Amazed (Tempted Book 3)

                                Amazed

                   (Tempted Series Book 3)

                    BY HEATHER DOLTRICE

Have you ever wanted someone so much you could taste it? You could feel their presence before they ever walked into a room? Because I have. I felt it every day.

Want was a feeling I had grown accustomed to.

Ethan Charles had always had some sort of spell over me. From elementary school to high school, he just didn’t know it. Or maybe he did. I wasn’t sure anymore.

It was a very confusing situation.

“Why are you staring into space? Are you thinking about Ethan again?” Maddie asked, nudging my elbow with hers.

She had begun to make me not miss her around the apartment. She was West’s problem now. Thank God.

“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I told her, bringing the cup of beer up to my lips and taking a gulp.

Turning up my nose, I drank that beer like it was champagne in a crystal glass.

The old field was jam packed and I was watching Ethan and West interact with a couple girls. I wasn’t jealous. Not at all.

And I sure as hell wasn’t mad that he never stole one glance at me, not a single one. West couldn’t keep his eyes off of Maddie. I knew they were married and Ethan and I weren’t even dating. But still.

“Sure you don’t,” she said, rolling her eyes and sipping her drink.

She was right. I was thinking about Ethan. I was always thinking about Ethan.

Pathetic.

I tried waiting on him to make the first move but he hadn’t. Ethan was quiet and collected. And me, well I was loud and wild. We mixed about as well as oil and water. You get the picture.

But I wanted to know if there was anything to the theory of opposites attracting.

“Do you want me to get them over here?” Maddie whispered in my ear, causing me to jump.

“What? No! Yeah, but don’t make it obvious that I want him over here,” I told her, dodging all eye contact with her.

I felt ridiculous that I was a grown ass woman but yet I couldn’t make the first move. It was like I was back in the fifth grade. I was usually so confident but with him I couldn’t put myself out there. I didn’t want him to think I was super slutty for coming on to him.

A slow love song that I hated played over the speakers as Maddie and the boys made their way to me. Why in the hell was that song playing at an old field party? Seriously it wasn’t junior prom.

“Hey, Grace, isn’t this your favorite song?” Maddie asked, giving me a look telling me to play along.

“It sure is,” I said with a sugary sweet smile.

It was so sweet I almost gave myself a toothache.

“I have an idea. Ethan, why don’t you take Grace on the dance floor?” Maddie asked, looking between Ethan and me.

Miss Matchmaker was on the job.

“Um, okay. Grace, do you wanna dance?” Ethan asked me, holding out his hand for me to take it.

“Sure, I’d love to,” I said, slipping my fingers through his.

“Look, Honey, their growing up on us,” I heard West say as we walked to the makeshift dance floor.

God bless Maddie. I had no clue how she put up with him. I would have definitely killed him and I would have gladly done time.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I felt him loop his around my waist and pull me close. The stars twinkling in the sky and the lyrics made me want to finally let him know that I was interested in what we could be. So, I went for it. Breathing in his scent, I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder. His whole body tensed up, so I moved. Shut down yet again.

Rejecting was also a feeling that I had grown accustomed to and let me tell you it sucked.

“What have you been up to?” Ethan asked, loosening his grip on me.

Great, now he was going to make small talk. I hated small talk, it screamed “stuck in the friend zone”.

“Working. How about you?” I asked, feeling like an idiot for thinking that he would want a party girl like me.

If he only knew the real me.

“Same.”

It wasn’t awkward. No, not at all. The only thing that could have made it worse was him asking me about the weather.

“This has been some weather, huh?”

Shit.

“Yep, sure has,” I told him, nodding.

As dull as the conversation was I could still feel the chemistry between us. There was no denying it at least on my end. I wanted him but I wasn’t so sure he wanted me.

Sure, he had dropped little hints here and there but I didn’t know if I had just imagined it. Maybe I just was seeing what I wanted to see and hearing what I wanted to hear.

“You look beautiful tonight,” he said as we swayed along to the music, “But you always do.”

See? He was hot one minute and cold the next. He sent my emotions on a rollercoaster ride but I didn’t want to get off. I was addicted to the adrenaline that was Ethan Charles. I was hooked on the feeling of being around him.

“So do you,” I responded, feeling my knees quiver.

“I look beautiful?” he asked, laughing.

I wanted to say yes and tell him that he was the most beautiful thing I had ever looked at. But I couldn’t because I didn’t have the courage to that and I didn’t know why. I was the life of the party and I was a lot of things but shy was never one of them. I made myself be social. I trained myself to be good at that but around him I turned into an awkward wallflower.

My confidence was one of my strong suits but around him it was gone. It was completely shattered.

“I meant you look very handsome,” I said, trying to steady my voice.

