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herself sleeping peacefully. Something hit the window, and the constant rapping caused her to stir and awaken. She sat up, turned on the light on her bedside table, and got up to look out the window. Liam was standing in the yard, throwing small twigs up at it.
    “What are you doing here?” she whispered after opening her window.
    “Can I come up?”
    She nodded, and the butterflies in her stomach stirred back to life every time he was near. Putting a finger to her lips to make sure he’d be silent, she pointed downward to let him know she’d be there in a minute. Oh my gosh, Liam’s here!
    She raced downstairs and let him in, and by the time they reached her room, her heart felt as if it were going to explode from the high of possibly getting caught.
    Teegan plopped on the bed, took a deep breath, and exhaled to try to steady her nerves while Liam watched her, laughing quietly. “Don’t worry, Sunshine. I don’t think anyone saw us.”
    She propped herself up on her elbows so she could look at him and smiled. “It’s not that I don’t love seeing you, but what are you doing here?”
    He crawled onto the bed and sat beside her. “I haven’t seen you all day, and I can’t get last night out of my head. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to see you, so here I am.”
    “I missed you too.” She smiled smugly and leaned in to kiss him. Liam slid them to the floor, and it turned out to be another night of busy hands, insatiable lust, and an introduction to a whole world of new pleasures. She loved him while he loved her.
    Sneaking around became almost a nightly ritual from then on. Their relationship couldn’t have more blissful, and she couldn’t imagine anything going wrong—until Lucy.
     
    ***
     
    School was almost finished for the year, and their final exams were only a week away. Teegan had been busy studying, wanting to stay on the honor roll. Because of that, she hadn’t spent as much time as she would have liked with Liam or her friends. She missed him. It was a beautiful day, and the weather was so warm now that all she could think about was the amazing little beach Liam had taken her to.
    Instead of calling him, she drove over to his house on impulse. When she arrived, she was relieved to see his car out front. A girl answered when she knocked on the door, and Teegan assumed immediately that she was the sister he’d mentioned.
    “Um, is Liam home?” she asked.
    After giving Teegan a look from head to toe that made her uncomfortable, the girl seemed satisfied. “Yes, he is, actually, but he’s indisposed at the moment. Bathroom,” she added in a whisper.
    “Okay, well, could you just tell him Teegan stopped by?”
    “Right. Hey, you wouldn’t be James’ sister, would you?” The girl laughed.
    “I am.” Teegan nodded, curious about the person she was speaking to. “And you are?”
    “Tell him Lucy says hi, and I hope to run into him before I leave.” She winked. “James, Liam, and me, we go way back.”
    “So then you’re not Liam’s sister, I gather?” Teegan narrowed her eyes. It was a gut feeling, and she needed to know just who this “Lucy” was to Liam and James. And why the hell was she in Liam’s house?
    “Heck no!” The girl laughed again. “But I am a really good friend.” She wiggled her brows, and the sight made Teegan nauseated. She’d heard enough and began to back away.
    “Just forget I stopped by,” she mumbled while fumbling down the stairs. Had Liam actually betrayed her with this chick? Who knew. At the moment she just wanted to get the hell out of there.
    As she stood at the crosswalk just a few feet away, waiting for the light to change, she heard Liam call her name. She turned to see him leap down the stairs and run toward her.
    “What are you doing here?”
    “What do you think?” she snapped. “I’ve never needed a reason before. But you’re obviously preoccupied with your good friend .” She made quotes around the word with her fingers. “And