¯ve observed. We didn¡¯t know how our paths would cross again after we met the first time. I think that says a lot. I want to find a way to make this work.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Braden lifted his glass. ¡°To¡­figuring out how to make us work?¡± I laughed and clinked my drink against his. Perfect dinner for a perfect date, I thought to myself. It was going well, I had to admit. And I enjoyed his company more which was a surprise too. After dinner, I offered to help Braden clean up the kitchen. ¡°Do you want to watch a movie?¡± he asked as we rinsed the dishes. The sleeves of his button-down shirt were pushed up to his elbows. He handed me a dish to dry. I nodded. ¡°Yeah, sure thing.¡± Glancing at the clock above the stove, I chewed on my bottom lip. It was only just after nine and my heart had no intention of going home anytime soon. ¡°If you want to head back, though, I¡¯ll understand. I know I sort of jumped this whole date on you without any time to process.¡± Braden glanced at me from his spot by the sink. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± I laid a hand on his arm and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve just¡­I need to let myself enjoy this, you know? I really like you Braden, in case that hasn¡¯t been clear.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Really? Would¡¯ve never guessed.¡± I playfully whacked him with the dish towel. ¡°Anyway. Look, you and me¡­we¡¯re kind of in two different stages of our lives right now. You have a kid, I¡¯m fresh out of college. As much as I want this, it¡¯s going to take time for me to get used to¡­us. Especially after¡ª¡± I stopped, swallowing hard and biting back the last words I almost let slip. ¡°Your past?¡± Braden supplied. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to talk about it. I want you to be comfortable around me, Ames, but I know that¡¯s going to take time.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± My nickname sounded different rolling off his tongue, but I liked it. ¡°I¡­In time. I think I¡¯m used to getting my hopes up for someone who¡¯s gonna end up leaving me in the end.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do that,¡± he said, reaching forward and brushing my hair out of my face before catching my hand with his. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you behind.¡± Our fingers interlocked, seamlessly falling into place like puzzle pieces. He turned to face me and molded his other hand against my waist. Instinctively, I tucked my other hand around his neck, my fingers teasing the strands of dark hair at the nape of his neck. He swayed us back and forth, hips moving slowly from side to side. There was no music, just the hum of the ceiling fan in the living room. Braden¡¯s lips quirked into a grin and he let go of my waist, raising our entwined hands above our heads as he spun me round and round. A laugh bubbled from my mouth and I twirled around and around. In the middle of the kitchen we were no longer teacher and parent; we were simply just a woman and a man. Amelia and Braden. He pulled me close. I could feel our heartbeats beneath the fabric of our clothes. Braden¡¯s gaze dipped down to my lips before flickering back up to meet my eyes. I inclined my head slowly. Braden cupped my face in his hands and dipped his lips toward mine. I closed my eyes. My heart thumped loudly against my chest. ¡°How about that movie?¡± My eyes snapped open and I stepped away from him, letting a groan escape my mouth. ¡°You are such a tease.¡± He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. ¡°Too slow?¡± he asked. I laughed. ¡°Maybe a little. But yes, a movie would be nice.¡± Shifting away from Braden¡¯s warm embrace, I returned to the sofa, tucking my legs beneath me. Braden joined me a minute later with a beer. He switched on the television and scrolled through to put on a movie. As the beginning credits rolled across the screen, I caught myself glancing over at him. There was a tiny scar on his left cheek and the corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. I leaned my head against his chest as his arm wrapped around my shoulders. His fingers wove their way through my hair. My eyes slowly fluttered closed, the exhaustion of the last few weeks finally catching up. 10 | September: Loopholes* ¡°Ames.¡± A tiny shake woke me minutes later. I rubbed my eyes, realizing at some point I had fallen into a horizontal position into Braden¡¯s lap. Then I glanced at the clock. 11pm. Crap! I had been asleep for way longer than just a few minutes. Damn Braden and his comfortable body. Blinking through the sleep that still clouded my eyes, I saw Braden¡¯s chest heaving with laughter from aside me. ¡°How far did I make it?¡± I asked, dreading the answer. ¡°Through the opening credits,¡± he replied, a teasing smile on his lips. His fingers still wound themselves through my hair. I groaned. ¡°Why are you so damn comfortable?¡± His grin widened. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing and a curse I guess. I hope it was okay for me to be playing with your hair?¡± ¡°Yeah, of course. That¡¯s probably why I fell asleep if I¡¯m being honest. It¡¯s something about the ASMR sensation, it just puts me to sleep.¡± ¡°Seems like you needed it. And I¡¯m glad I made a good pillow.¡± He glanced at the clock then back at me. ¡°So, um, do you want me to take you back? You can also stay over if you want. I don¡¯t mind.¡± I tucked my hair behind my ears. As much as I wanted to stay over, it was probably best that I didn¡¯t overstay my welcome. After all, we wanted to go slow. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you take me back home tonight,¡± I said. ¡°We haven¡¯t exactly figured out what we are and I, um¡­¡± I trailed off. I don¡¯t know if I can bear the strings attached. Braden nodded. ¡°Let me get my keys.¡± I went to collect my wedges by the front door then followed Braden down to his car. We drove back to my apartment in silence. A tension of something more lingered between us. Right now, we were just two people who¡¯d enjoyed a night of home cooked meals and casual conversation. But both of us wanted something more. ¡°Thank you for dinner,¡± I said, staring down at my hands in my lap. I turned in the passenger seat. Here went nothing. ¡°I, um, I want you to know that I really did have fun tonight and I¡¯m sorry about falling asleep. It¡¯s not something I normally do, especially when I¡¯m having fun on a date. And I don¡¯t even know if we can consider tonight a date because if we do then it means we¡¯re dating and that¡¯s just not something I think is in our best interest given our circumstances. Which sucks because I want to keep going out with you. We really did have such a connection that night we met and the supplemental times we¡¯ve seen each other and I didn¡¯t want to admit it but now that I have, I¡¯m wondering what it would be like to kiss you, and¡­¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°Are you done?¡± Braden asked. I frowned. That¡¯s all he had to say? Was he even listening? ¡°Yeah, I-I guess so.¡± My fingers hovered over the door handle. ¡°Are you sure? Because I think you forgot something.¡± ¡°What?¡± My eyebrows knitted together. Braden leaned across the center console, cupping my face in his rough, strong hands and kissing me. Softly. Sweetly. Sensually. He pulled back, desire swimming in his eyes. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I sat back in shock, an almost idiotic grin sliding over my face. ¡°Take it back.¡± ¡°Nuh uh.¡± Braden shook his head. ¡°Fine.¡± I leaned toward him, returning the kiss with one of my own. My fingers grasped at the fabric of his shirt as his fingers combed through my hair. My tongue swirled with his, dancing together as we explored each other¡¯s mouths. Braden placed his other hand around my waist and pulled me toward him in the driver¡¯s seat. His fingers trailed along the hem of my blouse, slipping underneath and tracing patterns along my bare skin. The seat groaned beneath us. My back was pressed against the steering wheel; one false move and we¡¯d alert the whole neighborhood to our scandalous act. ¡°Backseat.¡± His voice rumbled low in his throat. Braden shifted me in his lap, one hand gripping my thigh while the other fumbled against the seat. I let out a small shriek as the seat dropped horizontal. I crawled to the backseat and he followed, lowering himself on top of me before pushing the seat back to its upright position. Braden slid a hand up my bare leg and teasing the end of my skirt. His other hand moved up my shirt, teasing the lace beneath. With my chest pressed against him, I arched my back, and he began to pepper sloppy kisses along my jaw, down my neck to my throat. Oh my¡­ My eyes fluttered closed and suddenly I wished I¡¯d taken Eloise¡¯s advice to bring a condom for tonight. If you sleep with him, there¡¯s no turning back. ¡°Braden,¡± I whispered. My vocal chords vibrated against his lips. ¡°Mm.¡± He let out a low growl, rumbling deep in his chest. ¡°Just¡­wait. Hold on.¡± I carefully moved his hand from my leg and he removed the other hand from beneath my shirt. Braden sat up, grinning, then helped me up. I readjusted my clothes and smoothed down my hair. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to know how it would feel to kiss you since the night we met, too,¡± he finally said. ¡°And that was¡­amazing.¡± I nodded. ¡°I have to say, you really are good with your hands.¡± Braden laughed. ¡°Thank you. Those weren¡¯t even my best moves. Just wait until next time.¡± He paused. ¡°If we can do this again?¡± A blush crept into my cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted us to talk about. We can¡¯t date, but we also can¡¯t not see each other. That much is clear.¡± He cradled me in his lap, rubbing circles against my hips with his thumbs. ¡°You know, I think I figured out a solution to our dilemma.¡± His fingers slipped up my top again and over my stomach. I bit back a moan from his touch. This man really knew how to push a woman¡¯s buttons, in all the best ways. ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s that?¡± Braden¡¯s lips found mine again, tugging lightly before working his way over to my ear. ¡°If we can¡¯t date, because of the rules¡­¡± he sat up and put air quotes around the last word. ¡°Maybe we could just be friends with the added benefit of, well, you know. What we¡¯ve just been doing. Then there¡¯s not any rules we¡¯re breaking. It¡¯s a loophole in the system.¡± Wrapping my arms around his neck, I considered this offer. ¡°You know, you are very convincing.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± His mouth tipped up into a smile. I wove my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, realizing that I wanted him in my life as much as I needed him in my life. My heartbeat picked up the pace again. Linda¡¯s stern glare from Parent-Teacher night flashed into my mind and I pulled back. ¡°But I think¡­I still need some time,¡± I settled on replying. ¡°I have to figure out¡­I¡¯m not sure right now.¡± If Linda could figure something out just from one fraction of a moment of interaction, she was sure to be suspicious that something else was going on between me and Braden now. Braden nodded, his smile fading into one of disappointment. ¡°I understand. So, um. I¡¯ll see you around then?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He helped me out of the car. We walked up to my apartment and the whole time I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how much I wanted him to fight against my words. Fight for me, I silently begged him. Tell me I¡¯m being unreasonable. ¡°Thank you for tonight,¡± he said when the silence almost became too much to bear. ¡°I know we¡¯ve been saying that so much over the last little bit but¡­I had fun. It¡¯s nice to remove myself from the role of ¡®dad¡¯ for a bit, you know?¡± I chuckled. ¡°I bet that gets exhausting from time to time.¡± ¡°It does, but it¡¯s worth it.¡± He rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Ames¡ªAmelia. Think about it, okay? I don¡¯t want this¡ªmy complicated past¡ªto be a reason we don¡¯t see each other. Even if it doesn¡¯t come with the added benefits.¡± Braden pressed a light kiss to my cheek, and I watched him walk back to his car. I wanted those added benefits. I wanted this job not to be the reason I couldn¡¯t be with him even socially. The gossip, the shame, the disappointment from the school board. But when I thought about the idea of stolen kisses and silent glances and little signals that only we knew what they meant, it made me giddy with excitement. All things to consider before making my decision. With a sigh, I unlocked the apartment door and came face-to-face with a ghost from my past. 11 | September: Confused and Controlled ¡°Dex,¡± I breathed out. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± He grinned at me and opened his arms wide. ¡°Nice to see you too, Ames.¡± ¡°Hi!