Page 55 of The Lilac River (Silver Peaks #1)

Young Love – Chris Brown

Lily

Lily’s Journal

Today something happened. Something huge. I don't even know how to explain it properly, but I’m going to try.

Today I met a boy. Not just any boy. The boy.

It happened in History class. I was so nervous walking in, my hands were actually shaking.

Everyone stared at me like I was some kind of alien—small town life, right?

New faces are big news around here. I felt like I had a neon sign blinking ‘outsider’ over my head. All I wanted to do was disappear.

I thought I might be sick. But then I saw him.

He was sitting near the middle of the room, slouched back in his chair like he didn’t have a care in the world. Dark hair, sun-kissed skin, eyes the color of chocolate, so dark they were almost black. Not perfect-pretty like a movie star... worse. Real. Dangerous. Alive.

He looked at me like he already knew me. Like maybe he’d been waiting for me to show up all along. My heart jumped into my throat, and for one wild second, I thought maybe I was dreaming.

And then, God, I panicked. I didn’t know where to sit, so I just sort of drifted toward the empty seat next to him like a moth to a flame. It wasn’t a decision so much as instinct. Like gravity had pulled me there.

When I pulled out the chair, he smiled at me. Not a polite smile, not a fake one. A lazy, crooked smile that made my knees feel like Jello and my stomach flutter like someone had released a flock of butterflies inside me.

"You can sit there if you want," he said, like he hadn’t already captured me with five stupid words. His voice was low and rough, but teasing, too, like he already knew I’d say yes.

I whispered, "Thanks," because that was all I could manage. My voice barely worked, my heart pounding so loud it drowned out the world.

He kept looking at me, right at me, and then he said, “First day’s always the worst. Lucky for you, you’re already sitting next to the coolest guy in school.”

I almost laughed. I almost died. Who even says that? But somehow, when he said it, it wasn’t arrogant. It was warm. Playful. Like he was letting me in on some private joke. A secret handshake without the handshake.

I can’t even remember what I said. I was just trying so hard to sound normal. Not like the girl whose dad went to prison. Not the daughter of a monster. Just a regular girl in a regular town, meeting a boy who didn’t seem to know the weight I carried.

I’m pretty sure I sounded lame, but he just grinned and said, "Name’s Nash."

Nash.

I swear, even his name felt dangerous. Even now, just writing it down makes my heart skip a beat. It’s like it already belongs to something important. Something I’m not even ready for.

Mr. Connelly started class after that, and I tried to focus, I really did. But it was impossible. Every time I glanced sideways, Nash was right there. Close enough that our arms brushed once or twice, and every time it happened it was like touching a live wire.

There’s something about him. Something I don’t have words for yet. Something that makes me feel like...like maybe I’m not invisible anymore. Like maybe I matter.

I don’t even know if he’ll remember my name tomorrow. He’s probably the most popular boy in school. The kind who’s used to girls like me melting in their seats. But today, for one tiny, perfect moment, I wasn’t the new girl. I wasn’t scared. I wasn’t broken. I wasn’t hiding a huge secret,

I was just a girl, sitting next to a boy. And maybe, just maybe… something started today. Something good. Something worth hoping for. Something that could grow from the pain.

Love, Lily xoxo