I took Jacy downtown that weekend. She was growing out of everything she owned, and she needed new shoes.

"Skate shoes?"

"Yes." She nodded. "I can still wear them to school."

"Is this just an excuse to see Edward?"

"Do we need one?"

The grin on his face when he saw us made my breath come short. He rounded the counter and went straight for Jacy, asking about her science project and giving her two high fives for her A-.

Then he turned on me.

Scooped me up in his arms and twirled me around and planted a fat kiss on me, right in the middle of the store.

"Hey!" Jacy yelled.

"PDA!" A guy yelled from the shoe section, but Edward ignored him.

"You are the best thing I've seen all day." He kissed me again and set me back on my feet.

We walked Jacy to the shoes, and Edward handed her off to a tall, blonde guy who gave me a solid once-over and a big grin, then introduced himself as Mike. I left the three of them, wandering the shop while they talked shoes, getting stuck staring at the wall of skateboards, pretty bottoms on display.

Elephants and flowers and half-naked girls.

A riot of color.

"You know what I'd put you on?" Edward appeared, breezing right by me to take a long, slim board off the wall, almost triple the length of Jacy's skateboard. A mermaid in green and gold painted on the bottom. "This beauty."

"How the hell am I supposed to ride that thing at the park?"

"It's not for the park. It's for hills. Long and smooth. There's this subdivision east of town with a hill that rides like a dream. Not too long, not too steep. You should try it with me."

"I will definitely fall."

"Maybe. But balls don't bounce if you don't let them go."

"Mom! I found my shoes!"Jacy bounded toward me and thrust a pair of black skate shoes at me, hot pink laces and all. "And these too? Please?"

She pointed at her feet, the little checkered Vans making my heart clench. My eyes slid to Edward's feet, those black and white squares coating his own toes, then up to his completely unapologetic grin.

"Let the ball go, B."

AN

*casually dribbles a basketball*

Hadley is my one and only.

Fair warning - I have three chapters left. For reasons. I'll elaborate on that later.

Thank you for reading.

xo

HB