¡± Realization hit me that he was actually standing there. Right there, in my living room. I ran into his arms and breathed in his familiar scent. Yep, he was definitely real. Shaggy brown hair that swept over his forehead, brown eyes, killer smile. Then I slapped his arm. ¡°You didn¡¯t even call, Dex.¡± Dex scratched the back of his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. It¡¯s just that things have been really really busy¡ªlike you wouldn¡¯t believe.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°So have I. But you could¡¯ve called. Or texted!¡± Dex reached out to tuck my hair behind my ears which I realized was a mess from my tryst with Braden a few minutes earlier. His touch felt different, safe. But it was nothing compared to the way Braden felt. His hands¡­my body¡­damn those hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been so distant, Ames. Moving to a different state is harder than you¡¯d think,¡± he said. ¡°I have an apartment now, I¡¯m buying groceries. It¡¯s not an excuse, I know. Please forgive me?¡± I glanced up into his brown eyes, leaning forward so our foreheads could touch. The anger I¡¯d felt for a while after he¡¯d left rolled off of my shoulders. ¡°Of course I forgive you, Dex. You¡¯re here now, aren¡¯t you? Do you want to stay over?¡± He nodded. ¡°If that¡¯s okay with you. When I got here, El said she wasn¡¯t sure if you¡¯d be back tonight so offered me the couch.¡± ¡°Nuh uh.¡± I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re bunking with me.¡± With that, I grabbed his hand and led him to my room. Once inside, I sat down on my bed and Dex joined me. ¡°So you were on a date?¡± he asked, stretching out and placing his hands underneath his head. ¡°Yeah.¡± I swallowed down the guilt that bubbled in my throat. ¡°If I¡¯d known you were coming to town though¡ª¡± He cut me off. ¡°Don¡¯t even worry about it. This was meant to be a surprise anyway. You were out with that guy, right? The one you wrote me about?¡± I nodded. ¡°Braden. He¡¯s sweet but it¡¯s complicated.¡± I flopped down next to him, curling into his side. ¡°Dex, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°Are you going to see him again?¡± ¡°I kind of have no choice. He brings his daughter to school every day, so I always see him. It¡¯s a bit annoying actually.¡± ¡°No, I meant romantically. Are you going to see him again for a date?¡± Dex propped himself up on his elbows. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Maybe.¡± I traced the seam of his t-shirt with a finger. ¡°I just want some consistency, you know? I want to be able to go out with someone where we don¡¯t have to look over our shoulders in case someone from school¡ªor worse, Linda¡ªis there.¡± ¡°Linda is¡­?¡± he asked. ¡°Braden¡¯s ex. She¡¯s brutal, dude.¡± I shuddered at the thought. ¡°Well, I mean you are the one taking her former man from her.¡± I whacked my best friend with a pillow. ¡°Alexander, you are supposed to be on my side! God, you¡¯re infuriating sometimes.¡± Dex grinned. ¡°Good. Means I¡¯m doing my job. Look, Ames. I can¡¯t make this decision for you, clearly. Guy doesn¡¯t sound like my type.¡± He winked. ¡°But if you want to date him, then do it. Say yes.¡± If only it were that simple. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you sooner. I didn¡¯t even want to go out tonight but El convinced me that I should. She¡¯s been doing that a lot since you moved to Cali.¡± ¡°Your sister has good insight,¡± Dex said. ¡°I¡¯m glad you had fun.¡± ¡°Yeah, she does. And me too.¡± I really meant it. I¡¯d taken more chances with Braden than I ever thought I would, and it was all thanks to Eloise. My voice lowered to a whisper. ¡°I hate not having you here, Dex.¡± ¡°Ames.¡± Dex sat up and brushed his fingers over my cheek. ¡°I missed you too. I¡¯m here now for the whole weekend.¡± ¡°So I guess that means we can get up to our old games?¡± I smirked. ¡°And more.¡± He sat up and held out his hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t I whip you up something to eat? I¡¯m still on California time so it only feels like eight-thirty pm to me.¡± It had only been a little while since I had dinner with Braden, but I nodded nonetheless. I followed Dex into the kitchen. He immediately started to prepare us grilled cheese, his specialty. As he flipped the bread around in the pan, I couldn¡¯t help but focus on the strength of the muscles in his arms. His skin had bronzed nicely from the coastal sun and his hair sported blonder highlights that looked even brighter under the kitchen lights. Dex leaned against the counter, holding the spatula. ¡°So tell me more about this guy. Does he make you happy? You never really answered that question before.¡± My cheeks flushed. ¡°Yeah, he does. He¡¯s a landscape artist and does some sculpture work as well.¡± ¡°Wow. He must be pretty handy then.¡± I chuckled. ¡°You have no idea.¡± ¡°Then I know what you need to do, Ames. And so do you.¡± Dex placed his hands on my shoulders and dipped his forehead against mine again. ¡°You have to say yes. I¡¯ll always be there, but you have to give yourself permission to move forward.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I closed my eyes and leaned up on my tiptoes. My arms wrapped around Dex¡¯s neck and felt the warmth of his breath as he dipped his mouth toward mine. ¡°You sure?¡± His voice was low, comforting. Different from Braden. He was my first love. The one who got away. But he was here now. And I craved that closeness. ¡°Uh huh.¡± My mouth met his in a delicate embrace, a familiarity I had missed since he moved away. Dex slipped his hands around my waist, hoisting me up onto the counter while he continued to kiss me. With Braden we had been desperate, clinging, wanting, desiring. With Dex it was about finding my home, being myself, being open. Because with Dex, I didn¡¯t have to hide. 12 | September: Say Yes When the sun came up, realization came with it. I glanced at Dex¡¯s sleeping form next to me, his bare chest peeking out from the top of the covers. Two plates sat empty save for a few crumbs on the nightstand. A trail of clothing led from the bed out the door to the hallway. Welp, so much for having moved on. I reached for my discarded bra and panties, slipping them back on before tiptoeing over to the bathroom. The floor creaked beneath my footsteps and I winced, as Dex shifted in the bed. ¡°Mornin¡¯.¡± I turned around to see Dex sitting up against the pillows. He ran his hands through his hair and grinned before spreading his arms out. ¡°Hey.¡± I grinned sheepishly. ¡°I was just, um, gonna clean up. We made a bit of a mess last night.¡± Dex chuckled. ¡°Let me help.¡± He reached down on his side of the bed and grabbed his boxers then met me over by the bathroom. I caught a glimpse of our reflections in the mirror. Dex¡¯s hair was tousled, mine a mess. I hated that he could make anything look sexy. ¡°So, um.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°We should probably clean up the kitchen before my sister gets home.¡± ¡°You think she¡¯s gonna know it was us?¡± I rolled my eyes and stalked toward the kitchen, collecting our discarded clothes along the way. Dex followed behind with our empty plates from the night before. After we¡¯d had sex, the sandwiches were a bit cold but still as tasty as ever. The fact that I knew Dex¡¯s visit was going to be short-lived, though, made every moment worth it. But Braden still weighed heavily on my mind. Without a word, Dex walked over to the refrigerator¡ªstill in just his boxers¡ªand took out the carton of eggs. He began to get the stove set up, cracking the eggs effortlessly against the side of a pan then stirring the whisk so fast it made me dizzy. I leaned against the counter, watching him in awe. ¡°I wish we could have this, Dex.¡± The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. My throat constricted and I turned away, tears threatening to spill from the corners of my eyes. ¡°I wish¡­¡± ¡°Amelia.¡± Suddenly his arms were around my waist and my head buried into his chest, heaving heavily with sobs. ¡°Hey. Look at me.¡± He peeled away from me and lifted my chin up with a finger. ¡°You¡¯ll always have me. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right?¡± ¡°Apparently it also makes you ignore everything you¡¯ve been trying to get over,¡± I muttered to myself. ¡°I¡¯m going to get dressed.¡± I walked back into my room and threw on a sweater and a pair of jeans. By the time I got back to the kitchen, Dex was already serving up two plates of perfectly scrambled eggs. He smiled at me from across the room but unlike before, this smile didn¡¯t reach his eyes. We ate in silence; the only sound was the scrape of the forks against our plates. ¡°How long are you staying?¡± I asked. It was a question I¡¯d thought a lot about since meeting him at the front door last night. ¡°Through the weekend at least,¡± Dex replied. ¡°That¡¯s actually something I wanted to talk to you about. My company is going to have me travel a lot for work and there¡¯s a convention here in Portland coming up. They wanted me here early so that I could get acquainted with a few things. I have to go to the restaurant that¡¯s hosting the convention tomorrow but that¡¯s why I got here when I did. I couldn¡¯t come back home without seeing you.¡± ¡°Bet you didn¡¯t think you¡¯d get to see all of me.¡± I smirked. Dex laughed. ¡°No, that was certainly unexpected. But amazing. You are amazing.¡± He reached out to take my hand. I swallowed. ¡°Dex, I didn¡¯t¡­last night felt different for me. You know, back in July before you left, an ¡®us¡¯ was all I could ever imagine. But now¡ª¡± ¡°But now that spark has faded?¡± He finished for me. ¡°Yeah.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. You¡¯re amazing. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t feel the same things I felt before.¡± ¡°Honestly? I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve said that. ¡®Cuz I love you, Amelia. I do. But you¡¯re also in love with someone else. Even if you don¡¯t realize it, you¡¯ve moved on.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re giving this speech?¡± I stared down at my eggs. ¡°It¡¯s not, but what I¡¯m saying is the truth. Yes, the sex last night was incredible. But neither of our hearts were really in it.¡± His brown eyes met mine, a knowing glance settling across his irises. ¡°You have this Braden guy. He sounds like everything and more. And to be honest, he can give you what I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Stability. Consistency. Ames, I have to leave in a few days from now and we¡¯ll be back where we started in July. I don¡¯t want that to happen. I love when you write to me. And I love that when I visit we can pick things back up where they left off. But I¡¯m not stability. Braden is.¡± ¡°If this is you trying to convince me to say yes to him, I¡¯ve already made up my mind,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going to do it.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Dex nodded, then shoveled another forkful of eggs into his mouth. ¡°Are you going to tell him about me?¡± I froze. ¡°In time. He knows that I have a past, but he doesn¡¯t know all the details. Figured the ¡®having a kid¡¯ thing on his side took precedence.¡± He laughed. ¡°Yeah, that would.¡± ¡°Honey, I¡¯m hooommmeeee!¡± Eloise¡¯s voice floated over to us from the front door of the apartment. She halted in the entryway when she saw me and Dex. Her smile quickly faded to confusion as she took in my still-messy hair and Dex¡¯s half-dressed appearance. ¡°Um, does someone want to explain what¡¯s going on here?¡± *** Dex¡¯s words stuck with me through the weekend and well into the following week. And after the confrontation with my sister¡ªwhich involved a lot of screaming and squealing¡ª I was bound and determined to get Braden alone and tell him I¡¯d made my decision. I would say yes. To all of it. Yes to friends, yes to us. Yes to taking chances, to taking risks. I waited by the classroom door, greeting each student and letting them come in to find their seats while we waited for the day to begin. No Lucy. No Lucy on a Tuesday meant no Braden. My heart sank as I closed the classroom door when the morning announcements roared to life on the intercom. I would have to talk to him at a different time. ¡°Okay, everyone!¡± I sing-songed after the announcements were over. My students quieted down from their chatter, their eyes growing wide. Some kicked their legs in their chairs. One had her head buried in a book. Others slumped down in their seats. ¡°Let¡¯s head over to the sharing carpet. Did everyone bring their item?¡± A chorus of ¡°yes, Miss Lawrence¡± echoed through the room. The children scrambled to their cubbies, pulling out stuffed animals and trinkets to bring with them for share time. Just as we got started with our first student, Millie, there was a knock at the door. ¡°Alright, everyone. Let¡¯s practice our quiet voices, okay?¡± I stood up from my rocking chair and went to answer the door. My heart leapt to my throat. Braden stood at the door, holding Lucy in his arms. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m so sorry we¡¯re late. Luce picked up a cold this weekend but she really wanted to come in for share time.¡± ¡°Oh my goodness.¡± I glanced between Lucy and her dad. ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s feeling well enough to be here today?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a fever,¡± Braden replied, ¡°but to be safe I¡¯ll take her home after.¡± He set her down on the ground. Her hand immediately latched back onto his leg. ¡°Okay.¡± I still wasn¡¯t sure, so I crouched down to Lucy¡¯s height. Her breathing came out in short gasps; she was congested. ¡°Lucy, are you sure you want to be here today?¡± Lucy nodded and gripped tighter to her dad. ¡°Share time,¡± she rasped. I sighed. Her skin was flushed and she looked like she could barely keep her eyes open. But she was persistent. ¡°Okay,¡± I finally said. ¡°You¡¯ll go first. Then I¡¯ll have your dad take you home.¡± Lucy acknowledged my words by marching into the classroom, still tugging at Braden to follow her. When I started to protest, he laid a gentle hand on my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m her item,¡± he explained with a chuckle. ¡°The kids were supposed to bring something they admire, right?¡± His blue eyes twinkled. I smiled. ¡°That¡¯s really sweet.¡± ¡°Can we talk later?¡± he asked, lowering his voice and barely moving his lips. His perfect, swoonworthy lips. My gaze traveled over to my impatient students who were bouncing on their knees and growing restless. ¡°After school. There¡¯s an ice cream shop off of Main. Meet me there?¡± Braden nodded. ¡°At four?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± We walked over to the carpet and I sat back down. ¡°Okay, class.¡± I clapped my hands together. ¡°Let¡¯s say good morning to Lucy!¡± ¡°Good morning, Lucy!¡± my students chorused. ¡°Lucy is going to go first for our share time today because she¡¯s not feeling well,¡± I explained. I nodded to Lucy who tugged at Braden¡¯s leg. ¡°My daddy is awesome because he reads with me,¡± Lucy said. Her voice came out barely above a whisper. She looked up for him for validation. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Luce.¡± He rubbed her hand with his. Lucy coughed¡ªloose phlegm that made her almost double over¡ªthen continued. ¡°I admire him because he builded my favorite chair in my room and he takes me to the park and gives me hugs.¡± She looked up at him with a toothy grin. There was a smattering of claps around the room. I let the kids talk among themselves while I walked Lucy and Braden to the classroom door. ¡°You did great, Lucy,¡± I told her. ¡°Now go get some rest so you can join your friends again soon, okay?¡± She nodded but stayed silent, which was probably the best given her voice right now. I brushed my fingers over Braden¡¯s arm. ¡°You are one rockstar father. Lucy¡¯s lucky to have you.¡± Braden beamed at me. ¡°Thanks, Amelia. See you later.¡± As I watched them walk away, I swore I heard Lucy say, ¡°I think Miss Lawence likes you, daddy.¡± His reply: ¡°Does she? Well, I like her too. But it¡¯s a secret, so don¡¯t tell.¡± 13 | September: Growing Closer The last thing I expected when I met up with Braden that afternoon was Lucy, bright-eyed and giggling as she rode on his shoulders. She waved when she saw me and tapped Braden¡¯s shoulder to let her down. ¡°Hi Miss Lawence!¡± she yelled, bouncing on her toes. Her voice was still raspy but she sounded like she had a lot more energy than this morning. I laughed. ¡°Well hello there. Someone must be feeling better.¡± I glanced up at Braden who winked at me. ¡°Oh believe me, it¡¯s just the chance to get ice cream before dinner.¡± The plastic chair scraped against the sidewalk and he sat down across from me. ¡°I was actually supposed to drop her at her mom¡¯s for tonight because I have an early morning meeting that I can¡¯t miss but she insisted that she come with me first.¡± Lucy turned to look at her dad. ¡°Daddy, are you and Miss Lawence having a date?¡± Oh damn, she was perceptive. ¡°No, baby,¡± he told her. ¡°We¡¯re just friends.¡± His gaze flickered up to meet mine and I could see the silent question in his eyes. Are we really friends? I nodded and smiled down at Lucy. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°Daddy, I have to use the potty!¡± Lucy blurted out from beside us, her eyes wide. ¡°Okay, sweetie. Go inside¡ªyou remember where it is, right?¡± Lucy shook her head up and down, her dark hair bouncing over her shoulders. She scrambled up from the seat and ran inside. ¡°So I¡¯ve been doing a lot of thinking,¡± I said. ¡°And I want us to be friends. Added benefits or not. My, um, my best friend came for a visit this weekend and he¡­he¡¯s the reason I¡¯ve been hesitant about this. About us. Because there¡¯s always been a ¡®what if¡¯ between me and him. And over the past few months he¡¯s felt like the one who got away.¡± I watched Braden''s reaction before I continued. He rubbed his thumb against his forefinger but didn¡¯t say anything, although understanding flickered across his features. Maybe he felt the same way about losing Lucy¡¯s mom. ¡°And after the other night, Braden, you¡­I can¡¯t stop thinking about you. It¡¯s actually a bit annoying actually.¡± Braden laughed at that. ¡°Annoying, hm?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s cute though. A cute annoying. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I¡¯m taking you up on your offer. We can¡¯t just keep our feelings buried, that¡¯s not benefiting anyone.¡± Braden sat back in his chair and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m glad, Amelia. I have a good feeling about this. Like I told you that night, I can be professional around you at the school. We can make this work. And Lucy¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s got a vivid imagination, but she¡¯s also seven,¡± I said. ¡°I get that she might pick up on something but I also understand that it might be related to the separation.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Braden ran a hand through his hair. ¡°She¡¯s taken her mom¡¯s and my separation pretty hard. You don¡¯t know how many meltdowns I¡¯ve had to deal with because she left a toy at her mom¡¯s that she just really wanted at my place.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°Speaking of, have you talked to Linda about the family conference at school?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her about it today when I drop off Lucy today,¡± he replied. ¡°I did tell her but she never got back to me. I hope you can wait a little longer for that?¡± ¡°The sooner we can schedule the better. Lucy does need the help, and I want both of you on board,¡± I said. ¡°I get that. I¡¯ll talk to her, I promise.¡± He glanced at me across the table. We both knew the small talk was what we needed to do to keep up appearances out in the open. His blue eyes caught the late afternoon sun, turning a deeper blue that had me melting. And suddenly I wished we were alone to seal our promise to each other with a kiss. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. From across the table, I could tell he had the same idea on his mind. A smile spread across my face as a text popped up on my screen: Eight pm, my place ;) I sent a quick reply back: I¡¯ll be there Braden grinned as Lucy came back to join us. ¡°To friendship. Now, who¡¯s ready for some ice cream?¡± *** Friendship with Braden turned out to be just what I needed. From the movie nights to the popcorn fights, from teaching me to cook to me teaching Braden how to dance. I¡¯d never felt so at ease than I did on the nights I spent with him. And to make good on our deal, he¡¯d drive me home each night, leaving me with a kiss before I went inside my apartment. Everyone could tell something good was going on in my life, even my students. Even Eloise was starting to grow used to him being in my life. But like any friends, Braden and I still had our fights. Of course, unlike normal friends, our fights usually ended with us on the couch making out. It was a constant battle. When Dex left Portland again a week later, it was Braden who consoled me after I showed up at his apartment with tears streaming down my face. It was Braden who made me grilled cheese¡ªnot as good as Dex¡¯s but still delicious¡ªwhile we talked nonsense on his couch or mine, depending on the week. And it was Braden who I thought about that night when we went out to the bar. Daphne came over to help me get ready that evening. For a September Saturday in Portland, the weather was comfortably mild. ¡°You look happier since Dex left,¡± she commented, sweeping glitter across her cleavage. I looked up from where I was applying eyeliner in my vanity mirror. ¡°I was happy when he was here too, you know.¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes, but ever since you and Braden decided to do¡­whatever it is you¡¯ve agreed to¡ªwhich I still haven¡¯t figured out by the way¡ªyou just have this new confidence in your step. We all see it at school.¡± ¡°El said she thinks I should sleep with him,¡± I told her. Daphne snorted. ¡°Yeah, but El would¡¯ve jumped his bones at the bar the first night, not waited the way you have.¡± That was true. And every night I went over to Braden¡¯s I ended up finding a stash of condoms that had somehow made their way into my purse with a note from my sister containing just a winky face. She¡¯d never been subtle her whole life. Daph moved over and styled my hair so that it was up enough that I could manage getting sweaty but down enough that I could still let loose and whip my head around to the music. ¡°Is Braden meeting us there tonight?¡± she asked. ¡°He should be,¡± I replied, swiping pink lipstick across my lips, then glanced at my reflection in the mirror. Dark liner rimmed my eyes, making the blue pop. My lipstick matched my shirt, a bright pink tube top under a black denim jacket. Daphne squeezed my arm. ¡°I¡¯m really happy for you, Ames. Really and truly. I can see the way you sneak those glances at school. He really likes you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re trying to be subtle.¡± I slipped my purse over my shoulder and grabbed my keys off the hook by the front door. ¡°I know that was going to be super hard for you, but you¡¯re doing a great job.¡± She tucked her hair behind her ears. ¡°You two are really making things work and I¡¯m so proud of you for it.¡± I smiled. ¡°Thanks, Daph.¡± When we got to the bar, I scanned the room for Braden. The corners of my mouth turned up into a smile as I saw him make his way toward us from the DJ¡¯s turntables. ¡°Hi,¡± I greeted him with a kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck. He slipped his hands around my waist, and warmth spread over my body. Braden¡¯s blue eyes locked on mine as he pulled me closer, dipping his head to kiss me again. ¡°It¡¯s been too long since I could do that,¡± he murmured into my ear, low enough to send tingles of euphoria down my spine but loud enough that I could hear above the music. ¡°Don¡¯t get too used to it,¡± I teased, running a finger down his chest and inadvertently popping a button on his shirt. He grinned at me, grabbing my hand and spinning me in the middle of the dance floor. My breath caught in my throat as he caught me at the end of a spin, our eyes locking on one another. I turned around, moving my hips against him and feeling him sway to the music. With my eyes closed, I threw my hands into the air, finally feeling freer than I had in ages. Braden traced the length of my body with his hands, coming to rest again on my hips. He hooked a finger through one of my front belt loops and spun me again to face him. Out of breath, we smiled at each other and shared knowing glances. We were doing it. This was working. And nothing was going to tear us apart. ¡°And now, ladies and gentleman,¡± the DJ¡¯s voice boomed over the microphone, ¡°by special request from a gentleman to his lovely lady, we slow it down to show our appreciation for what love can do. B says, ¡®To my girl, thank you for giving me a chance¡¯.¡± The music changed, the tempo slowing down from the usual upbeat music to a favorite song of mine I¡¯d listen to growing up with Dex. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± he murmured in my ear as we swayed together slowly to the music. ¡°Not at all. This was a lovely surprise.¡± I leaned up to kiss him, then rested my head on his shoulder as he began to sing along to the music. 14 | September: Boxers or Briefs? Braden decided to crash at my place after our night out. We decided to take my car back¡ªEloise drove as the designated driver¡ªand pick his up in the morning. ¡°Are you sure you want to stay over?¡± I asked for what seemed like the millionth time. Eloise groaned behind me muttering something under her breath about how I was ¡®so annoying¡¯. ¡°Yes, I promise you that I do.¡± Braden covered my hand with his. ¡°Are you sure that you want me to? Because I can take a cab home and figure out my car tomorrow.¡± ¡°I do want you here.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°It¡¯s just that, well, we haven¡¯t exactly talked sleeping arrangements.