by Amy Sparling
“I can’t believe you found it,” I say, opening my hand to look at the necklace. I thought all hope was lost. I had finally admitted that my dad’s favorite necklace was forever gone. And then she bought it back to me.
“Here,” she says, taking the necklace. She leans forward and wraps it around my neck. I can smell her flowery shampoo as she presses against me, hooking the necklace clasp together. She sits back and presses her hand to the cross pendant. “There. It looks great.”
I look down at the necklace. Normally I keep it tucked in my shirt, but right now I want it out so I can see it and be reminded of how lucky I am.
“Thank you,” I say, even though words don’t seem strong enough to convey my true feelings. It seems like everything has gone wrong lately, but this night is definitely right.
“So … How old are you?” Emma asks. She crosses her legs underneath her while we sit on the couch. “I just kissed you and it feels weird not knowing anything about you.”
“Seventeen.” I glance at the clock on the wall. It’s almost ten o’clock. “The good news is that we have plenty of time to talk. The employees probably won’t come back until the morning. How old are you?”
“Same,” she says. “Do you live around here?”
“Yep. Two blocks away,” I say. “But I grew up over on 4th Street. I just moved here with my aunt a couple years ago.”
She looks a little confused. “But you don’t go to my school. At least, I’ve never seen you there.”
I shake my head. “I’m homeschooled. I actually graduated last year and I’m starting college a year early.”
“Wow,” she says, giving me a teasing grin. “So you’re a smarty pants?”
I shrug. “Kind of?”
She laughs. “I like that. Smart guys are cute.”
When she laughs it my makes my whole body feel like I’m floating. I want to trap this feeling and keep it forever. I lean back against the couch and let my fingers lace into hers. She snuggles up against my shoulder and we talk for another hour. I tell her about my dad’s passing, and how my brother used to be my best friend but is now like a stranger. We bond over how we both have weird aunts, and how we think Magic Mark’s Pizza is the best pizza in town.
Despite the weird circumstances, sitting here next to Emma feels like the most natural thing on earth. We talk about everything and nothing and every moment that passes feels like a dream. She slouches against me and her breathing slows. I can tell she’s getting tired as it approaches midnight. I’m tired too, but I’m also filled with the energy of having met the perfect girl.
“Hey, Emma?” I whisper as I wrap my arm around her and hold her close.
“Yes?” she says back. Her eyes are closed as she leans against my chest.
“I don’t want to lose you after we’re let out of this building,” I say. “I want to see you again. I want to date you.”
“I want that too,” she says, opening her eyes and gazing up at me. She tilts her head back for a kiss and I am more than happy to give it to her.
Chapter 11
Emma
“Emma.”
I blink open my eyes, squinting at the lights overhead. I’m all warm and cozy and it takes me a minute to realize where I am. Then I recognize the voice calling my name. It’s Jaxxon.
We’re curled up on the couch in the museum break room. I look up at him and he grins at me. “Good morning.”
I grin back.
“I think I heard something,” he says quietly. “Someone might be here.”
I jump up. The sounds of someone talking filters down the hallway. “Finally!” I say, glancing over at the clock. It’s nine in the morning. I can’t believe my mom went all night without coming back for me.
We walk to the door and look down the hallway. Two women who look like employees are talking to each other about moving trucks that are coming today to take out the exhibits.
“Hello,” Jaxxon says.
The women jump. “Holy crap!” one of them says. “What are you doing here?”
“Who are you?” the other one says.
“You locked us in here last night,” I say. “I was in the bathroom and all of a sudden the lights went out.”
The first woman’s eyes widen. “Are you serious?”
Jaxxon and I nod. The other woman rushes toward us. “I’m so sorry! That’s horrible! Are you okay?”
I look at Jaxxon and nod. “I just want my phone back. How can you lock up a building when you haven’t given back all the phones?”
“People forget them,” the woman says. “It happens all the time. We’ve been taking up phones for years and almost every day someone walks out forgetting to get their phone back. We keep them in a lockbox.”
