by Emma Dalton
I go to the living room and turn on the TV for some Netflix. I’m not really in the mood, but maybe a good TV show will distract me. Action and science fiction will be perfect right now.
I must be in the middle of the second episode when the doorbell rings. Maybe my friends are done with their extracurriculars and want to keep me company. Awesome. I could seriously use them right now.
Flinging the door open, I go still when I spot the tall guy standing before me with eyes the color of the sky. It’s been days since I’ve gazed at them, and my heart skips a beat. Stomach swoops with summersaults.
I don’t want Brayden. Don’t want anything to do with him. I make a move to shut the door in his face, but he presses his palm against it. “Kara, what’s going on? What happened between us? Why are you ignoring me?”
The tears are threatening to fall because he sounds so confused and torn up and lost. But it’s all an act, right? He knows exactly what he did.
“Why are you so upset with me?” He’s nearly pleading now, his voice cracking a little. That just makes the battle with my tears grow stronger.
“Just run off to your girlfriend.” I once again am about to shut the door in his face, but he slams his palm against it again.
“My girlfriend? What are you talking about?”
“Teagyn!”
His eyebrows furrow. “Teagyn? My girlfriend? Never in a million years would I ever go out with that girl. Even if she was the last woman on Earth.”
I throw my hands up. “But I saw you kiss her! I saw the two of you in the hallway last week. You kissed her.”
He gently takes hold of my hands. For a second, I want to melt into them because his touch is so warm. But then I remember how much he hurt me. “Kara, I didn’t kiss her. She kissed me.”
I yank my hands free from his grip, rolling my eyes. “That’s what they all say. You’re lying.”
He gazes into my eyes, pleading. “Kara, I swear to you I didn’t kiss her. She came onto me, said we deserve to be together. That I was wasting my time with you. But I pushed her away. I never wanted Teagyn. I don’t love Teagyn. I…I love you, Kara Gander. I’m crazy about you.”
I cross my arms over my chest as more tears drip down my face. “You’re lying. How could someone like you love someone like me? Just look at me!”
He takes my hands again. “I am looking at you. I see a smart, beautiful, kind, caring, wonderful girl. A girl who means the world to me. A girl who has captured my heart. A girl whom I never want to let go of.”
I pull my hands away, turning my head to the side. He doesn’t mean that. He’s lying to me. Maybe he still needs me around because he’s worried Astor University will retract his scholarship.
But then I move my eyes to his and I realize I’m being ridiculous. This is Brayden Barrington. The guy who has a huge heart, who was so kind to me, who never made me feel like I was invisible. And it wasn’t only because of our arrangement. He texted me when he didn’t have to. He hung out with me when he didn’t have to. He became my friend when he didn’t have to. He defended me from Teagyn when he didn’t have to. He cared that I was uncomfortable because of the kiss. He actually took the time to consider my feelings.
I know this guy and I know he would never hurt me.
“I…I…” But no words come out. I’m speechless.
He gathers me close to his chest. “I started falling for you when you played tea party and basketball with me and Bailey,” he whispers in my ear. “No, I think it was before that, even. You had such a bright smile that lit up your entire face. And every time you smiled, I felt something. In here.” He touches his heart. “I didn’t know what it was at first, but now I do. I’ve found that special girl I’ve been waiting for. It’s you, Kara. When we kissed, my feelings for you grew stronger. Because that was the most amazing feeling in the world. Being with you makes me happy. I can’t bear not having you in my life. I can’t bear you being upset with me.” He gazes into my eyes. “Please believe me when I say there’s nothing going on between me and Teagyn. I don’t love her. I love you, Kara Gander. You are and always will be my special girl.”
I stare into his eyes. “Do you really mean that?”
He rests his forehead on mine. “I do. I want to show you off to the world. I don’t want to fake anything with you anymore. I want to date you for real. Please tell me you want the same.”
I lift my hand to stroke his cheek, more tears slipping down my face. “I’ve had a crush on you since middle school.”
He wipes my tears with his thumbs. “I wish I could have known that sooner. I’ve always been in awe of you. You’re so smart and I never imagined you’d want anything to do with a dummy like me.”
“You’re not a dummy. You’re smart and so talented. And you got recruited into the school of your dreams. Your future is so bright.”
He rests his hand on the back of my neck. “Only if you’re in it, Kara. What do you say? Do you want to date me for real?”
I shut my eyes, feeling the tears drip down the sides of my face. Then I open them. “How can we? I’m the Invisible Girl and you’re the star quarterback.”
He gathers me close again. “I don’t care. I don’t care what anyone says. I love you and want to be with you. You’re my world.”
