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Prologue

August 30, 2013

Paisley

I FIDGETED WITH e to say what I’d held back for so long Twelve years Twelve years of waiting, hoping, and aching were about to come to an end With a deep breath in, I looked up into the blue eyes of an

“This guy I er for me I look at him, and I have no doubt of that I have no doubt that I could spend the rest of ed “And I know that sounds crazy after only a feeeks, but, honestly, I knew it the first day I met him I don’t kno to explain it It wasn’t like the world stopped turning or anything, there was just a feeling I had” Sing past the tightness in lanced away for a e I’d been building up all week “But there’s this other guy, and I swear this guy owns my soul”

Eli crossed his arms and his eyebrows rose, but I didn’t allow myself to decipher what his expression could mean at that moment If I tried to understand him—like I always did—then I would quickly talkfor far too long

“Eli,” I whispered so low the as almost lost in the chatter from the other people in the coffee shop “I have been in love with you since I was thirteen years old,” I confessed, and held my breath as I waited for any kind of response from him

Nothing about hied for a few seconds until suddenly his face lost all emotion But it was there in his eyes, like it alas: denial, confusion, shock

I wanted to run, but I forced myself to blurt out the rest “I’ve kept quiet for twelve years, and I would’ve continued to if I hadn’t met Brett These last feeeks have been casual, but I knoants it to be more But if there is a chance of an us, then there would be absolutely no thoughts of anything else with him”

Eli just continued to stare atas I silently begged hi

After twelve years of being his best friend, of being used by hi tortured by his pretending touches and kissesI was slowly giving up on us I couldn’t handle the heartache anyain I couldn’t continue being his favorite person in the world for an entirely different reason than he wasaround for Eli Jenkins

This was it for me

“Eli, I need to know” I exhaled softly and tried to steadyas I asked, “Is there any possibility of there being an us?”

Chapter One