there were no good guys at all. Period.
But then Jeremy came into my life…
Like a lightning bolt, he struck the ground I walked on and created a whole new world. Everything was beautiful. The red roses were more vibrant than they were before. The blue color of they sky had a different hue to it. I started singing again.
I was happy .
A guy never kissed me on the forehead before—other than my father. And he stopped doing that when I was twelve. I couldn’t count the number of times I saw a man look at his girl affectionately then plant that romantic kiss on her. It showed how deep the love went. It wasn’t just physical, emotional, or meaningful. It was all the above.
And Jeremy did it to me .
The realization made my eyes burn with tears. But I stuck to my promise and didn’t let them fall.
He held me all night and was still there the following morning. He kissed me like he loved me and didn’t pull me to the bedroom. And when I tried to remove his clothes he wouldn’t let me. I never planned on sleeping with him, just fooling around a little bit, but he was too much for a gentleman for that too.
Jeremy Clearwater was the perfect man.
I didn’t care about his money or his success. That didn’t mean shit to me. He was an honest and caring man. And that made him worth more than all the money in the world. He wasn’t just trying to get between my legs. He actually cared about me.
I knew it was too soon for this, but I knew it was true. I loved him.
I was in love with Jeremy Clearwater.
And call me crazy, but I think he’s in love with me too.
When he left the following morning, I was so sad to watch him go. I never wanted him to leave. But I was happy at the same time. I was finally in a relationship I’d been waiting for my entire life. I thought Chad was the right one, but then I found out he was fucking someone else behind my back. And now he was marrying her.
I always wondered if something was wrong with me. Did I do something to make Chad look elsewhere? Was I horrible in bed? What was wrong with me?
But Jeremy didn’t make me feel that way. With him, I felt sexy. With him, I felt desired. And that was a first.
I went to class and work for the next few days trying not to think about him. I wanted to call him or text him but I stopped myself. We’d already been spending a lot of time together. The last thing I wanted to do was scare him off.
But I had a feeling I wouldn’t need to worry about that.
I went to work that evening and tried to do some homework. No one ever came into the shop after three. I wasn’t sure why we were even open. I brought my sheets and paint supplies. Since Jeremy had lightened up my life, I was inspired to create many things. I laid it out behind the counter and got to work.
When the overhead bell rang, I stood up quickly. We never had customers so I was surprised anyone paid us a visit.
“Athena?” It was my father.
I rose to a stand. “Hey, Dad.”
He eyed me suspiciously. “What were you doing?”
“Oh. I have my homework behind the counter.” He approached the counter and examined my face. He was on edge today, for whatever reason. I decided to change the subject. “Did you need something?”
“I forgot to take the cash to the bank.”
Oh. “I’m sure it will be fine until tomorrow. The banks are closed anyway.”
“I feel safer having it at home.”
My father was obsessed with money. Our stores weren’t extremely profitable, but my father had everything he needed. He had a house, a car, health insurance, and food. What else do you need? “Okay.”
He came around the counter and saw the fresh paint on the canvas. “What the hell are you doing?”
Here we go again. “Homework.”
“You’re supposed to be working!”
“No one is here,” I snapped.
“Ung rateful little…” He started to mumble. He opened the safe then grabbed the bag of money.
I was getting sick of this argument over and over. “I’m working for you, but I
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