Covering the Carolinas Read Free

willingly.
    Standing on the pier, I press Marleigh against the
rail and look into her eyes. “Mar, I can’t share you with anyone
tonight. What if I don’t see you again?” She takes her arms and
wraps them around my neck.
    “ GC, there’s no way I’m letting you leave my
life now that you’ve crashed into it.” She kisses me deeply as a
firework is shot into the night sky and she holds onto me for dear
life. Glancing over my shoulder, I see a group crowded around a
roaring fire.
    “ C’mon. Let’s go check it out,” she says
standing and pulling me down the pier.
    Weaving my fingers in Marleigh’s, we walk toward the
fire.
    As we approach, I realize it’s a private celebration
of some sort, and I pray we won’t be noticed. As the music gets
louder and the flame rises higher, we ease our way into the crowd
and take a seat on a piece of driftwood facing each other.
    As sparks fly into the night sky, I notice Marleigh
watching them.
    “ What are you thinking about?” I
ask.
    “ Have you ever thought about what happens to
those embers?”
    “ They burn out?” I say unsure of where this is
going.
    “ Yeah, but I can’t help but feel like that
roaring fire when I’m with you. You probably think I’m crazy since
it’s only been a week,” she says while covering her face with her
hands as if she’s embarrassed.
    Taking her face in my hands, I raise her eyes to
mine. “Mar, I don’t think you’re crazy. In fact, I feel the same
way.”
    “ You do?”
    “ Yes, but we aren’t like the embers. When this
week ends, it will be a beginning for us.”
    “ How can you say that? You’re going to be like
twenty hours away or somethin’.”
    “ More like nine, but who’s counting.” As a
smile crosses her face, I’m happily caught off guard when she
crashes her lips into mine. Our kiss heats up like the fire beside
us and my heart soars like the sparks into the sky.
    As our kiss slows she pulls away and keeps her
forehead on mine, “GC, can we get outta here?” Without another
thought, I stand and take her by the hand and lead her down the
beach.
    As the waves crash against the sand and the moon is
high in the sky, Marleigh playfully pulls me further from the
crowd. “What are you doin’?” I ask. “I don’t know. I was just
thinkin’ maybe we should go somewhere a little more private. Ya
know, since I’m leaving tomorrow.” She almost whispers then giggles
nervously.
    As a grin escapes my lips, I stop and pull her into
me and crash my lips into hers. When our kiss ends, she continues
to pull me along. When she catches a glimpse of an old abandoned
house, she glances my way and pulls me faster. Reaching the house,
I notice a worn beach chair and she reads my mind as she playfully
pushes me into the chair and climbs on my lap. I weave my fingers
in her long blonde hair and look into those hazel eyes. “Are you
sure?” I ask her. She bites the side of her lips and whispers yes.
I pull her lips to mine.
    As my body begins to react to her, I know it’s not
just a summer fling. I have fallen completely head over heels for
Marleigh Anderson. Never in my life has girl caught my heart. There
is something connecting us mind, body, and soul.

Chapter 1
    July 2011
    MARLEIGH
    “ Marleigh, you ready yet?” Tinleigh hollars
through the bathroom door.
    “ Yeah, I’ll meet you downstairs. I just need
to call GC real quick,” I say as I finish removing the hot rollers
from my blonde hair. I run my fingers through them and look in the
mirror. I look like hell. I swear, I hope it’s not what I think it
is. I have cheerleading camp in two weeks and I can’t miss
it.
    Finding my recent contacts, I dial GC but no answer.
I shake it off. Over the past few months, he doesn’t call or text
as much as he did when we first left the beach. I know it was just
a random chance we met during Spring Break, but I feel like there’s
a reason he drove into my life.
    I make my way downstairs and find mama and