A dark fabric lands on my head, covering my sight. Cursing I pull it off and scowl in the direction it came, meeting Selena's mischievous green eyes."Don't say I never get you anything," she sing-songs, lowering herself into the seat beside me.I cock an eyebrow as she stuffs her hot dog ungraciously into her mouth, then laughs as a large drop of ketchup spills over the edge and onto the breast of her white dress. Pulling the half-bitten hot dog out of her mouth, she gapes at me wide-eyed."This is white!" she barks, as if it's my fault. "I'm never going to get this out."She hands me the hotdog and I hold it away from me. The last thing I want is to get sauce on my clean, blush-colored blouse. From her oversized handbag, she pulls out another piece of black fabric, and I glance at the one in my lap."They're the same," she said, pulling the black fabric on over her head. The large fabric hangs off her slender frame and covers her body like a muumuu.I stare at Seth's name printed in

The digital clock on my bedside ticks over from twelve-fifty-nine to one a.m.I blink at it. How am I still awake? I thought I washed away the remaining adrenaline from the fight in the shower, but I still feel tiny zaps of it in my blood.Huffing, I grab my phone from my bedside table, throw my blankets off, and roll onto my back. I unlock the screen and squint as the brightness burns my retinas. Through the watery haze, I set my phone to night mode, making the screen easier on my eyes. I have no new texts and no missed calls. I don't know why I checked. One a.m. is considered an early night to Selena. The only notification I have is from Facebook. You have a new memory to look back on today. I click the notification and it takes me to the Facebook memory. On this day two years ago, it reads, and it's a picture of Blade and I at Portland's Maine Zoo. We're standing side by side and we're happy. I mean, we don't look happy because the massive, yellow snake we're holding is trying to wr

Inside the clinic, there are no patients and I use the quiet moment to close my eyes and drag a big gulp of air into my lungs."Rough morning?"My eyes shoot open and I watch Mason as he saunters up the hall, brushing his palm down the front of his fitted navy suit."Something like that," I reply.I push off the door and stalk to my desk to start up the computers. My limbs tremor with rage and disappointment. Rage because Blade has the audacity to grovel when I'm trapped inside his car, and disappointment because...well...maybe Seth did kiss another woman last night. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his slacks, Mason watches me bang around the reception area, steam billowing from my ears, probably."You wanna talk about it?"I shake my head. "Nope.""I'm here if you do."He returns to his office. I listen for the door to close before I place my head in my hands. I hate I'm being like this after Mason graciously gave me time off to get it together. I've been great. Before this mor

"Are we friends?" I ask, my voice a decibel above a whisper.He nods and eases me forward until my chest rests against his, until our noses graze. My breath leaves me quick and shallow as anticipation builds in my veins, mixing dangerously with the lust he stirs. "Good friends."Our lips brush and he holds us there, barely kissing, as he smooths his giant palms along my thighs to my backside. Seth tightens his grip, holding my pelvis firm to his. His desire swells beneath me, too rigid for me to ignore his intentions. "Friends do this all the time," I say, convincing myself that this isn't anything more than what it is; a friendly moment. "Right?"Seth nods. "Yeah. All the time." He crushes his lips to mine, catching me off guard. A strangled moan leaves my throat as he plunges his tongue into my mouth and kisses me with wild abandon. He claws at my blouse, tugging at buttons, and opening them with ease. He shoves the fabric down my arms and holds me around my waist, feeling the cur

Exhaling, I shut the door of the taxi and walk up my parent's drive. I peer up at the orange and red sunset as it casts a warm, beautiful glow over my parent's one-story house. I can't help but inhale the cool, Portland air and smile as I open the familiar white gate, stepping through to the rocky pathway. Pebbles crunch beneath my feet, a sensation forgotten once the smell of shepherd's pie and roast vegetables wafts up my nose.I walk along the pathway and stomp up the wooden stairs and across the porch. I knock on the door and wait. A heartbeat later, Mom is ripping the door open and beaming widely at me."Darling!" she greets, pulling me into a hug that smells of basil and salt. "You know you don't have to knock here."I bury my face in her short, chocolate curls as I hug her back. "I know."Pulling away, she takes me by the wrist and drags me into the house, smiling gleefully at my ugly sweater. She loves it. She loves the mustard-colored ruffles and the white stripes around the e