Prologue

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about summer is vulnerable college students. They all go back to their small home towns where they grew up. During these summers the whole world revolved around them and nothing could break those feeling. When we were back in college everything seemed so stressful and overwhelming that summer would be carefree and relaxing. Leaving home for the first time is hard but we don't show it. We try to and keep our composure and not look back. I will admit that coming back for summer was the highlight of the year. Now looking back at all those unmistakable memories we wish that our lives were like that now. Experiencing the first year of college is either the worst or the best. Your fellow classmates can determine that by how much you party, and get laid. Unlike most students, I preferred to stay isolated in my apartment. I'm not criticizing anyone who likes to sex it up, but being alone seemed more reserved for what my abnormal life needed at that moment.

I was a senior in high school; I managed to have a sweetheart. Once we graduated everything changed and he soon realized that I was weighing him down from his last summer of glory. At first I was surprised and crushed. Later on I made my own consequences for my ridiculous and childish actions. I immediately started partying enough during summer with friends to get over this guy, and then I decided when college starts, get over everyone. Still, I have one friend that I can always trust and have kept through high school and college. She is the only friend I still keep contact with. That's why staying alone was my better option for avoiding getting to close to anyone I might lose.

I'm Lorain Roberts and it has taken me ten years to tell my story. Like typical love stories there is confusion, discomfort, and persuasion. Although most romances exclude excitement, adventure, and passion, mine includes these along with limitless life issues, quarrels, and endless nights never to be forgotten. I've already implied that summer is a time for ignorance but that one summer changed my life and how I will view others for the rest of my existence. He might not know how I felt back then, but I do know how I feel now and nothing has changed. Truly falling in love only happens once and only you can determine if it happens, or if it doesn't.

Chapter 1

Lorain Roberts

All I have to say is that I'm completely exhausted. I just finished my last day as a junior in college, and all I want is to relax in my apartment and collapse on my couch. But I can't. I have to pack to go back home for the summer. Over the past three years of living alone I've become very independent and haven't had to rely on anyone but myself. Living with roommates never interested me so my apartment is a little smaller than most but it is my home. This is what I cherish the most right now.

Since I was young I wanted where ever I was living to be elegant. I have worked long hours one summer to be able to pay for all the repairs I felt were necessary. It has taken me about four months to actually make all the changes.

My kitchen is small and I immediately painted all the nasty cupboards a dark brown and the walls a soft lime green. My living room is the biggest room and I have a small T.V. that I recently purchased with a brown couch. These walls I painted a light caramel brown that leads into the hall and the entry way. My bathroom has dark purple walls with a dark yellow shower curtain, matching towels and rugs. I have all sorts of different candles surrounding the bath and sink area, however I do have candles everywhere around my house. Last but not least is my bedroom. The only thing I wanted from my old house was my queen size bed. So in the middle of my room is my bed with a light tan, fluffy comforter with dark brown and red squares and matching pillow cases. The walls are a dark brown and when the sun hits it just right it looks like a chocolate swirl. I have a closet and dresser that holds my clothes and a desk for papers and books. There is a balcony that extends from this room with long thin creamy curtains that slightly drag on the floor. Of course, candles scattered around.

This may sound like I have way too much time on my hands to be doing this much work, but I loved every minute of it. Paying for it myself wasn't that difficult, but it means so much to me. Right now I'm in the process of packing most of the clothes I can find and items I can't live without. I'm more excited about hanging out with my best friend and catching up on my partying since I missed out this year. Just as I am about to call up that friend, I look at my phone and she is already calling.

"Yo, Mack! What's up?" I answer.

"Sup, Leece! I'm just checking to see if you were still coming up this summer?" My best friend Mackenzie replies. I gave her the nickname "Mack" because it is so much shorter and easier.

"Hell Yea! I'll be leaving later tonight." I pause. "Actually, I might leave in a little bit if I get everything straightened up out here." I tell her.

"Well, that's why I was calling. There is a huge summer blow-out party at a lake house tonight and I just got in to town about an hour ago, so I thought we could go check it out." She informs me.

