by Jami Wagner
Chapter Nine
Kelsey
What I wouldn’t have given for the locksmith to wait just ten more minutes. As I walk across the street to meet him, I glance over my shoulder at Ethan’s house. He’s leaning against the doorframe, watching me with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. I wanted to kiss him. I want more than just to kiss him. But I can’t let myself fall into that again. Into the hope that this time it’s real. I can’t assume that every guy will turn out like Tyler, but I’m not sure it’s a chance I want to take. That, and just the idea of him demands more focus than anything else in my life. I need to be 100 percent focused on writing.
I planned the entire game idea from the moment I sat down on his couch and turned on the TV. Every time I’m around him all the emotions I felt when I was fifteen years old come flooding back. That moment, right before he was about to kiss me, my mind went blank. I know where I’m at in life and what I want, but Ethan makes me forget all that.
I wait patiently as the locksmith lets me into my house, and Ethan watches us the whole time. I know he isn’t trying to be creepy. He’s only making sure I get inside safely. That’s one trait Tyler never had, putting someone else’s safety first. I turn to give Ethan a small wave good-bye before I close the door.
I can’t let the idea of getting hurt keep me from experiencing something great. Ethan and I—it could be more than great. And eventually I want to have a family and a career as an author. Now is as good a time as any to start balancing the two. I’m going to do it. I’m going to give Ethan a chance.
First thing tomorrow, I’ll tell him everything. Lay it all out there and let him make the next move.
