Page 1 of Unearthed Dreams
Chapter One
CHARLIE
“Son of a biscuit!”
Books spilled from the last box when I tripped over the threshold.
So graceful, Charlie.
The early June sun was sweltering as I gathered the books strewn across the sidewalk. I was nearly finished loading up my bright blue Kia Rio with the last of my belongings, and the boob sweat was very, very real.
“You okay? Looks like you nearly ate dirt there.”
Mortification, hello, old friend.
I didn’t bother looking up; I knew exactly who the voice belonged to. Instead, I kept my head ducked and muttered an awkward, “I’m fine.” Trevor knelt on the sidewalk beside me, helping gather my books.
“You must read a lot,” he said, stating the obvious.
“Yep.” It was all I could muster. Three years of stupidly crushing on my next-door neighbor and I’d never managed more than a few mumbled words in his presence.
Like that time my car battery died and he offered to jump start it? Barely choked out a “thank you.”
Or when he knocked on the apartment door to borrow some milk for his mac and cheese? Shoved the whole gallon into his chest and slammed the door as fast as humanly possible.
Fortunately, this was the last time I’d ever see him.
Now that I’d completed my last final, it was time to head back to Sable Point. Where else would I go? I had no job lined up and no clue what I wanted to do with my life besides chasing a dream only a few ever achieved.
Next weekend, I’d be back to walk for graduation with Mom and Dad. We’d grab the bigger items like my bed, dresser, and desk, then haul them back in the trailer Dad used on the orchard.
When all the books were stacked in the box, Trevor picked it up and carried it toward my car.
“You don’t have to do that,” I said, scrambling after him.
Trevor was attractive in that nerdy-boy-who-doesn’t-know-how-hot-he-is kind of way. His dark wavy hair fell across his brow above bright green eyes. He was tall and sort of lanky, but it worked for him. His dark-wash jeans, paired with Chucks and a faded band tee, made his butt look so good.
“It’s fine, Charlie,” he said, smiling at me over his shoulder. “I’m happy to help.”
“Thank you.”
Trevor crammed the box into my car and turned toward me. “So, this is it, then, huh?”
“Yep.”
“Well, thanks for being a great neighbor and not blasting music at two in the morning, or ya know, throwing keggers.” Isnorted a laugh, and Trevor grinned. “I added you on Facebook, so keep in touch, yeah?”
“Sure.” My cheeks burned. “Bye, Trevor.”
He lifted a hand before returning to his apartment.
Just as the hatchback snicked shut, two sets of footsteps thundered my way before coming to a slow stop. I spun around to find my roommate, Shelby, bent over with her hands braced on her knees. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a high ponytail that fell forward over her head. She wore only a sports bra and tight black running shorts.
“I win,” Shelby panted beside her best friend, Simon.
They looked like Barbie and Ken standing on the sidewalk. Shelby had bemoaned the fact that Simon was gay more than once.“If he wasn’t, I would have climbed him like a tree freshman year,”she’d said.
Now, they swapped stories of their sexual exploits. It was a good thing Shelby had him to talk to about that kind of stuff, because anytime she brought up sex around me, I turned beet red and started sweating profusely.
