Page 120 of Dear Future Husband

It took a few beats for me to register who he was referring to until it finally clicked. “Oh, no. He didn’t.Did he?”

He let out a deep chuckle, understanding my vague horror. “Oh yes. Sam announced the relationship status proudly in our living room just before you showed up this afternoon. Poor boy almost pissed himself with the way Trey was looking at him, though.”

I grumbled as I squeezed my eyes shut. Now I knew how that information came about, and it twisted my stomach to think of Trey being blindsided with the news like that.

“So, when did that happen?” Williams prodded, and I wanted to throw myself off a cliff.

“It didn’t happen. I didn’t even know about the misunderstanding or whatever it was until yesterday when he called me his girlfriend in front of Chelsea. It was mortifying.”

I really needed to talk to Sam and clear the air between us.

“I don’t want to be with Sam,” I whispered, not sure why I felt the need to bear myself to Williams at this exact moment. Maybe it was because of the already heightened emotions of the night.

Or that telling him was just one step closer to telling the person I really needed to bear my soul to.

“What do you want?” he asked, and the question had my throat burning.

No more pretending.

No more excuses and letting fear get in the way.

“I want Trey,” I admitted on a deep breath, and Williams pecked the top of my head with a kiss.

“Good. Took your sweet time coming to that conclusion, but I’m glad you got there.” He rose from his seat to his full towering height. “Your boy toy is waiting in the main foyer for you. If you want, you can talk to him before I take you home?”

I wanted to do no such thing. I wanted out of this dress and to be done with tonight, but Sam deserved anexplanation before I bailed. So, I slipped my heels back on and rose from the steps.

“Let’s go breakup with my boyfriend,” I pronounced.

Williams offered his arm to me. “That’s the spirit.”

Dear best friend,

I met someone. His name is Trey Turner.

My family has officially moved to San Francisco. In the weeks preparing for our first semester of school in our new home, Liam has had football training all summer while I worked. At one point, he was gone at a football camp for an entire week, and I went to pick him up at the end of it.

At first, all was normal. I was in my blue pajama shirt, shorts and a lazy pair of sneakers with my hair tied crazily atop my head. Liam was normal. He gave me a quick wave before throwing his gear into our little family car. But something new with eyes of green and the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen on a face, followed at his heels.

He was so pretty. The sight of him stole the air from my lungs.

Especially with that smile, splitting his face right in two.

Obviously, my first thought was, “oh, Liam made a friend” because that’s what Liam does. He collects loved ones and new friends as easily as one would collect flowers from a garden.

And he always bundles up all the prettiest ones.

I expected Liam’s new friend to help him pack up. To say goodbye and ignore me like everyone else but his eyes, those gorgeous, emerald eyes, were locked on me.

“Hi. My name is Trey.”

And just like that, I thought for sure I was melting like sticky ice cream in the summer heat. All while this beautiful boy kept his eyes on me, and his hand outstretched.

I stumbled and could hardly mumble out a reply that resembled something like, “Hi, I’m Maybelle.”

Then, as if my world wasn’t already spinning off its axis, Trey Turner’s smile grew wider as he took my hand and said, “You’re very pretty, Maybelle.”

My heart didn’t just skip. It catapulted into my throat, then free-fell into my gut with an earth-shattering landing.