Want You To Love Me, page 1
Want You to Love Me
Hazel Pathway Series #2
M.S. Larson
Copyright © 2020 M.S. Larson All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 9781234567890
ISBN-10: 1477123456
Cover design by: German Creative
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309
Printed in the United States of America
Table Of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue: Sam
About The Author
A Note From The Author
.
This book is dedicated to my special little munchkins,
Max, Levi, and Emma.
Chapter 1
Sam
The alarm on my phone went off and woke me up. I groaned and reached for my phone to turn off the alarm. It was another day of school and homework. I slowly got up and plodded to the bathroom to get ready. Afterwards, I headed to my closet to decide on an outfit. I loved fashion. I’d say that finding the perfect outfit was a challenge and an exciting experience for me. Once I was dressed, I made my way downstairs and made myself a cup of coffee and checked my social media.
My stepmom, Carol, sauntered into the kitchen and busied herself pouring a cup of coffee.
“Good morning,” I said cheerily. Her back to me, she muttered something under her breath and didn’t reply back. My smile faltered. Ugh, I didn’t know why I even bothered to say good morning to her knowing that she was just going to ignore me. It had to be that one part of me that hoped one day I’d wake up, and my stepmom was actually going to act decently towards me for once in her life, even though my dad wasn’t around. My dad worked the night shift, so he was still asleep. I probably wouldn’t see him until later this afternoon.
“Morning, mom,” Ashley announced as she walked into the kitchen.
“Morning, honey,” Carol replied.
Ashley, my stepsister, was a senior at Thomas L. Carver High School, also known as TLC. I was a junior at Glass Hill High.
“Nice hat and outfit, Samantha,” Ashley said with a smirk, her eyes raking me up and down.
I froze. I loved to dress with a little flair. I thought my outfit was pretty stylish looking. I had on a cute black fedora hat with a baggy red and blue striped button-up shirt and black leggings. I loved wearing hats and had tons of them in my bedroom. Ashley’s idea of stylish was anything that was tiny and revealing to flaunt her body. I wanted to retort something scathing back to her like, “At least I don’t look like I’m wearing clothes fit for a 10-year-old.”
I held my tongue and bit my lower lip in frustration. I didn’t want to start anything with her. Oh, who was I kidding? I didn’t have the nerve to say anything.
I decided to ignore her and dug through the fridge for things to make my lunch for school.
Carol cleared her throat. I turned around to see her hands on her hips.
“What?” I asked with a blank look.
“Your sister just complimented you. Where are your manners, young lady?” she scolded.
I glanced over at Ashley. She’d expertly schooled her face to have a genuine hurt and sad expression on it. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her lips were pursed in a downward pout. Wow, she had a look nailed down pat.
I sighed. “I’m sorry, Ashley. Thanks for the compliment.”
“What else?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Um… that was very thoughtful of you to compliment me?”
“No, that’s not it. She complimented you, so now have the common courtesy to compliment her outfit, too.”
I relented. “Ashley, that’s a cute and lovely outfit you have on.”
Carol shook her head in disgust. “Ugh, I swear your manners are atrocious. Someone did a poor job of raising you.”
I stiffened. She knew that I didn’t have bad manners. She was just trying to break my spirit. As if she could break it down even more. My hands balled into fists and my eyes quickly filled with unshed tears. I stalked over to grab my backpack, sitting on a chair.
“You come back here, young lady, I’m not done with you yet!”
I ignored her and stormed out of the house. I jumped into my beater Ford Focus car and turned onto the road. I could barely think straight. I was so angry! How dare that witch put down my mom’s good name. I swiped the tears away from my eyes. My hands gripped the steering wheel. I glanced down and noticed that my knuckles had gone white. I gasped and loosened my grip. Carol had no right to say those things about my mom. She didn’t even know my mom. I sniffed. She didn’t even know me. I’d lived under her roof since I was thirteen, and Carol had never taken the time to know me. She raved and fawned over her perfect, beautiful, and brilliant daughter, but never me.
I drove aimlessly for several minutes until I realized that I was heading in the wrong direction of my school. I was totally going to lose it. I knew I couldn’t drive in this condition, so I pulled my car to the side of the road. I laid my head on the steering wheel to gather my bearings. My mind was reeling from being so angry, frustrated and sad all at once. I raised my head up. Tears continued to stream down my face and my vision blurred.
“Why, Mom?” I cried. “Why did you have to leave me? I need you so much!”
I banged on the wheel in frustration and accidentally honked the horn. Startled, I tried to steady my breathing to calm myself down. Why did my life suck so much? Why did my mom have to leave me all by myself? I missed her so much. For the longest time, it was just her and me. My best memories were with her. She was my best friend, and we did everything together. And I shared everything with her. My mom decided to hold back the truth from me about her health. She’d been diagnosed with breast cancer for a few years and had tried chemo and other treatments without any success. Then when I turned thirteen, my mom revealed to me that she was dying of breast cancer. It was the worst and most painful time in my life.
