Chapter 1

Alex is my favorite name. Alex is the name of the man I love. He is amazing, no that word doesn't even come close to describing him. He is the most intelligent, kind, caring, outgoing, and fun man I've ever known.

We met when we were just 16, neither of us were sure of ourselves, but we were sure of each other. He was just moving into the neighborhood and I was on my daily jog. I saw him and his family unloading boxes from a moving van, I saw him before he saw me, but he didn't know that.

When I came near him running by, I made eye contact and gave him a little smile. He stepped right in my path and was trying to pin me with his stare. I stopped jogging and pulled my headphones out of my ears.

He said hi and that his name was Alex, then he picked one of my earphones up and put it to his ear. "Nickelback? Really?"

"Hey, I like Nickelback! Oh, and my name's Amanda by the way." He was so intense, staring in my eyes the entire time. Then he held out his hand for me to shake, I did, but not before I picked on him. "Nostalgic fellow we have here I see." He smiled looked down at his feet and back up at me. His eyes were the most beautiful blue, bright blue. His smile was so endearing, yet so teasing. His blond, longish, messy hair was all over, but I liked it.

I had taken to him already, and that's when I knew I was forever in trouble.

I started jogging again, right past him. As I was putting my headphones back in, he yelled to me. "You're leaving?" I yelled back that I had a run to finish. "Wait! How am I supposed to get a hold of you?"

I looked back, "I guess you'll just have to think of something!" and I just kept running. I knew that it would just drive him crazy, and I liked it.

After my run that day I went home and I took a shower. Both of my parents were home when I got back, when I left they were both gone so I left a note. I lay in bed that night just going over that moment in my head over and over again. His face burned an image into my head, one that I couldn't get out, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to.

I ran the exact same route at the exact same time the next day. I was hoping so much that he would catch on and come outside and stand in my path again. I know I only met him yesterday and barely exchanged two words with the guy, but I felt like I knew him. It was crazy but I did.

I was running by his house, trying not to look like I was staring desperately at his house hoping he'd come out, which I of course was doing. I ran by his house. Nothing.

But he came running up behind me, Nike shorts and running shoes and everything. "Hey so is this the only way I'm ever going to be able to see you?" He looked over at me with this sexy little smirk on his face. "'Cause I would really like it if I could see you outside of running down my road."

"Well, maybe." I looked to my left at him, "If you stop picking on my music." I smiled back at him.

"Ok, I can work with that. But, you have to promise that you will give me your number this time instead of just running away torturing me because I didn't even know if I'd ever even see you again." He was so straightforward, so unafraid; it made me want to be too.

At the time I couldn't believe that this guy, whom I had just met the day before, cared enough to want to get to know me, to do this.

"You know, I have never met a guy like you." I paused trying to make sure I could say what I really wanted to. "And I like a guy like you."

"So, you like me?" He had that smirk on his face again.

"Now, did I say that." It wasn't a question. But I copied that sassy smirk and plastered it to my face, just so he would know that I could play too. We were flirting already, I knew from the moment that I met Alex that he and I would have a story, and this, was just the beginning.