Here In Your Arms (Fort Haven Book 1)

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Overall cover design: Nicole Highland – NH Designs

  Cover image/models courtesy of:

  Shutterstockshutterstock.com

  Copyright © 2020 Nicole Highland

  All rights reserved.

  www.nicolehighlandwrites.com

  ISBN: 979-868810 -678-7 (Paperback edition)

  Every once in a little while

  someone comes along

  that flips your world upside down

  in all of the best ways.

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  Ah, the teenage years.

  They’re full of angst, full of drama, and they’re full of highs and lows. But above all else, they are filled with so many memories. Some are good, some are bad, some shape us in ways we never expected.

  And, on rare occasions, they shape us forever.

  This age group is one of my absolute favorites to write about, and my hope is that I’ve captured the essence of this in my story.

  And of course, I hope you love Grayson and Sophia as much as I do.

  So, if you’re ready for an escape, let’s dive right in!

  XOX

  A blast of frigid air hit Sophia Hillcrest like a wall as she climbed out of her car with her hood over her head, protecting her from the icy chill. The month of January was always horrific this time of year in Fort Haven, but this one in particular…

  It was one for the ages.

  Not even the sun—if it actually had been out for once—would’ve been enough to soothe the bite of the wind as it howled, and though it was just cold enough to keep any major snowfall at bay, feather-light snowflakes drifted by as Sophia hoisted her bag over her shoulder and headed for the entrance. Her hands drifted to her pockets, desperately hoping to find her gloves, but as her fingers brushed against the empty space, she sighed.

  So much for remembering to toss them back in there. She could practically kick herself in the ass for that.

  A gust of wind kicked up, throwing her hood back, and she muttered under her breath, cursing the weather all the while. Damn it all, she thought. Why couldn’t they have just lived somewhere nicer where the weather wasn’t so shitty?

  Her fingers, aching and numb from the wintry air against her skin, stiffened as she grabbed a fistful of faux fur trim and yanked the hood back over her head.

  Pissed didn’t even begin to cover how she was feeling. She hated this place. Hated the people.

  And as soon as graduation rolled around, she’d be out of there in a New York minute.

  Another gust of wind kicked up, knocking her hood off once more. “Why can’t you just freaking stay in place?” she said through gritted teeth. She grabbed it again, holding it with a death grip as she kept it steady in place. At least she didn’t have to deal with that, anymore.

  But all the while she’d been messing with the damn thing, she hadn’t been paying any attention to where she was going.

  Or how dangerously close her feet were to the curb.

  Pain splintered through her toes as her boot collided with the concrete, sending her spiraling to the ground. Her hands, still bitterly numb from the cold, splayed out before her as her palms scraped against the sidewalk.

  “Damn it!” she hissed. Two female voices laughed in the distance, sending a wave of heat scorching her cheeks as embarrassment took hold. Leave it to her to wipe out in front of half the school.

  Was it too much to ask to actually have a life that wasn’t a disaster?

  Sophia blew out a breath. Apparently, it was.

  With her palms screaming in agony, she grasped feebly at the pavement, still reeling from the shock of making a complete idiot of herself in front of everyone. Falling down was always the easy part. But getting back up was the real challenge.

  She froze, feeling the gentle touch of a hand on her back. Was she hallucinating? Was this hypothermia setting in?

  Surely, this was all a dream. And a very, very strange one, at that.

  “Are you okay?” an unfamiliar, masculine voice asked.

  Sophia scrambled to her feet, nearly stumbling again as she turned to face the voice that had spoken to her. Her breath hitched. How was it humanly possible for someone to have such dark, piercing eyes?

  Better yet, how was it possible that this guy went to Hardingdale? She hadn’t seen him before. And she would’ve remembered.

  Dear God, she would have remembered.

  She would’ve remembered those dark, insanely gorgeous eyes. And she would’ve remembered that light smattering of freckles across his face. Yeah, she would’ve remembered him.

  Every part of him.

  “Um… yeah, thanks,” she mumbled. “I think I’m fine.”

  The stranger gave her a half-smile and raised a thick, dark brow. “You sure?”

  Sophia blinked, feeling a loss for words. He actually… cared?

  Well, that was a novel concept for once.

  At least, it was a novel concept considering how many assholes were running around Hardingale High.

  “I… I think so. Although I’m pretty sure I must be in a parallel universe right now.” Sophia held her hand to her face, feeling the heat rush to her cheeks once more. “I’m sorry. I’m babbling. Just ignore me.”

  The stranger smiled. “No worries,” he said, smiling. “Just glad you’re okay.”

  Sophia smoothed out her coat, feeling the full weight of surprise wash over her. Maybe it was the fact it had been so long since anyone bothered to notice her. Or maybe it was the fact that, for once, someone in this small little town was actually kind to her. But whatever the combination was, it was refreshing for a change.

  Sophia’s hands ached as she adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder, and she winced in pain, still feeling the sting of her raw skin.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.

