Heavenly Bodies
Page 30
“Yeah. I thought Sage said you were too?”
“I was supposed to be, but…” He drifts off, staring at something behind me.
Or someone, rather. Rigel saunters over, handing me my coffee. “I got you extra whipped cream.”
“Aw, thanks.” I wrap my mittened hands around the cup, savoring its warmth. “Ri, this is Benny. I’ve known him forever. Benny, this is my boyfriend Rigel. He’s from St. Croix, but he’s at UGA, too.”
I watch this sink in as they shake hands. They’re about the same height; Benny’s a little taller, but Rigel’s broader in the shoulders.
“Nice to meet you, man,” Benny says, eyes flickering between the two of us.
“Yeah, you too.” Rigel’s casual as he sips his hot chocolate, but I know he’s sizing Benny up just the same.
“I was just showing Rigel around Little Five Points,” I say, shifting. “We’re gonna pass by my house.”
“Did your parents sell it?”
“Not yet. It’s taking awhile.” Rigel’s hand drops to mine, taking it. It’s time to go. “It was good seeing you, Benny.” I give him a smile, remembering what it used to be like between us.
“You too.” He smiles too, wryly, as he walks away.
Rigel’s parked on a side street, close to the coffee shop we just went to. We walk down the sidewalk together, leaves crunching beneath our feet.
“I remember that guy,” he says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “From your phone.”
“Mhm. We had a thing.”
He side-eyes me, smirking. “He wishes there was still a thing.”
That’s probably true, but it doesn’t matter anymore. I link my arm through Rigel’s. “Come on, St. Croix. I want to drive down my old street.”
Acknowledgements
I have always loved to write. Always. Publishing this book is a dream come true, a true mark off the bucket list.
Enthusiastic, gushy, super-special thank you to:
Anna B for reading my stuff and getting me off my butt and pushing me to just DO IT.
Lauren for my beautiful, dreamy cover.
Jessica B, Mary Foster, Joy DiPaola, Christina Gibbins, Michelle Collins, Grisell Cano and the ISoGs for reading, inspiring and encouraging me.
April Salter, Beth Bolden, Mary Elizabeth, Jada D’Lee for your practical advice, encouragement, time and shared resources.
To my pre-readers and the Twi Fandom: I love you and appreciate you. You have grown me into the writer I am today and I hope only to become better and craft wonderful tales of love and kisses for you.
To my best friends, Caleigh, Kelley and Amanda. Many of my characters over the years were written with you in mind. You are the sisters of my heart.
To St. Croix, for being the most magical place a girl could grow up.
To my Mom, for believing in me and loving me so unconditionally. (And for loving everything I ever wrote...even the crappy stuff!)
To my husband, for giving me (gorgeous kids but also) the gift of time. For believing I could do this. I love you. You’re the ultimate love interest.
And to God, for giving me this precious gift. I give you all the glory.
Author Bio
Rochelle Allison has been living, and thriving, in her imagination since she was a little girl in the Caribbean. A true lover of words (books! thesauruses!), she can usually be found crafting stories, inspired by people, conversations and the world around her.
A wife of one and mother of two, Rochelle lives just outside of Atlanta. She’s a lover of the beach, hiking and the outdoors, music, photography and baking.
And...she loves love. More than anything, she loves love.
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Copyright © 2016 Rochelle Allison.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Book Cover © 2016 Lauren Zuppo
Book Layout © 2016 Beth Bolden