Prologue
Dallas-Four years ago
“I’m sorry, Brittany,” I say to my sobbing ex-girlfriend.
“Don’t do this Dallas,” she sobs. “You know we belong together.”
She couldn’t be any more wrong. Brittany and I have been off and on for the last two years. Our relationship is toxic, and it seems like we bring out the worst in each other. We are always fighting, breaking up, then making up. The make-up sex is really hot, but all the fighting is so frustrating.
As much as I don’t want to move to Colorado, I don’t have a choice, and trying long distance seems pointless.
I had been thinking about breaking up with Brittany for a while, but Chloe, my little sister, gave me the final push I needed when she gave me a list of every break up Brittany and I had over the last two years. I didn’t even know Chloe had been keeping a list, but it truly came in handy.
“No we don’t. All we do is fight, Brit. Let’s just part ways. I’m moving next week, the distance will make this relationship impossible to keep up with,” I’m pleading with her to understand so I can go home and finish packing.
“Fine!” She screams, “Don’t come crawling back to me when you can’t find anyone in Colorado. We are done, Dallas! For good.”
Perfect, that’s exactly what I wanted, “I wish you nothing but the best, Brittany.”
“Have a nice life, Dallas,” she scoffs before turning on her heel and walking away.
I let out a sigh of relief, standing there for a second and let the feeling of freedom wash over me before I hop into my car and head home to finish packing for our move next week.
***
Two weeks later
There’s a knock at the front door, and I don’t know it yet, but opening that door is going to change everything.
This morning, I woke up a seventeen year old kid, angry at the fact that we had to move to Colorado for my dad’s job, and opening that door will forever be the moment when I met the girl that would eventually become my everything.
The door opens and two women are standing on the door step, but I can’t take my eyes off the girl with eyes the color of honey straight from the hive and dirty blonde hair piled high on top of her head, her flawless skin doesn’t have an ounce of make up on it.
I don’t know what it is, but I feel like I need to know her.
Like some part of me, deep in my soul, knows that she is important somehow.
I have never been more grateful that my sister convinced me to break up with my girlfriend before we moved. That hasn’t stopped her from texting me a thousand times a day asking to get back together, but I am not going to let that girl stand in the way of the perfection that stands in front of me.
I completely forgot that someone else was standing with the girl until the older woman–her mom maybe?
Although they look nothing alike–says, “Hi!” When my eyes reluctantly find hers, she’s smirking at me.
Fuck, I think I’ve been caught checking out this woman’s daughter.
“I’m Elizabeth Baker, and this is my daughter, Magnolia.
We live next door and wanted to come over and introduce ourselves. ”
Magnolia—a pretty name for a pretty girl. God, the girl has turned me into fucking Shakespeare. What the fuck is wrong with me?
“You can just call me ‘Maggy,’” The beauty says in a voice so quiet I almost miss it.
Yea, I think I’ll stick with Magnolia.
I gesture for them to come in, and yell up the stairs to my family, “Mom! Dad! Chloe! Our neighbors are here. They want to meet us.”
“Hi! I’m Yeong Miller,” My mom says when she enters the room, holding a hand out for Elizabeth to shake. “This is my husband Phillip, and our daughter Chloe. I think you both have met our son, Dallas.” Mom swings a hand in my direction.
“I’m Elizabeth, but you all can call me Lizzy. This is my daughter Magnolia, or Maggy. There are five more of us at home, but we didn’t want to overwhelm you with all of us at once.” Lizzy chuckles.
“We appreciate that, but we can’t wait to meet them,” My dad says, with a warming smile.
“We just wanted to come over and welcome you guys to the neighborhood. How old are you kids? Maggy and her twin brother Maddox will be Juniors this year, we also have two going into their first year of college and one going into her sophomore year,” Elizabeth says.
“I’ll be a junior too. We should be best friends.
” Chloe says to Magnolia, and my heart sinks just a little.
I might not let the stage-five-clinger, that is my ex-girlfriend, stop me from trying something with this girl, but I will let my little sister making a new friend slow me down.
Chloe has always had a harder time making friends, so her attaching herself to my new crush is a bit of a problem, because I won’t do anything to mess up their friendship.
“Okay.” Magnolia says quietly, a pretty blush creeping up her cheek. A bright smile overtaking her face, and a pair of dimples popping into her cheeks. Good god, I didn’t think she could get any prettier, then she had to go and show off the most perfect pair of dimples. Fuck me.
“Maybe we can go to The Hangout sometime,” Magnolia says. “It’s where all the high schoolers go to hang out. Maddox, my twin, could help introduce you to people.”
“Not you?” Chloe questions.
“Oh, I’m not very popular, Maddy is outgoing,” she shrugs.
I don’t like the way she just talked about herself, but I don’t say anything. “The Hang Out sounds fun,” I say instead. I’m pretty sure I’d go anywhere with her. Fuck, I am so screwed. I cannot go falling for my little sister’s new best friend.