Page 1

Prologue

Aspen

“TOUCH DOWN, WOLVERINES!”

Hazel nudges my shoulder with hers, “You are so lucky to be his girlfriend.”

A smile spreads across my face as I watch Warrick spike the ball into the end-zone. She isn’t wrong. It’s weird that the star tight end of our high school football team is dating the book nerd. I will never understand why he chose me out of all the girls in our school, especially when there are girls always throwing themselves at him. I’ll still never forget the day that he sat downbeside me on the bleachers during gym class. At first I thought it was a mistake, maybe he just needed to rest his legs, or something. Until he looked up at me and said, “Hey Aspen, you free to go to the movies with me this Friday?”

I would like to say that I scoffed or made some great one-liner jab at him, but alas, that isn’t what happened. Instead, I just stared at him before looking around as if he couldn’t possibly be talking to me. He waited until he finally laughed. “You going to answer me or just leave me hanging here?”

“Why me? Surely you have other girls far more beautiful and intriguing to occupy your time than me?” I say as I close my notebook and pack my backpack.

He merely shrugs his shoulders like it was inconsequential. “Meh, none of them hold a candle to you. Why wouldn’t I want to date the girl who doesn’t fall all over me like a dog in heat, pun intended?” He leans over, snatching my backpack from my hands before flinging it over his shoulder as he stands. “So, what do you say, nerd? Ready to date the hottest guy in town?”

Scoffing, I stand before shaking my head at his audacity. “You are something else, jock.”

“STAND UP AND CHEER ON YOUR TEAM GUYS!” the announcer yells into the PA system pulling me out of my trip down memory lane. The stadium is roaring in celebration as I stand there clapping for Warrick. “The Wolverines are going to the State Championship!” the announcer booms over the speaker.

Yelling over the crowd, I say to Hazel and Willow, “I am going to head down to find him! I’ll meet you guys in the parking lot!” They both nod their heads as they continue to cheer.

Weaving my way through the crowd as people start to leave the bleachers, I push my way into the throng. Normally, I meet him on the field after the game to do the high fives with his teammates and the celebratory kiss. The crowd is pouring onto the field as I continue my way to him. I hate being short because it’s almost impossible to see where anyone is amongst the towering high school boys that are in front of me. I push my way to the side of the flow of people to hopefully get a better look. Once I am free from the crowd, I notice some guys heading towards the locker room.

Warrick isn’t amongst the group, but with a search around the field, I notice I don’t see his shaggy brown hair mussed with sweat. The guy is 6’ 2” and buff for a high school boy—there isn’t a way to really “miss” him.

Since I still haven’t found him, I run up to the player walking off the field and ask, “Hey, have you seen Warrick?”

He shakes his head and keeps walking.

I notice some guys I’ve seen Warrick hanging out with just a few feet away, huddled together as they celebrate with a few cheerleaders hanging off their arms. Walking over, I tap on the shoulder of the one with his back to me.

“What’s up, nerd?”

Sigh. That nickname is the worst. I only tolerate it when Warrick says it in jest. Deciding not to react, I only laugh to myself because it’s not the insult they think it is.

“Have any of you seen, Warrick?”

The guys all exchange looks as they start to laugh and clear their throats.

“Warrick? Nah, we haven’t. I am sure he will find you when he is ready for it. Why don’t you run on home to those books of yours and wait for him like a good little girlfriend?” Jared, the quarterback, says, with a cocky smirk on his face. Even with us dating and the entire school knowing it, it hasn’t stopped the girls from still trying.

I try to not let it get to me when the girls at school are talking about how they don’t understand how such a sexy man like Warrick could ever choose a girl like me. He always tips my chin up and tells me to not let it bother me. “They are just jealous that it’s you and not them. That’s all babe.” That’s his running line anytime I mention one of these girls to him.

All the girls giggle as if what he said wasn’t the most demoralizing thing to say to a girl. How they can stand there pretending what he said wasn’t rude is beyond me. Without another word, I turn to head to the parking lot. If anything, I might have just missed him when I was in the crowd of people. Maybe he is waiting in the parking lot with Hazel and Willow.

As I am walking away, I hear one guy say, “What an idiot.” Deciding I don’t want to hear anymore of what they have to say, I pick up the pace.

Just as I am about to pass the bleachers, I think I see my boyfriend's shaggy brown hair disappearing around them. I knew it! He just missed me when I was in the crowd.

“Warrick!” I call out to him, hoping to get his attention.

The person keeps walking instead of turning around.Huh, that’s weird.

I follow in the direction that I saw the person go, hoping that I’m not following some random student instead of Warrick.Coming around the corner, I spot him. Warrick is standing under the bleachers.That’s odd; we never go under the bleachers.

I am just about to call out his name when I hear a soft feminine giggle followed quickly by, “Warrick, we can’t do this here! What if we get caught?”

“Don’t worry, babe. Everyone has either left or gone to the locker rooms. Let me make you feel good.” The sound of a zipper being pulled down floats across the air. A soft gasp leaves the girl's mouth as his hand moves down her front. It’s not long before her moans are echoing around us.