“So, are you looking for a new roommate now?” he asked, trying to slyly change the conversation.

Wait, was he trying to hint something to me? Did he want to move in with me? Or was it me just getting my hopes up again?

“Not yet. Why do you know anyone that’s looking for a place?” I said in a flirty tone.

Damn, what is wrong with me? That was uber creepy.

“No, just wondering. Are you thirsty?” he asked, looking at me like I was a crazy person and pulling away.

If I was him I would have backed away too.

I found myself thanking God that the song had ended. That was probably one of the most embarrassing things I had ever been through. I’m sure by then the red flags were raised all around me in his head.

I was thirsty alright. Thirsty for him. Okay, that was a little slutty but a girl has needs you know and I needed Ethan Charles. I needed him in the worst way.

“Yep, super thirsty,” I said, feeling like the world’s biggest idiot for thinking that he wanted to move in with me.

Seriously, what was wrong with me? Why did he have this affect over me? And most importantly why couldn’t I shake it?

We walked toward Maddie and West who were occupied. He had her pushed against his car and kissing her with such passion the whole party could feel it. I wanted that kind of relationship, the kind where we couldn’t get enough of each other.

“Okay, break it up,” Ethan said, covering his eyes like he was five and a kissing scene was playing on a movie.

“I though you two were dancing,” West asked, putting Maddie down and he didn’t look too happy about it.

“We were but the song ended. I’m going to get something to drink. You wanna go with me?” Ethan asked West, scratching the back of his head.

I could tell he was super uncomfortable and that was all my fault. I remember thinking I had most likely scared him away for good.

“Yeah, let’s go. We’ll bring you girls something back. And we’ll finish this at home,” West said, kissing Maddie on the forehead before he and Ethan disappeared in the sea of people.

We both nodded but our faces held two totally different expressions. She had this dreamy look and I had this kill me now look. Like I said vastly different.

No guy had ever acted like that around me. Not to sound stuck up on myself but I was hot. Guys usually swarmed around me, not run like I had some sort of contagious disease. Apparently, I wasn’t as hot as I thought I was.

“You okay, Gracie?” Maddie asked, looping her arm through mine.

“Yeah, I’m just trying to figure out what’s wrong me.”

“What are you talking about? There’s nothing wrong with you. Well, I mean except that you love hooker heels but other than that,” she said, trying her best to make me laugh.

I gave her a sad excuse for a laugh.

“He doesn’t like me, Mads. I thought he did but he just acts so weird around me,” I told her, leaning against the car behind us.

“He totally does. He’s always stealing glances at you when you’re not looking,” she told me, leaning her head on my shoulder.

I had noticed that as well but at that point I didn’t know if I was just imagining it or if he just thought I was a crazy person. He wasn’t the usual type I would go for and I think that’s why I liked him so much. Normally, I liked the assholes but deep down I always wanted him. To me he was like a breath of fresh air and to him it was like I was a pest that wouldn’t go away.

Unrequited love could go screw itself.

“What happened?” My cousin, Holland, asked.

She knew whenever I called early something had happened. Let’s just say I wasn’t exactly a morning person.

“I keep making a fool of myself in front of Ethan,” I said, sighing and tossing myself on the couch.

“I’m sure it wasn’t as bad as you think,” she said with her sweet southern drawl.

Holland was probably the sweetest person on earth. She had this vibe about her that screamed pure innocence. If you were having a crappy day she would be the first person to try to cheer you up.

“You’re right, Holland. It was worse.”

Not. I just agreed with her because I knew against her I wouldn’t win the fight.

“Do I need to drive down there?”

She lived in Atlanta with her family. They moved there when we were eleven. The only thing that made me accept her moving away was that it wasn’t that long of a drive and I could get to her in two hours.

“If things keep going like this I may have to drive there,” I said, staring at the roof.

I knew that it wasn’t that big of a deal but to me it was. It was like when I got around him I forgot how to talk like a normal human being. It was a lot of nodding and smiling, almost robotic.

“You should,” she said and I could have sworn that I heard a hint of sadness in her voice.

“Is everything okay with you? Is Trent still being an asshole?”

“Grace, don’t say that. Everything’s fine,” she answered but her tone didn’t sit right with me, “I’m fine.”

“You’re always fine and Trent’s always being an asshole.”

I knew that was a fib because Trent was always belittling her. It was beyond me why she stayed with him. She was full of light and he was like a storm could hovering over her head. And for the record it was a head with a beaming halo.

You know those selfless people who no matter what hell they were going through they were always worried about someone else? Yeah, that was Holland. She was literally too good for her own good. We were first cousins but to us we were sisters. I always wanted to be like her.