"Seriously? Well if I can wrap up everything in an hour or so, I can get back to my house, get settled in and come pick you up around nine tonight?" I ask intently.

"Dude that will be perfect! My mom's got me doing a whole buncha shit already and I'm dying to get out!" she says.

"How are we gonna last a summer of this if we can't even last a day?" I ask and we both laugh a little.

"Well text me when you get into town. Drive carful and don't look for hot guys without me!" she quickly adds.

"I would do no such thing. I'll keep you posted. Talk to you later, Mack." I say

"See ya 'round, Leece." She says and then we both hang up the phone. I missed her so much over this year.

When we were in fifth grade, Mack gave me the nickname Leece. She thought that Lorain was too ugly for a little girl. Saying that my name is "Leece" just seemed cooler to us at the time. Soon, everyone started calling me that and I thought it was great. Now I introduce myself as Leece instead of Lorain. Only a handle full of people still recall my real name and that's okay with me.

I'm just outside my home town and everything is all too familiar and comforting at the same time. I pull into my house. Same yard, trees and house where I grew up. I take all my baggage inside and am quickly overwhelmed by my sister talking about how exciting it is that I'm here and then its gossip galore. I can already tell there will be many late nights of watching movies and eating junk food like we always do. She informs me that my parents are out for the evening and sadly tell her I'm parting ways already.

"Leece, it's your first night back and you're already leaving me?" My sister Amelia exclaims to me.

"Sorry Kiddo, I already promised Mack that we would go to this party tonight. It's the party of the century!" I say sarcastically, but she seems unconvinced. "Hey, I'll be back by eleven tops, okay?" I try to persuade her.

"Okay, but I'm gonna hold you to it!" She jokes with me.

"It will be like I never left." I reassure her. She continues to talk my ear off.

Amelia is about three inches taller than me, with super long legs and big green eyes. She is one of the most gorgeous girls that I know. Her skin is light, with auburn hair and has eyelashes like butterflies. I have always looked up to her even though she is about five years younger than me. She is kind of crazy so I have to try to hold her down and in her place.

I quickly go into my old room and brush through my long hair, whip on some mascara, put on a tank top with my suit underneath, old jeans and flip-flops. There really isn't much to my looks besides that I'm only five foot four inches and muscular compacted. Unlike Amelia, I have blonde hair, blue eyes and my skin is fairly tan and gets darker as summer progresses. People have always told me that I have natural beauty and that I don't need a lot of makeup. Lucky for me I already don't wear it often, only if I'm going to a party, like tonight.

It's already five to nine and hopefully I can get to Mack's right at nine. I pull into her driveway and walk inside like I always do. She instantly throws her arms around me and I squeeze her back. Mack is also someone who I would consider better looking than me. She is even taller than Amelia and by three inches which makes her a giant next to me. She has short spiky black hair, dark eyes, and light skin. The only thing that is similar between us is our personality. We can be super crazy, loud and obnoxious, but we can change instantly to quiet and conserved. This doesn't bother me because who wants to look identical?

"Leece, I need to tell you what happened with me and that one guy! But, it's good to see you bud!" she says to me. She continues on while she puts on her flip-flops and grabs her purse. She opens it up and there are two Monsters inside.

"Way to go Mack! That is honestly what I need right now!" I say enthusiastically. We quickly run out to my car and crank up the music a little too loud, but who cares? At this point I am so inclined to have a good time that I try to erase everything from my mind.

Earlier Mack looked online for directions to this mysterious house. She talked to some other buddies of ours and said that mostly everybody there will be from our graduating class. According to the Internet, this place is down Lake Wood Drive and we follow the twisty road for about two miles until we see bright lights and cars parked on the street. I turn down the music and pull into the closest spot.

"Well, this looks like the place." I say. "Ready to go get wild, child!" I shout at Mack.

"Hell Yea! I was born to be wild!" she yells back at me. In sync, we bolted out of the car and started running to the front of this house, laughing at each other like little kids.

