Prologue
“Girls rule. Boys drool.”
The saying is synonymous with so many of the other things a girl in early grade school would say if you asked her what she thought of boys—that or something along these lines: “They stink. They’re lame. They’re gross.”
Most girls. Not Valerie Zuniga.
It was very early on that she discovered how not gross boys really were. How easily they could make her heart skip a beat, regardless of how lame they could act sometimes. But there was an excellent reason for that exception. Valerie shared the same grade school playground with the Moreno brothers.
She’d recognized even back then that they were a cut above the other boys. Taller, better looking, and, unlike other lame boys, they were sweeter and more respectful to the girls. Even their reason for being respectful was sigh-worthy. They had a younger sister they made no secret about being overly protective of, and so they treated girls the way they expected—no demanded—their sister be treated. And they had the most amazing dimples—damn it—the kind that sunk deeply into their cheeks when they laughed and smiled so beautifully.
They were mesmerizing, and Valerie had picked out her favorite early on: Alex Moreno, the middle of the three brothers. He was as amazing as he was out of her league. She’d known it all along and accepted it. So she settled for watching him and sighing from afar. All through grade school, middle school, and most of high school, she watched him as everything about him only got bigger and more impressive with each passing year. By his senior year in high school, he had a reputation as a lady killer and a body that most full-grown men would envy.
She watched and fantasized about what it would be like to actually be the object of Alex’s desire, have him gaze deeply into her eyes, and be the reason those breathtaking dimples made an appearance.
But by her senior year, Valerie had grown into her own as well. She’d never had issues with self-esteem. So when she finally got to meet him formally, being kissed by her dream guy—even having a passionate fling—didn’t seem too farfetched. As long as she didn’t ask for more, she could enjoy living out her long-awaited fantasies come to life and did they ever.
It was even more amazing than she’d imagined. Her body was in heaven. All her senses were fully aroused as only Alex could ever make them. So much so, their wild and tumultuous fling continued for years. Back and forth. Hot and cold. It was wild. It was passionate. It was angry, but it was always fun.
And then her heart began to protest.
Chapter 1
“You are one heartbreak closer
to being the person you were meant to be.”
~Anonymous~
Valerie
It was a kick in the gut is what it was. Maybe, if Valerie hadn’t had a few beers in her, she might’ve thought twice about reacting, but she didn’t.
Nadine was and always had been a two-bit whore. Valerie and Alex may not have been an official couple, but they’d had a thing for years. Nadine knew this. In fact, anyone who’d seen Valerie and Alex together at the college parties or football games had to have been buried under a rock, or pretending to be, if they said they didn’t know it. After getting her AA, Valerie had had enough of college, so she was working on getting her real estate license now. But even though she was done with college, she still attended many of the college events like tonight’s party.
Most people didn’t get the understanding between her and Alex. It frustrated her cousin Sarah and her roommate Isabel to no end because often times Valerie ended up hurt and there was no denying it. But Valerie assured them both she’d always snap out of it. This was just how things had always been between her and Alex. Both were too busy with other things to demand a formal commitment. It was something that after all these years just worked for them. And it was better than the alternative—demand more and threaten to end things if she didn’t get it. The possibility of Alex possibly calling her on her bluff was too great, and that’s exactly what it would be. A bluff.
Valerie had tried walking away before—more than once. Of course, Alex didn’t know this. It was a good thing, too, because she’d never been strong enough to actually follow through. Alex had a way of convincing her he really did care about her. But there were other reasons too.
It wasn’t just the amazing sex. He was amazing. And when he was being Alex Moreno, the fiercely protective but ever-so-sweet guy she’d fallen in love with back in her senior year of high school, he was everything she could ever ask for in a man.
Except for when he disappeared on her—which was often—he made her feel like she truly was the only one. It was so hard not to believe his unspoken promises, but she saw them in his eyes—felt them when he kissed her, held her, and made love to her. She just couldn’t bring herself to believe he might be doing the same with someone else.
Valerie was the only girl he actually ever arrived with at these kinds of parties hand in hand, making no bones about it to any guy who might wonder that she was with him. Valerie, in turn, did the same. So on nights like tonight, where he’d blown her off because he claimed to be too busy working or studying to be able to see her and she went out with her girlfriends, she had no choice but to hope it was true. All the times in the past, when she’d chosen to believe he was really working or studying, rumors of him having hung out with other girls those nights always surfaced days later. It was as infuriating as it was painful. Yet the rumors were never confirmed, and Valerie purposely avoided digging for answers or even asking him about the rumors—most of the time. Still, she refused to stay home, feeling dejected.