Carlsboro, IL

Crafts were fun, no could argue that, but man, were they messy, Arianne thought as she washed neon paint off her elbows and arms. She worked at the YMCA as an art counselor for their summer camp, while Garrett was a sports assistant.

She'd been nervous at first, afraid they'd get sick of each other since they were not only working but living together, however, so far, everything was going great. They biked to work in the morning, spent most of the day apart, and then biked home and hung out. Not a bad way to spend her summer.

After drying her hands, Arianne checked in with her supervisor, who let her go for the day. Since Garrett still had another baseball game to umpire, she left him a note, and then got on her bike and pedaled back to the Delko house.

The first couple of weeks had been weird, probably because Arianne hadn't lived in a functioning home in a while, but the Delko's were too nice and giving to stay uncomfortable for long.

She'd grown close to Garrett's mom in particular. His mom had always wanted a girl to treat so, she took Arianne shopping, or they got facials or their nails done. Arianne had insisted on paying at first, but Garrett's mom had refused and threatened to cook only brussel sprouts if she didn't stop. However, Arianne found ways to give back, such as buying one-of-a-kind beads for her Etsy store or bringing home herbs to plant in her garden.

She pedaled up the Delko's steep driveway and saw Mrs. Delko struggling with groceries. "Let me get that for you." She hopped off and unlocked the Delko's front door, holding it open. Garrett's mom stepped in carrying three bags full of groceries. "I'll get the rest." There were several bottles of soda, or pop as they called it here, and heavy jugs of milk and juice still in the trunk.

"Thank you, dear. And can you lock the car?"

"No problem," she called back as a neighbor passing by gave a small wave. She waved back, knowing this too would be reported to the gossip hive. Neighbors had flooded the Delko house when Garrett arrived with Arianne in tow. The Delko's had taken it in stride, Mr. Delko joking they'd never been so popular.

Arianne finished bringing in the groceries, then helped Mrs. Delko peel potatoes and cut vegetables to grill on the barbecue for dinner.

"Have you talked to your parents recently?" Garrett's mom asked, shucking corn. His parents knew Arianne's general situation and had even talked to Arianne's mom before agreeing to let her stay for the summer, but Arianne knew they had a hard time wrapping their heads around the fact that her parents didn't want her to come home.

"My mom called a few days ago." The conversation had been stilted like usual, but her mom had been completely sober, so she counted it as a win. "Apache is going through a heatwave, but the factory is doing well, so that's all that matters."

Mrs. Delko gave her a sad smile. "It's not an excuse, but remember adults struggle too. They're human too."

"I know. I've accepted this is who they are. I just don't want to end up the same way."

Mrs. Delko gave her a side hug. "You won't. Being aware is the biggest step." She patted her arm. "Let's get these on the grill." By the time they were done, Mr. Delko and Garrett came home. The weather was gorgeous, so they ate outside, talking and laughing about their day.

After dinner, Garrett and Arianne cleared the table and washed the dishes. Then they went outside and sat on the outdoor sofa facing the gardens. They hadn't labeled their relationship yet—nothing like slapping on boyfriend and girlfriend to put on the pressure—but it was understood they were together.

"I heard from Jordan today," Garrett said, pulling her legs over his lap. He stroked her knees, letting his fingers run up and down her skin.

This was her favorite time of the day. They cuddled and talked for hours under the starry sky. Sometimes talking about insecurities to spilling childhood secrets to giggling over stupid internet memes.

"Oh yeah? What'd he say?" she asked.

"Wanted me to know his shoulder is better and he's raring to go. Said he didn't want to get my hopes up too high that I'd be starting next season."

Arianne laughed at Garrett's pout. "You knew he was coming back."

"Yeah, but he also told me to plan on coming to campus early so we can get a head start on pitching. He really wants that NCAA World Cup title."

Garrett's team had made it to regionals but lost in the final inning. It wasn't Garrett's fault. He'd played a brilliant game. The other team was just better. It was that simple, and that heartbreaking.

She knew he took the loss hard but so far it hadn't woken any new nightmares. She overheard Garrett's parents talking one night, and they thought he was finally coming to grips with Spencer's death and the guilt he carried around. She hoped so. She liked to think they both were moving forward.

"Did he say anything about Gus?" she asked.

A few days after the baseball game, Gus showed college administration the snaps of Harmony cheating. He'd tried to leverage those photographs to get out of his disciplinary hearing, but the administration refused. His punishment had been a hundred community service hours, along with not being to walk with his graduating class to receive his diploma. The sentence had been too light in Arianne's opinion, but since Gus hadn't technically done anything wrong, he couldn't receive a harsher punishment.

In comparison, Harmony wasn't allowed to graduate this year. She was on academic probation and had to retake the class she cheated in along with a note in her transcript about her transgression.

Garrett shook his head. "I don't think they've been in contact since Jordan moved out." It'd gotten ugly for a while. Gus' dad confronted Garrett and Jordan, accusing them of setting Gus up. When it became a yelling match, the campus police came and escorted Gus' dad away.

They still didn't know who the hacker was or why they wanted Garrett to throw the game. They'd asked Greg, but he'd stayed tight-lipped on the whole topic. She was glad Garrett was living with Marcus and Stephan next year. Arianne, on the other hand, was going to room with Morgan again which she was grateful for. Why rock the boat when it worked?

"I was thinking about something this morning," he said.