“I love you too, Brayden,” I whisper. “I always have.”
His mouth dips toward mine, then his eyes scan mine, as if he’s asking if this is okay. I bring my head closer to his and close my eyes. When his lips make contact with mine, a spark shoots to each and every one of my limbs. I wrap my arms around his neck, pressing myself closer to him like I can’t get enough of him. And he locks his arms around me like he can’t get enough of me, either.
He’s kissing me so gently and softly, like he wants to savor every moment. Then he draws back and searches my eyes. I smile and kiss him again, this time more urgently, passionately. I’ve waited for this for years and it’s finally happened. For real this time.
Brayden Barrington, star quarterback and the most popular guy at Edenbury High has fallen for me, the Invisible Girl.
And they say fairytales don’t come true. But I’m having my happily ever after right now. I find myself giggling. I’m just so darn happy.
“Why are you laughing?” Brayden asks.
I shake my head. “Just kiss me.”
And he does. We remain in the doorway of my house, kissing like the world is coming to an end and we’re the last two people on Earth.
I can totally get used to this.
“Want to know a secret?” I ask him when we finally take a break. “You’re the first boy I have ever kissed.”
He smiles. “Want to know a secret? You’re the first girl I’ve kissed who actually means something to me.”
And we lock lips again. At the back of my mind, I know Dad could drop by any second, but I don’t really care.
Chapter Thirty-Four
“Oh my gosh, these burgers are my life,” Dani says as she continues digging into her burger. “We need to eat here at Mikey’s every weekend.”
Brayden grins at me as he dips a fry into ketchup and brings it to my mouth. I bite a chunk off. “The fries are amazing, too,” I say.
“Not as amazing as you,” he says.
I nuzzle his nose.
“Ugh, you guys are too cute,” Charlie says.
“Makes you want to have a guy of your own, huh?” Dani teases her.
“Nope,” she says, popping the “p.”
“Liar,” Ally says with a laugh.
Brayden stretches his arm over my shoulder and I snuggle against him. I can’t believe that just a week ago, I thought I hated this guy. I thought my heart would never heal. But here we are together finally. For real. And we couldn’t be happier.
“My dad wants you to come over for dinner tomorrow night,” I tell him.
“Are you going to cook again?” Brayden asks as he rubs my shoulder.
“Definitely not! I need my hair to stay brow
n or else I’ll look like a grandma when I’m thirty. We’ll probably order something fancy.”
“Can’t wait,” he says. “I really love your dad.”
“And he loves you,” I tell him.” Seriously, he can’t stop talking about you. He said he hasn’t recruited anyone as gifted as you in a long time.”
His brow shoots up. “He really said that?”
I nod. “Your parents must be very proud of you.”
“They are. And so is Bailey. And I hope Brock is, too.”
I slide my hand into his and give it a loving squeeze. “I know he is.”
“Ugh, I can’t with the two of you,” Dani complains. “You two are relationship goals.”
“Well, if you minus out the faking part,” I remind her.
“I don’t know,” Brayden says as he smiles at me. “I think faking it brought us closer.”
“We definitely would never have gotten together otherwise.”
“That’s because of this moron right here.” He points to himself. “I can’t believe I could have missed out on the most amazing person in the world.”
“You know what I love most?” Dani says with a mischievous grin. “Seeing Teagyn’s face whenever the two of you walk down the hallway holding hands.”
“Don’t be mean,” I say.
“Admit it, you secretly gloat.”
I giggle. “I totally do!”
“Busted,” Charlie says.
We all laugh.
“I do feel a little sorry for her, though,” Ally says. “The cheerleaders aren’t doing that great. They probably won’t make it to nationals. Coach Myers is super hard on Teagyn. Maybe she wouldn’t be so bad if she didn’t have all that stress thrusted upon her.”
Ally has a point. Who knows what kind of person someone could be if they had the confidence to just be themselves? The Edenbury High Times might have introduced me to Brayden, and the fake relationship might have brought us together, but what made us a couple was each other. Our personalities. It doesn’t matter that he’s a popular jock and I am Invisible Girl. All that matters is what’s in our hearts.
“Look who just walked into Mikey’s,” Charlie says as she teasingly slugs Dani’s shoulder.
Dani glances at the door and frowns. “He always shows up wherever I am. It’s like he’s stalking me.”
“I’m pretty sure he’s just here to pick up an order,” I say as the woman behind the counter hands him a takeout bag.
“He could have gone to any diner,” Dani points out.
“You just said yourself that Mikey’s has the best burgers,” Ally reminds her.
“But what’s he doing slumming it down here with us commoners? Don’t arrogant rich people like him only eat gourmet food?”
