Page 1 of Only You

Part VII

Mid-August, 1991

Chapter One

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It’d been lessthan forty-eight hours since I’d left Atlanta in the middle of the night, leaving Adam and our mess behind me. Once I’d reached home, I’d cried and slept before burning my pictures of him and washing the ashes of our relationship out of my life.

In some ways the end had come in a flash and a bang. In others, it’d been a slow wrenching break, one I’d tried to deny. But the bones of us had snapped, along with every lie I’d told myself. Adam and I were unsupportable. We were over. After everything I’d just been through, I should have been grieving, but the truth was I’d already done most of that before the end had come.

Now I just wanted honesty and comfort. I wanted something good.

Walking through the golden light of August to Daniel’s open door, my heart was soft with hope and my mind was clear for the first time in ages. The light of truth had illuminated the differences between what I wanted, what I had, who I wanted to be, and who I was. None of it included Adam anymore.

Daniel’s welcoming smile further confirmed this. He was a good person. He knew the truth of me, all the ugly, selfish parts, and yet still he was asking me into his home.

“I’m glad you came,” he said, as I stepped over the threshold. Kennedy, Daniel’s little sister, followed at my heels.

Carrying my Leica and Milky Way, our friend Bobby’s pint-sized dog, I cleared my throat, looking around. When I’d started at Kingsley, the local private high school, I’d made it a policy to never mention how nice someone’s house was. It just made it clear I wasn’t living at the same level. But now, pausing in the foyer of Daniel’s home, I couldn’t help myself.

“You live here?” I asked, taking in the wide windows that showed off the river bending around the corner of their property, the water glinting through the fading green trees. Off to the right, the formal living room was opulently decorated. I felt underdressed in my jeans, T-shirt, and the light gray cardigan I’d put on to cover up my bruised arm.

Milky Way squirmed to be let down. I complied as I gaped at the broad, sweeping staircase leading up to the second floor. Milky Way scampered up it like she knew just where she was going, her tail wagging and ears flopping. “Thisis your house?”

I’d known his family’s business was in construction, so perhaps I should have expected it, but Daniel was so down-to-earth, I hadn’t.

“Yeah,” Kennedy said, hands on her hips, a gentle frown creasing her brow in confusion. Her messy strawberry-blond hair stuck out around her rosy face. “Why wouldn’t it be, Mister?”

“I just meant it’s nice.” I smiled down at her. “You can just call me Peter.”

“Okay, Mister.”

Daniel cleared his throat, the tips of his ears a little pink. “It’s ostentatious, I know. Dad saw it as an advertisement for his firm.”

Standing barefoot and handsome in his long-sleeve blue Henley and loose jeans, his brown eyes shone with amber highlights, and his dark blond hair glowed in the light from the windows. My heart tripped over itself just looking at him. “Don’t let it put you off,” he went on.

I regretted making a big deal of it at all. “It’s great.”

Daniel blew out a breath. He looked tired beneath his strength. “The location’s not. Too far out in the middle of nowhere.”

“But the view’s awesome,” I said, motioning toward the windows, determined to erase my mistake. Could I do the same about us? Make him forget how I’d hurt him? Probably not.

Kennedy took hold of my elbow and tugged. “C’mon, I’ll show you the game room. Do you like to play pool? Or foosball?” She grinned, her dark eyes crinkling at the edges like Daniel’s did when he was happy. “Dan kicks Paul’s butt at foosball. It makes Paul so mad.”

“I bet.”

I’d never met Daniel’s younger brother, but I’d had the honor of hearing him squabble with Kennedy over the phone. He’d seemed the type who’d get ego-invested in foosball.

Daniel removed her hand from my elbow. “Kennedy, go upstairs and tell Paul he can take a break from his homework. I rented movies. You can watch them while I hang out with Peter.”

“Oh.” Her face fell, and she shot a hopeful glance my way. “Can I hang out with him too?”

“No.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

“Because Peter’s here to see me, not you.” He tweaked a tuft of fuzzy hair by her ear. “Besides, I gotNeverEnding Story IIand…guess.”

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