He would be willing to help her spend time with Talon? His one text said it all.
I don’t think I’ll be late but I’ll let you know if I am.
And thanks … it means a lot.
You’ve had my back plenty of times. About time I repay the favor.
Does that mean you accept Talon as my boyfriend?
Don’t get ahead of yourself. Let’s just say I’ll tolerate it. For now. Have fun.
As she made her way over to Talon, who was already starting to build a sand castle — or attempting to — she wondered if her brother’s new attitude extended toward girls. Hopefully, he could put aside his ways and finally find one he really liked. She wanted him to have the same happiness she felt right now.
“Everything okay?” Talon asked, plopping a handful of wet sand onto another huge blob of wet sand.
She briefly told him about her conversation with Zach. He seemed as surprised as she was, but when she suggested they might turn into friends, his surprise gave way to a fierce glower.
“It could happen!” she said, winking at his dismay.
Suddenly, he picked her up by her waist and twirled her around. “Talon,” she laughed, holding on to his shoulders, “what are you doing?”
“I thought it was obvious,” he said, spinning her some more before gently setting her back down. “I’m celebrating.”
“That my brother gave us his approval?”
“I could care less about that. No, I’m celebrating us.” He dropped his forehead onto hers and clasped her hands, drawing them up to his chest. “We made it, Keeley.”
Her brow furrowed. “We could have problems ... you never know ...” Edgewood and Crosswell would always be enemies. And what about college? She would be leaving. So would he.
He pressed her hands over his heart, letting her feel the steady beat. “But we can get through whatever comes our way.” His tone dared her to disagree.
A surge of affection coursed through her. She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Come on,” she said, tugging his hand. “Let’s go finish building your sand castle.”
“Sand castle?!” His cheeks colored. “That’s not a sand castle.”
She looked at the misshapen mound and sighed with relief. “Good, because I wasn’t sure how to break it to you that it looked like something out of a horror story. What were you trying to make, anyway?”
“It’s a fort!” he exploded, his eyes flashing with indignation.
“Oh! Oh …”
“It’s clearly a fort! That’s the watchtower.” He pointed over to a small lumpy pile with rocks stacked on top. “And see? The barracks are over here and the —” While he continued to point out all essential features of the so-called fort, she silently laughed, wondering how he ever passed an art class.
“Are you listening to me?” he asked.
“Of course,” she told him, managing to put on a straight face. “The barracks. How could I not see it before? It’s so obvious.”
A glint entered his eyes as he took a step toward her. “You, baby doll, are trouble.”
“Never,” she teased, taking a step back.
He started advancing, the sun bouncing off his blond hair. “Maybe you should be put in the dungeons.”
“You’ll have to catch me first,” she taunted, running off down the beach. She heard him call her name as he started to follow, his long legs chasing her down. Laughing, she blew him a kiss and then let the boy who owned her heart catch her once and for all.
I want to personally thank the following people without whom Textrovert would never have seen the light of day.
To my Wattpad readers, your enthusiasm for The Cell Phone Swap kept me going when I wanted to throw in the towel and stop writing. Thank you for always encouraging me. You guys are the reason I write.
To the Wattpad team — especially Ashleigh Gardner, Caitlin O’Hanlon and Aron Levitz — thank you for believing in my story. You worked hard to make my dreams possible. I couldn’t have done it without you.
To my editor, Kate Egan, I will never forget one of the first comments you made: “More Peeps!” I think that’s when I knew you “got” my story. Thank you for showing me the ropes and making me a better writer. Your input has been invaluable.
To Lisa Lyons, you read the first draft on Wattpad, full of errors and mistakes, and still saw something worth publishing. Thank you for taking a chance on my story.
And finally, to my parents, Kollin and Joann. Your continual support has been the anchor that holds me steady. The best part of being published is seeing the pride on your faces. Thank you for everything. And no, Dad, you can’t have ten percent.