(Book One) Do you ever feel as if your life has yet to begin? I've been alive for almost seventeen years now and absolutely nothing has ever happened to me. Not until I met a girl who kick-started my life. She introduced me to love, sex, scandal, ex...
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Sunday
The next morning there are two solid knocks on my front door.
I jump, even though I'm expecting my visitor. In fact, I'd been waiting all morning and counting down the seconds till 9:00 AM. No surprise, I hadn't been able to sleep the night before with the anticipation. I'd downed two cups of coffees and I'm exceptionally jittery. Hands trembling, I reach out for the doorknob.
"Get it together," I say under my breath and then I turn the handle.
The door swings open to reveal a tall figure. James casually leans against the doorway, one hand in his pocket the other pressed against the door frame. To call James handsome is an understatement. He is steal your breath, be still my beating heart, gorgeous. He's wearing a white fitted shirt that clings to his toned muscles. His faded jeans hang low and hug his waist. And his light hair is perfectly coiffed and faded as if he just stepped out of the barbershop.
"Hey, Ballerina girl."
Deep blue eyes stare at me from under heavy eyelashes. Then James smiles at me. It's not a polite smile but full of charm and intent. Under any other circumstances, I would have swooned like a character out of a Jane Austen novel. He'd never looked at me like this before, he'd always saved it for Ari.
It put me on edge.
"Come on in," I say and motion for him to step into the house.
The second he steps inside it feels surreal. We'd hung out after school and spent hours at dance practice but having the most popular guy at school standing in my house feels weird. I close the door behind him.
He stands awkwardly by the entrance. He keeps placing his hands in and out of his pockets as if he can't decide what to do with his hand. His awkwardness is strangely reassuring. His initial smile and calm demeanor had thrown me off, but this I could work with.
"I got your text." His eyes stop roaming my house and land on me. They don't have the same charm they held before but are wary. "You wanted to talk to me about Ari?"
"Why'd you do it. Roofie Ari?" There's no point beating around the bush. He either did it or he didn't.
His eyes widen and his posture stiffens. Then unexpectedly, he relaxes as if he has no worries in the world. He pulls his hands out of his pockets and ruffles his own hair. A grin appears on his face.
"Is this a sick joke? Did Courtney and the team put you up to this?" He asks. He looks around my house. "For real, where are the cameras?"
I step in front of his searching eyes and cross my arms. He stops his search and stares at me. My seriousness reaches him. The mocking smile slips from his lips and settles into a frown.