The music has a pumping rhythm that makes me want to dance, but it's not too loud. Right away we recognize familiar faces that have been distant for what seems like a lifetime. The host greets us immediately and offers drinks. Of course, Mack doesn't deny the offer and we make our way into the kitchen. The house was huge and has a great view of the lake. It feels like a cabin because all the walls are wooden logs. There is also house like features as well like big open windows, flat screen T.V. sets and other rich people assets. Mack quickly points out the two girls her texted earlier. We were all pretty close back then so talking shouldn't be weird.

"Hey, there's Sara and Penny. We should go talk to them." She says to me. I agree and we walk over. They are both taller than Mack by a couple inches. They are like us, inseparable and would do anything for each other. Honestly, I think that is the only reason we get along.

"Hey Sara, hey Penny! What have you been up to?" I ask them curiously as we walk closer to the hall out of the way. We all create small talk and catch up.

"We just got here like five minutes ago and nothing has really happened yet, so we should go break some stuff!" Sara says immediately after we try small talking. Sara is the trouble maker out of the two, but Penny keeps her grounded.

"Shut up, we need to catch up with these guys first. How was school this year?" Penny asks us. Mack starts talking about all her crazy wild times she had while I zone out.

Zoning out is very unusual for me. But for some reason when the next group of people walked in the door, the mood switched instantly. Everyone seemed more on edge and intrigued just like I am now. This group was obviously well known, so why I didn't recognize them, I'll never know. Five guys stood in the doorway and one girl amongst them. They were all gorgeous in their own way because they were not typical at all. The farm kids.

We stereotyped all those people who looked like them in that category because they acted better than "regular" students. Mostly because they were. We were just intimidated because we never thought we could be as good as them, or ever knew what they were talking about for that matter. But at the same time, everyone looked up to them. All of the guys have short dark brown hair, and tanned skin from the spring sun. Every one of them had on a pair of jeans, old t-shirt or plaid, and boots. Even the girl had dark hair and skin, and was wearing stylish boots and jeans. This group definitely has country swag that only some people can accomplish.

They started moving into the party. They talked to each other and laughed with others they met up with. But one person stood out from the rest. He was tall and thinner but has defined muscles like the rest of them. In his arms, up his neck into a strong jaw line was what I can see now but obviously he would have a six pack that would match the rest of his body. His smile is radiant and I can't stop staring. His skin is a little darker from the rest and has almost black hair. He is also dressed a little different. He's wearing cowboy boots instead of regular work boots, and a belt buckle with a black, tightly fitted short sleeve shirt that is tucked in. And to top it all off, he is wearing a light colored cowboy hat. The way he walked inside was so confident, and how talking to the other people seems so easy for him. I find him very attractive and can't help wonder how I don't know him. Something inside me keeps hoping he will see me staring and look into my eyes for a brief second. He never looks over. Realizing that I probably look ridiculous, I try to jump in back in the conversation with Mack.

"Leece, what did you do this year?" Penny asks me next. I try to recover from my crazy incident and remember that I am here for the party and not get sucked into a shitty relationship, especially someone from my hometown.

"Overall, it sucked!" I lie. I loved my school year because I didn't have to deal with dumbass people, until now that is. I continue "That's why I need to get my party on!" Which I really do, I need to let my hair down and relax. Now that I am a little more alert about hot guys being here, that might be a little harder than expected.

We all walk a little closer to the back door to go outside to sit on the porch and look at the lake. The sun is just about to go down and I can't help but tell Mack what just happened.

"Hey, Mack? Did you see that group of hick guys walk in a minute ago?" I ask her.

"Yeah, I saw them for a quick second. Aren't they to die for?" She said. I feel so out of place now. Everyone seemed to have noticed them. Why do I care so much? They are so used the attention, they didn't even care.

"Absolutely! But do you think they're jerks?" I ask. I already know the answer, but it's worth a shot.

"Umm, hello? They are usually stuck up and stick to themselves. But who cares? They are still good to look at!" She says back to me. She has moved on to a different conversation and I can't help looking around to try and locate my secret crush of the night.

