After months of therapy, Garrett Delko is still struggling to cope with his brother's suicide. The only time he finds peace is on the pitching mound and with a mysterious girl he's been obsessed with since the first week of college. One night, he se...
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Garrett's realization wasn't an easy one to swallow. While he relished the chance to break through the caution tape he'd placed around Arianne, a sliver of apprehension rippled underneath his skin. Every time they talked, he noticed a desperation buried under her words like a volcano waiting to erupt. What demons had forced her off that bridge? She said she wanted to feel alive that night which begged the question—what made her feel dead?
The answer scared him, but he couldn't walk away. Not when the shadows were waiting in the wings, ready to torment. So Garrett needed a plan because that girl had so much barbed wire wrapped around her heart he was surprised it hadn't ripped her to shreds. Maybe a past relationship gone wrong? Or perhaps she was cynical because of a parent's divorce like Stephan. So many variables, but he couldn't navigate the minefield until he understood why and what they were.
First order of business was getting Arianne used to him. He'd been avoiding her meditation classes, but no more. He would show up and stay after class. Maybe even convince her to eat dinner with him again—sans Harmony and her endless petty comments. The key was stealth. Arianne couldn't suspect his plan until she was hook, line, and sunk, which was why Garrett was at the local park on a Saturday night.
Anticipation licked up his spine as he walked underneath the Cardboard Under the Stars banner hung between two oak trees. Just the thought of looking into those grey eyes had him feeling like a tiger ready to pounce. God, what he would give to kiss her with those glasses perched on her cute nose.
"You need help?" a girl with a clipboard asked. Her lilac shirt had "volunteer" written across the chest in white, bold letters and her name tag read, "Morgan." The purple matched her hair which was pulled into a messy bun at the nape of her neck. She was pretty with her sweetheart shaped face and long, flirty lashes but the steeliness lurking behind her eyes told Garrett this girl was no pushover.
"Where should I sign in?" he asked, pulling his wool coat tight around him. The wind had picked up in the last hour, and the temperature had dropped ten degrees. Not the best night to spend outdoors, but it hadn't stopped the masses. They were out in full force tonight. The park looked like a mini city, but instead of glass skyscrapers, there were cardboard boxes. Some were decorated with markers and streamers looking like something out of My Little Pony, while others were duct taped together to create elaborate labyrinths that would have made any hamster happy.
She pointed to a crowded navy tent in the far corner. "You can register over there and pick up a cardboard box if you need one."
"Do, uh, know where Arianne—" Crap. He didn't know her last name. "Um, Arianne, one of the organizers of this event, is?"
Suspicion clouded her expression. "Why do you want her?"
Because I want to cling onto her like life vest so I don't drown in the shadows. Yeah, he didn't think that would fly. "I'm a, um, well....I'm a friend."
