Page 3 of Lovestrung

My arm grew heavy as he still didn’t take the small bag from me, but I stood my ground and waited. Again, my instincts told me that I needed to be patient with this boy. Patience is a virtue, like my Grandma Meagan always told me, but up until this point, I hadn’t always believed her. As Ethan at last plucked the bag from my hand, I finally realized that patience might not be such a bad thing.

“Thank you,” he whispered, and I smiled again.

“You’re welcome. Do you want to see my room?”

“Why don’t we get out of this heat and get Ethan something to drink first?” Mama butted in. When I looked up at her, I felt relieved to see her encouraging smile. “Afterward, we’ll get Ethan settled in, and then maybe introduce Molly and Sam to him?”

“Molly and Sam are our dogs,” I explained to Ethan when he frowned. “You’ll love them, I promise.”

“You have dogs?” he asked Daddy and looked up at him.

Daddy grinned down at us. “Yep. A home isn’t a real home unless you have a dog or two.”

I watched Ethan as his lips twitched shyly, and happiness coursed through me.

“Come on in,” Mama said as she took a step, then two more before she stopped at the door and waited for the rest of us. “I think we could all use a bit of sweet.”

With one last smile aimed my way, she opened the door. I waited for Ethan to go after her. He hesitated but then seemed to make up his mind and followed her inside. The door shut closed on a soft click behind them, and it felt as if the wind sighed when I did. Somehow, it felt as if it was as relieved as I was that Ethan decided to come inside.

I took my dad’s hand as he was about to pass me and he stopped.

“What is it, baby girl?” He crouched down and craned his neck, peering into my eyes.

I bit my lip and squeezed his hand. “I hope he won’t be afraid anymore,” I whispered.

“Come here,” Daddy murmured and placed the suitcase and backpack on the ground before he opened his arms wide. Willingly, I leaned into his strong body and he engulfed me in a tight hug.

“I’m so proud of you,” he whispered in my ear. “You see too much, though.”

I grinned as I pulled out of his embrace.

“Maybe, but that’s not a bad thing, Daddy.”

He nodded, his eyes dancing with mirth. “You’re right, it’s not.”

My smile died down as my eyes flickered to the closed door. “I want to be his friend, Daddy. Do you think he’ll let me?”

I felt his thumb press into my chin and turned my head back to him. I breathed deeply at the serious gaze that met me.

“In time, I’m sure he will. But you have to give him that time, Penelope. Can you do that?”

I thought about his question before answering, but I didn’t really have to think too long about it. The answer was crystal clear to me.

“Yes. I can do that.”

Because if there was one thing I knew right then and there, it was that I would do anything to be his friend. I’d stop at nothing until I made Ethan smile at me. I was only ten years old, but I knew that this boy would become someone special to me.

I would be right…but I would also be so very wrong.

1

From Friends to Strangers

Present Day

I was busy contemplating murdering my friend, Ella, when my date for the night decided it was time to pay attention to me instead of the soccer game on the TV hanging above the bar.

“So, your name’s Penelope, right?”