The Year I Met August

by Renea Porter

  THE YEAR I

  MET AUGUST

  RENEA PORTER

  Copyright © 2016 Renea Porter

  Cover design by Najla Qamber.

  Photo credit to: Lindee Photography

  Editing by Genevieve Scholl

  ****WARNING****

  FBI Anti-Piracy Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $ 250,000.

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever including Internet usage, without written permission of the author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Dedication

  “It doesn’t matter how many times you fall, as long as you get back up. And I hope you are as lucky as I am to have someone to catch that fall.” –August Jensen

  Table of Contents

  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

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty One

  Chapter Thirty Two

  Chapter Thirty Three

  Chapter Thirty Four

  Chapter Thirty Five

  Chapter Thirty Six

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  Chapter Thirty Eight

  Chapter Thirty Nine

  Epilogue

  A Note from the Author

  Author Bio

  Chapter One

  DAY ONE

  How long did it take you to fall in love? Was it a day, two, a month? Maybe it took you a year. It only took me ten days to fall in love. I never knew someone could fall for me. But he did, and it was the most powerful thing I’ve ever experienced.

  It was 2006 and the summer after high school graduation. My parents decided to haul the family to our family vacation home for the last leg of the summer. The summer house was nestled in Dragon’s Bay, New York. It was its own little island, but it had everything a beach town had shops, restaurants, and a stretch of beach for miles. My siblings were old enough to bring their significant others, but I was only seventeen and had no one.

  All through school, I was always getting picked on for being smart. I was known as Nerdy Murphy. By high school, I was used to the teasing. I took all AP classes, graduating a year early, so it was expected. But I was proud of my accomplishments. Still, the teasing stung. Friends were practically non-existent and none of the boys asked me out on dates. Mom said my intelligence intimidated them and it was their loss. Who needs boys, anyway?

  I was the baby out of my three siblings, and I think my father was happy I wasn’t boy crazy, like my sister. He was grooming me to follow in his footsteps. To become a neurosurgeon like him. In ten days, I’d get to intern at one of the top hospitals in the area. My dad claimed he had some pull and pulled the strings that he needed to, to get me an internship. Then I’d be off to med school just like my father had planned.

  “We’re going to the carnival in town. You coming?” Melanie, my older sister, asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll come,” I said.

  I quickly looked in the mirror to make sure I looked presentable. You never know who you might run into. I weaved my fingers through my straight, dark blonde hair that reached just passed my shoulders. Then I was ready to go. Most of the time, I tagged along with my sister, because she was five years older than me. I was always the third wheel tagging along with her and her boyfriend Brandon. But she was more fun than my older brother, Jacob, who was seven years older than me.

  We loaded into Brandon’s car. I got in the back seat and Melanie turned to me. “We’re meeting Brandon’s friend, August, there,” she mentioned.

  “Okay. Cool.”

  I bobbed my head to the music without another care.

  The trip to the carnival took ten minutes. When we arrived, I stepped out of the car and the smell of the caramel sweetness wafted through the air as I caught view of kids running around with candy apples and caramel smeared on their faces. Some had snow cones, and their lips were the color of the flavored ice.

  I loved the carnival. We walked to the ticket booth and found Brandon’s friend. Apparently he knew my sister, too.

  “This is my sister, Murphy. Murph, this is August.”

  Holding my hand out, I shook his. “Nice to meet you.” I smiled.

  His eyes greeted mine as they shined in the sunlight. His hair was dark and neatly styled, and he had eyes were the color of dark chocolate. He was tall, too; nearly a foot taller than me. I had to look up at him. Something about him made me want to smile.

  “Nice to meet you, too.”

  “Alright. Who wants to ride some rides?” Brandon asked enthusiastically, rubbing his hands together. There was a look of mischief on his face.

  “I do!” we all said in unison.

  Brandon bought a huge roll of tickets and split it between the four of us, handing me and August a good amount. Melanie and Brandon walked in front of August and I, and I knew right away we were being set up. Those sneaks! I felt blindsided. But I might as well have made the best of it.

  “So, how old are you?” I asked August.

  “Twenty three. You?”

  “Seventeen,” I responded. “I’ll be eighteen in five days.”

  Before long, I noticed Brandon and Melanie were doing their own thing. “I’m sorry; it looks like they’ve ditched us.”

  “It’s okay. At least we like the same rides,” he said.

  Well, we had that in common. And he wasn’t bad to look at, either. He was cute in a rough type of way. He wore a pair of khaki shorts and a blue polo shirt. He even smelled good; almost better than the carnival. We played two games, and August won a monkey and gave it to me.