"Oh?" She slid her legs off and put her arms around him, cuddling closer. He made a hum of contentment that had her smiling. She hoped she never took his openness and appreciation for granted.

"You never told me your color."

"My color?"

"Yeah. Everyone has one except you."

She looked at him, admiring his long lashes and full lips. "I've never thought about my color before."

He frowned and she couldn't resist tracing the lines of his mouth. She yelped as he playfully bit her finger. "Didn't Harvey come up with one for you?"

She shook her head. "Not that I know of."

"Hmm, I guess that means we need to find one for you."

"You already have one in mind, don't you?"

He nuzzled her ear, sending a shiver of awareness down her spine. "I may or may not."

"You totally do." She poked his stomach. "Tell me."

"Nope. You're gonna have to wait."

She sat back. "You're seriously not gonna tell me?"

He tugged on her arm, so she tumbled against him. "I remember a certain individual not telling me for the longest time."

She stuck her tongue out. "Wow, someone's still bitter."

He leaned down and kissed her. He tasted like their dessert—a deep, rich chocolate cake that she desperately wanted to lick up. She whimpered when he withdrew. "You better believe it. I require much, much groveling."

"What about endless kisses?" she murmured, placing small pecks along his cheek and jaw.

He let out a low growl, pulling her leg over his so she was straddling him. "I don't know. You're gonna have to show me the pro's."

"Oh, I will, will I?" she whispered, her eyes twinkling in the night.

Such a different tone from the night they met on the bridge. She could never have pictured herself here, but now that she was, she wouldn't change it for all the emails in the world.

"Challenge accepted, Garrett Delko. Challenge accepted."

And she went about doing just that.

Author's Note: Thank you to every single reader who decided to give this book a chance. There are thousands of stories on this platform and for you to entrust your time to me, well...it means a lot. More than you will ever know.

To my new readers: I don't know what made you click on Colors of Us but I'm grateful you did. I hope you'll check out my other stories!

To my OG readers: Thank you, thank you, thank you! I absolutely adore you guys though I probably don't show it enough. I always look forward to reading your comments and I take your positive and negative criticism to heart. I know I can count on you to tell me the truth and catch all my little mistakes or plot holes that need fixing. You guys are without a doubt the best readers a writer could ever dream of having. Love you!

What's Next? My brand new teen fiction book, The Trouble with Friendship, will start on August 1st. If you liked The Cell Phone Swap, you'll love this. It's lighter in tone compared to Colors of Us and features two best friends that have a lot to deal with in their sophomore year of high school. The boys in this story are...*dreamy sigh* Let's just say I adore them and yes, there are multiple!

Summary: High school was supposed to be a breeze, but when best friends Alex Canterbury and Alexx Lorde begin to drift apart, they start a notebook to keep in touch. It's working perfectly...until it isn't.

A series of events shatter their friendship...

Alex Canterbury has always been in Alexx Lorde's shadow. When she dares to step away, she learns how to be a star behind the curtains, but being a leader isn't easy, and in her time of need, an unlikely boy comes to her rescue—the same boy Alexx likes.

Alexx Lorde knows she's a lot to deal with—ask her mom who abandoned her—but it doesn't matter because she has a bright future on stage. She's prepared for petty betrayals but when it's her best friend? Pass. She'll find someone else to fill the role.

Then the unthinkable happens...

The notebook goes missing, and the perpetrator threatens to post their innermost thoughts on social media. Now, they must work together to find the culprit, but can they overcome their feelings to repair their friendship? Or will this be the end of Alex and Alexx?

Here's an exclusive teaser of The Trouble with Friendship:

Alex flushed. "Right. Plus, you're cousins with Keya. You're living with her, right?"

From what she gathered, he'd transferred to Terra Linda High this year and pretty much kept to himself. No one knew where he came from or why he was living with Keya.

The air was suddenly sucked out of the room as Ravi's eyes hardened until they were glittering chips of ice. "If I had known this was an interrogation, I would have brought my notes. Was this the plan? Get as much out of me so you can tell the masses? Become a hero for cracking, Ravi Malik?" He wielded his tone like a whip, lashing out with such force, it robbed her of her breath.

Forcing air back into her lungs, she jumped to her feet began packing. "Don't assume you know me, just like I don't know you, which is why I was asking but trust me, after this little display, I won't be trying again."

Her fingers trembled with anger. The sheer arrogance of him. Yeah, maybe she had overstepped, but he could have turned her down nicely. And to assume she'd tell people? He may look like a piece of art, but inside, he was a mess.

The ice surrounding him cracked and fell away. "Wait," he said. He rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hands and sighed. "Don't leave."

The regret in his voice made her stop. "You're being an ass. Again."

"I know. I come by it naturally."

The flippant answer pissed her off. Her sincerity deserved more. "Well, congratulations," she said, stuffing her notebook into her bag and then pulling it over her shoulder. "I hope it makes you happy since it's the only thing that will keep you company." Alex turned to go, but he touched her arm.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. In my defense, it's a touchy subject."

Her shoulders stiffened as she clenched her bag. "I get not wanting to talk about things, but then say it's a line not to cross. To go off on someone who has no idea of the minefield they're walking into is unfair and frankly, super selfish."

"You're right," he said, his tone apologetic. "I hate that I turned a good moment into an argument. Can we start over?" He held out a hand, the one with the gold bead bracelet. "Ravi Malik, occasional ass."