Chapter 2

12 years ago

It was early April, just two days after my birthday, 13th April, to be exact. Jess and I dreamed about going to this party. It was organized by one of the most popular guys in high school or even our hometown. It was a party of Ethan Lewis. Our bad boy. His parents were wealthy, and you could expect him to be spoiled, and he was in some way. But he was a surprisingly kind person and very honest. He always was telling the truth, and he still was ready to defend his friends. Like that, he often was having problems with the police.

What was more, his best friend, Matt Harris, was the son of our city's police chief. It was a very strange friendship, but it was also very strong. They always stood up for one another. Most of the girls of our high school were admiring them, and I wasn't an exception.

Ethan Lewis was two years older than me. He was tall and well-built; he had platinum blond hair and icy blue eyes. His features were soft, nothing exceptional, but his smile... Damn, his smile was so beautiful and so sexy. When he was smiling at me, I was melting right on the spot, but I never wanted to have any kind of relationship with him. I would have liked to say the same about Matt, but I couldn't.

Matt Harris was the definition of what I wanted to see in my boyfriend. He was the same age as Ethan, but his features were darker, and I wasn't talking about the color of his hair, which was precisely dark brown. He was tall and very muscular, even for the high schooler. He often was moody, but when he smiled, it was as if the whole world became brighter. He had adorable dimples and chiseled cheekbones. The color of his eyes was brown, like hazelnut brown. And his lips were full and so delicious. He was my high school crush. The guy of my dreams was so out of my league because of our age gap and differences in our lifestyles, so I just watched him from afar.

I could say that I was popular with boys. I was thin and tall with long legs, but with age, my body started to be more curvaceous, more feminine. It only added to my favor. My boobs were round, but not big, and my butt was very fit because of all the exercises I was doing in high school. Cross crunches, knee crunches, plank, squatting - you name it, and I probably did it. My face was round with a straight nose, but my eyes were my pride. They were deep blue with long lashes and a little upturned at the end. My mom was always telling me that if my hair wasn't brown, but ginger, she could easily call me a vixen. Full lips and tanned skin, I always had an admirer. I wasn't arrogant, always smiling, very kind, and funny. I had many friends, but Jessica Scott was my only best friend. She was a charming brunette, but small and skinny. We understood each other perfectly and always were helping one another.

Before this story happened, I was in relationships with two sweet boys of my age, but I always wanted Matt. I didn't let my relationship with any of these guys to turn into something more serious. I didn't want to lose my virginity with someone inexperienced. I wanted this moment to be perfect. Of course, I imagined it to happen with Matt Harris. A girl could dream, right? But he always had girlfriends of his age and sometimes even older than him. I can't say that he hadn't been paying me any attention; it would be a lie. I knew that he noticed me. I caught him a few times, checking me out. A few times, he even made small talk with me, but other people always surrounded us. They weren't personal conversations, so I wasn't too happy about them.

Two days before this party, right on my 16th birthday, Matt came to me while I was at my locker. I was stunned. It was the first time he talked directly to me. Coincidentally there wasn't anyone in the hallway, just the two of us. He was single more than three months already, so I felt butterflies in my stomach doing flip-flops. Could it be that he finally decided to know me better? Could it be that he was interested in me?

"Hey, princess!" He leaned on the nearest locker and smiled at me with his usual mischievous grin.

"Hey, Matt. Is there any reason for you to be here?" Oh God, I dreamt about this moment for so long, and now I was ruining it. Good job, Lea.

"Rude, but you're too beautiful to be angry at you." He winked at me. Matt Harris, the guy of my dreams, winked at me! And called me beautiful!

"Sorry, I guess." I shrugged my shoulders. Play it cool, Lea. Maybe he won't notice how nervous you were.

"Nah, it's okay. Do you know that there will be a party at Ethan's house?"

"Yep." I decided to answer shortly, like that the risk to say something embarrassing will be minimized.

"Are you planning to go there?"

