-Later that afternoon - Welcome to Portland, Maine!, the big sign on the outskirts of my hometown reads. I exhale, dropping my head against the headrest of the passenger seat of Seth's car, and close my eyes. Back to reality, I guess."Are you still returning the ring to Blade today?" Selena asks, causing stones of dread to sink into my stomach. "Or are you going to save it for another day?"I open my eyes and stare ahead as we enter the city's limits. Earlier, I knocked the little velvet box from my suitcase as I was packing my things. It stopped at Selena's slender feet and, out of panic, I told her I was planning on returning it to Blade today.Out of the corner of my eye I see Seth tighten his grip on the wheel."Uh." I clear my throat and glance over my shoulder at Selena. She catches the pink, sparkly nail of her thumb between her teeth, none the wiser to the daggers I shoot in her direction. On her lap, Jackson rests his head, sleeping soundly. "Ye-yeah. I'll return it today."

I'm miserable. Work today has been the busiest it's been in a long time and I haven't seen, or heard, from Seth since he dropped me home yesterday. Maybe it's a good thing since I'm still processing my frustration. It's just such a disappointing end to an otherwise perfect weekend.I hit the standby button on the T.V. remote and switch it off. Sighing, I run my finger around the edge of my bowl, collecting minuscule cubes of cinnamon sugar that fell off the monstrous slice of apple pie I had for dessert. I suck the granules off my finger, then lift myself off the couch and put the bowl in the sink with the intention of leaving it there for tomorrow. As I pass by the dining table, I swipe my phone off the surface and unlock it. Like clockwork, I swipe away all Blade's texts and missed calls, react with a heart to Selena's Facebook message about getting a job at her father's law firm, and pout at the fact Seth hasn't texted me. I drop my phone to the table and trudge to my bedroom for sl

We sit in his car in the driveway for a while, the both of us staring up at a house that takes my breath away, a house I never imagine a man like Seth to live in. For him, I imagined a grungy bachelor pad above a nightclub, the floor littered with men's magazines and discarded t-shirts. I sweep my attention along the tidy, landscaped garden on either side of the drive and onto the perfect lawn, not a single blade of grass higher than another."Is this your parent's place, or yours?" I wonder aloud."Mine.""Do you do the gardening yourself?"He laughs and opens his door. "I do all the yard work myself, yes."I lift my eyebrows, impressed by the creativity and precision of his landscaping. Seth exits the car and closes his door. I wait in the silence, barely three heartbeats, before he opens my door and helps me out. He takes my backpack off the floor and slings it over his shoulder, then escorts me onto the pebbled path I strolled along earlier and, this time, it feels welcoming. I gli

"O?"Stirred from my dreamless sleep, I open my eyes. My eyelids are heavy as if tiny bricks hang from my lashes, so I close them again. Nausea from being woken too soon churn in my gut, and I shift on the bed, pulling the blankets higher, tucking them under my chin.A warm finger brushes softly over my cheek, pushing more sleep away. "Olivia?"I open one eye. It's dark, but I can just make out Seth's silhouette as he hangs over me."What is it? I ask, my voice husky with sleep. "Is everything okay?""I need to pick up Mom." He gently teases my cheek with his knuckle. "Do you want to come with me?"Inhaling deeply through my nose, I arch my back and stretch. "Yeah. Yes, of course."I sit up and rub my face, desperate to chase away the exhaustion plaguing me. My vision adjusts to the darkness as Seth places my clothes at the end of the bed, his car keys jingling in his hand. I shove the blankets off and swing my legs over the edge of the mattress. My hair, still damp, sticks to my back,

I can't get to the row of treadmills fast enough. I pick the first one, climb on without stretching, and jog. When my treadmill hits the thirty-minute mark, and the generous serving of embarrassment Dad heaped on me has melted away, I peer over at Seth. He's still in the ring with his team. While he spars, Dad watches him closely, his eyes wide with awe like a kid in a candy store. Seth and his partner touch gloves, then Seth turns away and approaches my father. Dad tugs at Seth's gloves, pulling them off his big hands, and pats him on the back.An ear-splitting whistle demands my attention. I slow my treadmill and look for the source of the noise-to Jackson who waves his arm, gesturing for me to come over. I stop the machine and drop off the end. I grab my backpack, eyeing Seth and Dad chatting over the ropes. I don't join them in fear of what my father will say next, so I go to Jackson and join him in Seth's training room."Cute babies, huh?" He gestures to a stack of long, thick mat