  After riding almost all the rides twice, we decided to take a break and get some food. My stomach was howling for some. We continued walking until we stopped at a food stand. I ordered a hot dog, fries, and a drink. Once we got our food, we found a picnic table to sit at.

  “So, your sister said you were headed to med school in the fall.”

  “It’s true. My dad wants me to follow in his footsteps. Neuro surgery, to be specific.”

  “Is that what you want?” he questioned.

  “Um…I’ve never been asked what I wanted. I guess so.” I shrugged. Changing the subject, I asked, “What about you, August? What is August about?”

  “I manage my Dad’s automotive shop. Actually he passed away last year so I took it over. It’s just me and my mom now.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear about your dad. Did he teach yo
u how to be a mechanic?”

  I ate my food while listening to August talk.

  “I went to community college and learned the trade. I worked with him through the years, learned most things from him, then took over full time last year. We don’t make a lot of money, but it pays the bills. However, I don’t make enough to live on my own since I help my mom out a lot. You know The Blue Beacon Manor? That’s where my mom lives, and I’m moving in as of today. As you can see, I’m taking a little break to come to the Carnival.”

  “Oh yeah. I’ve heard of it. It sits up on the hill, right?”

  “It does.”

  “Oh, and I’m glad you came. Being a third wheel sucks sometimes.”

  He laughed.

  “Are you off work today then?”

  “Yeah. I have another guy that is really reliable when I need to take a day off. But that rarely happens.”

  I didn’t mention anything about me leaving in ten days yet. I was still feeling him out and I didn’t want to get too personal. We rode a few more rides before calling it a night.

  “It’s getting dark; we should look for your sister and Brandon.”

  “I’m sorry you got stuck with me. It seems to me they were playing matchmakers,” I told him awkwardly.

  He smiled. “I didn’t mind. Maybe next time I can take you out without the chaperones.” He winked.

  I was in disbelief he was even interested in me.

  Unsure if whether he was joking or not, I awkwardly replied, “Yeah. I’d like that.”

  “Tomorrow, then?”

  “Sure,” I told him, trying to hide my surprise…and excitement

  “Put your number in here and I’ll call you in the morning.” He handed me his phone, and I punched my cell number into it before handing it back to him.

  “There you two are,” Melanie said throwing her arm around my shoulder. “You guys ready to go?”

  “Yep.”

  “We’re dropping August off on the way,” Brandon said.

  August and I loaded into the back seat. My stomach had been churning with nerves ever since meeting him earlier today. My hand landed in the empty space between us. Slowly, August inched his hand over to mine, and held my hand in his. It was comforting. Thankfully, it was dark, because my cheeks probably turned ten shades of pink.

  Now the empty space was two hands holding on for dear life. The thought of leaving in ten days scared me. And the thought of never knowing August scared me even more. There was just something about him. And I wanted to know more about him.

  On the ride to his place, the guys talked about sports. Melanie looked back and noticed our hand holding, and she smiled with glee. We pulled up to his place. The Blue Beacon Manor was grand in stature, especially for only two people, and it stood high on a hill, beaming in its blue and tan beauty.

  August exited the car and turned to me. “Tomorrow, right?”

  “Tomorrow.” I smiled and waved.

  I was grinning from ear to ear…so hard, my cheeks started to hurt.

  “I think Murph has a boyfriend,” Melanie teased.

  “No I don’t. I’m leaving in ten days. Don’t be ridiculous. We are just hanging out, thanks to you two ditching us,” I scolded. I couldn’t be that mad about it, though.

  “Well, excuse me for trying to get you to have some fun before you left. Lord knows all you do is read and study.”

  Brandon pulled up to our house.

  “Whatever…” I stalked off inside.

  “What’s wrong with her?” I heard Mom ask from the kitchen.

  “She met a boy. It’s the end of the world,” Melanie told her.

  Unfortunately, Melanie and I shared a room at the beach house. Brandon was barred to his own room, while my brother got to shack up with his girlfriend of five years. They were practically engaged.

  Melanie followed me upstairs to our room. I watched as she plopped down on the end of the bed. “August likes you. And that was really sweet, seeing you guys hold hands.”

  “You weren’t supposed to see that.”

  “Why not? I’m happy for you. You’ve never had a boyfriend before. Dad is going to freak when he hears his baby has a boyfriend,” she teased.

  “He probably already heard your big mouth, Mel,” I teased with a smile.

  “Okay. I’m sorry about the teasing. I can’t help it. You’re my baby sister. You know I’m happy for you.” She changed out of her clothes and into a pair of pajamas and got into bed.

  “It’s ten days. Not a lot can happen in ten days.” I replied, thinking about those words as I lie in bed looking up to the ceiling.

  “You’d be surprised, Murph.”

