Page 1 of The Boy I Loved
PROLOGUE
The warm summerbreeze whipped my chestnut-colored hair around as I navigated my way through the woods. The sun was just setting over the horizon, giving my surroundings an ominous appearance as I moved around trees and leapt over logs that had fallen. My heart beat frantically beneath my ribcage, anticipation settling deep inside my stomach. The woods appeared to extend endlessly, with the sole source of illumination being the light filtering through the branches overhead as I moved swiftly past the trees.
A treehouse sat near the middle of the woods—one my best friend’s dad had made for us two summers ago so that we had a safety-net away from our homes. It was fitting since it was right between our two neighborhoods. As I reached the trunk of the tree that led to the treehouse, my hands grasped onto the makeshift ladder. Placing one foot onto the bottom step, I attempted to push my body upwards.
I didn’t get very far before two strong arms wound their way around my waist and dragged me backwards. A startled giggle slipped from my lips as I fell into his warm chest. He never let mewin. Twisting around to face him, he peered down at me with a cocky smirk. His gray eyes were filled with mischief and playfulness and instantly, my body relaxed in his hold.
Dominic had been my best friend since we were eleven. Our dads worked together at an electrical company and were often stuck working long hours side by side. Working a dangerous job like that, you were forced to trust your colleagues. It didn’t take long for them to become friends, arranging barbeques and cookouts between our two households. That meant Dominic and I were constantly around one another. I’d also become friends with his younger sister, Alice, who was only two years our junior.
Over the years, something had shifted between the two of us. Touches became electric, glances became lingering, and I started noticing things I hadn’t before. Like the way he smelled for example. He’d always smelled good, but now, he smelled irresistible. Like a mixture of the woods we resided in now—spice, cedarwood, and amber. It took everything in me not to inhale and revel in his musky scent.
His hands rested along the curve of my hips, my breathing erratic from the exertion it took just to race him here. This was one of our favorite games. Whoever won, got to make the other person do something for them. Even though he always won, it never bothered me. He’d made me do his homework on a few occasions, clean his room, pretend to be his girlfriend to get Stacy McIntyre off his back. Though, that just made me her latest target, so it definitely backfired.
“What do you win this time?” I asked, angling my head to look up at him.
He shrugged, releasing his hold on me. A chill seeped into my bones from the loss of contact, my body craving him in ways I didn’t quite understand.
“Let me think on it.”
I rolled my eyes and folded my arms across my chest. “I’m notcleaning your room again.” I grimaced, remembering the last time he made me do it. Dirty clothes littered the floor, alongside moldy drinks, and pizza that was so old it smelled like something had died in there. He laughed his ass off when the stench had become too much for me that my gag reflex kicked in and sent me dry heaving.
An amused smirk slipped past him, and he ran a hand through his black hair, his muscles flexing with the movement. On instinct, my gaze faltered, trailing along the veins that snaked down his bicep and drifted toward his wrist.
“You going to keep checking me out, or are we going inside?” His smirk widened into a full-on grin.
My face flamed with embarrassment. Dominic had always been a cocky little shit with little to no filter, but did he really have to call me out on that? Couldn’t he have just pretended he hadn’t noticed? At least for my sake. Schooling my expression, I rolled my eyes, hoping I didn’t look as pathetic as I felt.
I pivoted on my heels and started working my way up the ladder. He was right, though. We didn’t have a lot of time before our parents would be requesting our presence back home. The sun was already setting, and dinner would be ready soon.
As I reached the top of the ladder, I hauled myself up and stepped through the door that had a blue and purple throw blanket nailed in front of it to help keep out animals, rain, and bugs. Without any light, it was impossible to see, so I was left with feeling my way around the average-size area.
The sound of Dominic’s footsteps followed behind me, his body heat radiating off of him, letting me know just how close he was. Shuffling sounded from his direction and then suddenly, a bright light illuminated the room, making it much easier to see. His dad had been talking about installing some wires to get this place some electricity since we seemed to spend most of our time here, but until then, we were stuck with candles, phone lights, flashlights, and lanterns. The light from his cellular device trickled over to oursitting area. Two bean bag chairs sat propped along the wall across from us, and then a mattress laid off to the right of that.
I dropped into one of the chairs and instinctively picked up the lighter that rested on top of the cooler nearest to me. I got to work, lighting three candles and then set them on the window ledge that was between our two seats. The light from Dominic’s phone flickered out of existence seconds before he took the vacant spot beside me.
“What will happen when we grow up?” I asked, my mind churning with unwanted possibilities. “Do you think we’ll still come here?”
He was silent for a moment, probably processing my question. This was something I’d thought about a lot lately. People grew up and then they drifted apart. I’d witnessed that firsthand even. Dominic hadn’t been my only friend. Before him, there were others. Like Stacy for example. We were inseparable all through grade school. As soon as we entered middle school, she’d completely changed.
“I don’t know.” He sighed. “We’re only fifteen. Anything could happen between now and then.”
I nodded, hating that he was right. A life without my best friend wasn’t one I wanted to live in. He’d helped me through some of my darkest moments, even if he didn’t realize it. My gaze must have drifted toward the floor, because next thing I knew, the gentle touch of his finger brushed beneath my chin as he lifted it so that my eyes were forced to connect with his.
“We don’t have to worry about that right now, though.” The flames from the candles complimented his boyish smile, making my heart rate pick up. His long, dark lashes created a shadow above his sharp cheekbones, my fingers twitching with the urge to reach out and touch them. He was perfect. As the silence stretched between us, the room began to thicken with tension and unsaid words.
We’d exchanged brief touches here and there, but nothing thisintimate. My chin was still propped above his finger, his eyes boring into my own. Heat rippled from his skin onto mine, sending currents of electricity tumbling through me.
His throat bobbed nervously, and he not-so-subtly glanced down at my lips. Our bodies had somehow shifted closer during…whatever this was, leaving minimal distance between us.
I should pull away.
He’s my best friend and has always been my best friend.
Will this ruin us?
A million thoughts raced through my brain, but none of them held any merit to them because I was still rooted to the spot, unable to move—unwilling to break this spell. I’d imagined what it would be like to kiss him a thousand times, to feel his hands wrapped around me in intimate ways. When these thoughts first invaded my mind, I was embarrassed, thinking he could never want me that way. Lately, I wasn’t so sure.
Dominic cleared his throat, pulling me out of my thoughts and back to reality. “I’d like to claim my prize now,” he whispered, a nervous edge to his voice that was so unlike him, it had me taken aback.
