Copyright © 2013 by Abigail Kerber
Editing by Jennifer Roberts-Hall of Indie After Hours
Interior Design by Angela McLaurin of Fictional Formats
Cover Design by Tracy McMurphy of Dream Designs
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication and use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owner.
All rights reserved.
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
~ For John ~
A husband, father, and friend who follows his dreams
with an unwavering sense of strength and confidence.
I could see Jeremy laughing in the darkness and had to steady myself against the hood of my Jeep when he kissed Jessica’s mouth and playfully swatted her toward the crowd.
I’d arrived at the field party just in time to witness that the rumors circling the bonfire were true. The two people I trusted most in my life had committed the ultimate betrayal. I was only an hour late to the final party of spring break, but that was all the time they had needed.
Someone grabbed my arm and asked if I was okay. There was no way I could be okay as the past two years crumbled around me. Jeremy and I had plans. Plans to leave this small town behind and start a life somewhere new. Now he would leave after his graduation, and I’d be left to plan an unknown future. A future that didn’t include him.
Scanning the crowd around the bonfire, I could see my best friend Jessica laughing as she flirted with her next victim. She could have any guy in our school. Why had she chosen Jeremy? My Jeremy. How could they do this to me knowing what my family had gone through in the past week?
In that moment, I decided if Jeremy and Jessica could make a scene in front of our classmates, then I was more than capable of following suit. As I walked toward Jessica, I could feel every emotion I had experienced in the last week fuel my steps. If she wanted to be the center of attention, then I’d be the one to make sure the spotlight was directed her way.
The pavement felt good beneath my feet. I sucked in the warm evening air as I continued to run past rows of houses in my small town. Running was a new thing for me; an outlet for all of the hurt and betrayal I’d experienced in the last few months. Running was my best friend. Something I could count on. One of the few things I could still trust.
I continued down the streets of Milton, Oklahoma, a path I had become all too familiar with in the past few weeks. Focusing on the road ahead, I reminded myself again of my priorities. Win state in basketball, graduate as valedictorian, leave Milton exactly one year from today, and absolutely no boys. That was rule number one—no boys. There was no way I would be distracted again.
A single memory of this spring popped into my mind, and tears immediately filled my eyes. I blinked hard and began to run faster. Running was the only thing that could make the tears stop. As I turned the corner and headed toward the town’s park, I began to breathe normally again. I would get through this pain, and no one would ever know what effect my ex-boyfriend had on me.
Milton was a very petite town in eastern Oklahoma where everyone knew everyone. This also meant everyone knew everything about you, usually before you did. For me, the last two months had been pure torture, and I was more than ready for the gossip mill to turn in another direction. Unfortunately, a new scandal hadn’t broken out yet, so I was stuck in the spotlight. The only relief I had received was that summer break had begun two days ago. So for now, I could limit my public appearances and stick around the few people I could still count on.
As I turned the corner toward the park, someone caught my eye. I knew every person in this town, but an unfamiliar figure was standing on a nearby lawn. I knew he wasn’t from here. The home belonged my to grandparent’s friends, Ed and Marie Nevel. No one had moved to town that I had heard about, and I knew the Nevels were still living in the house, so…
Who was he?
And why couldn’t I stop staring at him?
He glanced in my direction and I quickly turned away, picking up my pace again. Looking down, I became all too aware that my shoulder length, dirty blonde hair was tied in a messy knot on the top of my head. I had no makeup on, and my tank top was wrinkled and dirty. I wasn’t quite sure why I cared about what I looked like. I hadn’t cared in months. There was just something about this boy that made me feel self-conscious.
As I turned another corner, I entered the park and began to breathe evenly again. The pavement turned to gravel beneath my Nike sneakers, and I smiled. My favorite part of this run was the half mile path that led around a pond in the center of the park. Surrounded by trees and the sound of ducks, I could always escape here. Imagine I was in another place where no one knew who I was, or who I had dated.
The only downside to the path was that a few pests had made themselves at home here. I could run past the frogs and turtles without a second thought, but it was the snakes that I had to watch out for. I kept my eyes peeled for any slithering creature. I hated snakes. Sure, they weren’t poisonous, but I still couldn’t stand to run by as if they weren’t there.
As if on cue, a scaly black head popped out of the grass and began to make its way across the path. I stopped in my tracks. Luckily, I was twenty feet away, so I just needed to wait until the tiny beast moved out of my way. Gross! I would not miss this about small town living. Keeping a careful eye on my enemy, I heard the faint sound of footsteps behind me. As they got closer, I risked looking away from my predator to see who was coming.
