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  FALLING FOR YOU

  ASHELYN DRAKE

  Falling For You

  Published by Kelly Hashway

  Copyright © 2015 Kelly Hashway

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual places or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, copied, or recorded without written permission from the author.

  Trademarks: PowerBar

  Cover image © Naypong

  Author Dedication

  To everyone who has found the strength to move on from a broken heart and love again.

  Chapter One

  Finding out your boyfriend is leaving you by catching him with his tongue down another girl’s throat in front of your locker is pretty much the most humiliating way to get dumped. It’s been over a year and a half, and I still see it every time I look at my locker. That constant reminder that I wasn’t good enough.

  “Have you seen him today?” Grayson slams her back against the locker next to mine. A far-off look of pure bliss washes over her face.

  I don’t need to ask who she’s talking about. Andre has been the only guy on her mind for weeks. “Not yet.” I shove my lunch inside my locker and shut the door. “Are we still on to hit this afternoon?”

  Grayson stands up straight and looks down at her feet. “Can we skip today?”

  She’s been on my case about helping her improve her tennis game in time to make varsity next year. “You want to skip practice?” This isn’t like her at all.

  “It’s just that I heard Andre was going to be at the diner after school. I was hoping to accidentally run into him on purpose.” She peeks up at me, her brow furrowed, waiting for my reaction.

  “No problem. I’ll work on my serve and run some laps.” She might be boy crazy right now, but I’m not jeopardizing my senior year for her new crush.

  She grabs my forearm and gives it a squeeze. “You’re the best, Meg. Seriously.”

  I start toward my Algebra II class when Noah Turner walks right in front of me. As always, he doesn’t notice me. But why would he? He’s Noah Turner, the guy every girl at Treemont High wants to date. He could have his choice of anyone at this school, which is why he’d never pick me. I let my hair fall in front of my face like a blond curtain hiding my pain. I don’t need a guy right now. I have to focus on tennis and my upcoming senior year. I nod to myself.

  “You hearing music in your head or something?” Grayson asks. “Nodding to the beat?”

  “Yeah, something like that.” If it was the most depressing “never going to love again” ballad. Definitely sounds like a country song, and I don’t really care for country music, so I shake myself out of it and raise my head again.

  Asher Davidson and some of the football players are talking at the end of the hall, right outside my Algebra class. Ash looks up, and his big brown eyes meet mine. We’ve talked more than a few times, since we have some friends in common, and he always smiles at me in the halls. And every time he does, I remind my heart to beat normally, because I don’t need a guy in my life right now.

  “Hey, Meg.” Ash readjusts the strap of his backpack on his shoulder and separates from his group.

  “Well, that’s my cue,” Grayson says, giving me a wave and walking away. She might as well wink or shove me into Ash’s arms for how subtle she’s being. She’s been trying to convince me to go for Ash for weeks now. Right around the time she started following Andre around like a lost puppy.

  “Hey, Ash.” I meet his gaze, unable to turn away—though not from lack of trying.

  “You heading to the courts this afternoon?” Ash and the football team usually pass by the courts on their runs, so he always sees me there.

  “Yeah. Gray ditched me, but I’ll be there.”

  “I was thinking of taking up tennis one of these days.” Ash looks down, and his cheeks redden. Suddenly, I’m looking at my feet, too, because I’m not ready for where this is heading.

  The warning bell rings, signaling we have one minute to get to first period. “I guess I’ll see you later then.” I smile at him and walk into class without looking back. God, I’m such an idiot. Ash is perfect. He’s the quarterback of the football team, completely gorgeous, a great student, and a seriously nice guy. So why is he interested in me?

  “You feeling okay?” Jess Wilbur asks. “You’re looking a little green.” She turns around in her seat to see me better.

  “Yeah. I skipped breakfast this morning. The coffee I chugged is messing with my stomach, I guess.”

  She cocks her head. “I need you in top shape, Meg, if we’re going to rule the courts come fall.”

  Jess is a sweetheart. She can run circles around me on the court. No doubt she’ll be number one on the team, leaving the second singles place to me. I’m fine with it because she’s played all her life, and she’s really nice.

  “I’ll grab a PowerBar between classes. No worries.”

  She smiles and nods at me before Mr. Willard starts today’s lesson. I’m barely listening, because all I can think about is Ash telling me he wants to learn to play tennis. Derrick never showed an interest in what I liked. It was all about him. What he wanted. I hate Derrick. But more so, I hate that I don’t hate him. I should. He stomped on my heart, yet all I can wonder is what I did wrong. Why wasn’t I good enough for him?