It’s a rare time to fall in love
Chapter 1
- 1.
“Honey, after all these years, your mom and I have finally found you!”
“If you want, you can come live with us here in the States. We want to make up for all the time we’ve missed with you.”
The voice on the phone was so sincere, so full of hope, it made me stop and think. I finally managed a quiet, “Okay.”
“That’s the girl! We knew you’d come around, sweetie! Mom’s gonna get that visa started right away. You’ve got maybe two weeks, so spend time with your foster parents and say goodbye to your friends, okay?”
Rain was coming down hard, and I wiped a
hand across my face, disconnecting the call
from across the ocean.
Thing is, I didn’t really have anyone to say
goodbye to. To most people, I was just…there.
Invisible.
<
The front door of the mansion swung open, and
Jake glared at me. He’d been watching me
stand in the downpour for two hours now.
“Finally figured it out, huh?” He wasn’t even trying to sound kind.
I croaked, “Jake, I’ll do it. I’ll give my spot in the accelerated program to Sarah.”
Jake looked surprised for a split second, like he hadn’t thought I’d cave so fast.
I expected tears, a screaming match, a battle of
wills.
He relaxed, holding the umbrella and pulling me
inside.
“That’s the way, much easier when you
cooperate.” He nodded, some of the usual
coldness draining from his eyes, replaced by a
rare hint of approval.
He poured me a glass of hot water, acting like
he cared. “Hey, you were always such a good
kid. You got good grades, but I mean, the
accelerated program isn’t that important.”
“Sarah, though, she got stuck in the boonies for
years, she’s behind, needs a boost. This is the
<
best thing for her.”
Jake’s words were smooth but so final. It was
like he knew I’d just give in.
I looked at the guy I’d been in love with for
eleven years, the guy I was supposed to marry,
and my whole body started to shake. I felt
colder than I did out in the rain.
Only now did I understand that he wasn’t cold
by nature.
He just didn’t love me.
I didn’t remember much about my childhood,
just that I grew up in a group home until I was
adopted by the Smiths at ten.
They were still wrecked from losing their real
daughter back then, and even though they took
me in, it was like I’d walked into a funeral
home.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith were strict. It was always
me versus their lost Sarah, and they wanted to
mold me into their ideal daughter.
Those were tough times, with non–stop classes,
trying to master all those skills, and getting
yelled at if I was off by a fraction.
<
Jake, though, was a light, a beacon.
He was a total catch: cool, quiet, just good at
everything.
He was like a prince, way out of my league, and
I couldn’t help but be drawn to him.
Our families were tight, and there had always
been talk of pairing us up one day.
Since the real Sarah was gone, that
engagement fell on me, the adopted kid.
From ten to twenty–one, Jake had always been
my future.
I did all kinds of stupid things, like swoon over
him, make sure he was happy.
Jake had never actually responded, but he
never said “no” either.
He played the part of a perfect fiancé, we hung
out, went to parties together.
I figured, he’d seen me watching him, and he
was touched, he was willing to accept me.
I really thought things were getting better, and
then, Sarah showed up.
Everything changed after that.
The heat of the water stung, bringing me back. I
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12:33
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went to the bathroom to shower off.
Jake was still in the same spot, staring at the door. “We should go to the Maldives for a bit. We can go scuba diving.”
I stopped in my tracks. That was typical. Right when I was ready to throw in the towel, he’d dangle something sweet, something I couldn’t
easily walk away from.
But this time, I didn’t feel happy at all.
I turned back to him, ice in my voice. “Jake, I
can’t swim, let alone dive.”
The old Sarah had been a swimming champ, a
natural in the water, obsessed with surfing and
diving.
It was obvious who Jake really wanted to go to
the Maldives with.
Jake didn’t flinch. He just asked, like it was
normal. “So where do you wanna go for break?
I’ll set it up.”
It was rare for Jake to ask my opinion like that,
so I didn’t bother fighting him.
I just went to shower, not answering.
When I came out of the bathroom, Jake looked
13
く
up from his phone, “Are you running a fever?”
I gave a bitter laugh. It was the middle of
winter, he’d let me stand in the rain for two
hours, it’d be a miracle if I wasn’t sick.
Jake picked me up, putting me on the bed.
“Stay put. I’ll go get you something.”
He barely turned before his phone rang.
I heard Sarah’s whiny voice from the speaker.
“Jake, I’m dying here! My cramps are killing
me!”
“I’m on my way!”
Hearing her, Jake’s face twisted with concern.
He didn’t hesitate for a second, heading out the
door, leaving me behind, with a fever.
The big mansion instantly felt empty. My head
was spinning.
I felt tears prick my eyes, and finally
understood.
Love and indifference, they felt totally different.
It was a good thing my real parents had found
- me.
In two weeks, I’d be leaving this all behind.
Jake, I’m not gonna love you anymore.
L
- 2.
The fever hit hard, and fast. I felt like I was
being roasted alive, I could barely breathe.
I managed to dial 911 and ended up alone in an
ambulance, taken to the hospital.
After I finished the IV, the sky was starting to
turn gray.
I pulled the needle out of my arm and went to
the bathroom. Just around the corner, I heard a
voice I knew.
“Jake, it’s my fault. I’m such a mess, with these
cramps. I can’t believe you stayed up all night
with me here.”
I froze. Through the window of the room, I saw
Sarah.
Jake was holding a thermos, carefully feeding
her some broth, blowing on each spoonful
before offering it.
His eyes…they were full of a kindness that I
had never, ever seen before.
“You suffered a lot as a kid. That’s why you’re
so fragile. It’s ok, I’ll be with you. We’ll get you healthy, okay?”
<
12:33
Sarah giggled sweetly, and it made me sick. “Jake, you’ve been gone all night. Is Ashley gonna be mad?”
Mentioning me, Jake’s face got cold. “She doesn’t have the right to be mad.”
I already knew Jake’s feelings for Sarah were nothing like how he felt about me.
Still, that sentence felt like a punch to the gut. I didn’t have the right. I’d loved him for eleven years, been his girlfriend for three.
All of it, boiled down to not having the right.
I leaned against the wall, defeated. A shadow fell over me, and I looked up to see my foster
brother, Mark.
Mark’s eyes went straight to me, cold. He
looked like I was some kind of enemy.
“What are you doing here? Trying to hurt
Sarah?”