She was the most stunning girl I had ever seen. She had golden hair, the type people pay for and cobalt blue eyes. If I had to describe her in one word it would be angelic. Growing up I was always jealous of her. But the best part about her wasn’t how she looked, it was what on the inside. She had a gigantic heart but she had one flaw. She couldn’t see the bad in people and that’s why she kept giving Trent chance after chance even though he didn’t deserve it.

“I’m really fine. Back to you, what are you going to do about Ethan?”

“I’m going to keep humiliating myself in front of him in hopes of reminding him how much of a loser I am,” I told her, replaying all the times I got flustered around him in my head.

“You’re not a loser, Grace. You just really like him and you’re getting nervous. It’s not a crime. You’re allowed to get jittery around someone you’re crushing on. In fact studies show that it’s perfectly normal,” she said as if she was letting me in on a very important secret.

“Ha-ha. When did you get funny?”

“Hey, I take offence to that. I’ve always been funny,” she said and I could her the smile on her lips.

“I’m going to hop in the shower. I’ll call you tonight. Love you.”

“Love you,” she said before hanging up.

I didn’t feel like going to school but I knew that if I wanted to graduate I had to. My parents were starting to get on my case about my descending grades. In other words they were going to kill me.

The only thing that worked in my favor was I was freakishly smart. I know, it shocked me to.

After taking a shower, I threw on a sundress and wedges. It was unofficial wardrobe of the south. Running a brush through my hair, I quickly dabbed some make-up on face. I didn’t care what I looked like because I knew Ethan wouldn’t be there. Lucky for me he worked full time at his brother’s shop, so that meant less time for me to embarrass myself in front of him.

He played football in college and was offered a scholarship at Lakeview University. I was shocked when I found out he didn’t take it. I figured Roman and his mom would have made him take it but apparently his assistance was needed at the shop.

Grabbing a muffin from the kitchen counter, I picked up my purse and books. Running out of the door, I jumped in the already open elevator and pushed the button.

“In a rush?” I heard a smoky voice ask.

“You could say that. I’m going to be late for class,” I said, looking through my bag to make sure I had everything.

“I’m Talon by the way.”

Looking up, I was met with warm chocolate brown eyes. He was freaking gorgeous.

“I’m Grace. You must be new,” I said, shaking his hand he had extended toward me.

“Yeah, I am. What gave it away?”

“Your face. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but this is exactly a booming metropolis.”             

“I noticed,” he said, laughing.

The elevator doors slid open and I stepped out in the bustling lobby.

“Well, it was nice to meet you,” I told him, pulling my car keys from my purse.

“I hope to see you around.”

“You will. This is town is so small you’ll get tired of seeing my face.”

“I doubt that,” he said, pushing his hands through his sandy brown hair.

He had this mysterious air about him that made you want to find out what secrets laid behind those eyes.

“Aren’t you charming?” I asked, walking out of the revolving door into the steaming hot parking lot.

“Comes naturally,” he said, winking at me.

“I’ve gotta get going, I’m going to be late,” I told him, unlocking my car.

“Bye, Pretty girl,” he said, waving before jumping in his Range Rover.

Feeling the blood rush to my cheeks, I looked in the rearview mirror to confirm what I already knew. My face was tomato red. Guilt was the next emotion I felt because I felt like I was betraying Ethan. How messed up was that? I never wanted to be one of those pathetic girls who pined over a guy who wanted to keep you in the friend zone but we don’t always get what we want, now do we?

Starting the engine, I pulled out of the parking lot and started driving toward school. Rolling my window down, I wiped the beads of sweat that was forming on my head.

Why did Georgia have to be so damn hot?

Seeing a vacant parking spot, I claimed it. Getting out of my car, I started to walk toward my first class of the day. Checking my watch, I saw that I only had five minutes before it started. Pulling open the heavy wooden doors, I ran to my seat.

Just as I was taking last night’s homework out of my bag, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. Looking up, I felt my heart rate speed up. What was Ethan doing in my class?

“Is this seat taken?” he asked, gesturing toward the empty seat beside me.

“No,” I said, shaking my head maybe a little too fast.

The girl who sat there had a nervous breakdown last month but I didn’t think he need the information.

“Great,” he said, taking the seat and sitting his book down in front of him.

Was that it? Was he not going to give me an explanation as to why he was there?

“What are you doing here?”

“Learning,” he said before turning his attention to the front of the class room.

“You know what I mean.”

“They offered me that football scholarship again. Roman and my mom insisted on me taking it,” he explained further but I couldn’t help but notice he didn’t look happy about it.

Ethan was the best player in high school and everyone in town was shocked when he didn’t take the full ride. Especially me.

Cars were his brothers thing not his. He loved football. You could tell it made him feel alive by the way he played. It was full of passion.

The funny thing is that’s how he made me feel.

Alive.