Page 31 of Fierce-Colson

Him, he’d been all about new experiences, more people, lots of noise, lots of fun.

Anything that was different from the life he was living at home.

They’d been young. Young enough that everything felt dreamlike. Summer afternoons that stretched for an eternity. Stolen moments between classes, behind gym doors, on bleachers after everyone else had gone home. Innocent touches and looks and all that crap kids focused on.

She was his first kiss, though he’d never told her that. He’d played it up as he’d gotten around, but the truth was, he’d always had his eye on her and he knew she had it right back.

She didn’t care that he wasn’t from the same background as her.

That his father was a drunk and his mother was hanging on for god only knew the reason back then.

All she saw was him and how he made her feel.

And her parents, they didn’t judge where he came from either.

Nothing was complicated back then. Nothing hard between them. Just the thrill of being chosen by someone who saw the real him.

Until she didn’t like what she saw anymore.

Which wasn’t true.

The attraction had always been there, but he was too much for her.

He knew it. It was a few months into their freshman year.

She was more driven by academics, him by anything but.

They were oil and water.

And they did what everyone else did at that age. Just moved on without hurt, regret, or tears.

Even if maybe the hurt had always been hidden behind the wall of his heart for her.

That he couldn’t be what she wanted. Or even thought he could be.

Logic wasn’t something he had in abundance at fourteen. They were too young to even know what they wanted.

It was back when life had demanded nothing from him yet. And that was how he wanted it.

As if he had a premonition of how complicated life was going to get.

It was before responsibility had locked a jaw on his arm and refused to let go.

And now that he had the teeth marks and bruises, did he want to bring her back into this?

Would she really want it?

She knew about Bella. Now.

And she still acted the way she had in the courthouse.

That should be answer enough for him.

“I’m set, Colson,” Bella said when she came out, the smile big and bright. “Regan said every few months is good if I want to continue. Can I?”

He looked around his sister to see Regan standing in the doorway to her office. “You know you can continue to come as much as you need or want it.”

“Thanks, Colson,” Bella said. “Like, I don’t always think I do, and then I get here.”