Allyson Reed shapes her life to make her parents proud, but whenever she's with Daxson Winters, the star wide receiver with a troubled past, her perfectly-crafted existence crumbles at the seams.
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The steady upbeat rhythm of some new pop song helped create the relaxed ambience of The Baked Bear, one of the most popular ice cream joints in the city. Even for a Wednesday night, the place was busy, filled with little old women who only wanted the senior discount and screaming children.
I stared at the ice cream sandwich I'd created—two chocolate chip cookies with homemade vanilla ice cream squished between them and tossed in cookie dough crumbles. It looked fantastic, but I couldn't tell you why I got it. Maybe to make Madison and Camila feel better? Or maybe so I could keep convincing myself that everything was going to be fine.
Madison chatted away with a young blonde girl behind the register. I couldn't make out what exactly she was saying, but her lips moved at ninety-to-nothing without the intention of stopping. It must've been interesting because the girl behind the counter had the biggest smile on her face.
Camila slid into one of the empty blue chairs beside me with a heavy sigh, tilting her head back to look up at the ceiling. "Man, I'm tired. Bible school was really good tonight though. I was impressed with Anne's lesson."
I folded my hands into my lap and nodded. "I agree. I liked how she incorporated Paul at the city of Ephesus and seizing your opportunities. It really moved me."
I was glad that Camila had talked Madison and I into attending her bible study because Anne had hit home with her lesson this week. She made me remember how precious the time God gives us really is and how important it is to seize your opportunities. Sadly, she also reminded me that time passes in the blink of an eye.
It'd already been a few weeks since I'd seen or talked to Daxson, but to me, it felt like so much longer. The days seemed a little dimmer without him around, less spontaneous and more structured. I'd told him I wanted more stability, but I didn't picture it like this— without him. I missed his lame sayings and his cute blonde curls. He might want to pretend I don't exist, but it didn't stop me from cheering him on in the background.
"Allyson, did you hear what I said?" Camila asked, waving her hand in front of my face.
I glanced at her. "Uh, no, sorry. I didn't catch it."
"I said, what did you write down as the opportunity you want to seize this month?" Her brown eyes studied my face.
I picked up my fork and poked at the ice cream sandwich on my plate. "Isn't it like against the rules to tell you?"
"No, I'm pretty sure that only applies to birthday wishes. So, spill." She folded her arms across her chest.
"I want to find another opportunity to talk to Daxson. Just a chance to apologize." I sighed and set my fork back down.
Madison slid into the empty seat to my right. "Oh my God. Isn't this place just the best? Keith brought me here on our first date." Her eyes flickered between us before she finally realized she interrupted our conversation. "Oh, my bad. Don't mind me."
