The Ending Beginnings: Clara (An Ending Series Novella) (The Ending Series) by Lindsey Pogue & Lindsey Fairleigh

Author:Lindsey, Pogue & Lindsey, Fairleigh [Lindsey, Pogue]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: L2 Books
Published: 2014-05-28T07:00:00+00:00

Clara had been on her seventh lap around the track, unwinding from a tedious day of classes and keeping up appearances. As she came around the final bend, approaching the water bottle she was using as a mile marker, she knew that once she passed it, she would be done and could shower, put on clean clothes, and head back to her dorm to freshen up before going out for a night on the town.

She loved being in Boulder; it was so different from Bristow. There were possibilities here. She was finally away from all the drama and could be comfortable in her own skin and focus on her future. Boulder was her fresh start, and college was…promising. There were tons of cute boys and potential Prince Charmings. She loved it.

But while Clara was lost in frivolous thoughts, she misstepped and tripped, landing on the turf with a shooting pain in her ankle. “Shit.” A sprained ankle would ruin her plans for the night.

Clara pulled up the spandex of her jogging pants as a shadow was cast over her. She peered up and squinted into the sun, trying to see who was approaching.

“That looked like a bad one,” a young man said, his voice low and playful. “Are you alright?”

Clara tried to move her foot, cringing. “I think it’s sprained.”

He crouched down, his fingers pressing against the tender skin around her ankle. “You training for a marathon?”

Clara shook her head. “No…?”

“I’ve seen you out here almost every day since the semester started. I thought maybe you were training for something.”

“Oh. No, I just like to run.” Of course she wouldn’t tell him exactly why she liked to run, that being fit was one of the many things she had to do if she wanted to maintain her allure. “And you”—she craned her neck to see the soccer team running drills in the center of the field behind her —“play soccer?”

“Yep. I suck, but I love it anyway.”

He’d admitted to a weakness, something most men wouldn’t do. Clara couldn’t hold in her smile. “It’s the effort that counts, right?”

He shrugged. “I guess.”

Clara couldn’t help but admire his shadowed hazel eyes as he looked at her. She was suddenly self-conscious about being so close to him, sweating and smelling like a footlocker.

When she realized his stare was lingering on her, Clara thought she felt the ground shift a little, and her cheeks flushed.

Soccer Boy moved her foot around gently and cleared his throat. “You think you can stand up?” He rose to his feet and held out his hand.

She nodded, “Yeah, I think so.”

Bracing her hands on either side of her, Clara balanced on her good foot and tried to rise. She wavered, and big, strong hands clasped her upper arms to steady her. “Thank you,” she said, unsure how long she needed to play the injured damsel before he would ask her out.

“No problem,” he said, letting go of her arms. “You going to be okay?”

“I think so—”

“Alright, well, I better get back to practice.

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