“One.” He paused. “Mallory. It was over before I got here.”
“What happened?”
“She wasn’t who I thought she was.”
When he didn’t add anything to his very vague statement, I said, “What does that mean? She lied to you?”
“That too. She cheated on me with my best friend, then lied about it.”
“Wow. That sucks. Sounds like you could use a new best friend.”
Thad grinned, a lazy grin that made my breath catch. “Got it covered.” He swept my hair off my shoulders, making my scalp tingle, then slowly traced my collarbone with his fingers. “What about you? Ever had a serious boyfriend?”
I faked a serious look. “Just one.”
“Oh?” Thad’s fingers stopped for one noticeable second.
“Yup. But it didn’t last.”
“What happened? Did you break his heart?”
“Doubtful. We were in the sixth grade. Jack Rodgers passed me a note asking me to go with him. There were two boxes. I checked no.”
Thad chuckled. “You crushed that boy for life!”
“Nah.” I smiled. “I just wasn’t ready to get serious.”
“And now?” he whispered, his sapphire eyes intense.
“If Jack Rodgers passed me the note now, I’d still check no.” Thad groaned as I laughed. “But if you passed me the note, well, that’s a different story.”
He kissed me, first sweet and warm, then urgently. Then he pulled away, abruptly.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing.” Thad’s breathing was ragged. “Absolutely nothing.”
Reaching up, I touched the scar over his left eyebrow, the one that looked like a tiny mountain. He closed his eyes, and in that minute, he looked seventeen and relaxed. A rare sight.
“How’d you get this? Snowboarding?”
“Nope.” He didn’t move, letting me trace his scar. “Skateboarding. Flipped off a rail.”
“Do you ever get scared when you snowboard?” I pictured the Winter X games in my head. “Afraid you might crash?” My finger left his scar and traced his eyebrow, then his cheek.
“Never.” His eyes stayed closed.
“Not afraid of anything, are you, fearless Leader?” I teased.
Thad’s eyes flew open. He stared at me, and the carefree seventeen-year-old was gone. “Losing you,” he said, his voice rough. “Before we’ve ever had a chance. That’s my greatest fear.”
“Then you have nothing to be afraid of,” I said. “You’ll make it. So will I. We’ve got plenty of time.”
Then I kissed him, as urgently as he’d kissed me, and in that moment, I tasted fear.Thad’sfear. It was powerful and real, and for the first time, doubt crept in.
Plenty of time, I’d said.But is it enough?
CHAPTER
