HeartLess

"Can you believe this is the last time we're going to walk through those doors as seniors?" my best friend, Lanie, asks as we step inside the three-story brick building.I shake my head. "It's still feels surreal."How are we old enough to graduate from high school and take that next step? There are times when it feels like we just started as freshmen. And now we're done. Another chapter closed. Some of our classmates will relocate to different states for the next phase of their lives. Lanie and I were accepted at Claremont University, a local college in town, and will be rooming together in the dorms.As we navigate our way through the crowded hallway, an air of excitement crackles in the atmosphere. Everyone is smiling and laughing as streamers and confetti litter the floor. The energy is infectious."We're going to have so much fun at the bash tomorrow. Remember to bring plenty of sunscreen," she tells me, anticipation bubbling up in her voice, "because we're going to be th

I rise to my feet and shoot Mason another dark look before grabbing the phone from him. Instead of taking the call in the living room so he can hear what's being said, I stalk into my bedroom and slam the door shut behind me.Without my football scholarship, I wouldn't have the money to attend college. We live on a shoestring budget and are barely scrimping by as it is. Even with Mason busting his ass, sometimes working sixty hours a week, there's no way he could afford to pay for tuition on top of everything else. The money Claremont is giving me has been a blessing.Trust me, I'm grateful for everything my brother has done so I can play ball. I can't imagine where I'd be without him. I probably wouldn't have gotten recruited by a top Division I school with almost a full ride and a real shot at making it to the pros.So, yeah...I have a lot of love for my brother. But I fucking hate the way he treats Skye. The funny thing is that it wasn't always this way. There used to be a

Now that the sun has disappeared beneath the horizon, velvety darkness surrounds us. The only illumination comes from the silvery moonlight that shines down and the bright orange flames that twist from the bonfire.Skye is wrapped up in my arms as we stand around talking with a group of friends. Even though we've been drinking and partying all day, most of us have paced ourselves, knowing that we'll be here until the wee hours of the morning. If I have my way, we'll watch the sun rise in the eastern sky and dance across the ocean. I can't think of a better way to end our time in high school than by holding my girl close."Happy, baby?" I whisper against the outer shell of her ear.She turns her face just enough for me to stroke my lips over hers. "Yeah.""Good. I want to always make you happy."I don't give a shit if my brother thinks I'm pussy whipped. After I dropped her off at home the other day, I had to listen to another rendition of you're too wrapped up in that girl.It r

Once I've showered and changed into a tank top and panties, I grab my phone and curl up in bed. Even though I try to distract myself by scrolling through social media, people are posting tons of photos from the bonfire, and it only serves as a painful reminder of what I stumbled across.Hunter has called at least a dozen times, but I refuse to pick up. He's the last person I want to talk to. Instead, I open the app on my cell and try to lose myself in a good story. When that doesn't do the trick, I decide to go to bed. As I set my phone on the nightstand, a tap on the window breaks the silence of the room. I bite back a yelp as I stare at the face that looms on the other side of the glass.Hunter.His expression darkens when I don't immediately jump from the bed, and he raps his knuckles even louder. With a wince, I glance at the bedroom door and hope that Dad and Brandi didn't hear the noise. He's been sneaking into my room since freshman year, and they've never been the wiser

My parting with Hunter wasn't what one would call amicable. I don't blame him for being hurt and angry. Whether Hunter understands it or not, I did what needed to be done. As painful as it was, I'd do it all over again. I loved Hunter more than life itself.A part of me still does.Probably always will.If everything I've read online is true, then my sacrifices have been well worth it. Hunter will get snapped up in the NFL draft before graduating this spring. Ever since I can remember, that's been his goal. If one person deserves for all his dreams to come true, it's Hunter Price. Unwilling to dwell on my ex, I shove him from my mind and take in the scene before me.People are gathered together in groups, greeting one another as if they're long-lost friends who haven't seen each other in decades. It's surreal to be surrounded by so many people yet feel so removed from it all. As if I'm more of an observer than a participant. Other than Lanie and Jaxon, I don't know anyone el