¡± Braden grinned. ¡°Usually I wait until we¡¯ve got a few glasses of wine in me first.¡± I whacked him playfully as we fell beside each other on the couch. ¡°Braden, I¡¯m serious. This is the first time you¡¯re staying over.¡± He pulled me into his lap. ¡°Are you worried about what might happen between us?¡± He brushed his fingers lightly down my arm, sending tingles down my spine. ¡°Kinda.¡± My words came out so quietly, I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d actually spoken. ¡°You know, I¡¯m perfectly happy sleeping on the couch,¡± she said. Eloise walked across the room and snorted as she caught my gaze. ¡°Yeah, because you¡¯re not De¡ª¡± I narrowed my eyes at her and she snapped her mouth shut. Then catching Braden¡¯s frown, I said, ¡°Just my sister being my sister. Ok, so the couch. Lucky for you it doubles as a bed.¡± He kissed me. ¡°Even if it didn¡¯t, I would be fine. I don¡¯t want to make you do anything you¡¯re uncomfortable with.¡± ¡°This¡¯ll be fine.¡± I stroked my fingers over the stubble across his jawline. ¡°Let me go get you something to wear.¡± I peeled myself out of his embrace and went to find a pair of old sweatpants. Braden followed behind. ¡°You have something that¡¯ll fit me? I mean I¡¯d get it if you don¡¯t want me sleeping in my boxers, I¡¯m happy to stay in my jeans.¡± Eloise mouthed the word ¡®boxers¡¯ really obnoxiously across the room, and I resisted the urge to throw a pillow at her. I hadn¡¯t even been thinking about that, and now I couldn¡¯t get the potential image out of my mind. ¡°You know I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen your room before,¡± Braden mused as I fumbled around in the open closet to find him something to wear. ¡°There¡¯s never been a reason for you to see it before now.¡± My cheeks flushed as I realized the implications of what I¡¯d just said. ¡°I-I mean, it¡¯s not really something¡ª¡± ¡°Relax, Ames. I¡¯m just messing with you,¡± he said, flashing me a grin. Luckily, I¡¯d found what I was looking for: an old pair of sweats that Dex once left at my old house. I¡¯d brought them with me to the apartment so he¡¯d have a spare change of clothes whenever he came to visit, but they¡¯d come in handy now for a sleepover that made my stomach flip-flop. ¡°Bathroom is right through there,¡± I said, pointing. There¡¯s another door connecting from the hall so make sure you lock both. And then, um, if you can go out through the hall door, I¡¯m gonna get changed too.¡± Braden nodded, taking the sweatpants from me and locking the bathroom door. I quickly stripped out of my party clothes and threw on an oversized shirt with a pair of spandex shorts underneath. Then I ventured out to the living room to set up the bed for Braden. Eloise sauntered into the room, pretending to hide but failing. ¡°Him staying over is a big step,¡± she commented. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I know. But I really like him, and we¡¯ve both had a lot to drink tonight so it¡¯s for the best that he¡¯s out here.¡± She didn¡¯t even complain about being the DD for the night like I would¡¯ve expected. ¡°You deserve the win, babe. Go get it. Even if nothing happens tonight. And I know I like to tease you, but Braden really is a special guy.¡± ¡°Thanks, El.¡± I hugged her, the first hug we¡¯d shared in a long time. She was my best friend, the type of friend I got lucky to have.¡± Braden cleared his throat as he reappeared wearing the sweats. He ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Hey. Figured I¡¯d keep the shirt on at least until I go to sleep.¡± He glanced at Eloise ¡°Oh, don¡¯t keep it on my account,¡± Eloise said. She winked at me. ¡°I¡¯ll be in my room.¡± Then suddenly we were alone again and my heart started to panic. Braden¡¯s gaze drew over my face and down to where the hem of my shirt flirted with my knees. ¡°Cute.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I flicked his arm. ¡°I¡¯m wearing shorts underneath, doofus.¡± I lifted the hem and the black fabric peeked out. His eyes darkened with desire as he stepped closer, brushing my hair over my shoulder. His finger lingered on the skin of my collarbone. Our bodies teased the chance to touch. My hands reached out to clasp our fingers together. His mouth inched closer. ¡°You want anything more to drink?¡± I asked, backing away and heading to the kitchen to get myself a soda. Two could play at this game. He¡¯d done the same thing to me the first night I came over to his place. ¡°I¡¯ll take a cola if you have one.¡± I got us each a drink then headed back to the sofa where Braden had already setted in on top of the blankets. ¡°So there¡¯s actually another reason why I came over tonight,¡± Braden said, taking a swig of his drink. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He stretched an arm out over the back of the couch. ¡°There¡¯s this outdoor camping retreat happening soon and I wanted to know if maybe you¡¯d go with me.¡± ¡°Oh, wow.¡± It was a big ask and I wasn¡¯t usually one for the outdoors. But it was also a chance to spend more time with him. ¡°None of the folks who are going have connections to the school,¡± he continued. ¡°So no one should get any sort of idea about you and me. If anyone asks, we can say we met at that bar.¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, like they¡¯re gonna believe we¡¯re just friends when we tell them we met at a bar. But I do see your point.¡± ¡°We can come up with a different story if you want,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to feel uncomfortable if you decide to come with me, so I figured as close to the truth as possible would be best. I also know the group pretty well¡ªthey know my situation and they know not to pry.¡± ¡°I appreciate that.¡± I picked at a spot of lint on the blankets and my gaze traveled over to the coffee table which was still covered in scattered papers from my classroom. ¡°I¡¯d love to go with you, I think it would be a fun chance for us to do something away from people who know the two of us if that makes sense.¡± Braden nodded. ¡°I know right now we still have to look over our shoulders when we hang out outside of your place or mine.¡± ¡°Yeah. So for this camping retreat, is it like tents or cabins?¡± I asked, snuggling into his embrace. ¡°Tents. I have everything we¡¯ll need,¡± he replied. ¡°There¡¯s a lake too, so bring whatever you would for that and we¡¯ll be hiking a bit so make sure you have good shoes.¡± ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve done this before.¡± Braden ran a hand across the stubble on his jaw. ¡°Linda was never really one for camping, so I usually go alone to be with my friends. But it¡¯s more fun with someone who I care about by my side. A whole weekend in the woods with games and twenty-somethings just getting away from reality.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s another thing¡ªis this just a bunch of your guy friends?¡± I wasn¡¯t too thrilled about spending a whole weekend in a sea of testosterone. He shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯ll be a decent mix. And with that said, I¡¯ll bring my extra tent so you can have your own.¡± I swallowed. Right, my own tent. We couldn¡¯t share because we weren¡¯t really together. We didn¡¯t want to give people the wrong idea. The wrong idea that would¡¯ve felt so right. ¡°Unless you¡¯d want to share.¡± The words came crashing down around me, breaking the fantasy. ¡°N-no, a separate tent will be fine. It¡¯ll be nice to get away. It¡¯s been a while since I had time to sort of forget reality, you know?¡± Braden nodded. ¡°Absolutely. And Linda will have Lucy the whole weekend so we don¡¯t have to worry about any of that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± I bit my lip. ¡°Screw it, you know what? I¡¯m in.¡± 15 | October: Conference Call, part 2 ¡°Are you going over to see him again?¡± Dex asked a few weeks later. When I dropped him off at the airport after Labor Day weekend, he promised me¡ªreally promised this time¡ªthat we would video chat more often. ¡°Yes.¡± I punctuated the word with the pull of a sweater over my head. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be happy for me.¡± Dex ran a hand through his shaggy hair. ¡°It¡¯s not that, because I am happy for you, Ames. It¡¯s just that when I told you to say yes to him I didn¡¯t expect¡ª¡± he bit his lip, pausing mid-sentence. I narrowed my eyes. ¡°No. No, don¡¯t you dare tell me you never expected it to take up more time in my life because you and I barely talk. You want to know the only reason we¡¯re talking right now? Because I made you promise me when you went back to California.¡± ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡± ¡°And how many times have you canceled on me so far?¡± I demanded. ¡°Three, but¡ª¡± ¡°Exactly. So you have no excuse.¡± I was yelling at this point, but I didn¡¯t particularly care. ¡°Amelia, just stop.¡± Dex scowled at me through the computer screen. ¡°We can¡¯t keep doing this, okay? You have to let go of this anger you have at me for leaving. Because this is my life that I¡¯m living. It¡¯s time you lived yours too.¡± Before I could protest¡ªor even tell him he was right¡ªthe screen went dark. My heart sank. So much for being supportive. I kicked myself; I did this all on my own. Dex never did anything wrong, and friendship worked both ways. I could still feel his breath on my neck from the night we hooked up after my date with Braden. And yet, no matter how much I tried to feel the same euphoria with Dex that I felt anytime I was with Braden, there was nothing. There was nothing left for romance with me and Dex but the smoke from a diffused sparkler. When I went to open the door a little while later to head out to my car, bag on my shoulder, I ran right into Braden who stood with his fist raised to knock on the door and a six-pack of beer in the other hand. ¡°Hey. I thought I was coming over tonight, not the other way around,¡± I said, letting him into the apartment out of the cold. Ever since it had hit October, Portland weather decided to catch up on matching the month. Grey skies and wind greeted me behind Braden. ¡°Surprise?¡± he offered weakly, letting out a chuckle. ¡°Thought you might want to stay in because it¡¯s supposed to snow tonight.¡± ¡°Oh good idea.¡± I led him into the living room where the table was covered in papers from school. Before I had been talking to Dex, I was looking over lesson plans and figuring out how to teach my students about the planets. Like, how does one go from My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies to My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos? You just can¡¯t downgrade, like that! ¡°Can¡¯t believe they¡¯re making you ignore Pluto as a planet,¡± Braden commented. ¡°Back in my day¡­¡± I snorted. ¡°Back in your day, huh? Yeah, it¡¯s quite a shame, but we gotta follow the curriculum. Although, I have ways to sneak it in.¡± I walked over to the kitchen to find the bottle opener and popped the top off one of the beers before collapsing onto the sofa next to Braden. ¡°So, you wanted to spend the night in, hmm?¡± Braden grinned. ¡°Lucy is with her mom this weekend, giving me a few days off plus Linda had that business trip the other week so I had her for a bit extra time. Man, if she doesn¡¯t love spending that time together.¡± I sipped my beer in silence. We¡¯d made Lucy and Linda an ¡°off-limits¡± topic for our relationship, so whenever Braden brought them up I didn¡¯t really know how to respond. The only time it became allowed to discuss was when I had to keep bothering Braden about the parent-teacher conference which we¡¯d been finally able to schedule for the following Monday. And even then I considered myself in teaching mode whenever that was brought up. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here,¡± I said, curling into his side. His body was warm and comforting, and his touch was just what I needed tonight. ¡°Me too.¡± He pressed a kiss against my temple. ¡°So I guess I kinda ruined our plans for dinner, huh? By my surprise visit?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, not really. What were we gonna do for dinner?¡± ¡°Pizza, probably,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯ve been craving it lately.¡± ¡°Well then, that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do tonight.¡± I sat up and whipped out my phone, texting my sister. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Eloise to pick up the ingredients. We can create our own here.¡± ¡°I love the way you think.¡± He winked at me. ¡°What¡¯s your take on pineapple?¡± he asked. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I wrinkled my nose. ¡°On pizza? No way. In alcohol though¡­¡± Braden snorted and together we fell into a fit of laughter. ¡°I like that answer.