"Well, I don't know yet. Should I come?"

"If you don't want me to die from the boredom, then you definitely must be there."

"Matt Harris, are you inviting me to the party?" I closed my locker and leaned my back on the door, folding my arms on my chest. Like that, he would have had a perfect look at my cleavage. And he did exactly what I was expecting from him. He lowered his gaze to my boobs, I saw his pupils darkening, and his smile grew bigger. I arched my brow and said innocently. "Hey, Matt, you know, it's kind of rude from your side. My eyes are up here."

"Sorry I couldn't help it." He licked his lips and finally looked me back in the eyes. His smile was so wide that his dimples were on full display. He was incredibly stunning. And hot. "So, you were saying?"

"I asked you, are you inviting me to the party? To the party in particular? Or to keep you company?"

"I want you all to myself, princess." Oh. My. Gosh! Try not to blush, Lea! Is it my birthday miracle?

"I will think about it."

"Okay, but I will be waiting for you. Remember that." He pushed himself from the locker and stood before me. I stared at him. What was he waiting for? Seconds later, I got my answer. He leaned into me and kissed my cheek, his lips lingering. After, he whispered right in my ear. "Happy birthday, Lea."

With that, he stepped back from me, turned around, and went to the exit. I was speechless. My mind tried to understand what just happened. Was I still dreaming?

"Lea!" I heard Jess' voice, which was more like a shriek. "Oh my God! What was that? What did he tell you?" She was almost jumping in front of me. She knew how much I liked Matt. So I told her everything. Jess was ecstatic, just like me. We agreed to go to this party, and we were planning to prepare ourselves for it. We wanted to look fabulous.

We were at the party for almost 40 minutes, but I haven't had a chance even to see Matt. I started to feel annoyed. Guys from our school were approaching Jess and me, they tried to chat with us, but I was a lousy company tonight. I was becoming moody and angry. Why invite me here, if he wasn't going to show up?

"Lea, please, start to act normally. You're always cheerful and flirty, but tonight... We agreed to have fun, and now you're ruining not only yours but my mood too..." Jess whispered to me, as soon as our classmate Alex left us. She liked the guy, and I just scared him away.

"I am sorry, Jess. Really... It's just... I don't get it... Why would he approach me and invite me, if he wasn't interested at all?"

"I don't know, hon. But the night is still young. If Matt isn't going to make an appearance soon, it will be his loss. Try to relax. There are so many other hot guys! Some of them were staring at us from the minute we stepped inside this damn house! You told me that you find Jake Hill handsome. Well, here's your chance, he's here, and he's looking at you right now. Turn around, smile to him, and everything will be perfect. You know, you are popular with boys. You're a beautiful girl."

"Oh my God, Jess... What did I do to deserve you? I love you so much!" I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tight.

"I love you too, but I have a feeling that it's also beer-talking." She laughed, and I immediately felt at ease. This girl was my salvation.

"Hey! It's my first cup, and I'm not planning to drink more than that!"

"The night is still young, Lea. So, how about Jake?"

"You're right. I didn't dress like this only to spend all evening sulking." I turned my head and immediately found Jake. He was sitting on the couch with one of his friends. I observed him. He was my classmate. Very sweet and very beautiful. His hair was dark black, and he had tanned skin and green eyes. He was exactly my type of guy. I liked not only his look but also his personality. He was kind and gentle, he had a perfect sense of humor, and I truly enjoyed being in his company. My lips stretched into a smile. To hell with Matt. I had someone much better now.

"Finally. Go, girl. I will find you later." Jess whispered in my ear, and I saw her going in another direction, where Alex disappeared previously.

I started walking in the direction of a couch, Jake saw me coming, and his eyes began to sparkle. It was so genuine. When I was only a few feet away, I felt someone's hand on my wrist. I saw Jake's eyes darken. The smile disappeared from his face. I turned my head and stared at the person who was holding my wrist. It was Matt.