“I don’t know, he wanted to go have dinner now, actually.”“OK, that’s great, because I have one demand before you leave on your date with him,” Jules told me, making me frown.“OK?” I asked her, knowing this could never be good.“I need to talk to him,” Jules declared. “I need to give him my seal of approval, you know? Gotta make sure he’s worthy of my best friend’s heart. You don’t have any big brothers, so if anyone needs to kick his ass if he would ever hurt you, I will gladly do so myself.” Jules answered me, warming my heart and panicking me at the same time.“You just want to interrogate him?” I burst out in laughter, shaking my head.“Uh… yeah!” Jules exclaimed.“You know I’ve got your back, girl. Now, when are you introducing us over the phone?” She asked me as I rolled my ey

“So… what about you, what are your dreams for the future, Gorgeous?” I asked her, hoping to God she felt the same as I did.“I… I have dreamt about having a family too someday. I mean, it’s something I’ve never really had, besides my uncle Ben.” She told me, her voice almost as soft as a whisper. My grip on her hand tightened because I knew there was a but coming in there somewhere. “But…” she continued, making me press my eyes shut for just a microsecond because for once, I hated to be right.“My family history is complicated. My mother left me when I was young, and I’ve never even known my real father. Sometimes, I wonder if my dreams are just that, dreams. I fear the pain that comes with a family as well. The potential of heartbreak.” She shrugged, pain in her voice so clear I wanted to hunt down the man who was her father and kill him with

“What the hell is up with you two, yelling?” Koda asked, walking into the kitchen, a couple of bottles of soda in his arms that he then placed into the fridge.“Our sister doesn’t want to go to college,” I told Koda, seeing how he closed the refrigerator door and looked at me, giving me a look as if I was acting like an unreasonable parent right now and I was the one who needed to relax.“And why are we having this discussion right now?” Koda asked, sighing as if somehow, he already knew Sunday family dinner was ruined for everyone starting now.“Ask her, she's the one who brought it up.” I shrugged, turning myself back around to start chopping up carrots. Needing to do something because clearly, my baby sister was pissing me off with her childish behavior. “You’re turning it into a big deal. As if my whole life will end if I don’t go to college.” She yelled even l

Jenna’s P.O.V.I balanced my phone on the edge of my vanity mirror, adjusting it until I could see both myself and the screen clearly. With a deep breath, I tapped the video call icon, and Jules’ face appeared on the screen, her signature grin lighting up my phone.“Hey, cutie!” Jules exclaimed.“Are we ready for the big night?” She laughed, clapping her hands. I returned her smile, though my nerves were starting to show.“I think so. Adam is picking me up in half an hour.” I answered Jules, watching her eyes twinkle with excitement.“Well, let’s make sure you’re dressed to dazzle. Show me the options we are working with here.” She spoke, grabbing a Starbucks as I saw a green straw appear on my screen.I turned toward my hotel closet, scanning the hangers filled with my clothes. “Alright, here goes nothing.” I sighed, leaning in.&

Jenna’s P.O.V.The anticipation had been building inside of me like a pressure cooker for days. Ever since Adam had asked me out on our first official date, I had been walking on clouds, replaying the moment he had asked me out in my mind over and over. It was a dream come true, something I had secretly hoped for since our High School days. Twelve years had passed since then, and today was the day it would finally happen. To say that my inner sixteen-year-old self was twirling around throwing rose petals in the air was quite an understatement.My heart raced as I stood in front of the mirror, examining myself from every angle I could see. The outfit was good, my hair and makeup perfect, but all I could see were my jitters manifesting in the twinkle of my blue eyes. And all I could see were worst-case scenarios about me tripping over my own feet or the waiter dropping food all over me during our night out.  The knock on the do