Unbreakable Devotion: A New Adult Romance Novel (3 page)

“Erin, sweetheart, I left you and Devon some lunch in the refrigerator. Devon, it was so sweet of you to help us with the yard.”

“No problem, M
s. Hudson. Erin behaved today and she was very helpful,” Devon said as he quirked his mouth at me.

“Ha. I did most of the work
, Mom.” I shifted on one foot and leaned over the kitchen counter, my playful smile catching Devon’s attention.

“You two
get something to eat. I have to go to work. Thank you again, Devon.” She kissed me on the cheek, grabbed her purse, and left for work.

“By
e, Ms. Hudson.” Devon leaned on the counter, thinking of how my mom reminded him of his own. “Your mom works all the time now, huh?”

“Yeah, you know, just like yours. She really loves you. She talks about you like you are the greatest thing since sliced bread. She likes having you around.” I peered at Devon, shifting back and forth, and then glanced at the floor.

“I’ve been han
ging around this house forever,” Devon said, exhaling while looking up at the ceiling.

“Yeah, she th
inks you’re part of the family.” My lips parted slightly and I looked down at the counter.

“I am.
” Devon pressed up from the counter and headed for the refrigerator.

“Yeah, you’re the an
noying big brother I never had,” I said with raised eyebrows. “That’s why my mom likes you, I guess.”

Devon grabbed the sandwiches from the fridge.
Big brother? Great
. Devon handed Erin a sandwich, her blonde ponytail cascading sleekly across the front of her shoulder and breast. She brushed her hair back and grabbed the sandwich.

“I’m thinking about being a lifeguard next year
at the lake,” she said.

“Really? That’s great
. What made you decide that?” Devon sank his teeth into the sandwich.

“
I figure what better place to be all summer than to get paid doing what we do for fun anyway.”

“Yeah, well,
it’s not all fun. They have a pretty tough training program,” Devon said with a tilted brow.

“I know it
’s hard work, and you have to get up early, like five a.m., but you have to admit that would be pretty cool. A lifeguard.” Erin’s lips pursed with satisfaction.

Devon
thought about Erin in her green bikini last summer, her wet blonde hair shimmering down her back, her smooth, tempting curves and golden skin on her athletic and feminine frame bedazzling him, the blonde peach fuzz on her stomach accentuating her glistening golden skin, her delicious body too much to bear.

“Yeah, maybe I should join you,
” Devon said, taking a drink of water to cool off after his vision of Erin.

“That would be cool. Maybe you could
even keep up with me.” Erin picked out a piece of tomato and tossed it in her mouth.

“Don’t kid yourself
, Erin. Being a lifeguard is hard work. You don’t just sit on a chair all day and stare into space. You can’t check your Facebook messages or send texts on the lifeguard chair.”

“Hmm
, ha ha,” she teased while working on a bite of sandwich. “I’ll have you know,” she paused to swallow a bite of her sandwich, her finger pointing at Devon to emphasize her point, “that I’ve played volleyball for three years, and have more than enough athletic ability to be a lifeguard.”

“You have to swim ninety laps in the lap lane to pass the lifeguard test, and you have to work out almost every day, and during your downtimes you have to pick up trash on the beach, even dog poop.”

“I know
, Devon—we have been swimming there for ten years. I know their regimen. Are we going to do this or not?” Erin tilted her head at Devon.

Spending
the whole summer with Erin at the lake sounded like a dream come true to Devon.

My phone rang. It was Kathy Morgan, my best friend.

“He
y. Are you with Devon right now?” Kathy asked.

“
Yep.” My arm hid the side of my face.

“
Devon Coury. Yummy. God, I cannot believe you have not jumped his bones yet. Every girl in the school wants him. What are you waiting for? It’s obvious he likes you!”

“Kathy, it’
s not that way at all. It’s more like…I can’t talk about this now.” I glanced at Devon, still devouring his lunch. “So what is the real reason you called?” I asked.

“Shucks, tha
t’s less exciting.” Kathy groaned. “Math test. Are we still studying tomorrow night?” she asked.

“Yeah
. Where?”

“My place at seven,
” Kathy said.

“
Okay, I’ll be there.” I replied.

“
Bring Devon,” Kathy jested.

“Shut
up.” I kidded.

“Bye.”

“See you later.” I hung up the phone and walked back to the table, my eyes darting quickly at Devon.

Devon was one of the hottest guys in
school, and happened to be my best friend.
Why would he notice me, the little kid he grew up with?
I frowned as I reached for the last bites of my sandwich.

Devon grabbed his jacket. “I have to go. I have football practice this afternoon.”