The woman takes us to the lockbox, which is next to a stack of boxes in one of the offices that we broke into last night. She doesn’t seem to notice that all the office doors are open, but I’m not about to apologize for what I did. We were desperate.
There are four phones inside the lockbox. I guess people do forget them, which makes this an even stupider museum policy. How many people have bought new phones thinking their old one got stolen or lost?
After listening to a dozen apologies from the women, Jaxxon and I go outside with our phones. His battery is dead but mine still has forty percent. I tip my head up to the sky and soak in the morning sunlight.
“It feels good to be free,” I say, taking a deep breath.
“You’re even more beautiful in the daylight,” Jaxxon says, nudging me with his shoulder.
I roll my eyes. “You’ve already won me over. You don’t have to keep dishing out compliments.”
“But I like dishing out compliments,” he says, wrapping his arms around my waist. His forehead drops to mine “You make it very easy.”
I want to kiss him so bad but I worry that I have morning breath. So instead, I hold up my phone. “My mom has some explaining to do.”
I call her, and she takes forever to answer the phone. When she does, her voice is groggy and annoyed. “Hello?” she says. “It’s really early, Emma.”
“Oh I know exactly what time it is,” I say. “I’m alive, by the way. I didn’t get murdered. Thanks for asking.”
“What are you talking about?” Mom asks.
“Hello!” I say so loud it scares away a bird that was perched on a nearby tree. “You left me at the museum! I was locked in there all night!”
“What?” Mom’s voice is clearer now, like she finally woke up fully. “Emma, what are you talking about?”
“You took me to the museum and then you left without me,” I say. “Where did you think I was? Or were you so caught up in your stupid boyfriend that you forgot you had a daughter.”
“Oh my God, Emma. I’m sorry. I figured you went off with friends or something.”
“And you didn’t even bother to check first?”
She sighs. “I’m sorry.”
An apology is not going to fix this. I look over at Jaxxon. He gives me a soft smile that’s filled with empathy. After he told me about his own mom, I know he understands what it’s like to have a mom who cares more about herself than you.
“Whatever,” I say into the phone. “Just letting you know I’m alive.”
I hang up. Jaxxon puts an arm around me. I lean against his chest while we walk through the park that surrounds the museum. “She thought I went home with friends and she didn’t even bother to call and make sure I was okay.”
“You have me now,” he says, kissing the top of my head. “I won’t forget about you.”
I wrap my arm around his waist. “I guess one good thing came from being locked in a museum all night.”
He points to his necklace. “Two, actually.”
I kick an acorn on the pathway in front of me. “I don’t even want to go home right now.”
Jaxxon takes his car keys out of his pocket. “Want to get breakfast? It can be our first official date.”
I grin. “That
sounds perfect.”
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Also by Amy Sparling
Ella’s Twisted Senior Year
When a tornado takes her home, Ella is forced to move in with the boy who broke her heart.
Believe in Me
He’s got fame. She’s got nothing. Jett and Keanna’s epic love story unfolds over this 8 book series.
The In Plain Sight Series
A contemporary teen romance series based on three couples that go to the same school. These books can be read in any order.
About the Author
Amy Sparling is the bestselling author of books for teens and the teens at heart. She lives on the coast of Texas with her family, her spoiled rotten pets, and a huge pile of books. She graduated with a degree in English and has worked at a bookstore, coffee shop, and a fashion boutique. Her fashion skills aren't the best, but luckily she turned her love of coffee and books into a writing career that means she can work in her pajamas. Her favorite things are coffee, book boyfriends, and Netflix binges.
She's always loved reading books from R. L. Stine's Fear Street series, to The Baby Sitter's Club series by Ann, Martin, and of course, Twilight. She started writing her own books in 2010 and now publishes several books a year. Amy loves getting messages from her readers and responds to every single one! Connect with her on one of the links below.
Connect with Amy online!
Website: AmySparling.com
Twitter: @Amy_Sparling
Instagram: @writeamysparling
Goodreads: goodreads.com/Amy_Sparling
Wattpad: AmySparlingWrites