To my surprise, it was the boy I had seen earlier, and he was jogging right in my direction with his eyes focused on me. He became even more gorgeous as he got closer. He had short, dark brown hair and looked as if he had been chiseled out of stone. Every muscle flexed with each step he took, and for some reason I couldn’t take my eyes off of him.
Geez…
What was wrong with me?
Remembering the snake, I quickly broke my gaze and turned around. I could see that the snake was halfway across the path, so I was almost clear to go. For some reason though, I couldn’t move. Trying to decide if I could formulate enough words to warn this sexy new guy
about the snake, I suddenly heard his footsteps stop close behind me.
“Hey, are you okay?” a deep voice asked behind me.
I slowly turned and looked up into his dark, brown eyes. Oh, he was hot. Way too hot to be in Milton, Oklahoma. He stood tall over my slender, 5’7’’ frame and ran his hands through his hair as he continued to stare down into my clear, blue eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked again.
“Oh, sorry. Yes, I’m fine,” I blushed in reply. Thank goodness the summer heat had already turned my cheeks pink, although I was sure they had reached a new shade of red in the past ten seconds.
As he walked past me, he began to put his ear buds back in place.
“Okay, have a nice run.” he began to pick up speed.
“Oh, hold on,” my voice squeaked out.
The boy quickly turned toward me, eyeing me as if I were an alien.
“There’s a snake up ahead. I was waiting for it to pass. They aren’t poisonous, but I don’t want to find out if they bite or not.” I looked past him and pointed. “See his tail?”
The boy laughed. “Is this a joke? There are snakes in the middle of town?”
“Well, not the middle of town, but yeah, there are snakes at the park. And probably in your backyard.” I shrugged.
“Great,” he sighed. “Thanks for the heads up.”
He turned and met my eyes again. I wasn’t sure why he made my heart stop, or why I couldn’t stop staring at him. He was obviously attractive with his perfect smile and chiseled jaw-line. I had sworn off boys until college, but this boy looked like he was already in college so maybe he could be an exception.
No!
I could not let myself be distracted. He was obviously visiting family or friends for a short time, so I at least had that fact on my side.
“I’m Ty,” he said, breaking into a smile that showed his perfect, white teeth. “Ty Jacobs.”
Ugh… Even his name was hot!
“I’m Bailey,” I replied with an attempted normal smile. “I guess this is your first time in Milton?”
Ty let out a deep laugh. “Yeah, we don’t have a lot of snakes where I’m from.”
His reply helped me relax. “Well, I think we’re in the clear. I saved you this time, but next time you venture to the scary park, watch the path for snakes. And frogs, in case you are scared of those too.” I moved to walk past him. “It was nice to meet you.”
“You too,” he smiled as he stepped into pace next to me. “You should probably run with me tonight though, so you can point out any other local hazards I’m going to encounter.”
I just shook my head as we both began to jog. We ran in silence for the next mile. As we ran back by the street the Nevels lived on, he began to turn.
“Thanks for the run,” he said. “If I need to keep protecting you from small town wildlife, let me know.”
I laughed, the first real laugh I had let out in weeks. “I usually run alone, but maybe we’ll see each other around while you’re in town.”
Ty just nodded as we parted ways. I didn’t look back as I continued toward my home. I didn’t need too. No matter where I looked, Ty’s face was the only thing I could see.
I pulled my red Jeep Wrangler into a parking space in front of the practice gym three blocks from Milton High School. My lifelong friend, Lexy Wright, and I were determined to be State Champions our senior year. We had nearly reached our goal last year. However, a heart breaking three point ball game left us with a runner up trophy instead.
We had convinced our basketball coach to lend us a key to the practice gym for the summer and had committed to intense basketball drills five mornings a week. This was one morning I wished I was still in bed. It was easier to dream about the mysterious Ty if I was still asleep and unaware that I had sworn off all thoughts of dating.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lexy’s bright yellow Ford Mustang pull in beside me. Lexy bounced out of her car and smiled brightly. She was always full of energy, especially when it came to basketball. Her big brown eyes didn’t look the least bit tired, and I knew I needed my energy drink to kick in soon so I could match her speed.
She raced over to my door, jerking it open. “Get out!” she cried. “We’re wasting daylight.”
“Ugh… It’s 7AM, Lex,” I groaned. “Barely daylight.”
“Oh, get over it. This was your idea, so perk up. I don’t have time for your attitude today.” Lexy headed to unlock the gym door.
Lexy and I had been friends since third grade. She knew everything about me and had been my source of sanity over the past few months. I followed behind, willing the caffeine to kick in so I could avoid any further lectures.
