. I sank onto th

ou ser

You want to be a sports photographer, right? Work in PR for a major team? Th

tilted

strangled. " You won't be

you see h

arely form the wor

han kissing a hockey m

my mom's

lete, suffoca

voice broke. "He's goin

Melissa, are you

y mother. They're getting married in ten months. And I kissed h

eathe. You d

re? Under the same roof? Pret

. "You avoid him. It won't be easy, but for your m

For some reason those

ry I hav

, wa

efore she could sa

and worst of all I didn't

n't sit

tiously. The hallway

my heart poundin

e is

e can't tell my mom what h

followed the sound to a partiall

avesdrop. I k

et stoppe

oice was warm, almost tender. "You hav

away before I coul

all. I'd walked past it without noticing bef

esemblance was striking. Same strong jaw. Same intense eyes, though

its. The younger man had his arm slung around Gavin's sho

mach d

He ha

rse he did. A man his age, this successful, th

st have a stepfather. I

t made my

..

p more of our things from storag

as tired, and

myself a glass of water when

y dropping the glass.

leeves rolled to his elbows now...and black

t high and strangled. "

rning...probably red as a tomato. I cou

ass down with trembling hands, nearly k

t watched me with th

w who you were." The words tumbled out in a rush. "I swear I didn't kn

ice c

t broken, and desperate. "Please. She can't kno

my cheek before

the back of my hand,

n to..." My b

mov

pound harder until he st

breathe. Co

lifted

lin

of hair behind my ear, his f

n my tear-stained cheeks, my trembling

e," he sa

es

ort while before a faint

t think before y

apped up.

gh me, fast and hot

lexed. "L

ink, and my hands t

't even

t nee

us ... more at myself

" he said quiet

e I could thi