Free Model Attraction by Sharon C. Cooper

earlier, I had sent him my head shots and a note expressing an interest in modeling.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you tell me you were querying modeling agencies? When we were making plans, you never mentioned modeling.”
    â€œI didn’t mention it because I knew the chances of me becoming a model were slim. And besides, I was excited about the plans you had made for us.” And she was. Austin was not only the most popular jock at their school, but he was also the smartest man she knew. He was valedictorian of his graduating class and everyone knew he had a promising future ahead of him.
    Janna had known a life with him would be amazing and she couldn’t wait to marry him. But thanks to lack of communication, she would never know what could have been.
    She enjoyed the life she had built for herself, but a sadness swirled around inside her. What if she could have had both, her career and a life with Austin? This sweetheart of a man could have still been hers, had she handled things differently back then.
    * * *
    My plans. Therein lay the first problem, Austin thought. When he was making plans for their future, he had never realized that she saw them as his plans. Not their plans.
    â€œWhat was in the letter?”
    As far as he knew, she’d never lied to him. If she had sent the letter, as she claimed, what happened to it?
    She set down her fork and wiped her mouth. It didn’t go unnoticed that she had only taken one or two bites of her meal. If this was any indication how she normally ate, it was no wonder she was so thin.
    â€œIt stated that I loved you and that I hope you could understand that I had to go after this chance of a lifetime. I also mentioned that I wanted you to join me in Milan, maybe attend college there. I even offered to send you plane fare once I received my first check.”
    He would have appreciated the offer had he received it, but there was no way he would have taken money from her. He was old-school like his dad and didn’t believe in letting a woman pay his way.
    â€œI would have come,” he said quietly. Hell, he probably would have stayed. He had been that in love with her.
    â€œYou would have?”
    â€œOf course. Janna, you knew how I felt about you. I was serious about us having a life together, no matter where.” He didn’t like seeing the sadness in her eyes, which was so unlike her. Very little got Janna down, and he hated that their conversation had made the twinkle in her eyes disappear.
    Her gaze returned to the plate in front of her. “I know,” she said barely above a whisper. “Despite the way I left, the feelings were mutual. But later when I talked with my mother, she said I wasn’t being fair to you. That you had a promising future and we were too young to be thinking about marriage.”
    His parents felt the same way, but Austin hadn’t cared. He had always accomplished anything he’d set his mind to, and together they could have made it work. Yet he never got the chance. Janna took the option from him when she boarded the flight to Milan and didn’t look back.
    â€œI’ll never be able to apologize to you enough for the hell I put us both through. I’ve missed you, Austin, and I never meant to hurt you. I was young...impulsive, and I thought... I honestly thought we could make it work. But when I didn’t hear from you...” Her voice trailed off.
    â€œYeah, I know. I felt the same way. I’m sorry, too. I’m sorry I didn’t try harder to get a hold of you.” He took a swig of his beer, still a little amazed that he was sitting across from her in the flesh. “Back in Nash’s office, you asked if we could call a truce.”
    â€œCan we?”
    He nodded. The conversation with his father was at the front of Austin’s mind. “Yeah. Let’s try to put this behind us.”
    â€œI’d like that.” She smiled for the first time since arriving at