We entered the gym, turned on the lights, and walked toward the old concrete bleachers. Lexy tied her long auburn hair into a knot on the top of her head, and we stretched for a few minutes before beginning with dribbling drills. After an hour of dribbling, passing, and defensive drills, we sat down on the cool gray concrete for a quick break. We would move to offensive drills next and end the practice with sprinting exercises that always left us exhausted. Although we enjoyed the sport more than anything, we took our practices very seriously, never forgetting our end goal.
I left the bleachers and grabbed the nearest basketball. After a few shots, I heard the gym doors slam and male voices echo off the walls. Turning, I saw Colton Hicks walk in and head toward Lexy. They had been seriously dating since Colton had moved to our town during freshman year. He had come to few of our practices, but it was mostly to distract Lexy and prove that he could beat us in the sprinting drills.
It took a few seconds for me to realize that he didn’t come alone. As my eyes focused across the gym, I froze when I saw that Ty was with him. Surely this was impossible, and I was imagining this. How would they even know each other?
I turned back toward the basketball hoop, realizing I was only wearing my royal blue sports bra and a pair of short black track shorts. I had lost the t-shirt early on during our defensive drills. And unluckily for me, it was lying on the bleachers right next to where Ty stood.
Just great…
Why did I even care? Why did he make me feel so self-conscious? I had nothing to be ashamed of. My recent break up could be attributed to my leaner figure, and our workouts in the gym had toned every muscle on my body. Not to mention my additional running had worked wonders on my legs.
It was just something about him. I felt like I should only wear a prom dress in front of him, yet here I stood, dripping wet with sweat, no make up again and half dressed. What a disaster.
I decided not to acknowledge they had arrived, and continued to shoot the ball. After ten minutes or so, Colton yelled across the gym. “Bails, come and meet Ty.”
I caught the basketball as it bounced off the rim and squeezed my eyes shut. Slowing my breath, I turned and began to walk toward them, grabbing my shirt as soon as it was in reach. Pulling my cut-off t-shirt over my head, I finally made eye contact with Ty. He was standing in his perfection, staring at me, and I felt the same sensation that happened the night before. I couldn’t take my eyes from his, and somehow I forgot how to talk.
“So you play basketball too?” Ty spoke before Colton could introduce him.
Colton interrupted before I could stutter out a response. “Did you guys already meet? You just got here yesterday.”
“We passed each other running last night,” Ty shrugged. “Bailey saved me from a snake.”
I laughed, finally finding my voice. “How do you two know each other?”
“This is my cousin I told you about a million times. He moved here from Detroit and will be in school with us next year,” Colton explained.
“You’re in high school?” I squeaked out in a shocked tone.
“Yeah, I’m a senior,” he smiled, revealing an irresistible dimple in his left cheek.
As I stood frozen in place, I could hear Lexy and Colton laughing. The distraction allowed me to break my gaze from Ty’s ey
es for the first time, and taking a few steps away, I began to dribble my basketball toward the other side of the gym.
Before I could escape, Lexy shouted, “Sprinting drills!”
A million thoughts ran through my mind. How could I run without falling when Ty was in the room? How could I even walk straight when I knew he was staring at me? Why was he staring at me?
“Line up!” Lexy shouted, breaking into my thoughts.
I took my spot in between Lexy and Ty at the base line and surveyed the length of the court. Sprinting drills were never fun or easy, no matter how many times we went through them.
Stepping out with authority, Lexy was all business once again. “Okay, for the newbie, here’s how this works. We run suicides, half length, and full length sprints, followed by bear crawls and bleachers. First one to quit buys lunch. You run when I say go!”
Ty looked uneasy for the first time since I’d met him. “So, we just run until someone quits?”
“Is that a problem?” Lexy asked with a smug smile.
“I guess we’ll see,” he replied. “My cousin failed to mention that we’d be sprinting back and forth in a gym this morning.”
Lexy stepped back behind the line. “Go!”
We started with suicides, back and forth from base line to free throw line, base line to half court line, base line to farthest free throw line, base line to farthest base line, then stop. After eight suicides, we switched to half court sprints, then full court sprints.
My chest burned, and I could hear Ty breathing loudly as he ran next to me. Sweat dripped from my forehead, and the shirt I had wanted back on so badly was now completely soaked through. I glanced over to see that Ty’s gray t-shirt was soaking wet as well, and my breath caught in my throat as Ty lifted his hands behind his head causing both arms to flex and revealing more of his perfection.
The pace was intense, but none of us wanted to finish last or be the one to quit. After a series of full court sprints, my exhaustion overpowered the sensation I felt when I was around Ty, and I could focus on the motion. Sprint, back and forth, back and forth, rest, sprint again.
Stay With Me Page 1