Persuaded

CHAPTER TWO

Later that day, when he came bounding up the steps of my house, I went out front to meet him. No reason to let my stepsister see him. She had never liked that we were friends and was constantly making snide comments under her breath.

Greg got right to the point; two hours were too long to contain his excitement. I was right, he asked me to be his girlfriend. With the strength of my friends' comments buzzing in my head, it was easy to reject him. I did it politely, very controlled, very matter of fact. The whole thing was over in less than thirty seconds. It was as I was turning to go, however, that the true force of Greg Wentworth and the hold he held over my heart, prevailed.

"That's a load of crap, Amanda, and you know it!"

What in the-? I turned back around to meet Greg's frustrated stare. "Excuse me?"

"Excuse you? Excuse you? Why, so you can go call your friends and share the happy news with them—the news that you won't be going out with me after all?"

"My friends?"

"Yes, Amanda. Your friends." He walked right up to me; I had never seen him so angry before. "Your cheerleading buddies, the same group of girls who just now convinced you that you didn't love me."

"My friends had nothing to do—!"

"Want to make a bet? You and I both know they did. Amanda! You know you love me."

"No I don't."

"Yes, you fletchin' do!"

Fletchin'? "Fletchin'?" I couldn't help myself, I smiled. Dang. Greg always made me smile.

He glanced down at that smile. "You don't even care, do you? Well, you know what, I would sit here and argue with you, but that would be pretty lame wouldn't it? I mean, what guy has to come and beg a girl to go out with him—only losers, right? Is that what you think of me? Am I some loser?"

"Greg—"

"No, Amanda. You've had your turn; this is mine. I have loved you since the very first time I saw you. The very first time, when you stopped and helped that girl pick up her papers that were everywhere. I'd never seen such an awesome thing before—a cheerleader in uniform helping someone else. Right then, I knew you were special, even if you were younger than me. So I went out of my way to get to know you. For the past seven months I have dug and pried into your personal life and helped you through all of it. You're different from the other girls because you're nice, you care about people, even when no one cares about you."

Shocked, my eyes flew to his. I would've argued, but I had a strange suspicion he might've been right. How many people had never seen the freshman Amanda, or thought of me before Greg? If it hadn't had been Greg building my confidence I would've never attracted the notice of Scott Matthews, anyway.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his hand over his face. In the silence he looked down at the patio and shook his head a moment before bringing his dark brown eyes to lock with mine. "Well, I guess that settles it. You've made your choice, haven't you? I guess that means I walk away, right?"

No! Don't leave. I thought, but was too frozen to speak. Greg took two steps closer until we were almost touching. Oh my gosh. I love him.

Slowly he brought his hand up and gently ran his fingers through my long brown hair. The tingly warmth danced its way up to my scalp and zinged down my spine. I gasped at how the simple contact riled my senses so easily. He moved again, our feet touched. It was the closest I'd ever been to him. I willed my heart to slow down, but it began to race at warp speed when his other hand slowly trailed from my shoulder up my neck, to cradle my jaw.