  Chapter Two

  DAY TWO

  True to his word, August called the very next morning. We made plans for dinner and a movie. I was excited for my first date ever. Well, technically, it was a second date, but who’s counting. Since I wouldn’t see him until he got out of work, I took advantage of having some sister time with Melanie.

  She and I had a girls pampering session later that evening. She schooled me on the things I needed to be doing to beautify myself, like shaving, doing my nails, and wearing makeup, which I was already doing. She helped pick out my outfit, and the rest of the day we lounged by the pool. Of course, I had my nose in a book. Fiction is always better than real life, anyway.

  “Are you sure my hair looks okay?” I asked Melanie as I looked in the mirror. She had put some curls in my blonde hair, making the waves look like I spent the day at the beach.

  “Yes. It looks so cute.”

  When it was time, I came bounding down the stairs after getting ready for my date. I was expecting August at any minute. And Dad stopped me in my tracks.

  “Where do you think you are going, little one?” He looked up and lowered his glasses.

  “I’m going out.” I shrugged.

  “With who, and where?”

  “His name is August. He’s taking me to dinner and a movie,” I told him.

  “I never knew you to be interested in boys.”

  “Well, I’m not interested in girls,” I said, hearing Melanie snicker behind me.

  “If you plan on spending time with him then how about you invite him for dinner tomorrow night?”

  The doorbell rang.

  “Fine. Can I go now?”

  He nodded. “Just remember you leave in nine days.”

  I ignored his remark and met August just as I stepped out of the door. He reached his arms out and hugged me then held the car door open for me to get in.

  “So how was your day so far?” he asked as he pulled out of the driveway.

  “It was fine, until my dad started grilling about where I was going and with whom.” I sighed. “Now they want to have you over for dinner tomorrow. If you can make it.”

  My stomach rolled with nervousness while I waited for August’s response.

  “I’m free tomorrow evening. I have to work, but I can definitely come after I get a shower,” he said.

  I smiled. “Alright. Dinner should be around six then.”

  Thankfully, he wasn’t scared off. I decided to change the subject. Surely, he’d run once he found out I was leaving in nine days. “So, how was your day? Did you get moved in?”

  “My day was okay. It’s much better now, though. I had enough time to get settled in after I got home last night. I already had most of it done, though.”

  August turned on the music, and I was thankful for the background noise.

  “There is something I should tell you. I’m leaving in nine days. My dad got me an internship for the remainder of the summer. He said it would benefit me before med school. The internship is with a neuro surgeon.”

  His head jerked back. “Wow! That is amazing. I guess we need to make the best of these nine days then.” He winked.

  “That doesn’t scare you off?”

  “Nope,” he simply said.

  Moments later, August pulled up to the local hotspot called The
Caddy Shack. It was known for it’s seafood.

  “I hope this is okay,” he said.

  “Absolutely. I love seafood.”

  He smiled; and his hand guided the small of my back as we walked inside. A hostess found us a booth and I slid into the seat and August slid right next to me, leaving the seat across from us empty. I was both nervous and excited to be sitting so close to him. Did I mention how good he smelled?

  “You smell good.” I said.

  “Thanks.”

  The hostess took our drink order and handed us each a menu. Once the waitress came over, we were ready to order.

  “Your food will be right out,” she told us.

  “Do you have a curfew?” August asked me.

  “Nope. I’ll be eighteen in a few days, anyway. I do have another confession, though.” My palms were sweaty from just thinking about what I was about to say. “I’ve never been on a date before, or even out with a boy for that matter.”

  August was no boy. He was a very good looking young man. One I was attracted to.

  His eyes crinkled. “Never? Well, I just find that hard to believe. A girl as pretty as you ain’t ever been on a date?”

  I nudged him with my shoulder, trying not to blush. “Come on. My sister didn’t put you up to this? Or Brandon?”

  “Murph, nobody put me up to asking you out. The only thing they did was introduce us at the carnival. Now that, I believe was their doing. But I am genuinely interested in you. Why would you even think otherwise?”

  Our food arrived, and I took a bite before continuing the conversation.

  “I just…in school, I was bullied a lot for being smart. The boys stayed away, too. I don’t have the experience that you probably have.”

  I couldn’t believe that last sentence came out of my mouth.

  “I’m sorry you had to deal with that. I’m glad the boys stayed away, though” He smiled, flashing me a wink. “Besides, it’s their loss.”

  He nudged my shoulder, and my eyes fluttered up to meet his. He gave me a toothy grin, causing my heart to pitter patter. I had never experienced this before; this electric current that was buzzing between us. But I liked it. And I liked August a lot. The rest of the meal and conversation was easy with him. He made me feel like the only girl in the room, and he paid attention to everything I said like he was genuinely interested.