Chapter One
~Erin~
Devon twisted around and sat o n the side of the bed, propping his elbows on his long upper legs. His fingers moved over his forehead and face. “I don’t understand. You’ve lived here your whole life. You can’t move now.” He pushed his hands through his hair and stared at the floor. “This is bullshit. There’s no way this is going to happen. I won’t let it happen.”
I plucked a tissue from the end table and blotted my eyes. “What do you mean you won’t let it happen?” I sobbed. “You said yourself our moms work way too hard.”
Devon stood up and stared out the window. “But moving isn’t the answer.”
“ She doesn’t have the money to pay for my college, and she hardly has the money to pay our expenses now. What are we supposed to do? She’s looking for a way to make it, Devon, just like you talked about.”
“I know , Erin, but I was talking about us—together. But not this. Can’t you see? There are more important things than money, Erin. Your whole life is here. Our lives are here. What we have now.” Devon turned to me and clasped my hand into his. “You can never get this back, Erin. No amount of money is worth it.”
“I know, but this is what she wants. She thinks the move would help me—my future.” My face tensed, wondering if everything I loved was about to be lost.
“You know , Erin, people work their whole lives chasing something that’s right in front of them. We have everything together. They chase these paper dreams, and when they get to them, they see how empty it is and that they traded everything for a lie.”
I flicked my red, moist eyes at Devon, and then fidgeted with the tissue before dabbing my nose with it. “She thinks it will help me get into a better college.”
“ See, that is exactly what I’m talking about. Maybe you could be a corporate lawyer, work eighty hours a week and drop dead one day.”
“ Whoa, harsh.” I winced and my eyes grew downcast.
Devon stood and reached for his clothes, putting on his jeans and turning towards me. “You’re goddamn right, because I have seen it firsthand.”
“Your dad,” I said with a soft tone.
“Yes, my dad, and now my mom. And with my dad, when they gave him more money, they made damn sure they t ook it out of him.” Devon shook his T-shirt out forcefully, and pulled it over his arm and over his head.
“Come here.” I turned towards him and pulled his shirt over his cast and scooted closer to him. “My mom doesn’t know that…”
“That what?” Devon turn ed closer towards me on the bed. “Tell me.”
I traced the pillow with my finger. “You know.”
“I think I know. But I want you to tell me.” Devon threaded a spiraled lock of my hair with his fingers.
“My mom thinks we are just friends, like when we were kids.” I put my hands over the pillow and faced the wall. “She doesn’t know we’re in love.”
Devon leaned over towards my ear. “I’m sorry. What was that?”
“You heard me .” I held back a smile.
“I want to hear it again ,” he said.
“Why?” I glanced up at him before staring at the wall again.
“Because I like what you said. I want to hear it again.”
“I said my mom doesn’t know we’re in love.” My legs fidgeted back and forth as I stared straight ahead.
Silence filled the room and it seemed like an eternity passed between the words. I turned slightly, and peeked at Devon over my shoulder. He leaned over and kissed my bare shoulder. “That’s what I thought you said.” He rested his strong jaw on my shoulder, and pulled me closer. “You’re not going to leave me, Erin. You know why?”
“No , why?” I beamed up at him with anticipation.
“Because what you said is right. You are in love with me.” He smirked while stifling a smile.
“You! ” My face turned flush and I swatted him with the pillow. “You said you would not make fun of me!” I huffed.
“I ne ver said that.” He grinned. I swatted his
~Erin~
Devon twisted around and sat o n the side of the bed, propping his elbows on his long upper legs. His fingers moved over his forehead and face. “I don’t understand. You’ve lived here your whole life. You can’t move now.” He pushed his hands through his hair and stared at the floor. “This is bullshit. There’s no way this is going to happen. I won’t let it happen.”
I plucked a tissue from the end table and blotted my eyes. “What do you mean you won’t let it happen?” I sobbed. “You said yourself our moms work way too hard.”
Devon stood up and stared out the window. “But moving isn’t the answer.”
“ She doesn’t have the money to pay for my college, and she hardly has the money to pay our expenses now. What are we supposed to do? She’s looking for a way to make it, Devon, just like you talked about.”
“I know , Erin, but I was talking about us—together. But not this. Can’t you see? There are more important things than money, Erin. Your whole life is here. Our lives are here. What we have now.” Devon turned to me and clasped my hand into his. “You can never get this back, Erin. No amount of money is worth it.”
“I know, but this is what she wants. She thinks the move would help me—my future.” My face tensed, wondering if everything I loved was about to be lost.
“You know , Erin, people work their whole lives chasing something that’s right in front of them. We have everything together. They chase these paper dreams, and when they get to them, they see how empty it is and that they traded everything for a lie.”
I flicked my red, moist eyes at Devon, and then fidgeted with the tissue before dabbing my nose with it. “She thinks it will help me get into a better college.”
“ See, that is exactly what I’m talking about. Maybe you could be a corporate lawyer, work eighty hours a week and drop dead one day.”
“ Whoa, harsh.” I winced and my eyes grew downcast.
Devon stood and reached for his clothes, putting on his jeans and turning towards me. “You’re goddamn right, because I have seen it firsthand.”
“Your dad,” I said with a soft tone.
“Yes, my dad, and now my mom. And with my dad, when they gave him more money, they made damn sure they t ook it out of him.” Devon shook his T-shirt out forcefully, and pulled it over his arm and over his head.
“Come here.” I turned towards him and pulled his shirt over his cast and scooted closer to him. “My mom doesn’t know that…”
“That what?” Devon turn ed closer towards me on the bed. “Tell me.”
I traced the pillow with my finger. “You know.”
“I think I know. But I want you to tell me.” Devon threaded a spiraled lock of my hair with his fingers.
“My mom thinks we are just friends, like when we were kids.” I put my hands over the pillow and faced the wall. “She doesn’t know we’re in love.”
Devon leaned over towards my ear. “I’m sorry. What was that?”
“You heard me .” I held back a smile.
“I want to hear it again ,” he said.
“Why?” I glanced up at him before staring at the wall again.
“Because I like what you said. I want to hear it again.”
“I said my mom doesn’t know we’re in love.” My legs fidgeted back and forth as I stared straight ahead.
Silence filled the room and it seemed like an eternity passed between the words. I turned slightly, and peeked at Devon over my shoulder. He leaned over and kissed my bare shoulder. “That’s what I thought you said.” He rested his strong jaw on my shoulder, and pulled me closer. “You’re not going to leave me, Erin. You know why?”
“No , why?” I beamed up at him with anticipation.
“Because what you said is right. You are in love with me.” He smirked while stifling a smile.
“You! ” My face turned flush and I swatted him with the pillow. “You said you would not make fun of me!” I huffed.
“I ne ver said that.” He grinned. I swatted his
Similar Books