Devon was the strong safety for the high school football team. He could play offense and defense, depending on where the team needed improvement. Around me, he was more open and playful. But when he got around his team, it was back to the macho stuff. Football, testosterone, and talk about sexual conquests. I wondered how a guy like Devon could hang around cavemen, grunting and spitting, and acting macho all day. I could see the change when his best friend Matt came bursting into a room and pounded him on the shoulder.
God, he’s annoying. Guys acted so stupid sometimes.

Matt called me “brat” because I was always interfering, according to him. When I
was around, they could not talk about girls, sex, or any other guy stuff because they claimed I was snooping into the conversation, or just standing there frowning. Devon never minded me hanging around, but Matt thought I was an increasing annoyance who had worn off my kid charm two years ago.

“We’re in high school now. W
hy do you still hang around her?” Matt would say on occasion. “You guys were friends in grade school. I left that crowd a long time ago,” he would grumble.

Matt was a gia
nt, at six four and two hundred forty pounds. He had shot up ten inches in two years, going from barely five and a half feet tall in eighth grade to a towering, muscle-bound jock. He was with the in crowd now, and he wanted no part of his old nerdy ties.

Devon didn’t care much about social cliques. He played football because he was fast, strong, and it was fun. Beyond that, he thought the whole social status thing that came from football notoriety was silly and overrated. He could just as easily go home and read a book as he could go to a Friday night afterparty, unless Erin was there, of course. Then, he made a point to be there just to see her.

Girls would attend parties to practically throw themselves at the best players. Devon was always the favorite. He had his share of the spotlight, but it did not compare to being alone with Erin
, at least lately. It trumped everything, and he increasingly knew it. He was going to have to face this realization once and for all.

Devon’s tall, lean body towered over the locker. Matt stood with one foot on the locker next to Devon’s. Each of them towered over most of the other students, and the girls took notice of both of them. Two girls walked over to talk to Matt, and asked him what his weekend plans were. Matt immediately responded, “Devon and I are taking you girls out this weekend.”

“Hi
, Devon.” Kristen had silky brown hair that accentuated her startling, big blue eyes. Devon had known her since freshman year. He knew she had a crush on him, but he had never asked her out. Now Matt had done him the favor of doing that for him. Shannon Johnson was Kristen’s best friend. She had strawberry blonde hair, thick and untamed, held back in a red scrunchie, and long, shapely legs that rarely failed to catch the eyes of the boys shuffling around the hallway. Watching Shannon and Kristen walking together in the halls of the school was a slow motion fantasy for most of the boys gawking on the sidelines. Shannon had gone out with Matt several times already. Now she wanted to invite her best friend Kristen to hook up with Matt’s best friend Devon.

“
Hi, Kristen. What are you up to?” Devon said dryly.

“Looking forward to this weekend. See you later.” Her smil
e crinkled up into a cute furrow on her face that just about any guy in the school would kill for.

“Thanks for checking with my schedule, Matt,” Devon said under his breath as the girls left.

“
Why, are you too busy for those two beautiful girls?”

“I
just like to make my own plans,” Devon said, throwing his books onto the locker shelf with a grunt of disapproval.

“Dude, that girl has been interested in you for over a year.
Most guys would kill to go out with her. It’s now or never. Ever since the summer, you’ve been acting weird. What the fuck is your problem?” Matt shook his head, walking away from Devon with his hand running through his hair, and turned back again to face him.

“I
just have a lot on my mind,” Devon said, staring into his locker while fumbling with his books.

“Listen, Devon, all bullshit aside, I
know your mom works her tail off to pay for school and everything. It’s gotta be tough. If there’s anything I can do, let me know.” Matt leaned into Devon, trying to read his expression.

“No, it’s cool. It’s not that.
She’s doing fine. We’re okay,” Devon said, slamming the locker door and turning to Matt.

“Good, then stop acting like a girl.” Matt could not maintain a serious posture for long
, just long enough to remind Devon that he really was his friend.

“
I’ll catch up with you later.” Devon slapped Matt’s enormous hand with his own as he passed him, and walked off, hoping he would run into Erin.

The days were longe
r when Devon did not see Erin. He knew she was busy with her own schedule. High school seemed to take on a life of its own, even though she only lived one block away. He wanted to see her even more now, and a pesky thought began to creep into his mind. “What if Erin starts dating like I am? What if one of these Neanderthals asks her out?” The thought was unbearable to Devon, the thought of someone else enjoying the sweet sound of her laugh, her playful and teasing smile, her oceanic blue eyes. Everything he wanted would be someone else’s if he did not start to tell her how he felt. The thought made his gut twist inside.