After my mom died, I moved in with my dad and his family. My dad worked the third shift, so I didn’t see much of him. I was suffering and was being ridiculed by his wife and stepdaughter. And when he was around, Carol and Ashley were on their best behavior. After my mom died and my stepmom and stepsister constantly cut me down at every opportunity they got, I’d started to withdraw from the world and became a shadow of my former self.
It was just me, my dad, stepmom and my stepsister. Then, Carol got a job promotion, so we had to move to Hazel Pathway, Minnesota. I left my friends and my grandparents behind in Seattle and moved here in my freshman year. It was tough my first few years in Hazel Pathway. The kids at Glass Hill High were really cliquey. I didn’t have the nerve to make friends with them, so I was alone by myself most of the time. I started working at this coffee shop called The Coffee Shop by the Corner just so I could find an excuse to stay out longer. That’s when I started talking to a few students who frequently came in. One of them was Alex Williams. He was a nice guy who was now dating Raine Robertson, my friend and mentor.
I hadn’t realized how lonely I was until I started hanging out with Raine and her friends. All that time, wasted hanging out by myself had been so depressing. I didn’t know how I’d gotten through those dark and lonely times. I was glad Raine had come into my life. Raine had taken me under her wing, and I’d definitely seen some improvement in my self-esteem and confidence.
I heard a tapping noise on my passenger side window. Startled, I turned to see Ethan Davis peering down at me. Ethan attended Glass Hill High, and I had a few classes with him. I didn’t know him that well, but he seemed nice and would always say hi to me.
“I saw your car when I drove by and thought I’d pull over to see if you were having car trouble or something.”
I quickly wiped my tears with the back of my hands.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked with a concerned look. I managed a small smile.
“I’m okay. Thanks for asking.”
“Did someone hurt your feelings? ‘Cause I could go and pummel that person for you.”
He looked so serious that he made me laugh. “That’s sweet and funny, thanks.”
“Well, I actually was serious, but if it made you feel better, than I’m all for that, too.”
“You’re so sweet. My car is fine. I was just taking a minute to compose myself before I head to school.”
He nodded. “Well, I hope you feel better. And if I don’t see you at school, I will come looking for you.”
“Don’t worry; I’ll be in class.” I was touched that he was so
He looked reluctant to leave me. “Okay, see you at school.”
“See ya.”
He walked back to his car and waved goodbye before he drove off. I waved back to him. I frowned when I thought back to Carol and Ashley. I was a sensitive person. Why couldn’t I just be cold-hearted and unfeeling like Carol and Ashley?
What did Raine say to do about backhanded compliments or snide remarks? I straightened up and squared my shoulders. I cleared my throat and said. “Just let it roll off my shoulders, just let it roll off my shoulders.” I shifted my shoulders and arms like something was rolling off them. I giggled because I must have looked funny. I did feel a lot better now.
I drove my car into the school parking lot and parked it. I checked my face in the mirror to make sure my eyes and nose weren’t red. I didn’t look too bad. I got out of my car, grabbed my backpack, and made my way to the school building.
“Sam!”
I turned around. It was Raine making her way up to me. I sighed with relief. She was just the person I wanted to see.
“Good morning,” she said. “How are you?”
“I’m okay,” I replied, my voice wavering.
Raine’s eyes were filled with concern. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Can we talk soon? I really need to talk to you.”
“Of course, we can definitely do that. How about we talk right after school? I have cheerleading practice afterwards.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“I’m sorry. I wish I could stay and talk, but I have to go. I promised I’d help Cici out with a school project.” Raine gave me an apologetic smile.
“That’s okay; you go on ahead.”
“Okay, but for sure, let’s talk later after school, okay?”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said. I tried not to be too disappointed.
She stepped forward and gave me a hug. “I hope you feel better. See you later.”
“Thanks, I hope so too,” I replied. “See you.”
As I watched her retreating figure, I tried not to feel too disappointed that she had other obligations to attend to. I didn’t know when this happened, but in a short amount of time, I’d begun to depend on Raine for moral support since I had no one else to go to. She was my compass and kept me grounded. I was grateful to have her in my life.
***
After homeroom, I headed to my calculus class. I entered the classroom and went to look for a place in the back of the room. My breath hitched when I spotted Ollie entering the room, laughing and joking with a few of his buddies. They found some empty desks close by me to sit in. I usually like to sit close to the front of the classroom, but not when Ollie was around. I had two classes with him, and I usually sat in the back so I could just admire him. Some people might consider it creepy, but I viewed it as a harmless crush because I knew that I would never have the nerves or courage to act upon my feelings for him. I was perfectly content with just admiring him from afar.
