Page 4 of Hard To Love

Then one day, right before I was about to graduate and about to come back for good to the ranch, one of my girlfriends told me Auggie was dating the new hairstylist in town. I hadn’t believed it. He never dated, and because of that, no matter how much I tried to convince my poor stupid heart, it still hoped for the impossible.

But then she sent me a picture.

Auggie and a beautiful blonde with long wavy hair, looking at one another like they were the only two people who existed in the world. The sight of the picture broke my heart.

It had been a kick in the gut. But it helped me realize I would forever be August West’s best friend. The little sister he never really wanted but got stuck with because he was too good of a guy to brush me off. And I had to be okay with that.

A month before graduation, I met a guy named Calvin. We worked at the small coffee shop off campus together, and he and asked me out for the hundredth time. For whatever reason, maybe because I knew the possibility of Auggie and I ever happening was zero to none, I accepted.

Cal had always seemed nice enough. Not that I actually had that much of a connection with him. I graduated and came back home. We did the long-distance thing, and then, a month ago, I gave him my virginity. And now he was long gone, and I was pregnant.

“I’ll be fine,” I said out loud.

More to remind myself than anything. I pulled back and tried to stand, but Auggie didn’t let me go. His dark brows bunched as I stared at him.

“Sandy—"

“I got myself into this situation, and I will figure it out. It’s not like I don’t make money of my own to support my little cupcake and me.” My hand moved to my still flat belly, and his eyes dropped. “I can do this, Auggie,” I reassured him, giving him my best smile. “I don’t need you to step up to protect me.” He was always there for me. My best friend. My hero. I should have expected him to have this kind of reaction.

“Step up to…” I stood, and this time, he let me.

I smiled at him. “My heart’s not broken over Cal, Aug,” I shared gently, and it was true. I’d known it was a mistake almost immediately.

Calvin and I were never destined to be a forever kind of thing. He was supposed to help me forget how much I loved Auggie. I felt guilty about using him that way, but it was what it was.

At the end of the day, Calvin Hanks was not the man for me. He had no ambition to make a better life for himself, much less for a family. I would have been more surprised if he’d wanted to stick around. Weirdly enough, I’d expected his reaction.

Hoped for it, if I was being honest.

“Sandy.” I stepped back when he stood, but he pulled me in again. But this time, he bent and picked me up. My eyes widened when my legs wrapped around his waist, and I felt something.

Something hard.

Something I hadn’t felt before.

“Auggie?” I swallowed but didn’t move. I couldn’t. Not with the way he was looking at me. His dark disheveled hair was a mess I was dying to run my fingers through. The way he was looking at me made me feel all warm and tingly.

“You feel it.” It wasn’t a question but a fact. His dark bearded jaw flexed and relaxed. “You feel what you do to me?” he rasped, and my mouth went bone dry.

“Auggie?” I whispered. He was hard.

Very, very hard.

“Listen to me, Sandra Duarte, and listen really freaking well because you know I don’t like to repeat myself.” His voice dropped an octave, to a depth I’d never heard, much less experienced up close and personal.

“I’minlove with you. Have been for longer than I can remember. I don’t think there has been a moment I haven’t loved you.”

“Like a friend?” My voice trembled.Who the hell am I kidding?My whole body trembled like a leaf in October.

“Fuck no,” he clipped. A giggle bubbled out of me. I wasn’t sure if I was somehow dreaming or if I had entered theTwilight Zone. Either way, I never wanted to leave. I wanted this to be real.

“Auggie?”

“You moved here, and fuck, babe, angel, you took my breath away. I might not have known what love was at that age, but I knew you were different from the start.”

“But…” I hesitated, unsure of what to say. “You never said anything.”

“How could I?” His gaze was tortured. “If you didn’t feel the same way, I would mess everything up.” I knew how he felt, because that was the exact reason I hadn’t said anything.

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