A talented fighter with Olympic goals, Talan Swifthawk only has two loves, boxing and Amalia. Forced into decisions to reach his Olympic dream, his passions collide in the most destructive ways, and it may end up costing him everything. Amalia Aguir...
I took thirty seconds to decide I'm not dressing especially cute for when Talan comes over today. I foolishly prepared for him all week, but he didn't show up. So, yeah, a mere thirty seconds, plus an extra forty minutes of indecisiveness before I finally throw on a pair of cut-off cotton sweatpants and an oversized half t-shirt, creating a loose French braid in my hair, and slapping on a minimal amount of makeup to match my clothing choice.
If Talan wants to act like nothing happened between us, so will I.
I get downstairs to find Mom in her bedroom, busy cleaning their dressers and closets for the upcoming fall clothing drive while muted music sings through her closed door. So, I make myself comfortable in the living room and page through the new Seventeen magazine my forever-young-at-heart mother buys and reads even though she's years past that age.
Is He into You? Take This Quiz and Find Out.
I skim through the article, not paying attention to it, trying to distract myself from the constant throbbing heart-hurt that's been bothering me since Kade told us that Talan didn't want to stop and see the guys when he was in town. None of them know that Talan didn't come by because he didn't want to see me.
Luckily, Jaxon is unaware of what happened between Talan and me at the theater; he loves saying, "I told you so." I blocked it out during the movie. But now, his warning plays clearly in my mind, as does the day he gave it.
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2 Winters Ago
I was thirteen and had just learned to wear makeup. Mom taught me to wear it just right so it would accent my features without being obvious. I couldn't wait to see Talan on Thanksgiving weekend. He and Kade had come over on their dirt bikes early in the morning to help Jaxon get his bike started.
When I found a reason to go outside with them to test if Talan would notice the differences, I rushed into to the kitchen, grabbed a few cans of Coke from the fridge, and sped outdoors.Like a dummy, I forgot how icy the frigid winter mornings sometimes got, and as soon as I set foot on the slick, salted porch, I flew off the cement and hit the soggy, damp ground. Gritty soil, dead grass, and leaves splattered around me. The sodas bounced out of my arms and rolled into the driveway.
"Ama?" Talan rushed to my side and lifted me to my feet by my arms. "Are you alright?"
"I think so."
Dirt covered my backside, my head, and the side of my face. Talan reached out and wiped off my cheek. His hands were chilly, but my skin heated where he touched it. I let myself explore his eyes longer than usual, and it felt daring, warm, and sweet, like sipping at a cup of too-hot chocolate. His eyelashes seemed to flutter with a subtle hint of bashfulness as he held on to my gaze. His cheeks had a rosy hue. I wondered if it was a slight blush or just the color from the cold.
