Chapter One
ELLIE
21 years earlier
I’m really nervous for some reason.
My God, Ellie, get over it, it’s just bowling. I’m arguing with myself as I walk into this dark, smokey, bowling alley with my cousin and some of her friends.
My family is visiting relatives over Christmas break, and I really don’t like bowling, but I also didn’t want to stay at the house with all the grown ups, so I went along with the group. I thought it would be fun, but my hands get all shaky just thinking about being in front of a bunch of strangers. I’m walking through crowds, following Steff and looking around, trying to fit in but also make sure that I don’t look as awkward as I feel right now.
And then I stop dead in my tracks.
My sneakers squeaking as I halted.
Literally, the most gorgeous guy I’ve ever seen is standing at the table where my cousin just sat down. She looks up and sees that I stopped so she waves her hand telling me to come on.
Gorgeous guy looks in my direction and our eyes lock. I freak out. Am I staring? I look down at my feet, then back at my cousin who is still waving her hand at me. I walk over and nervously stand there while she starts introducing me to all of her friends.
“This is Jennifer, Chris, Ryan and Lee. Guys, this is my cousin, Ellie. She’s visiting from Virginia.” She says.
“Hey Ellie!”
Everyone says together. Gorgeous guy smiles at me.
I like his smile.
It’s kind of a smirk.
I like his smirk.
“Hey”
I say when I sit down next to my cousin. She’s showing me where the bowling shoes are when gorgeous guy slides a chair next to us so he can sit and put his shoes on. He looks up at me while he’s pushing his foot into one of the shoes, his eyes peeking up through the whisps of hair on his forehead. He asks me how old I am.
“Thirteen”
I say. I can feel my cheeks getting warm. Why am I blushing, he only asked me how old I am.
“Cool. I just turned fifteen. Today, actually, it’s my birthday.”
He says while tying the laces on his shoes.
“Happy Birthday”
I say.
“Did you wish for stinky, borrowed, bowling shoes for your birthday?”
I laugh.
He laughs.
I like his laugh.
“They do kinda stink.”
He says. And I finish putting on my stinky, borrowed, bowling shoes then stand up looking at them. They don’t really go with the baggy jeans and tight shirt look but they’ll do, I guess.
“Come on, you can be on my team.”
He says. I follow him. We bowled for the next thirty minutes, and I can’t keep the grin off my face. I’m having fun and he makes me feel completely relaxed. Lee and Chris take turns showing me what I’m supposed to do next and I’m answering questions about Virginia and turning my attention back and forth between the two of them.
I got my first strike and then out of nowhere, Chris and Lee sweep me up from behind, each grabbing an arm and a leg and swing me like they’re going to bowl me down the lane.
I laugh so hard I start crying. When they set me down again and I regain my balance, I see Lee looking at me. He’s smiling and I notice for the first time that his eyes are green.
They sparkle.
I can’t look away.
“Hey, you wanna go outside with me for a bit?”
He asked when our game was over, but he wasn’t ready to start a new one just yet.
“Sure.”
I say, and we walk out to the front of the building together.
It’s kind of cold out here but I didn’t bring a jacket, so I just shove my hands in my pockets and keep walking because I don’t want to go back inside yet. He stops by the stone wall facing the parking lot and sits. I sit next to him, and he scoots closer to me so that his leg is touching mine.
He says, “Let’s play thirty questions, I’ll go first. What’s your favorite color?”
“Green”
I say.
“What’s yours?”
He smiles but doesn’t say anything.
“What’s your favorite color?”
I ask again, nudging him with my elbow.
“Green”
he says. And we go back and forth naming our favorite things, talking about what grade we’re in – he’s in ninth, I’m in eighth, how many siblings we have and what we like to do for fun.
I like you Lee.
He asks me if I’m cold and before I answer him, he takes his windbreaker off and drapes it over my shoulders. “Thanks.”
I say and then he grabs my hand, and his fingers are laced with mine. He smiles again and then continues our thirty questions game. Only we’re way passed thirty questions by now.
I know I’ve only known you for an hour, but I really like you, Lee.