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I glanced at the scribbled-on world map tacked to the wall above my desk TheThe red and blue circles drawn all over it brought forth a grin as I grabbed a massive red-and-black hardcover from my desk, which was pretty much used only to stash books now When we firstthe here the dresser and TV were, but those bookshelves had been overflowing for years now Books were stacked in every spare place in the roohtstand, on both sides of the dresser and inup more room than the clothes did

I’d always been a reader and I read a lot, usually sticking to books with some sort of romantic theme and a classic happily-ever-after Lori used toI had cheesy taste in books, but whatever At least I didn’t have pretentious taste in books like she did, and sometimes I just wanted toI don’t know, escape life To delve headfirst into a world that dealt with real-life issues to openco vas and always, always, reach the last page feeling satisfied

Because sometimes happily-ever-after existed only in the books I read

Sitting down on the edge of my bed, I was just about to crack the book open when I heard a soft rapping co from the balcony doors For a split second, I froze asthe book on my bed

It could be only one person: Sebastian

After throwing the lock, I opened the doors and there was no stopping the wide s acrossh the threshold, arht

I collided with a taller and runted as I threw my arms around his broad shoulders and practically face-planted on his chest I inhaled the fa since forever

There wasn’t a moment of hesitation from Sebastian as his arms swept around me

There never was

“Lena” His voice was deep—deeper than I reone for only one month But a month felt like an eternity when you saw someone nearly every day of your life and then suddenly didn’t We’d kept in touch over the su a few ti him here

Sebastian hugged led a few inches off the floor before he settled ainsta wave of warmth all the way to the tips of my toes

“You really h the wet strands of my hair

Yes God, I did miss hiainst his chest “I just thought you were the hot guy I waited on tonight”

“Whatever” He chuckled against the top of uy at Joanna’s”

“How do you know?”

“Two reasons First, I’uy that ever steps one foot into that place and I wasn’t there,” he said

“Wow Real modest, Sebastian”

“I’ “And second, if you thought I was someone else, you wouldn’t still be attached to me like Velcro”

He had a point

I pulled back, dropping my arms to my sides “Shut up”

He chuckled again I always loved his little laughs They were infectious, even when you were in a bad mood You couldn’t help but smile

“I thought you weren’t co back until Saturday,” I said as I stepped inside my bedroom

Sebastian followed “Dad decided I needed to be back for the scri But he’d already worked everything out with the coach You kno Dad is”

His father was the stereotypical football-obsessed father who pushed and pushed and pushed Sebastian when it caht shocked when Sebastian announced that they would be out of tohile there was football practice Knowing his dad, I bet he had Sebastian up every

“Your mom’s asleep?” he asked as I closed the balcony doors