I remember the first time I met Ollie like it was yesterday. How could I forget? I played the scene over and over in my head. I’d just moved to Hazel Pathway during the start of my freshman year. I felt numb inside and was just going through the motions of going to school and attending all my classes. I used to be a grade-A student back in Seattle, but my grades plummeted after my mom died. I did just enough homework to get a passing grade. I had hardly noticed that I had a few classes with Ollie. It was my third week, and I was going down the stairwell. It was pretty crowded, and I wasn’t paying much attention to what I was doing when I missed the last two steps and fell on my ankle the wrong way. I remember landing on the floor with a hard thud. Pain shot up my foot and ankle when I tried to stand, and I quickly sat back down. Ollie was right behind me. He saw the pain and anguish on my face and immediately took control and swooped into my rescue.
“Everyone stop!” he ordered and stretched out his arms and legs out to create a wall around me and the students milling around us. They stopped dead in their tracks. I sat there on the stairway landing, looking up at him in shock and awe.
He bent down; there was deep concern in his eyes. “Are you okay?”
At this time, my mind turned into mush for a few reasons. Embarrassment was one of them, but the other was that I was mesmerized by a pair of the most beautiful brown eyes I’d ever beheld. My own eyes widened, and my mouth dropped open. He was incredibly handsome. I opened my mouth to say something, but for some odd reason, I wasn’t able to make a sound. Eventually, I let out a squeak and shook my head.
“You must be in a lot of pain. I can carry you to the nurse’s office if you allow me,” he said gently.
I let out another small squeak and quickly nodded.
“Okay, are you ready?”
I nodded again. He carefully lifted me up in his arms like I weighed nothing.
I gasped. Wow. I’d never been lifted up by a guy, nor had I ever been so close to a guy before. The side of my body was pressed up against him. I could feel the heat emanating from his body.
I ignored the stares and whispers from onlookers.
“You okay?” he asked when he heard me gasp.
We were almost eye to eye. I just nodded, fully aware of the fresh airy scent of his cologne and his proximity.
“Okay, off we go,” he said. As he carried me down the stairs, it felt like I was falling with each step, so I held on for dear life. My arms were wrapped tightly around his neck and shoulders. He had broad shoulders, and I could feel his solid masculine chest against my sides and arms. I let out little gasps with each step he took.
“Please, go slower,” I said with a gasp.
“What?” Ollie asked, slowing his steps.
“Can you go down the stairs slowly? I’m about five feet off the ground, and I feel like I’m going down a roller coaster with each step you take down the stairs.”
He chuckled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that’s how it felt. I’ll take it easier.”
“Thank you,” I whispered. His laugh—it was so warm, masculine, and throaty. I could have listened to him laugh forever. He took his time going down the stairs this time, and I gave a sigh of relief.
We finally reached the main floor. “Do you want to try to walk the rest of the way to the nurse’s office, or do you want me to carry you?”
No, no! My brain cried out. Ollie holding me in his arms was ending too soon. Was it possible to capture these past few minutes and replay them over and over?
“Um… I don’t think I can walk at all; my ankle’s really killing me,” I said.
“Of course, milady, I am thy Sir Lancelot… thy knight in shining armor, I am at thy service to the very endeth of our journey, and I shan’t faileth thee, I shalt carryeth thee to thy final destination,” he declared in a bad but gallant Shakespearean accent.
I drew in a sharp breath. Did I say I wanted to capture those moments and replay them over and over? No, nix that. That wasn’t good enough for me. I now had a full-blown crush on this guy.
“Um…”
He gave me a goofy grin. “Just trying to lighten the mood.”
“Um … thanks.”
“My name is Oliver Harris, Ollie for short.”
“Samantha Keaton, Sam, for short.”
“Nice to meet you, Sam. You must be new; I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”
“Yeah, my family just moved here recently.”
“Welcome to Hazel Pathway, Sam.”
“Thanks.”
He paused. “We have arriveth, milady.”
I looked around. We were standing in front of the nurse’s office. How did we get there so fast? I ducked my head to hide my disappointment.
I realized that on our way to the nurse’s office, I had blocked out everything around me and just focused on his scent, his closeness, and his lips moving. Oh, man—his lips. I’d never noticed a guy’s lips before. But I was inches away from the most beautiful lips—he had sensuous, plump lips that looked so kissable.
The nurse opened the door when she saw us through the glass door.
“What happened?” she asked.
“She fell and injured her ankle,” Ollie explained.
“Bring her in here and sit her down on that chair,” the nurse ordered.