  Sophia attempted to smile, but with her face still frozen, the effort was in vain. “I’ll be fine. Just not the way I wanted to start my morning.”

  The guy nodded. “Sounds like you’re having a worse morning than I am.” He held open the glass door, letting Sophia escape the cold first.

  “You don’t have to do that for me, you know?”

  “I know I don’t have to,” he said. “I just want to.”

  She didn’t know how to respond. Kindness wasn’t exactly plentiful in her corner of the universe, but here this stranger was, standing there as living proof that not every guy from Hardingdale sucked.

  “You’re new here, aren’t you?” she asked. “I haven’t seen you around here before.”

  He nodded, pulling his hood off his head, unfurling his dark hair. She couldn’t help but stare at him. He was handsome. Insanely handsome, if she was being honest. And he was exactly the type of guy she could see herself falling for.

  If she ever allowed herself to do that, that is.

  “First day is today, actually,” he said. “I’m Grayson, by the way. Grayson Cawthorne.” He extended his hand, and from the moment their hands made contact, something inside Sophia came to life, melting her defenses. His hand, soft and warm against hers, was exactly the soothing comfort she needed on such a dreary winter morning.

  And the kind of comfort she could easily get used to.

  “Sophia Hillcrest,” she replied. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” he said. “Yeah, my family just moved here. My mom’s boyfriend got a job
transfer.”

  That explained everything, she thought. Being the new guy, he hadn’t had time to become completely jaded with this one-horse town. But give him a month or so and those rose-colored glasses would be off.

  At least they would be if he was anything like her.

  “Well, you’re in for a real treat in this sleepy little town,” she said sarcastically. “Everybody knows everybody’s business around here, and they’re not afraid to dig it up at a moment’s notice.”

  “Speaking from personal experience, I take it?”

  Sophia shrugged her shoulders. “I guess. I’ve always been an outcast, so that’s my only ‘claim to fame’ around here.”

  Grayson smiled. He liked this girl. She was… blunt. Different. But not in a bad way. And if he was being honest with himself, he liked that.

  A lot.

  “Well, at least you only have until the end of the year to worry about this place,” he said.

  “Yep, and believe me, I am beyond happy about that.” Sophia stopped just in front of her locker. “Well, thank you. For everything,” she said. “It’s nice to finally meet someone around here that isn’t a complete dick.”

  Grayson threw her a wary look. “So, are people really that crappy around here?”

  She let out a little half-hearted laugh. “I’ll let you be the judge.”

  It wasn’t until he looked up at the clock that Grayson realized he had only two minutes left to get to class. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I should probably go. I gotta find my locker.”

  Sophia’s heart sank. Between his kindness and that soft, doe-eyed look on his face, there was something about this guy she was beginning to like.

  And that was a terrifying feeling.

  Cassie Shultz leaned against Sophia’s locker, her eyes bright with excitement as she picked her best friend’s brain. It wasn’t every day someone hot strolled through the doors at Hardingdale, and if anyone would know the scoop, it would be Sophia. Of course, Sophia wasn’t exactly Miss Socialite of the Year. Far from it.

  But Sophia had the one advantage most everyone else didn’t. She was an observer. The silent, fly-on-the-wall type that noticed everything but said nothing.

  And she would’ve had to have been blind not to notice the newest member of their senior class.

  Or dead.

  “So, that new guy that just showed up… you wouldn’t happen to know who he is, would you?” Cassie asked.

  Sophia didn’t even have to guess who Cassie was referring to. Grayson was the only member of the male species that anyone at Hardingdale High was talking about today.

  She rolled her eyes playfully, ignoring her question. “Let me guess. You’re into him, aren’t you?”

  “I mean, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.”

  “Yeah, you and literally every other person here with ovaries.”

  Cassie’s hands flew to her mouth to cover her laughter as she recovered. “All right, point taken,” she said with a sigh. “Okay, so what do you think the odds of him asking me out are?”

  Sophia closed her locker shut, leaning against it with faux exasperation. “Probably zero percent, if I’m being honest,” she said. “I haven’t seen him talk to hardly anyone today. But it could just be because it’s his first day.” Sophia shrugged her shoulders. “Who knows.”

  “You don’t think he’s hot, do you? Oh God, please tell me you’re not interested in him, too!”

  Sophia’s lips pressed into a thin line. Of course, she was. She wasn’t exactly blind, and he wasn’t exactly hard on the eyes. But what did it matter? She’d bet every last dollar she had that he wouldn’t be interested in her, so what was the point? It would be just another useless fantasy, one that would never become a reality no matter how much she wished it would.

  It didn’t matter that he was the literal embodiment of what she pictured her perfect guy would be like. He would never be interested.

  Not in a million years.

  “He’s hot. But what’s the point? We’re going to be heading to college soon, Cass. We’ll have an entire campus filled with guys to pick from.”

  “But will we have a campus filled with guys that look like that?” Cassie teased. “I’m guessing we won’t.”

