Chapter 3

YEARS AGO - EMILY

“Emmy, your time’s up,” Fernando, my brother, said, already pushing me out of the party.

“Come on, Fe, just a little longer,” I begged, giving him my best puppy-dog face.

“Not even ten seconds. Get your butt out of here before Dad grounds me because of you.”

“Fine, fine. Let me just find Bete,” I grumbled, running off to find that crazy girl, who was probably hanging all over Brian. “There you are.” I found her on the porch after circling the whole house looking for her. “I have to go now. You coming?”

“No way. We’re heading to Tom’s place next.”

“Have you lost your mind? Tom’s mixed up in bad stuff. He even went to juvie!” I complained, hoping she’d see the obvious. “Stop listening to everything Brian says.” She always got sucked into the world of whatever guy she was dating.

“Babe, I’ve got him eating out of my hand, not the other way around,” she whispered in my ear while waving at him. “Look, Bianca’s leaving too. Maybe you two can walk together?” Bete shouted so the other girl could hear, leaving me with little choice but to follow.

Bianca was two years younger than us, so we didn’t talk much, but we’d known each other forever. Who didn’t know everyone in this tiny town?

“Hi, Emily,” she murmured, sweet and shy as always.

“How’re you doing? I heard your mom took a job out of town,” I said, trying to be polite without prying. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to talk about besides the latest gossip, and her mom leaving town, abandoning her husband and two kids, was one of them.

“Yeah, she moved out last Saturday.”

Everyone in town knew her mom was actually running away. She’d finally had enough of being beaten by that drunken old man and left without looking back.

“I see,” I mumbled, unsure what to say, but my thoughts were interrupted by Marcos.

“I told you to wait at the gate, kid.”

Marcos Almeida was two years older than me, like my brother. He’d already finished school but hadn’t left town for college like most people did. Instead, he worked at Mr. Silva’s auto shop, which, to my delight, meant I could still see that gorgeous body around town.

His muscular arms weren’t from steroids or hours at the gym—they were from hard work. And that chiseled six-pack he proudly showed off around town? Even married women drooled over him.

The truth is, he’d always been hot. Brown hair, a stubbled jaw, full, pink lips that drew attention. And those eyes—if his body wasn’t enough, he had a gaze that could make your heart explode and your panties melt just by looking at you.

Every girl in town wanted him, but of course, he didn’t care. Marcos only went out with older women from out of town.

“I’ve already got company, so you don’t need to escort me home,” Bianca said, and he looked at me, really looked at me, for the first time.

Even though we saw each other around the small town, he’d never given me more than a passing glance. But now, his blue eyes were locked on mine.

“Emily Carvalho.” My name on his lips sounded almost like a prayer. “Does your brother know you’re out here alone?”

“He’s the one who kicked me out,” I managed to say, despite his eyes burning into mine.

Fernando wasn’t a bad brother. We protected each other from everything and everyone; we were inseparable. But we had different curfews. Fernando was heading to college next month, while I was still in high school—junior year, to be exact. In a quiet little town like this, with almost no danger, I wasn’t afraid to walk home alone when my curfew hit.

Marcos narrowed his blue eyes at me, and I nearly lost it.

“Then I’ll drop you off at home first,” he announced, wrapping an arm around his sister. “And then you,” he said, doing the same to me.

The scent of his masculine cologne invaded my space, and I knew I was completely screwed. I’d have even more fantasies about him after this. My cheeks flushed instantly, and my heart raced.

Come on, universe, why mess with me like this? He’s Marcos Almeida—angel face, devil attitude. It was an unfair combination, and having his arm around me was torture for a virgin girl who’d never have a chance with him.

As expected, Marcos seemed oblivious to my presence. Bianca and I chatted the whole way, talking about the party, who hooked up with who, who got drunk and fell, or who threw up. By morning, the whole town would know everything that happened at the party—one of the perks of living in a small town.

“Okay, little sis, I’ll be back late, so make sure you go to bed soon,” he said, kissing the top of Bianca’s head. She waved at me and ran up the stairs to their house.

Their place was on the other side of town, about a twenty-minute walk from mine. It wasn’t a long walk, and given the weather, it was even pleasant—except, of course, with the hottest guy in town by my side.

“You don’t have to walk me home. I can go alone,” I said.

“Your brother shouldn’t let you wander around by yourself, but I get it—your little world is pretty different from reality,” he said, referring to the money we had. My dad was a good lawyer, so we lived comfortably. “I’ll drop you off just like I did my sister. You’re the same age, right?”

“No!” I practically shouted, horrified that he thought I was fifteen. I was seventeen! “I’m two years older than her.” He raised an eyebrow, amused. “And I don’t even know you that well, so it could be dangerous walking with you, too,” I said, crossing my arms and speeding up to hide my embarrassment.