Devon felt a surge of jealousy course through his veins, and he knew there was no escaping how he felt.
He walked into his next class, sitting down, his teeth clenched and arms crossed as he tried to shoo away the thought that burned him up inside.

By the time Saturday night came, Devon still had not seen Erin. They exchanged texts and occasional emails, but nothing compared to the feeling of seeing her face to face. He could not wait until the busy season of school ended, and he could spend another summer with Erin. Maybe then he would have the guts to tell her the truth about how he felt about her. But would it be too late?

Matt’s black Mustang roared up to Devon’s house
. Devon headed out of the house and into the car. The girls were in the backseat, smiling and laughing. Devon gave Matt a knowing look, and Matt smiled. “Let’s go, superstar,” Matt beamed.

“Hey
, girls,” Devon said nonchalantly.

“Hey
, Devon, you’re looking sharp tonight.” Shannon’s thick strawberry blonde hair was tied back in a wavy ponytail with wild tendrils cascading down the sides of her soft, creamy white face. Kristen was wearing a taupe top and blue jeans, her dark blue eyes blinking under thick lashes.

Devon looked them over and looked at Matt, still smiling a devilish lopsided smile of delight.
“Hey, Kristen. Glad you could make it,” Devon said, fastening his seat belt.

“I wouldn’t miss it. Where are you boys taking us tonight
?” Kristen looked at Shannon. Both of them smiled in anticipation.

“
Are you girls hungry?” Matt asked, looking at Shannon’s gigantic emerald green eyes in the rearview mirror.

“Yeah!” they screamed in unison.

“Great, I know a great Italian place,” Matt said, looking straight ahead.

“Y
ay!” Shannon yelped and applauded. Kristen looked at her and laughed.

“What are we doing after we eat?” Kristen asked.

“That’s it, we’re taking you home,” Matt jested, eyeing Devon.

“Aahh.” Kristen frowned and looked at Shannon.

“We have a surprise for both of you,” Devon said, gazing out the window.

“
Yay,” Shannon said, clapping.

Kristen laughed at her best friend. “Would you stop it
? You’re so gay. So what’s the surprise?” Kristen looked at them with anticipation. “Well, if we told you it wouldn’t be a surprise, now would it?” Matt said, looking straight ahead impassively.

“Give us a hint,” Shannon said, pressing the seat in front of her to emphasize the point.

“Matt’s going to act like a gentleman tonight,” Devon quipped, sideswiping his friend’s chest.

“I’m always a goddamn gentleman.” Matt turned in
to the restaurant parking lot. “Here we are, ladies.”

They walked the girls to
the restaurant. As they walked in, Matt turned to Devon and asked, “What the fuck is the surprise?”

“
I don’t know, just wing it,” Devon said.

“Ah, good call.”

The city came alive on Saturday, with an outdoor band less than a block from the Italian restaurant. Shannon and Kristen liked the music and wanted to dance. “After we eat
,” Matt said sternly.

A tall
blonde hostess eyed Matt and Devon, smiled brightly and showed them to their table. “Could you be more obvious?” Shannon said, leaning into Kristen and bringing her hand to her mouth to stifle her giggles.

The group sat down and Matt and Devon ordered for the girls.
The Italian meal was a pleasant indulgence after the long school week.

Matt went to the counter to pay for the meal. Devo
n was still not sure where Matt got all his money. He guessed that his parents just gave it to him, like his car. He was glad that Matt did not have to struggle like him and his mom, or Erin and her mom for that matter. They headed out the door and Shannon and Kristen bustled off to see the band.

Shannon grabbed
Matt’s hand and pulled him to the dance area, moving with the music of “Don’t Stop Believing.” Devon put his arm out to Kristen, and they danced together, laughing and smiling in the clear fall night. As the song wound down, the lead singer announced, “This next one is for all of you on a first date.”

“Wh
oa—hey, guys, this is for you,” Matt said as Matt and Shannon laughed, her hands on Matt’s broad chest, leaning into him and smiling at her friend Kristen.

“
No pressure there,” Devon joked, moving Kristen closer.

The band played
“Chasing Cars
”
by Snow Patrol. Matt placed his hands around Shannon, his towering frame swallowing up her long, lean body in an intimate embrace. Devon danced slowly with Kristen, her face radiant, looking up at him under her dark lashes, smiling, and leaning into him, relaxing to the music, her head resting in his powerful chest, content with just this moment, forgetting the world, just as the song said. Devon listened to the song, and daydreamed about Erin.