¡± We flipped on the television, curling up with a show while we waited for Eloise to come home with ingredients for dinner. *** At school the following Monday, the nerves would not leave me alone. Daphne and Rachel from the Parent-Teacher night talked me down. It was only a conference, not an interrogation. I was a professional. I wanted Lucy to get the help she needed with reading. Linda was just a person. A person who could easily get me fired, but a person all the same. When the office called me down to let me know my 12pm appointment had arrived, my heart quickened its pace. ¡°Just another set of parents,¡± I muttered under my breath as I walked through the office doors with a grin plastered on my face. The sight that greeted me turned knots in my stomach. Linda was sitting next to Braden, leaning her head against his shoulder. He had an arm slung over her shoulders, rubbing the far one with the pad of his thumb. And I could¡¯ve sworn I saw him kiss her temple. Just as he¡¯d done to me when we¡¯d curl up on the sofa so many times. There is a logical explanation, I told myself as I cleared my throat. This doesn¡¯t mean Linda was right about anything. This is just me jumping to conclusions. ¡°Miss Freeman? Mr. Callahan?¡± I called out. Linda sniffled and rose to her feet. Her eyes, previously narrowed and strict, were now red, raw, and sad. Braden offered her a comforting smile before flickering his gaze to me. ¡°She¡¯s been upset about the meeting.¡± I nodded in understanding. ¡°That¡¯s perfectly okay. A lot of parents can be confused over the need for additional serv¡ª¡± ¡°I am not confused,¡± Linda snapped. Ah, there she was again. I glanced over at the receptionist who was pretending not to listen to our conversation as she typed away on her computer. ¡°Why don¡¯t you both follow me? Cindy, our reading specialist, is waiting in my classroom.¡± ¡°This is going to be good for Lucy,¡± Braden said to Linda in reassurance as we started to walk down the hallway. ¡°I still don¡¯t see the problem,¡± she mumbled. Once in the classroom, we made introductions and got settled in at the little brown table in the back of the room. Thankfully, I¡¯d pulled some adult-sized chairs from the teacher¡¯s lounge to avoid any grief about the tiny seats. Sitting across from Braden and Linda, I could see familiar features across both of their faces. Braden¡¯s smile. Linda¡¯s nose. Braden¡¯s eyes. Linda¡¯s posture. But of course, that was when Lucy wanted to participate. Otherwise, she had her dad¡¯s slumped over not-a-care-in-the-world routine down pat. ¡°So, the reason I brought you both in today was to discuss Lucy and her reading progress this year. Now, I realize we are only in October, but the sooner we determine the potential need for additional reading assistance, the better it can be for the child in the long run.¡± Linda gripped Braden¡¯s hand, and I suddenly felt sorry for her. She was no longer the woman determined to keep her firm hold on a man she still loved; she was a mother worried about her child and reading ability. ¡°Now, Amelia brought Lucy over to me recently and I got to spend a little bit of time with her recently,¡± Cindy piped up. ¡°She is a very bright child, and I can see a lot of potential.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the ¡®but¡¯?¡± Linda asked. ¡°There is always a ¡®but¡¯.¡± Cindy clasped her hands on the table. She kept her spine straight and her smile professional as she explained what she believed to recognize with Lucy as dyslexia. Lucy could see the words on the page, but the letters presented to her in a different manner than we would consider as ¡®normal¡¯. As she talked, I watched Braden and Linda¡¯s expressions. Braden stayed stoic, not offering more than a grunt here or there. Maybe a glance at me with sadness in his eyes. Linda curled deeper and deeper into Braden¡¯s embrace as if Cindy¡¯s words were crushing her soul. And to be honest, if I had been in her position, I probably would have felt the same way. ¡°What this means,¡± I said when Cindy finished, ¡°is we would like Lucy to begin working with Ms. Cindy twice a week. We want to work with you and your schedules to figure out if this will be during school hours or after-school.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do it during school, probably so that Linda and I don¡¯t have to worry about coordinating pick-up times.¡± Linda shook her head. ¡°I will not have her missing school if she is already struggling.¡± ¡°But if it¡¯s for extra help, don¡¯t you think she should have it during the school day to avoid burnout?¡± Braden argued. ¡°She¡¯s seven!¡± Linda threw her hands up, exasperated. ¡°I will not have our child fall further behind.¡± Cindy held up her hands to stop an argument that clearly had no end in sight. ¡°You do not need to make the decision today. This is often a hard choice for parents, and we will work with you to figure out a plan.¡± Linda dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. Her mascara smudged, leaving black dots on her under eyes. She turned to Braden. ¡°This conversation is not over.¡± With a sniff, she stood up and thanked us for our time. Cindy left after her, giving Braden her contact information for when he and Linda made their decision. And then there were two. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I said to Braden. I placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°This really has to be so hard for the both of you.¡± He nodded, sadness in his eyes. ¡°I think it¡¯s worse for her because she knows the implications having not been reading with Lucy the way I was. She probably blames herself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not her fault. Nor is it yours. These things happen, and what¡¯s important is acting on it now,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks, Miss Lawrence.¡± I smiled. ¡°We¡¯re alone, Braden. You can call me ¡®Amelia¡¯ right now.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot more I¡¯d rather say,¡± he murmured, taking a step closer. ¡°Braden,¡± I whispered. ¡°Be careful. We¡¯re still in the school.¡± I resisted the urge to run my fingers along his arms, to tangle my fingers in his hair. To kiss his lips. Braden shoved his hands into his pockets. ¡°So I¡¯ll see you soon for the camping trip? I¡¯m kinda excited, more than I¡¯ve been in past years.¡± My cheeks flushed. ¡°Yeah.¡± Man, now I really wanted to kiss him. ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it. Take care, okay? I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± He nodded, sending me a wink. ¡°See ya.¡± 16 | October: A Double Dare* Two weeks later, on the Saturday before Halloween, I ran around the apartment in a panic as I tried to finish packing for the camping retreat with Braden. Daphne and Eloise had volunteered their services on what I should bring, and I shot down almost every single idea. ¡°You¡¯re bringing your bikini, right?¡± Daphne asked with her head stuck in my closet. ¡°What for?¡± I pulled out a piece of fabric from my duffle and wrinkled my nose as I tossed it back onto the bed. Daphne scoffed and turned around, holding out my swimsuit to me. ¡°Because you¡¯re going on a camping retreat to a lake. I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯re not going to swim.¡± Her lips twitched into a knowing smile. ¡°Unless you¡¯re going to not be wearing anything to swim.¡± I swatted her with my arm. ¡°I¡¯ll be wearing a swimsuit, thank you very much. Toss it in.¡± ¡°When¡¯s Braden supposed to pick you up?¡± I glanced at the clock. ¡°He said ten. It¡¯s only about a thirty minute drive to get to the campsite.¡± ¡°Alright then we better keep moving.¡± She stood with her hands on her hips, assessing the duffle bag. ¡°Do me a favor, wear your suit under your clothes today. It¡¯s mild for October¡ªfinally¡ªand you never know when you might take a dip.¡± ¡°Smart idea.¡± I nodded and went to change, adding a cropped plaid shirt and booty shorts to complete the look. A few quick beeps from a car horn sounded through the walls. When I went to the window, Braden was outside leaning against the driver¡¯s side of his car. It wasn¡¯t his usual car¡ªthis one was a forest green jeep with open windows. ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± I breathed out. My heartbeat quickened. Daphne squeezed my arm. ¡°Remember to have fun, okay?¡± I nodded then went to find my sister. ¡°El, he¡¯s here!¡± Eloise came out of her room, her eyes shining with mischief. I expected her to make some sort of comment but all she did was wrap me into a hug. ¡°Have fun and be safe,¡± she whispered. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered back. Daphne handed me my duffle and I tugged a cap over my hair before rushing out of the apartment to meet Braden. He grinned when he saw me, opening the trunk to the jeep. ¡°You ready for the best weekend of your life?¡± he asked, his blue eyes catching the early morning sun. He looked really good today, wearing a simple Metallica t-shirt and shorts. ¡°Absolutely!¡± I climbed into the passenger seat, waving to my sister and best friend who were watching from the apartment window. Braden put the car into gear and we headed out. He cranked up the music and together we sang along, laughing and letting our responsibilities wash away like the rain. ¡°I¡¯m really excited to get to spend the weekend with you,¡± I said. Gravel crunched beneath the tires as Braden pulled the car to a stop at the campground parking lot. There were two other cars lined up beside ours. ¡°Me too.¡± Braden parked the car and walked around to the back to open the trunk. ¡°I want to give you a warning, though. My friends¡­well, they can be a bit intense. And since my breakup with Linda, they¡¯ve been hesitant to let in someone new. I got them to make an exception this time around.¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is to expect some hazing.¡± I lifted my bag from the trunk. ¡°Braden, I¡¯m a big girl. I can handle a little old school hazing.¡± ¡°If it gets too much¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, I promise.¡± I leaned up and kissed him. The taste of cool ranch doritos lingered on his lips from the road trip snack we¡¯d shared earlier. ¡°So, just for clarity purposes, what sort of things do you typically get up to on these trips?¡± Braden scratched the back of his head. ¡°We¡¯ve been doing this for several years and we can definitely get up to some racy stuff.¡± I raised an eyebrow as my lips twitched into a smirk. ¡°Like what?¡± He lifted his duffle out and slung it over his shoulder. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say I¡¯m the reigning champion of ¡®strip, drink, or dare¡¯ six years running.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I lifted my duffle over my shoulder. ¡°You should know something about me too, then.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± He smirked. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I leaned in close. He swallowed, his gaze dipping down to my lips. ¡°I¡¯m not a stranger to strip games.¡± With a wink, I turned around and walked toward where a group of four others¡ªtwo women and two men¡ªwere waiting for us. The red haired guy waved, calling out in our direction, ¡°Braden! Long time, man! And you brought your girl!¡± Braden chuckled, jogging to catch up with me. He exchanged a complicated handshake with the guy. ¡°Been too long, Blake. This is my friend, Amelia.¡± Blake raised his eyebrows and heat rushed to my cheeks. Please don¡¯t ask if we¡¯re dating. He stuck out his hand toward me. ¡°Pleased to meet you, Amelia. What did Braden have to say to get you out here?¡± I laughed. ¡°He was just his charming self.¡± The other guy, sporting black hair and a diamond stud in one ear came over and slung an arm over Braden¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This guy a charmer? Never heard of it.¡± ¡°Shut up, Logan,¡± Braden said with a laugh, pushing his friend playfully. ¡°Alright, let me introduce you to the girls and then set up our tents.¡± He walked me over to the two women, both of whom sported similar outfits to myself. ¡°Hey, stranger!¡± the girl with a purple pixie cut greeted Braden. She stood up from where she was pitching a tent and gave him a hug. ¡°Good to see you, B.¡± ¡°You too, Sierra.¡± He nodded in my direction. ¡°This is Amelia, she¡¯s joining us for the weekend. That¡¯s Sierra and her girlfriend, Millie.¡± Sierra broke out into a grin. ¡°Nice to meet you, Amelia! I hope you¡¯re ready for a weekend of crazy shenanigans.¡± ¡°For sure. And it sounds like I have a record to beat.¡± I jutted my chin toward Braden. Sierra covered her mouth with one hand and giggled as the other girl walked over to join. ¡°Oh boy, I like her already. Shoo, B, let us have some time with Amelia and we¡¯ll meet you at the lake for a swim in a bit, okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go too crazy with her,¡± he warned them, a tease lacing his voice. Sierra waved him off. ¡°We¡¯ll be good, promise.¡± She grinned, turning to me. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you could join us, Amelia.¡± I tucked my hair behind my ears and kicked the ground with the toe of my shoe. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯m glad Braden invited me.