“I might be dangerous, but I don’t mess with kids, so relax,” he said, catching up to me in two steps.

That only made me angrier. I wanted to punch him in the face. I stomped harder and marched toward home. If he wanted to follow me, that was his problem, but I wasn’t giving him any attention.

“Kid!” I huffed, practically running. How dare he talk to me like that?

“Hey, take my jacket.”

The wind was picking up, and if I knew São Fernando, it’d be raining in minutes. But I didn’t want anything from that arrogant jerk.

“No thanks! I just need to get home fast.”

“You know it’s going to rain in minutes, right? Just take the jacket, Emy,” he said, using my nickname, catching me off guard.

I stopped in the middle of the street, staring at him, unsure whether to take the jacket or ask how he knew my nickname. Was there something in his eyes, or was I going crazy? I was definitely going crazy.

“Fine,” I said, stepping closer and letting him drape the jacket over my shoulders.

The way he looked at me made me want to stay there forever, frozen, staring at him. His hands lingered on my shoulders, warmth radiating through the leather jacket and straight to my skin. I wanted him to touch me. Suddenly, the urge to kiss him overpowered everything. This must be how he drew girls in, because I was completely hooked in that moment.

But the moment didn’t last long. Huge raindrops started falling from the sky.

“Damn it! Let’s go!” he shouted, grabbing my hand and running.

Of course, the universe never worked in my favor! It gave me a taste of heaven only to rip it away.

We ran for what felt like forever. I barely noticed where we were going, too caught up to pay attention to our surroundings. Marcos ran much faster than me, so I let him pull me along until we reached the central park, which was always open. He dragged us to one of the gazebos near the fountain.

“Let’s stay here until the storm calms down,” he muttered, watching the clouds while I couldn’t stop watching him.

Summer rains were common here. One minute, clear skies; the next, a downpour.

It was almost my curfew, but I wasn’t too worried about that now. Sure, Fernando would kill me if he got grounded because of me, but with this guy by my side, I couldn’t focus on anything else.

I looked at Marcos, who was bouncing lightly in place, and realized he was wearing only a short-sleeved checkered shirt, completely soaked and clinging to his body. Meanwhile, I was warm and dry under his jacket.

“You’re freezing,” I murmured, getting his attention. “Here, you’d better take it back before you get sick.” I took off the jacket and held it out to him.

“No way. Then you’ll be the one getting sick.”

“At least I’m dry.” He considered it, looking from the jacket to me, then narrowed his eyes again.

“Fine, but come closer,” he ordered, taking the jacket and pulling me toward him. As he peeled off his soaked shirt, I stared harder. Sure, I’d seen him shirtless around town, but never this close. He put the jacket on and pulled me into his embrace. “This way, you’ll stay warm too.”

I was warm! I was on fire in that moment, completely frozen by being pressed against his bare torso, his jacket covering us both.

*Don’t freak out, Emily, don’t freak out!*

Since I was already there, I figured I might as well enjoy it. I nestled into his chest, rubbing my cheek against his skin, which was warm and dry in minutes.

As I breathed in his scent and listened to his heartbeat, I prayed to God that this moment would last forever. It was stupid, I knew. Any minute now, the rain would stop, we’d have to leave, and I’d spend the rest of the night in my bed thinking about him while he was in his, doing who-knows-what with another girl. But in that tiny moment, I begged for it to never end.

“Do you have a curfew?” he asked as the storm started to ease. I could’ve lied, but he’d see through it. If I didn’t have a curfew, I’d still be at the party like everyone else. I nodded. “Then we’d better get moving. I don’t want your parents worrying.”

“Okay,” I replied, reluctantly. I didn’t want to leave anytime soon, but we left our little shelter and started walking in silence under the light drizzle.

To my surprise, he didn’t let go of me. My arm was tucked under the jacket, brushing against his warm back, and his right arm kept me close. We walked arm in arm to my house, and I wanted to scream at how fast the trip was.

“You’re home! Better get inside and warm up,” he said, letting me go as I stepped onto the first stair.

But when he stretched his arms to release me, I held his hand tighter, not wanting the moment to end. I looked at him, courage flooding me. I squeezed his fingers and bit my lip, hoping he’d get the hint.

Then, as if he knew what I was thinking, he stepped closer and touched my face, holding it close to his. His thumb brushed my cheek, sending shivers through me with its soft, tempting touch. I closed my eyes, waiting for the kiss, eager to feel his lips on mine. But all I felt was his breath against me, a quick graze on my lips, and then a kiss on my forehead.

He lingered there for a long time before bolting back the way we came, not even looking back. I stood on the steps, heart racing, imagining what could’ve been if he’d kissed me.