I soon find him talking to three girls. They all have their tank tops on and their short shorts. Who wouldn't want to talk to them? All of them are tall and thin and could be possible models some day. My chances of ever talking to him are extremely slim.

Now, we are just about to go outside. So I take a glance back just one more time before we leave. He is staring at me. His eyes are like daggers, piercing right through mine. I am afraid to look away. He has a slight grin on his lips and I can't help but lift mine into a smile. I laugh a little out loud, shake my head and look away. I still feel his eyes lingering on me. I think that's a good thing because I'm not another drooling girl chasing him. If that's what he thinks, game on. You can come chase me.

"Are you coming lazy?" Mack taunts me. She pulls on my arm and I walk away with them outside. Now I'm trying harder to look appealing.

"Do you wanna jump in?" I ask Mack. We start walking down to the lake.

"Of course I wanna!" She says back. We quickly race down to the dock strip down to our suits and dive in. The sun is just setting so the sky is a bright orange and the water is smooth and warm.

"Dang, that is awesome!" I say.

"Leece, I totally saw you checking out that guy. He was looking right at you for awhile." She says. Totally surprised by this statement, I can only tell the truth.

"Honestly, I couldn't help it. But it's no big deal really." I said.

"Dude, it was like out of nowhere. I don't think anyone missed it. It was like a dead stare. Super creepy." She rambles on. We keep swimming around, going deeper then back to the dock. Now, all I can think about is that guy. Did I do the right thing? Should I have waited for him to look away? Why was he staring at me in the first place?

"It wasn't that creepy, and besides he has way more important things to deal with right now than me. You ready to get out now?" I ask.

We slowly wade to shore giggling about stuff we saw people doing earlier. We get back on the dock, gather our clothes and start heading to the car to change. We truck up the hill and pass the house making it toward my car.

"Umm, excuse me?" A deep voice with a slight southern accent says from behind us. "I think you dropped this?" He held out my dainty light blue tank top.

"Oh! Umm, I didn't even notice. Thank you so much." My words are hard to find because standing behind me was him.

Looking into his dark eyes, I find it hard to focus. Up close his skin is actually super tan and looks extremely smooth. There are traces of sweat on his hairline and glistening on the rest of him. He must have just finished a game of volleyball with his friends. He is still wearing the same shirt and jeans like before but now he's not wearing the hat and is barefoot. I find this look very attractive and I feel really self-conscious about the way I look now.

"Anytime. But I don't wanna do it again." He said sternly, then broke into a smile and laughed a little bit and I laugh with him. "Oh, by the way, I'm Paul." He extends his hand and I reach for it with mine. His voice is the first person I've heard speak with that accent in the northern states.

"The pleasure is mine, Paul." I say with a proper tone in my voice. "I am Leece." He laughs at my attempt and so do I.

Looking at him up close is surreal, almost dreamlike. Now that his hat is off I just notice little dark curls that I didn't notice before and it looks like he hasn't shaved in a day or two. What he must think of me. Some nasty, wet girl who dropped her damn shirt.

"Well, Miss Leece, I'll leave y'all to your business." He said. He winks at me and walks away. I can't help but check out his butt. Is there anything wrong with this guy? I feel like my mind went on autopilot and all the words just came out of nowhere.

"Holy shit!" Mack yells. "That looked like it was out of some cheesy movie! That was like…perfect."

"Oh, shut up Mack. He was just being nice. I mean, he just brought my shirt, anyone could have done that." I try to convince myself more than her. My heart is literally pounding more now than before because I just realized what happened. He is playing my game, and chasing after me. I quickly erase the thought from my mind and focus on getting to my car.

Quickly I jump in the front seat of my car and Mack plops in the backseat and I crank up the heat. We always come prepared for parties like this, so we have an extra change of bras and underwear.

Now we are done changing and we step out of the car and sit on the hood for a brief moment. Then Mack says the one thing I cannot even bare to think about, let alone say it aloud.

"I think he likes you."