Still Loving You (SAMPLE)

Chapter One

AUGUST 2009 – WHEN THEY MET

The toffee-colored girl standing at five feet and zero inches with a subtly voluptuous body stood in awe of her unfamiliar surroundings. An excited grin covered her round face. All around her there was a commotion as students made their way throughout the many stations surrounding the small amphitheater constructed in Roman architecture. Her dark chocolate, shoulder-length hair was in its natural kinky curls with about three inches of the right side dyed a shade of vibrant purple. It was her favorite color. She wore a hoop in the piercing on the left side of her nose. She got it pierced during spring break in Panama City with her cousins just five months before. They thought it looked great. Her mom did not agree.

The college freshman had chosen to dress in a beige, knee-length sundress made of lace with a skater skirt and a low-cut back. She paired the dress with light brown wedges. The sun was shining bright, and so was her shy ambition. Going to a university six hours away from home wasn't really her choice. If she had her way, she would have stayed close to home. Her mother stressed the importance of building a relationship with her estranged father. He was an attorney and adjunct professor in the historically rich college town, so her mom encouraged her to apply to the university. When the acceptance letter arrived, the college newbie was hesitant to confirm her attendance. Learning that she wouldn't be alone gave her the courage to do it. Now, thanks to her mom's persistence and her six-foot-two athletic best friend, she's one of the small university's newest students.

Quad had arrived on campus three weeks ago because he was a football player and the team had summer training. Quad spent his free time, when he wasn't hanging with his new teammates and other athletes, letting his best friend know just what she had to look forward to in college. That was the reason she decided to move into her suite-style dorm on Thursday with the rest of the freshmen instead of on Monday, two days before classes started, as her mom suggested. Now she was supposed to be meeting Quad near the amphitheater so that they could enjoy the university-sponsored welcome back festivities being hosted on this hot and sunny Friday in August. She looked around at the mass of people while shading her hazel eyes with her long-fingered hands from the sun's glare. It didn't take long for her to spot him. He was on the approach flanked by two people she didn't recognize.

"Wynn!" Quad exclaimed. His large arms wrapped around her waist picking her up off her feet in a tight hug. She laughed while silently hoping that her dress wasn't rising and giving everyone a flash of her white cotton thong. "I missed you," Quad admitted while setting her free.

She rolled her eyes at his comment. "If you really missed me, then you would have helped me move into my dorm yesterday." Her lips pressed together as a knowing glint filled her eyes.

He had promised the night before that he would help her move, but he didn't make an appearance on the day of. Wynn, her mom, and her uncle had difficulty moving her boxes into the dorm on the fourth floor. Luckily, her dad made an unexpected appearance with his two sons nearly an hour into the adventure. It took all of them multiple trips to the parking lot before her belongings were unloaded. By the time they had finished, her mom and uncle had to hit the road so they could arrive home before it was too late. Her dad left soon after giving her money to order a pizza and extending a vague invitation for her to join him and his family for dinner whenever she was settled. She unpacked on her own and didn't get done until well into the night. If her so-called best friend hadn't broken his promise, she would've gotten finished a lot sooner. She also probably wouldn't have slept so late this morning that she nearly missed breakfast being served in the cafeteria.

Quad scratched the back of his neck. "Um, I meant to come to help you, but I got tied up with something important." Before she could question him about what could possibly be more important than being there for his best friend, he turned to the people who were with him. "I want to introduce you to some people. Wynn this is my teammate Luke and his girlfriend, Nicole."