Second First Love

-

line through the flawless blue sky, and my stoma

rms crossed, sunglasses protecting my eyes from the

yes on Liam Har

life like a hurricane, leaving only

rom the ground up, brick by painful brick,

just fly back into my life

hin higher, s

today. N

minutes ticked by, then the door opened and a staircase dropped dow

m H

essier. His jaw was stubbled, his golden tan a little faded, as i

ghtly to muscles leaner, more finely honed than the ones

d ruined

o

im to stay

his eyes-those dangerous, storm-grey eyes-

inhalation where the world see

move. Did

see even a flic

my voice echoing into the stillness. "

h a thud. His mouth twisted into an

oice was rougher than I remembered, a litt

ping in close enough to notice the fine lines etched at

r a second. A slight crack

o

g around my legs in the sea air. My heels cl

hing to say, he

he'd get back on that i

tsteps behind m

cou

rt never knew w

*

midst the jungle. A huge glass-and-stone monstrosity that had tak

wasn't ju

s my

alva

damned if I let

led him into the lounge without looking back,

looked absurdly out of place-too rough, too worn, too real

ow good h

ctively, traitorously, to being

s, A

over the other and tapping my nails lazily aga

rough his hair, exh

eed

ed once

what he might say, that one

idding me

m n

laughter was low, slashing, merc

nsive. "You built an empire here. I don't ne

losed the distance between us un

s a m

addening mix of fresh soap, salt, and s

my fists

e shaking with suppressed anger, "and I'll just invite you to s

t have a

tupid like slap him-or worse, kiss him. "Don't you dare s

ely, and I hated

eness, Aria," he grated. "I

my heart poundi

at him, to throw him out a

half that still remembered what it was li

was a

?" I said, my voice

ulders

nued. "Maintenance. Janitorial. Manual la

enched, bu

t to my peopl

dded

* at me the wrong way." I le

e said quiet

t him for

't tru

or a

ting hi

e what I'd bui

ffer in silenc

the sweetest r

rning," I barked. "Be read

eel again, headi

he said

top

was shat

fer

t turn

over my shoulde

rry," h

etting the words breach my def

" I said to him. "And it sure a

p the stairs, my heart pounding,

nd contorted, packed with all the

not lo

uld

asn't sure I'