“Maybe he wants to be a normal kid and eat unhealthy food?” Charlie offers.
“Am I missing something here?” Brayden asks. “What’s wrong with Easton Knight? The guy’s cool.”
Dani gapes at him. “Cool? Cool? Are we talking about the same pompous jerk?”
“Uh…I wouldn’t refer to him as a pompous jerk…”
“He’s coming this way!” Ally hisses.
“Hey,” the guy in question says, stopping before our table. “How’s it going?”
He’s always dressed to perfection. A clean-cut dress shirt with no wrinkles, not a single crease in his pressed pants, his chocolate brown hair brushed neatly, not a strand out of place. And not a speck of dirt on his shoes.
And he’s hot. Not as sexy as my boyfriend, though.
“Hey, Easton.” Brayden slaps his arm. “Picking up dinner?”
He rolls his eyes. “Sneaking it in my car. You know I can’t eat this stuff at my house.”
“Such a tragedy,” Dani mutters sarcastically. Then her eyes widen and she covers her mouth. Clearly she didn’t mean to say that out loud.
“Something you want to say, Wood?” he asks in an overly sugary voice.
“Nope,” she says, glaring down at the table. “Nothing at all.”
He keeps his eyes on her for a bit before muttering, “Mmm,” and turning back to Brayden. “See you around, Barrington.”
“Catch you later, Easton.”
As soon as he walks out the door with his food, Dani grumbles something under her breath.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think there was some tension between you two,” Ally says. “Of the romantic kind.”
Her jaw hangs open. “You think he and I…girl, you have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Uh huh.”
“Can we please enjoy our meal and not talk about the arrogant Easton Knight Jr.?”
After we’re done, Charlie, Ally, and Dani go home while Brayden and I take a stroll around the park, hand in hand. His is warm and so large it swallows mine up. I feel protected and loved, a feeling I’ll cherish forever.
“How are your parents doing?” I ask as we continue our stroll.
“Much better.” His eyes light up with a massive grin. “Things are definitely looking up, and I have a feeling they’ll be back to their old selves soon.”
I squeeze his hand. “I’m so happy to hear that.”
“Thanks. And Bailey requested your presence for tea tomorrow.”
Smiling, I say, “I’m totally there.”
When we reach an area devoid of people, he locks his arms around my waist and hauls me against his chest, staring into my eyes. I stare into his mesmerizing blue ones, getting lost in them.
“I know I keep telling you this,” he whispers. “But you’re the best thing that could have happened to me. You changed my life, Kara. I love you so much.”
I snake my hands up his hard chest, feeling the muscles underneath, then tangling them in his soft sandy brown hair. “You changed my life, too. For the first time since my mom died, I finally feel happy again. I love you, Brayden.”
He moves his face closer to mine and gives me a sweet but passionate kiss. I push myself closer to his body, wishing I could get even closer than I already am. He and I have been on such a long journey, but there’s still a long road ahead of us. A road that is full of so many possibilities. I don’t want to share it with anyone other than him.
When we break apart from the kiss, he strokes my cheek. “I know you’ve always felt invisible, but you are the most visible person in my life. You always will be. Forever.”
I smile and press my cheek to his. “How are you so perfect?”
He laughs. “Me? Perfect?”
I nod as I play with the hair at the nape of his neck. “You’re the best boyfriend a girl could ask for. Thank you for being in my life.”
“And thank you for being in mine.” He nods in the distance. “I have a surprise for you.”
I turn to where he’s facing and my eyes widen as I take in the orange, red, and purple colors of the sun kissing the horizon. “Sunset,” I gasp. “It’s beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful, my special, wonderful girlfriend.” He brings his mouth closer to mine. “I want my sun to rise and set with yours. I want to be at your side always.”
“I want that, too,” I whisper. “More than you can ever imagine.”
He closes his mouth over mine and we kiss gently yet fervently, with the sun painting the sky behind us.
Felt the tension between Dani and Easton? Ready to see sparks fly? Stay tuned for Billionaires Don’t Fall For Awkward Girls, coming soon!
Join my Facebook group for updates.
About the Author
Emma Dalton is a sweet young adult romance writer. When not writing, you can find her devouring heart-melting romance novels. Her titles include the Invisible Girls Club series, the Hotties Next Door series, and Don’t Kiss The Brooding Artist. She loves hearing back from her readers. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Facebook.
For updates on new releases, cover reveals, sneak peeks, and more, join Emma Dalton’s Facebook group!
If you enjoyed this book, please leave
a positive review on Amazon.
Titles by Emma Dalton:
