𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 with soft and mature themes.
College senior Sierra adores her best friend Brian, but he inadvertently thwarts her love life on occasion. She didn't expect to meet Nick that night, but they quickly fel...
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Steps from my front door is a side exit. Not realizing a girl lived upstairs who would hold my heart in her palm, I've avoided the main entrance for the past four years like the dumbest guy alive.
After retrieving a package, I whirl to find Sierra blatantly staring, and I wonder how many times I could've passed her in this building and not noticed.
"Fancy meeting you here, beautiful," I say, advancing toward her.
Puffy eyes, pink nose, arms folded over her chest. Her voice is low and feeble. "Hey there."
"You look like you could use a friend."
The smile I get for those words could light up the sun. A tear rolls down her cheek, accompanied by a short laugh. "Want to be my friend, Nicholas?"
"More than anything in the world," I murmur, kissing her forehead.
Sierra squeezes me and asks, "How was your day today?"
Soft hair brushes my lips as I kiss the side of her head, not moving them as we amble. "Um, not bad, but ten times better when I found you waiting."
Boisterous voices greet us as we enter, and I step ahead in case Jeremy is ready to say something halfwitted.
Greeting us with careful hellos and puzzled expressions, KJ and Brady take in the tangible brokenness rolling off Sierra as she meekly waves hello.
I tuck her under my arm, guiding us to my bedroom, and the door clicks shut behind us. "Want to talk?"
A slight smile tugs up the corners of her mouth as she shakes her head, hugging herself. "I had an anxiety episode, but I'm calmer."
I sit down on my bed and pat the spot next to me. "Okay, well, I'm glad you are. Do you want to tell me what happened?"
Inhaling a long breath, her cheeks puff out before she answers. "Brian and I were studying in the library, and some guy touched me near the bathroom, saying I dropped something, and I flipped out. It was dumb, and I feel so stupid."
"Come closer," I suggest. "You're not stupid, sweetheart."
She sniffles, placing her face into my neck, and she shudders once. My insides twist, wishing I could do something, anything, to take away her anxiety.
I hold the box up. "Should we see what came?"
"Sure. What's inside?"
"Sometimes my parents send care packages from Amazon or Target, but this one is directly from the hands of Caroline Garrett. I asked her to mail something I left at home."
