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him go.

    10½ Years Ago
    At the halfway point, I would have said, my senior year was turning out better than I could have hoped. The students of New Haven Academy did not miraculously find Jesus over the summer, nor did they benefit from a personality transplant because of an alien invasion. They were all still unbearable little shits that couldn’t possibly think anything worse about me than I did about them. The change was a result of my expanding circle, which now included Jackson, Alice and . . . Duncan.
    Duncan transferred from a private school in New York. He was an athlete, but still surprisingly intelligent. He was good looking and annoyingly cocky. Of course, his family was also rich. Not Montgomery or Sinclair rich, but close enough to have all of the New Haven sheep bowing down to his greatness. And for some reason, he was determined to be my friend.
    “Hey, Claire, wait up.”
    A frustrated breath hissed between my teeth as I slammed my locker shut. “What, Duncan? What do you want now?”
    “Just my daily dose of you, sunshine.”
    I looked up, annoyed at the smile on his face and the ease with which he ignored my attempts to turn him away. I took my time to catalog the guy standing before me. Even I could appreciate the navy blue eyes fringed by lush dark lashes and the ebony locks that curled over the right side of his face. The show-stopper was the swoon worthy dimples that dipped on each cheek as he smiled down at me. They were even more appealing than the compact muscles barely contained beneath the school polo shirt. Although the blazer was required to be worn as well, who in their right mind would ask him to put it on? He looked like a young Superman, only better. Groups of girls threw themselves at him daily, practically dry humping him at his locker, in the hallway, in the cafeteria, and so on. Why was he wasting his time on me, especially when he had to know how unpopular that would be?
    “What’s your deal, Duncan? Are you slow or are you just looking for a challenge? How many times do I have to tell you, I’m not interested?”
    “I like you, Claire. I just want to get to know you better. Am I not good enough to be your friend? I never would’ve thought you were a snob.”
    Looking back, I could pin point this as the moment it happened. I prided myself on my intelligence. I had a 4.25 GPA at one of the top prep schools in the country. I was points away from a perfect score on my college placement tests, even though I took them two years earlier than normal. I was arguably a genius, but Duncan, had out-smarted me.
    No way in hell would I let anyone think I was a snob. I was nothing like the kids I went to school with. So I gave him a chance. Duncan made it surprisingly easy. He matched my sarcasm and made me laugh. He showed his interest in being my “friend” by walking me to class, carrying my books, and eating lunch with me every day. He spent months breaking through my defenses. What girl wouldn’t appreciate the devoted attention of a hot guy? Sadly, he wasn’t the guy who made my heart pound, but he was a much needed buffer and eventually he wore me down. I agreed to go out with him.
    My first date was everything most girls dream of. Duncan came to my door on Saturday afternoon with flowers in his outstretched hands and his dimples flashing down at me. He made me wait for him to open doors, and he held my hand every chance he got. We went for a picnic at the park and spent the entire day eating, laughing, and playing around like a couple of kids before ending the night at the movies.
    When Duncan opened the car door and took my hand to lead me up my walkway, our easy banter slipped away. The date had been a surprising success. I liked spending time with him, but as he leaned in to kiss me goodbye, I panicked. Pulling my hand free, I stepped out of his reach.
    “Thank you for an amazing day. It was fun, but I always have fun with you.”
    “This is just the beginning of all the fun