Authors: Adrienne Torrisi
Mel reaches out and hugs me. “We won!” she shouts over the crowd.
“I know,” I say, returning her embrace. Things probably won’t ever be the same, but I will take these baby steps.
Em and Hanna join us, and we have a group huddle hug, our arms all intertwined.
“Can I borrow her for a sec?” I hear his voice then feel his hand on my shoulder. I love everything about this moment; except, I don’t want to hurt Mel any more than we already have.
My eyes dart to hers, and she just nods and smiles at both of us. A sigh of relief floats through me.
“That was a great game, Jake.” “Congrats.” “Awesome game,” people say as they pat him on the back and fist bump him when they walk by.
His eyes are locked on mine, his fingers laced with mine, as he pulls me away from my friends. Even though we are surrounded by people, it’s as if it is just the two of us. We both waited so long and suppressed so many feelings. We have been together in secret, but never this out in the open. It feels right, though.
“Now, where were we?” he asks with a smile that reveals his deep dimples. He cradles my jaw as he leans down to kiss me.
It’s an incredible kiss. We are surrounded by people celebrating, but it’s as though this is our own tiny victory. We no longer care who sees us or if they think it’s wrong or right. We are following our hearts finally, and that is all that matters.
“I love you, Daniella,” Jake whispers in my ear. “I always have.” He pulls back so our eyes lock, his hands still cradling my face.
“I love you, too, Jake. Always have.” I smile and stand up on my tiptoes to kiss him again.
He wraps his strong arms around me and lifts me off the ground with a small wince, but he powers through. It’s like we are one as he playfully spins us around.
As soon as we stop spinning, he gives me a sly smile. “So, you are into me?”
“Maybe,” I say with a shrug then kiss him so deeply it fills any crevice of doubt he may ever have.
The End.
I want to thank all of the readers who took a chance on an indie author and who have stuck by me, reached out, and asked for more. Thank you for your support and your kind words. It truly makes my day whenever I hear from you!
I also want to thank a few people who have been endless confidants—from encouraging words to reading original drafts. Your honest opinions mean the world to me and truly made this book so much stronger. Thank you to my mom, Rick, Dema, Ratha, Katie, Catherine, and Melissa. You have no idea how much your support and honesty mean to me.
Thank you to Alizon and Kris for your comments in the sidelines throughout the editing process. I always love them.
And thank
you
for reading this book. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it. I’ve had this story in my head for a long time, and I’m so glad I got to finally share it with you.
These are usually in third-person, but I thought I would change it up a little.
I grew up in Florida, so I write from experience about the excruciating heat. I now live in New York with my husband and two children, and every winter, I wonder why. (Not the husband and two children part, but the weather.)
My day job is as a television producer, but I have always loved writing and creating characters, and what started as a hobby has turned into a real passion. I’m so grateful to self-publishing, which has made something I didn’t even dare dream a real possibility. Even now, four books later, I still can’t believe it.
I love reading and writing YA, mostly because it still allows me to think like a fifteen-year-old.
I also really love hearing from you—good, bad, whatever—so please visit my Facebook page and leave a comment (if you want)
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