In the Air (The City Book 1) - By Crystal Serowka Page 0,38

for the possibility that he was trying to two-time you."

The thought set in. I needed to find out the truth. I sighed loudly, feeling drained. I should have been in the studio, dancing away my troubles. Instead, I had my phone glued to my hand, trying to decide if I should read the unopened texts.

"I know guys, Natalia. They're the easiest creatures on the planet to figure out. It's all in their eyes. When Samson looks at you, all I see is want. Believe me when I say, that boy would beg." She laughed through her nose.

I looked back down at my phone and exhaled. Opening the first text, it read: "I'm sorry." The next one said, "Let me explain." I continued onto the last two, reading, "Meet me tonight." And, "If you don't respond within the next thirty minutes, I'll take that as a no."

It had been twenty minutes. I texted back: "Okay."

Dating the same boy for most of your life has its advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, you're best friends and you know everything about each other, but on the other, you spend so much time together that eventually the spark can begin to fizzle out. The challenges don't seem as fun or exciting. The conversations don't last as long as they used to. I'm so certain that it's happening to Samson and me that I need to figure out a way to re-kindle the flame. After all, Samson is the man I want to be with for the rest of my life and I can't let him get away without a fight.

It was 9 A.M. and I was meeting Samson at Le Pain Quotidien. I hoped he would be on time, though I knew he wouldn't be. As I entered the busy cafe, the array of aromas wafting from the kitchen made my stomach stir. I was too nervous to eat anything. Samson and I would be talking about our relationship and I had no idea how it would turn out. I'd hoped that we could work things out, but with the way everything has been, I had my doubts.

I grabbed an empty table near the front of the cafe, by an oversized window. The weather was perfect this time of year, and the sidewalks were filled with tourists and pedestrians. They all carried a variety of shopping bags, most of them chatting on their cell phones as they crossed the busy streets. It wasn't long ago that I was roaming the city with Samson, taking pictures of the surroundings. We'd wander around aimlessly and I'd take snapshots of him being silly in Central Park or smoking a nonexistent cigarette. I kept all of those pictures tucked away in a box, and lately I'd nixed any craving I'd had to look at them.

I longed for coffee, but decided to wait until Samson arrived. I looked down at my watch to see that five minutes had passed. I was determined to not call and complain about his lateness. I didn't want to seem impatient.

I had chosen not to move to New York. I didn't want to be the girl that followed her boyfriend to a new city just so their relationship wouldn't be compromised. I had goals of my own. Making my father happy was always the most important thing to me. I gave up photography and applied to Yale. I would follow Daddy's footsteps and become a partner at his law firm.

I heard the bell above the door chime and turned my head to see Samson. He walked in with the same cocky smile he'd been wearing since his braces came off in the tenth grade.

"Look at you, all fancy this morning," Samson said cheerfully.

I stood up. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close to his chest. When he released me, I looked down at the outfit I had thrown on this morning. I wore nice clothes all the time. Today, I had worn a pair of skinny jeans and paired it with a Lacoste polo and my Tory Burch riding boots. Since the New York air was cool, I had on one of my favorite Theory blazers.

"This is how I always dress. Have you forgotten?" I knew I was supposed to ease our conversation and try to fix things, but already, I could tell he was hiding something behind his smile. I had a sick feeling that he wasn't telling the truth last night. His eyes darted around the room, looking anywhere