That night, the moon was hidden, and the wind was kicking up. I downed that stuff—the kind that makes your whole body flush hot—and staked out the path my dream guy always took. It hit me faster than I expected; I was already feeling dizzy. But hey, persistence pays off, right? That had to be him up ahead. Same jacket, same ridiculously handsome profile. A wicked grin spread across my face as I charged forward and tackled him. There was no way he wouldn't be mine once we crossed that line. Force his hand, make it a done deal. "Hey, Maya—" Whatever he was about to say got cut off when my overheated brain decided planting a kiss on him was the only logical next step. I didn't really register his voice, just… wait, did my crush get taller? Whatever. No turning back now. Go for it, girl! Opportunity knocks but once. The next morning, I woke up and stared in horror at the handsome head belonging to my long-suffering best guy friend, Ethan. I glanced down at myself. Bra still on. No aches, no pains. Did anything actually happen last night? It felt like… nothing happened? Honestly, I couldn't remember a single thing, except that my head was pounding. Snapping back to reality, looking at that annoyingly good-looking head, I wanted to cry. I’d ambushed the wrong guy. All that courage I’d scraped together, wasted! Does anyone understand my pain?! Furious, I gave Ethan a light kick. He grunted and rolled over. Okay, good, still asleep. I smacked my forehead. Right, escape! Now’s the time to bail. I scrambled into my clothes, eased the door shut behind me, and mentally whispered, Ethan, please don't hate me for this. Naturally, I didn’t see the smile spread across the face of the man on the bed as soon as I was gone. 2 I mentally kicked myself over and over again. I picked up the pace. Today was the day Alex—my crush—had invited everyone to tour the Northgate Project. It was a design project Alex had landed two years ago, and the building was finally complete. The client invited our team for a tour and the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Since most of the design group was in Crestview anyway, pretty much everyone was going. Right now, all I felt was immense regret for whatever I thought I was doing last night trying to lure Alex out. Not only did my master plan spectacularly fail, but now I had to drag myself to this ceremony, exhausted and full of dread. And the worst part? Ethan would be there too. When it rains, it pours. That was my life right now. But time waits for no heartbroken idiot. I touched up my makeup and rushed over to Northgate. "Maya, you made it! Come on, we were just waiting for you," Alex said with a smile, standing by the entrance. My crush, ever the responsible team lead! God, he was perfect! The man I loved! Damn it. But thinking about last night brought a wave of guilt crashing over me. Ugh, Alex, I'm so sorry! "Morning, Alex…" I managed, forcing a smile. "Morning. Hey, you've got dark circles. Didn't sleep well?" It was a normal question, but it sent me into a minor panic. "Were you too excited about seeing Northgate? There'll be plenty more moments like this. Getting enough sleep is important." Leave it to Alex to be so thoughtful. He always knew how to smooth things over. I gratefully took the out he offered. "Yeah… yeah, that was it." He patted my shoulder reassuringly. "Relax." We walked inside and… oh, crap. The first person I saw was Ethan. He was lounging in a chair, yawning repeatedly. His expression flickered slightly when he saw me. Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Well, look who decided to show up…" I couldn't meet his eyes. Cold sweat started prickling my skin. In that instant, I was so embarrassed I could have dug a hole to China with my bare hands, or maybe just carved out a Barbie Dreamhouse with my toes. Alex, the things I do for you. Taking advantage of the moment, I snuck a glance at my crush. His face was bathed in the soft morning light, his eyes warm and smiling. Handsome from literally every angle. Definitely the man I loved. Worth it! Sob. "Why are you blushing?" Ethan unfolded his long legs, strolled over, and teased, "Looks like someone had a rough night. Got into some trouble?" Oh god, oh god. I instinctively edged closer to Alex, my face turning the color of a boiled lobster. Ethan's expression darkened for a split second before his smile returned. "Still blushing? What, did you finally notice how incredibly handsome I am?" He smirked, moving closer. Somebody save me! I didn't dare answer anything Ethan said, couldn't even look at him. 3 "Okay everyone, looks like you're all here? If you'll follow me this way," the project manager announced, stepping into the room. I looked at the manager like he was an angel, my savior! I nodded eagerly. Alex nodded to the group. "Let's go." The manager wanted to chat with Alex, so I naturally got separated from him. Desperate to avoid Ethan, I grabbed Chloe, the youngest girl on the team—a freshman—and started chatting frantically. She was one of the few people I felt comfortable with. The rest were seniors like me. Thinking about graduation hitting us soon… time really flew. Chloe barely got a few words in before she winked at Ethan over my shoulder. What?! Alarm bells went off in my head. Oh God, give me a break. Ethan immediately caught her drift and ambled over to my side. Figures his brain would work fast now. I instantly turned my head to stare out the window, pretending I hadn't seen a thing. "Hey, what's with the cold shoulder?" Ethan tapped my shoulder. I jumped like he'd electrocuted me and put some distance between us. He immediately closed the gap. After a few rounds of this awkward dance, my back was practically against the wall. Trapped, I mumbled without looking up, "Nothing. Why would you think that?" "See? You won't even look at me," Ethan said, leaning down, trying to see my face. "Hey!" I yelped, slapping his hand away without thinking. Instantly, all eyes were on us. Alex shot me a questioning look. What's going on? I shook my head, mortified, and buried my face in my hands. Ethan looked puzzled. "Did you take something weird today?" I didn't even want to bother answering him. Wait a second. Ethan seemed… normal? Just like his usual annoying self. Could it be… he didn't remember last night? If that was true… my heart leaped with joy. But I couldn't be sure. What if he was just messing with me? After mulling it over, I decided silence was the best strategy. Ethan's voice actually sounded concerned. "Are you actually sick? Whoa, if you are, you'll have to miss the secret activity tonight." He winked. "Secret activity? What secret activity?" His words immediately piqued my interest. I looked up sharply. Ethan just shrugged nonchalantly. "You'll find out tonight." "And," he leaned closer, whispering near my ear, "it involves Alex." His breath tickled my ear. I couldn't help but rub it, a faint blush creeping up my neck. Ethan chuckled softly beside me, then mercifully left me alone. What was that about, leaving me hanging? Jerk! I desperately wanted to ask Alex, but he was swamped, and so were we. No chance. I guess I'd just have to wait impatiently until the big secret reveal tonight.
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