  Sophia sighed. “Probably not. But guys like that are usually assholes, anyway.” But, even as she said the words, she knew—to a small extent, anyway—that wasn’t true. He had at least tried to help her up. And he held the door open for her. That had to count for something.

  Right?

  “True,” Cassie sighed. “But who knows? Maybe he’s actually a nice guy.”

  “Maybe,” Sophia admitted. “I mean, he did open the door for me this morning, and that was right after he asked me if I was okay.”

  Cassie’s eyes widened. “Why did he ask you if you were okay?”

  Sophia sighed. “Because I tripped and fell on my ass on the sidewalk. He wanted to see if I was all right.”

  “So he’s hot, and he’s sweet,” Cassie commented.

  “Who knows? Could just be an act to get what he wants.”

  Cassie rolled her eyes, this time feeling a little less playful than before. “Oh my God, you are so negative. Do you always have to think the worst of every human being on the planet?”

  Sophia shrugged. “Look around, Cass. I don’t have to. They usually do a pretty good job proving it all by themselves.”

  Cassie threw her arm around Sophia’s shoulder. “I know. But, you know, it’s okay to take a leap of faith sometimes. Besides, if he really was an asshole, he wouldn’t have bothered helping you up. He would’ve just left your ass on the ground.”

  She could deny it all she wanted, but Cassie was right. He could’ve just left her there and walked on by. But he didn’t.

  And that spoke volumes.

  ♥♥♥

  Cassie’s words swirled inside Sophia’s mind as she walked into class. Maybe Cassie did have a point. Maybe she’d been jaded for so long that she wouldn’t recognize a nice guy even if he was standing in front of her.

  She sighed as she flopped her bag on the ground and took her seat. He’s just another guy, she thought. You know they all act the same.

  Except, something deep inside her knew he wasn’t ‘just another guy.’

  If Sophia had to write on paper what her dream guy would be like, it would be him. She didn’t intend for it to describe him to a T, but she couldn’t help but notice that he checked all the boxes.

  Her inner voice scoffed. She’d known him for what, all of a few hours or so? It wasn’t as though she really knew him.

  Not to mention, it was senior year. She wasn’t planning on sticking around this messed up town after graduation. She’d be moving on to brighter and better things, preferably far, far away from Fort Haven.

  So why bother fantasizing about him? Why bother wanting someone she knew full well she would never have?

  Because you can’t help it.

  The thought was slightly alarming. But it didn’t matter how many warm, fuzzy feelings she was starting to have for him. Guys like that didn’t date girls like her. They didn’t go for oddball, quirky girls that would rather spend a Friday night at home watching rom-coms than go out and party. They didn’t go for girls that didn’t give a crap about what they ate. They went for the girls with the perfect hair, the perfect bodies, and the ones that would rather starve themselves than stuff their faces with Oreos.

  Yes, guys like Grayson would never be interested in girls like Sophia.

  Oh well, she thought. At least I’ll be able to focus if he’s not around.

  Her eyes flickered to the doorway as Mrs. Masterson spoke to someone in the doorway. She couldn’t hear much from where she sat, but a moment later, the figure in the doorway came into view as clear as day. Sophia’s heart rose to her throat.

  Grayson.

  Her white knight from earlier in the day was standing there, breathing in the same room she was in. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She
looked to her left, realizing the only remaining seat was the one next to her.

  She really needed to get over him. But every time he glanced her way and those rich, dark eyes locked on hers, something deep within her chest stirred every time. Sure, she had a few crushes off and on over the last several years. But this…

  This was... different. Stupidly unexplainable.

  And certainly unexpected.

  So, he had a handsome face, and he had a fleeting moment of kindness towards her. Big deal.

  Except, it kinda was a big deal. At least to her. Not that he would ever be interested.

  Or at least, that was what she would have to remind herself of every day for the rest of the semester where she’d be painfully reminded of how out of his league she was. And having to sit right next to him?

  That was going to be pure torture. Blissful torture, but torture all the same.

  Sophia pulled open her notebook and flipped to the first clean sheet of paper she could find. Maybe she would never tell him how she truly felt about him, but if she could distract herself from her own mind, so be it. So she did the one thing she always did when she needed to escape.

  She wrote.

  And her words would be her and her notebook’s little secrets from now until eternity.

  Her thoughts had all but drifted completely away from class as she glanced over at Grayson. He was writing furiously like it was the most exciting lecture he’d ever sat through.

  Except it wasn't. At least, not to Sophia. Learning about the branches of government wasn’t exactly the highlight of her day. But seeing Grayson?

  That definitely was.

  Not that she really wanted to admit it to herself. But damn. Those stupid, nagging thoughts just refused to go away, and the voice in her head refused to shut up. She would’ve given anything for them to just disappear.

  At least then she might finally have some peace inside her mind.

  “Miss Hillcrest!”

  Sophia’s head snapped back to attention. Somewhere between the first word she'd written and the last, she'd gotten lost in her own fantasies.