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, we¡¯ll show you where the outhouse is and go over all the usual campout rules.¡± She started away from the tents, and I hurried to catch up. *** Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The day went by way too quick, but I had a lot of fun getting to know Braden¡¯s friends. They were an eclectic bunch, very tight knit. I love the energy energy, reminding me of the summers I spent with Dex at the lake getting up to so many crazy things together. Now as the sun went down, we sat around a crackling fire, warming up after spending the day swimming. The weather decided to finally get the picture that it was October, so as soon as the sun started to lower, so did the temperature. We cooked hot dogs for dinner over the open fire. The flames crackled and let off sparks every so often, erupting the scene around us in an orange glow. Braden sat on one side of me as we ate. Logan and Blake sat next to us on the left, and the girls sat on the right. Every now and again, I caught Braden looking over at me. In the fading light, his eyes turned a deep blue so dark it was almost brown, and the smile lit up his entire face. ¡°Having fun?¡± he asked. I nodded. ¡°More than I¡¯d anticipated. Your friends are really great.¡± Logan looked over at us. ¡°What are you two plotting over there?¡± ¡°Nunya, Logan,¡± Braden replied, shoving his friend playfully. ¡°Just enjoying a little time with my girl.¡± My heart beat faster in my chest. ¡®My girl.¡¯ I¡¯d never been called that before, and it felt good. He felt good. Once the guys were done eating, they left us ladies alone while they went to set up the alcohol for the inaugural game of ¡®strip, drink, or dare¡¯. ¡°He must really like you,¡± Millie piped up when the boys were out of earshot, sipping from her cup. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Even with barely one cup of alcohol in my system, I could already feel the buzz. ¡°Because he¡¯s never brought another girl out here before,¡± Sierra answered. She sloshed more beer into her cup. ¡°Not even Linda¡ªyou do know about Linda, right?¡± I nodded. I didn¡¯t want to say too much for the sake of our ¡®just friends who met at a bar¡¯ cover and maybe it was the alcohol, but I felt a flutter in my stomach. ¡°...so you must be pretty special if he¡¯s bringing you out here.¡± Sierra blinked at me. ¡°Amelia?¡± I tore my gaze from the guys who were now shoving each other off of the logs. ¡°Mhm, yeah no I totally get that. We did meet at a bar, though.¡± That much was true at least. ¡°I call bull,¡± Blake yelled out across the fire. He and Logan walked back over to us. ¡°Braden isn¡¯t one who just picks up a girl at a bar. Logan on the other hand¡ª¡± ¡°Dude, it was one time!¡± His cheeks grew redder, and I could tell there was definitely a story I wanted to know. ¡°Anyway,¡± Blake said, rolling his eyes at his friend. ¡°You allegedly met in a bar. And stayed sober? ¡®Cuz there¡¯s no way.¡± ¡°We did,¡± Braden replied, pulling me to my feet and slinging an arm across my shoulders. ¡°Dude!¡± Blake and Logan said at once. The girls stayed silent. Something on their faces told me they still didn¡¯t believe it either. Then Sierra piped up. ¡°Have you met Lucy yet? The ¡®other¡¯ girl so-to-speak?¡± My cheeks flushed. They were really digging to see how much about Braden¡¯s personal life I had learned so far. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s certainly her daddy¡¯s girl.¡± Logan spat out his beer. ¡°So you¡¯ve met the whole family then. Damn. He must be pretty serious about you.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s leave Amelia alone and get these games started,¡± Braden said, changing the subject. Sierra clapped her hands together. ¡°Okay! Braden, do you want to explain the rules?¡± Braden cleared his throat. ¡°Right, so since you¡¯re new to the group we¡¯ll give you more leeway if you want it. Basically the gist will be either you do the dare or you can take a pass, which means you can either take a shot or remove a piece of clothing. But you can¡¯t take 2 ¡®shot¡¯ passes in a row, meaning if you pass a second time in a row, you have to strip. Make sense?¡± I grinned. ¡°Bring it on.¡± Logan brought out a bottle and we relocated to a patch of grass beside the fire. ¡°We play ¡®spin the bottle style¡¯, so someone spins first and chooses the dare for whoever it lands on. And as our VIP, why don¡¯t you spin first?¡± My fingers curled around the bottle and it spun round and round until it landed on¡­Logan. ¡°Alright. Um, your first dare is to have a staring contest with the person of your choosing. First one to laugh must strip,¡± I said. Logan chuckled. ¡°Easy peasy. I pick Braden.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just getting warmed up,¡± I teased. We watched as the two men sat and stared at each other. They lasted about a minute before Logan gave in and stripped off his shirt. Braden, as the winner, spun next. He dared Sierra to flash a person of her choice. She opted for a pass and took a drink from her plastic cup. Sierra dared Braden next to keep his hand on the inner thigh of the person to his left: Millie. After her agreement, he easily took the dare, but a cloud of tension rose over the group. In what I assumed was an attempt to ease the tension, Millie dared Sierra to spin and make out with whoever it landed on. But when it landed on me, I couldn¡¯t hold back my surprise. Sierra tucked a hand behind my ear and pressed her lips against mine. She tasted like peach schnapps as her tongue slipped around in my mouth. Kissing Sierra was different than kissing Braden; she was a lot more rough than I¡¯d expected yet with just the right amount of tenderness. I kept my hands planted on the ground beside me, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks before she finally pulled away with a smirk on her face. Now Logan¡¯s turn, he spun and dared Blake to use his teeth to take off the shirt of a person of choice within two minutes. Blake crouched in front of Sierra and her cropped button down shirt. However, he barely had the second button done when the timer went off, causing all of us to erupt in cheers which quickly turned to boos and splashes of alcohol when he took off his shoe, finally easing the tension from before. The game went on for a while until we reached the final round with raised stakes: no drinking allowed. Braden¡¯s final dare was to do a body shot of his person of choice. He turned to me, desire flashing in his eyes as he took a small bit of alcohol and poured it in my cleavage. I fought back a gasp as his lips latched onto the skin by my bra, his tongue dancing over the lace as he attempted to lap up every last drop. Some of it dribbled beneath and down my stomach; Braden wasted no time trailing his mouth along my torso, drawing his fingers carefully across my sides. I tilted my head back and my eyes fluttered closed. A soft moan escaped my mouth. The second I felt Braden¡¯s lips turn into a smile against my skin, my eyes flew open and I whacked his arm. ¡°Damn it!¡± I laughed. ¡°Oh, you are so going to get it later.¡± Sierra spun next, daring me to blow on Braden¡¯s neck alternating between hot and cold breaths. If he moaned, he had to strip off a piece of clothing. I straddled his lap, dipping my lips down to his neck and lightly blowing out small breaths of air. He grunted, his hands gripping against my hips lightly pinching the skin. I smiled against him, pressing my body closer and driving my mouth closer to his ear. ¡°Ohh, fu¡ªdammit.¡± He chuckled when I pulled away and shrugged out of his shirt. We were down to our last dare: Sierra, chosen by Blake. He dared Sierra to a chicken fight. She got to choose her partner and set of opponents, but whoever lost, their team both had to do a full strip and skinny dip. Sierra chose Logan and had me and Braden pair up against them. We all ran out to the lake together. The water soaked through my remaining clothes as I climbed onto Braden¡¯s shoulders. He wrapped his arms tightly around my legs. ¡°Don¡¯t fall!¡± he yelled to me. I laughed. ¡°That would be the goal!¡± We counted off. Sierra and I tried to force the other off of our opponent¡¯s shoulders. I shrieked as my balance fumbled multiple times but managed to stay up. That is, until Braden slid his hand up my thigh to the edge of the soaked fabric of my shorts. Sierra pushed my shoulders and I squealed as I fell into the water. When I sputtered to the surface, I splashed Braden. ¡°No fair! That was totally your fault,¡± I said, laughing. Braden pushed my wet hair out of my face, a teasing grin spreading across his features. ¡°Serves you right for earlier.¡± I bit my lip as the adrenaline settled between us. ¡°So, I guess now we strip?¡± ¡°Not unless you want to.¡± His gaze flickered to meet mine. ¡°I do.¡± Instead of shedding the rest of my clothing, I swam to the edge of the water and climbed out, beckoning Braden to join me. We locked fingers once out of the lake, and I led him back to his tent. This, of course, earned us squeals and whistles from the rest of the group. ¡°It really is roomy in here,¡± he murmured, barely needing to duck beneath the tent flap to enter. I grinned. ¡°I know, I like that.¡± Reaching around him, I zipped the flap closed so we could have some privacy. ¡°So, a promise is a promise.¡± My fingers reached around to unhook my bra. Braden curled his fingers around my arm. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± he asked. ¡°I do. And I¡¯ve wanted to for a while now.¡± I tucked my hair behind my ears. ¡°Ever since that night in your car.¡± He grinned. ¡°Yeah? Well, just tell me if we¡¯re going too fast, ok?¡± Braden traced his thumb against my jawline. Then his fingers traveled along my shoulders, slipping the bra straps down. I reached behind my back and undid the hooks, tossing the fabric into the back of the tent. Vulnerable and exposed in front of Braden on any other night would¡¯ve made me terrified. But I was ready. We shedded the rest of our clothing, which wasn¡¯t much because of how far we¡¯d gone in the game. The tent filled with silence and the longing looks that danced across our faces, wishing that water made denim easier to strip from. At long last,Braden wrapped his arms around my naked torso in the comfort and warmth of my sleeping bag. ¡°So I guess this means your streak is broken?¡± I teased, trailing a hand down his chest. ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t win either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a stupid game,¡± he murmured, burying his head in my neck and nipping at the skin. ¡°You¡¯re still my winner.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re mine.¡± Braden let out a low growl from the back of his throat. He dove in, crashing his lips against mine as we let the world melt away around us. 17 | October: Spooked Braden and I didn¡¯t talk about what happened between us at the lake on the camping retreat. We knew it would just lead to a repeat, and as much as we both wanted it, we couldn¡¯t risk it until we found a time to be alone¡ªreally alone¡ªwith each other. All we needed to say was evident in our eyes the moment we locked in on each other that Monday at school through Wednesday when it was Halloween. ¡°Holy crap,¡± Daphne said, keeping her voice low so the kids wouldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Ames, I thought you said nothing was going to happen?¡± Heat rushed to my cheeks as I pried my gaze from Braden¡¯s retreating form. ¡°Yeah, well, sometimes you can¡¯t plan these things. What time are the parents arriving for the parade?¡± I needed to change the subject as quickly as possible. Daphne checked her schedule. ¡°Twelve-thirty. The kids¡¯ll have lunch and recess then come back to get changed into their costumes. Parade starts at one-thirty.¡± Good. My fingers itched to text Braden to meet me before the parade, but we¡¯d promised each other we had to keep our distance. Otherwise we might not be able to stop. ¡°Seriously, the tension radiating off of you two is¡ª¡° ¡°Daph!¡± I cried, exasperated. ¡°Please. I¡¯m trying not to think about him. Because the more I do, the more I wish¡­no, let¡¯s just drop it.¡± My friend nodded but I could tell she didn¡¯t want to let this go. ¡°We have to start class, I¡¯ll see you at the parade,¡± I said, closing the door to my classroom and shutting her out. I took a deep breath. I needed to act normal. Everything was normal. ¡°Okay, class!¡± I turned to my fidgeting group of first-graders. ¡°Who¡¯s ready for Halloween?¡± *** By lunch, the kids were extremely restless. I let them do their free reading time early since it was a special day. Lucy had made a lot of progress in just a few months, and she immediately gravitated toward the carpet where she opened a book and started reading to her little clan of followers. I smiled. She certainly got that spunk from her dad. ¡°She¡¯s grown a lot in just a few weeks,¡± Braden commented, leaning against my desk. ¡°I think we made the right call with the extra help. Plus, she has a pretty awesome teacher.¡± I felt a blush rise to my cheeks. ¡°Thanks, Braden. She¡¯s got a pretty great set of parents, too. You¡¯re first and foremost her inspiration for a lot of things.¡± His hand inched towards mine. While before I would¡¯ve snatched it back because we were at school, I let him linger there just for a minute. ¡°Miss Lawrence.¡± I jumped at the sound of the school principal¡¯s voice sounding behind me. Braden and I parted to find Victoria Mullins standing with her hands clasped together over her stomach, her eyes narrowed at the two of us. ¡°Please come with me, both of you.¡± She nodded toward Braden. Without even waiting for a response, Victoria turned on her heel and started back down the hallway. I glanced at Braden and we hurried after her. I re-opened the joining door between the classrooms, giving Daphne the ability to check on my students while I was with the principal. Daphne caught my gaze as I left the classroom. We shared a silent acknowledgment. Victoria led us into the main office and suddenly I felt like I was back in high school, being reprimanded for some petty little thing. The school secretary regarded us over the top of her glasses, pursing her lips. I frowned. Helen always greeted me in the mornings when I arrived at school or anytime I had questions. Now she looked at me like I was something out of The Scarlet Letter. The principal¡¯s office was a room tucked down a hallway to the right through the main office. It always held a welcoming atmosphere ever since I¡¯d come in to interview for the teaching position in May. My heart lurched and dropped to the pit of my stomach when I saw someone waiting for us already. Braden stiffened next to me, his jaw locking in a way I¡¯d only seen a handful of times. ¡°Linda, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°She called me,¡± Victoria answered, gesturing to the two remaining seats in front of her desk. They were intentionally placed on either side of where Linda sat. ¡°Victoria, I¡¯m a bit confused,¡± I said. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Linda scoffed. ¡°Like you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Linda.¡± Victoria¡¯s calm voice stopped the argument before it could start. ¡°Amelia, you¡¯re a brand-new teacher this year and we¡¯ve really appreciated you joining our staff.¡± Uh oh. ¡°But it¡¯s come to my attention,¡± she continued, while Linda sat smugly and Braden frowned, ¡°that you¡¯ve been having a relationship with one of the parents of a student. Now, I do realize our handbook doesn¡¯t entirely cover the rules for parent-teacher dating at our school, but it does indicate that such dating when the student of the parent in question is in the teacher¡¯s class is highly discouraged.¡± It was just now that I noticed a photo on Victoria¡¯s desk. A photo, which to some, might look more scandalous than it actually was. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. A photo of me and Braden at the lake for the camping trip. His arm draped around me, with my body clinging tight to him. His lips nestled by my ear. Heat rose to my cheeks. How the hell did she get her hands on that?! ¡°Oh, come on. That?¡± Braden slapped a hand against the paper. ¡°You can¡¯t prove anything with that.¡± ¡°So you didn¡¯t invite that little tramp to our camping trip?¡± Linda spat. Braden¡¯s hand curled into fists at his sides. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare speak to her that way. Amelia is a beautiful, intelligent woman and an excellent teacher.¡± He turned to Victoria. ¡°This wasn¡¯t Amelia¡¯s fault,¡± Braden argued. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the armrests of his seat. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be fired.¡± He glared at Linda next to him. ¡°Like hell,¡± spat Linda. ¡°Linda, you and I aren¡¯t even together anymore! You don¡¯t get to dictate my relationships.¡± He turned to Victoria. ¡°Victoria, I promise you that Amelia and I had no idea how our paths would cross when we first met. Yes, we pursued a relationship even after we knew Lucy was in her class, but that was never Amelia¡¯s fault. I wanted it. I take full responsibility. So please, if there has to be consequences, let me take them. I¡¯ll let Linda do pick-up and drop-off. I¡¯ll step down from the PTA. I¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°Enough, Braden.¡± Victoria held up her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough.¡± She leaned back in her spinning chair. ¡°I am not firing Amelia. From what I hear and what I¡¯ve seen, she has been an excellent addition to our staff and single handedly helped your daughter improve her literacy in just a matter of weeks. Not many first-time teachers could say that,¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I mumbled quietly. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t entirely me. Cindy truly did most of the heavy lifting.¡± Victoria smiled softly. ¡°Now, beyond that. While your relationship with Braden is frowned upon here at school, I understand that we cannot choose who we fall for and I do not want to stand in the way of love.¡± Linda scoffed, disgusted. ¡°They¡¯re not in love! This woman is just trying to cozy up to my¡ª¡± ¡°For the love of God, Linda!¡± Braden bellowed. ¡°We¡¯re separated. If you claim that I¡¯m yours one more time, I will file for a divorce and full legal custody of my daughter.¡± The words cut through the room like a blade. No one spoke. Linda¡¯s face turned deathly white¡ªfitting, considering it was Halloween. But the threat that hung in the air was even scarier. ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, this is too much.¡± My throat constricted. I inhaled deeply, letting the words come to me. Words I knew would break more than just my heart. ¡°Braden, you and I¡­we¡¯ve only known each other a few months. We met in one of the most cliche ways possible. And while it¡¯s been fun getting to know you, it¡¯s also been stressful as hell.¡± ¡°Ames¡ª¡± ¡°Please,¡± I whispered. ¡°I need to get this out.¡± Another deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve had more fun with you than I¡¯ve ever had with anyone. But our relationship has turned into something I never even considered, that I never wanted to consider. I don¡¯t want to be the block that comes between you and your family. I saw it from day 1, for parent-teacher night, from the family conference. You two work better when you¡¯re together and when I don¡¯t stand in the way of your family. Linda,¡± I turned to her earnestly, ¡°I never meant your family any harm. I never wanted to come between what you have together. I was never trying to replace you, please know that. I think it¡¯s best for all of us if Braden and I end things, move to keeping our relationship professional only.¡± Just like how it was always meant to be. ¡°Thank you, Amelia.¡± Victoria¡¯s features softened. ¡°We can discuss moving Lucy to Miss Powell¡¯s class¡ª¡± ¡°If it¡¯s ok,¡± I interjected. ¡°I¡¯d like Lucy to stay in my class. She thrives in an environment where she has some comfort. The first few weeks of school were tough as she started learning with her peers. She¡¯s a very bright child and I¡¯d like to keep working with her to encourage that growth. I think she could use the consistency for a better environment to thrive, and I don¡¯t want her to lose the progress she¡¯s made because of a mistake I made.¡± And damn what a beautiful mistake it was. Hurt swirled in Braden¡¯s blue eyes as he cleared his throat and nodded. ¡°Yes, I would agree that what¡¯s best for Lucy would be to keep her in Miss Lawrence¡¯s class. Per the agreement I have with Linda, I would still need to do drop-off and pick-up a few days a week. Could it be possible for someone to meet Lucy at the front office and walk her to class in the mornings then back to me in the afternoons?¡± ¡°We can arrange that, yes,¡± Victoria responded. She turned to Linda. ¡°Linda, this is also up to you.¡± ¡°As long as she stays away from Braden,¡± Linda spat. There was so much contrast between the fierce, lioness standing in front of me today and the shell of a woman hurting because her daughter struggled to read who I saw just weeks earlier. ¡°Then we¡¯re all settled.¡± Victoria clasped her hands on the desk in front of her. ¡°Thank you for coming in today. Amelia, you may return to the class festivities.¡± ¡°Thank you, Victoria,¡± I said. ¡°And I deeply apologize for all the chaos I¡¯ve caused.¡± ¡°I appreciate that, Amelia. And I¡¯m proud of you for voicing your own concerns here. We deeply encourage giving everyone an equal voice, which is why when Linda brought it to my attention, I needed to address it with the three of you together. Ending a relationship so quickly like that can be difficult indeed, so please know my door is always open.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I said again, turning around quickly to hide the tears threatening to spill from my eyes. She smiled at me, a smile that wavered when she realized I wasn¡¯t moving. ¡°Is there something else?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious, how often does this sort of thing happen?¡± ¡°You mean parent-teacher relationships?¡± She tapped a pen against her cheek. ¡°Honestly, fairly often. And the truth of the matter is that we do these meetings anytime we find out about such a relationship in order to ensure that the student of the parent has a voice, you know? We do everything we can to teach these students about making their own decisions.¡± ¡°Have you ever had a case where a child disapproved of the relationship?¡± Victoria sat back in her chair and teepeed her fingers on the desk. ¡°It happens on occasion,¡± she mused. ¡°But again, we do everything we can to support the child and the family. Now, what I didn¡¯t get to say because you seemed adamant is that we never demand that the couple end their relationship. We simply ask that the relationship remain off of school grounds so that it does not interfere with the child¡¯s learning environment.¡± I nodded. ¡°I understand. But I stand firm in my decision. Dating Braden, making the choice to see him socially¡­all of it. That was my doing. The situation escalated out of control.¡± ¡°If you love him¡­¡± she trailed off. Her eyes said it all. ¡°Try to enjoy the rest of the festivities, Amelia. We¡¯re glad to have you as part of our team.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I said for what seemed like the thousandth time. Without another word, I left her office, choking back sobs. I walked back to my classroom in a blur, not even stopping when Braden tried to catch my arm. We were over, and there was no going back. If I looked at him, I knew I¡¯d collapse into tears and he¡¯d try to comfort me. My students were the only ones who mattered right now. From here forward, all my focus would be on them. 18 | November: Drunken Mis(sing You)dials The weather turned colder and the sky lost its sunlight over the next few weeks. Soon, it was Thanksgiving break. ¡°Ames, you have to stop moping around,¡± Eloise said one evening. It was annoying just how similar those were to the words she¡¯d said to me after Dex left. I lounged on our couch in a pair of sweats, eating Thai takeout from the container. Two chopsticks sat perched between my fingers. ¡°I¡¯m not moping. I finally caught a break from school and I¡¯m relaxing.¡± Eloise frowned. ¡°Amelia, you¡¯ve been miserable for weeks. You come home from school and lock yourself in your room. I¡¯ve been worried about you. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to come out with me tonight? Our friends really miss you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± I snapped at my sister. ¡°Look, El, if you want to spend Thanksgiving weekend out drinking, by all means do it. But I¡¯m not you and I¡¯m sick and tired of you trying to get me to follow in your footsteps.¡± ¡°Just say it.¡± She crossed her arms over her sweater-clad chest. ¡°Say what?¡± ¡°Say what you¡¯re thinking. That everything is my fault. That the reason Braden was in your life was because of me. That you blame me for your actions sleeping with him.¡± She sunk into the cushions next to me. ¡°You got yourself into this mess, Ames. You chose to go to the bar with us that night, you decided to dance with him, you decided to pursue a friendship when you know you both felt something more from the moment you met.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°And you made the decision to have sex with him on the camping retreat. You could¡¯ve refused all of that. But you didn¡¯t. Do you want to know why?¡± I really didn¡¯t, but I knew my sister and she was going to tell me anyway. ¡°Because,¡± she answered for me, ¡°you¡¯ve been in love with him since the day you met. And you¡¯re just looking for someone else to blame because you can¡¯t help being angry at yourself for taking a chance on someone who was not Dex.¡± The tears that had been building up for weeks, like pressure from a geyser, finally released. I sobbed into my sister¡¯s shoulder so hard and for so long that she had to go and change. After what seemed like forever, I pawed at my eyes, knowing they were puffy and red. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t be blaming you. This isn¡¯t your fault.¡± I said. ¡°You know, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I usually am,¡± she teased. ¡°Thank you, but what am I right about?¡± ¡°Maybe what I need tonight is a night out. Just because of everything that¡¯s happened doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t enjoy myself.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Eloise clapped her hands. ¡°Now, that¡¯s the spirit! Let¡¯s get you ready.¡± *** The street where Daphne lived was jam-packed with cars by the time we arrived. Judging by the number of houses, it was clear she wasn¡¯t the only one hosting a party this year. Eloise turned off the car and stuck the keys in her pocket. I looked at her in amazement; any other night, she¡¯d stick me with the keys but not tonight. ¡°It¡¯s all about you tonight, sis,¡± she said, slinging an arm over my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll have to live vicariously through you for a change.¡± I laughed and followed her into the house. Music pumped through the walls¡ªsome old-school 90s tunes we¡¯d grown up with. We found Daphne in the kitchen, mixing up a batch of margaritas. The counter held an assortment of foods, from green beans and sweet potatoes, to the classics of turkey and cranberry sauce. ¡°Amelia, Eloise!¡± Daphne called out to us. Her dress swished by her knees. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you could make it. Both of you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re glad to be here.¡± I handed her a bottle of champagne. ¡°Congrats on the new house, by the way. This place is beautiful.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She pulled me into a hug. ¡°Now, we have such a big feast here tonight so please take a plate and go mingle! I¡¯ll be around.¡± She squeezed my arm and disappeared into the crowd. The food was amazing and the buzz of alcohol calmed my emotions just enough that I finally felt free. At one point, I collapsed onto Daphne¡¯s sofa. My fingers fumbled around in my purse for my phone, which indicated I had two missed calls. One from Dex, the other from Braden. I listened to Braden¡¯s message first: Ames, it¡¯s me¡­I know I shouldn¡¯t be doing this¡­God, Lisa would kill me if she knew¡ª Another voice cut in. ¡°Linda. Dude, you were married to her for¡ª¡± Linda. Whatever. Ames, I miss you. Your face. Your laugh. We had so much fun together. The night at the lake¡­I would give anything to be back there with¡ªShut up, Logan!¡ªyou right now. I hope¡­no I¡¯m not going to say that. I¡¯m not gonna be the douchebag who tries to get you to come back because I¡¯m the one who screwed up. Maybe in another time we could¡¯ve been something for real. But I won¡¯t ever forget the fun we did have. You¡¯re a great mentor to Lucy. I¡¯m glad she has you in her life. There was a pause on the other end and I thought the message was over. I guess I¡¯ll see you around. Bye, Amelia. Then Dex¡¯s message: Amelia, it¡¯s Dex. Eloise told me about what happened with you and that guy¡ªBraden. I wish I could be there with you. I know I haven¡¯t been the most present over the last few months but I want you to know that I am here for you. I love you, Ames, so much. Let me know if you need anything and I¡¯ll fly right over. My fingers hovered over the callback button. I shouldn¡¯t do this. I couldn¡¯t do this. I had to do this. The phone rang a few times before hitting voicemail. Beep¡­ Silence. What was I supposed to say? I guess I had to try. ¡°Um, hey. I¡¯ve been thinking about you a lot lately. I wish¡­I wish we could go back to that night. Things felt so different and innocent when it was just you and me. I miss you so much. But maybe we¡¯re better off apart. The distance is good for us.¡± I pinched the bridge of my nose, fighting off a headache. This was not going well. ¡°God, I can¡¯t believe I just said that. I can¡¯t stop thinking about that night. I felt¡­I felt a spark.¡± I laughed. ¡°I fell in love with you at the first spark.¡± 19 | December: Screw the Rules, I Love You December. The end of the semester. I blew on my hands to keep them warm as I entered my hairdresser¡¯s shop. I¡¯d decided last summer that twice a year¡ªsummer break and winter break¡ªI¡¯d treat myself to a full hair makeover. And with the way things had gone for me over the past few months, I needed this. Desperately. ¡°The usual trim?¡± my hairdresser asked as she snapped the black cape in place over my clothes. I shook my head. ¡°I want to go a bit different today.¡± I explained what I was looking for, and she nodded along. ¡°Oh honey,¡± she drawled. ¡°Heartbreak is a beast. We¡¯ll make you up real nice today, okay?¡± ¡°Thanks, Sarah.¡± She walked me over to the washing station. The warm water felt good on my head as she massaged my temples, a scent of lavender flowing over me. As she washed, we made small talk about school and Eloise. Anything to get my mind off of everything else. By the time she was done, my head felt lighter¡ªboth from our talk and the haircut. ¡°Now, remember. Use a round brush, take the blow dryer and use them together to form the curls. It¡¯ll add heat and give you some more volume.¡± She handed me a spray next. ¡°This is to keep the curls in place.¡± I pulled my wallet out from my purse. ¡°Thank you so much. How much do I owe you?¡± Sarah waved her hand. ¡°Friend discount.¡± She tapped out the details on her payment iPad and swiveled it around to me. ¡°Don¡¯t be a stranger, okay? I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± ¡°See ya, Sarah.¡± I slung my purse over my shoulder and started toward the door, but froze before I got there. Standing at the front of the salon, pulling off a pair of faux leather gloves, was the last person I expected to see here. Out of all the hairdressers in Portland¡­ ¡°Amelia?¡± How dare you speak to me. I forced a smile. ¡°Linda.¡± Her features, tinged with pink, softened. ¡°He misses you, you know. Just the other day, Braden was saying¡ª¡± ¡°I hate to be rude,¡± I jumped at my chance before she could boast about how perfect her life was now that Braden was back in it. ¡°I¡¯m on my way out and have some errands to run. If you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡± I gestured to the door, but she just reached out and curled her fingers around my wrist. ¡°Amelia, I know we got off on the wrong foot¡ªto put it midly.¡± She let out a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have jumped to conclusions about you and Braden, and I¡¯m sorry. You weren¡¯t ever trying to break up our family and I was too blinded by jealousy to see how good you are. For Lucy and Braden.¡± I stayed silent; it wasn¡¯t like there was much I could say. ¡°I hope maybe we''ll be able to move forward. Maybe not friends, probably not friends. But you still have to see me for one more semester while Lucy is in your class.¡± Not to mention every year until she graduates because you¡¯re the PTA president, I thought to myself. ¡°And if that¡¯s not going to convince you, then I think this next thing might.¡± She pulled a card from her pocket. ¡°Tomorrow at three pm. Please, be there. I promise it¡¯ll be worth your while.¡± I regarded her carefully as I took the card. What could she possibly think that she could offer that would be worth my while? *** It was freezing cold as I walked the couple of blocks it took to get to the Callahan Construction offices. I had no idea what would be waiting for me when I arrived, but the scenarios that ran through my head were endless. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The company was located in an office building in a quiet part of town. In fact, the company seemed to be the entire office building, including a garage underneath which had a few people hacking away at stacks of wood. I caught the eye of a man who wore an Oregon Ducks sweatshirt along with a pair of brownish orange boots. For a second, she thought it was Braden, but the way he smiled made me realize immediately that it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Can I help you with something?¡± he asked. Wow, even their voices sounded similar. ¡°Um, yes. I¡­I was looking for Braden Callahan? He¡¯s a landscape artist,¡± I said. The man nodded. ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m his older brother, Jack. Architect.¡± He held out his hand for me to shake. ¡°You¡¯re Amelia, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± How much did he know about me? ¡°Unfortunately, Braden isn¡¯t here today.¡± Of course not. ¡°He has a second gig in the winter months,¡± he continued. ¡°But I know where you can find him.¡± He jutted his head toward the garage door. ¡°That your car?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, I walked.¡± Now I wished I hadn¡¯t. ¡°No problem. I was gonna take a material run anyway and can give you a ride if you want?¡± He flashed me a grin. ¡°I promise I don¡¯t bite.¡± ¡°Thank you. If it¡¯s not too much trouble.¡± I rubbed my hands together again for warmth. ¡°Not a problem.¡± Jack led me out to his car and it rumbled to life as we drove down the road toward the botanical gardens. A red closed sign glared back at me when the truck came to a stop. My heart sank. Of course it was closed, just my luck. This was all just one big wild goose chase. I¡¯d learned my lesson. This was the last time I¡¯d ever trust¡ª ¡°Amelia? We¡¯re here,¡± Jack said. ¡°It¡¯s closed,¡± I replied, stating the obvious. Jack smiled. ¡°He¡¯s here, I promise. Follow this gate around to the side. You¡¯ll find him in the gardens.¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe I was doing this. I walked around to the side entrance of the Portland Botanical Gardens, but it was chained. With a sigh, I whipped out my phone and called Daphne. She¡¯d tell me this was a bad idea. ¡°You want to see him, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked after I explained. ¡°Yeah.¡± It¡¯s all I¡¯d wanted for over a month. I missed his smile, his laugh, his touch. ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Go! And narrate everything to me.¡± Another deep breath. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m climbing over the chain.¡± I walked along the path to an area filled with flowers. My heart caught in my throat. Sitting in one of the pots was a note. ¡°Ames, what¡¯s happening?¡± Daphne asked. ¡°Lilies,¡± I murmured. ¡°He¡­lilies.¡± ¡°Okay, I have no idea what that means.¡± I laughed. ¡°I do. I¡¯ll call you later, Daph.¡± I hung up and ran forward to where Braden was waiting. For me. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± he said. ¡°I said three.¡± I crossed my arms over my chest, the pain between us melting away. ¡°What are you doing here, Braden? Are you trying to get us in trouble?¡± He flashed a grin. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I work here. They know the trouble I get up to.¡± One step closer. ¡°So, it¡¯s funny,¡± he said. ¡°I got a voicemail from you a month ago.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± I stepped toward him. ¡°You never followed up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been a bit indisposed. Making all of this.¡± He gestured around us. Beautiful sculptures with smaller shrubs and flowers decorated every inch of the outdoor area. Another step closer. ¡°Letting you go was the hardest thing I¡¯ve ever done,¡± he said. ¡°And then your voicemail came in and I realized something. Our spark is still burning and I don¡¯t want it to die. Not because of a rule, not because of Linda. I don¡¯t want to let you go.¡± ¡°Me either,¡± I whispered. He closed the space between us. ¡°I¡¯ve felt the spark since the moment we first touched.¡± He drew a hand over my face. I turned into his touch. ¡°Do you think we can have another chance?¡± My heart pounded in my chest. ¡°What about Linda? And Lucy? And the school? There¡¯s so much to think about and¡ª¡± His lips found mine and his hand moved to support my back as my knees buckled against him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, memorizing his touch, his taste. ¡°I love the way you ramble when you¡¯re nervous,¡± he murmured against my mouth. I laced my fingers through his hair, letting out a small moan as he nipped at the skin by my earlobe. ¡°Braden,¡± I whispered. ¡°I want you. I want this. Us. But I need to know that it¡¯ll work.¡± ¡°I believe in us,¡± he said. ¡°Linda and I have talked about how to make this all work. I want you in my life, and Linda sees how important you are to Lucy. I¡¯ve spoken with Victoria, too. As long as it doesn¡¯t affect our ability to parent Lucy or for you to do your job, she is fine with us maintaining a relationship.¡± He tilted my chin up. ¡°What do you say?¡± I smiled and kissed him again. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do this. I love you.¡± Braden grinned, leaning me back and dipping me in the middle of the gardens. ¡°I love you too.¡±