Breaking Challenges

Chapter 2

2

I’ll never forget the first time I saw her. Lexi was frolicking on the beach with her little sister. They were building an elaborate sand castle, even though they were both too old to be playing in the sand.

I was a good distance away, but her beauty still took my breath away. I stood mesmerized as the wind whipped her sun-kissed blond hair around her face. My feet were frozen in place as I stared at her, trying to figure out if she was real.

She cupped a hand over her forehead to block the bright sunlight as she looked in my direction. Lifting her other hand, she gave me a friendly wave. It took a moment for me to register that her gesture was aimed in my direction.

My heart raced and my palms immediately dampened as I slowly raised my own arm to wave back. It was shocking, yet exhilarating, that this teen beach goddess had waved at me.

Forcing my legs into motion, I moved in her direction. I was determined not to blow this moment.

When I got closer to her, I was delighted to discover that she was even more beautiful up close than my mind had imagined her to be from a distance. The beach sun had turned her skin a deep, golden tan. Her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink. I couldn’t be sure if it was from the heat or my approach.

I stopped awkwardly when I got as close as I dared. The last thing I wanted was to scare her off.

“Hi!” she said. Her voice was enthusiastic and friendly. The sun glistened on her shiny lip gloss, making her lips look wet and utterly kissable. I couldn’t help but stare.

“Hi,” I responded, trying to insert flirtation into my tone, but falling flat. I looked down at my feet and kicked at the sand, trying to think of something witty and charming to say.

She smelled like strawberries and sunshine. I was drumming up the courage to tell her that when my spine stiffened. I felt him before I heard or saw him. It was some sort of sick sixth sense about my twin.

I could tell the moment she noticed him. Her bright blue eyes were drawn to him like a magnet. They looked right past me, over my shoulder, and straight to Tristan.

“Well, hi, there,” my brother said as he joined us. His voice somehow held just the right amount of friendly flirtatiousness to draw and hold her attention. “I’m Tristan,” he told her, beaming a brilliant smile in her direction.

She looked utterly dazzled by him. I couldn’t do anything but stare. This couldn’t be happening… not with this girl. Why did he have to come along and ruin everything?

Not taking note of my distress, Tristan waved a casual hand in my direction. “I take it you’ve met my brother, Tyler.”

Barely even taking a moment to glance in my direction before gazing back at Tristan, she nodded and said, “I’m Lexi, and this is my little sister, Sara.” She thumbed the mousy girl standing behind her, without tearing her eyes off Tristan.

“Sara,” Tristan nodded and winked at the younger girl, making her giggle.

I felt frozen. I knew that I needed to jump in before Tristan stole Lexi, but I was at a loss for what to say.

Without missing a beat, Tristan took Lexi’s hand and lifted it to his lips. “Lexi,” he let her name roll off his tongue.

To say she was charmed would be putting it mildly. I was horrified to be standing there like a mute statue, watching my brother seduce the girl of my dreams. My mind slowed as if it was working through sludge. I couldn’t come up with a witty––or even logical––line to save my life.

Tristan tore his eyes away from Lexi for a moment to glance in my direction. It only took a fraction of a second for recognition to register in his eyes. He knew I was enamored with Lexi. To him, that meant the competition was on. He wasn’t able to let me have anything I wanted. Some innate drive deep inside him wouldn’t allow him to lose to me.

I didn’t view us as competitors, but he did. He always had, and likely always would. If he knew that I wanted something, he would do anything in his power to get it. It didn’t make sense because he had everything, but he couldn’t stand for me to win––ever. I couldn’t really even blame him for it. It was simply his nature.

The light of accepting a challenge flashed in Tristan’s eyes, and I knew my chance of earning Lexi’s heart had been eliminated before we really even had a chance to begin. I had shown my weakness to Tristan, and he would take full advantage of it.

I’ve wondered a thousand times since that fateful day, if I had just been able to hide my attraction to Lexi, would Tristan have quickly moved on to the next shiny thing? Was he truly drawn to her, or was he seduced by the idea of besting me yet again?

Time seemed frozen as we stood there. So much was happening in the heavy silence between us. I’m not sure if the sisters were aware when the dynamic changed, but I knew the precise moment when Tristan set his sights on winning Lexi. It felt like my heart was being ripped right out of my chest.

He had the audacity to grin in my direction. He looked to me like a predatory wolf, but when he turned that smile on Lexi, her cheeks turned an even lovelier shade of pink and she fluttered her long lashes at him.

My stomach soured, and I almost gagged. Why couldn’t she see that he only wanted her to keep me from having a chance with her? The scene playing out before me was my absolute worst nightmare, yet there was nothing I could do to stop it.

“Would you like to go for a walk with me to look for beach glass?” Tristan aimed the question at Lexi, who looked utterly enchanted by his attention.

“I’d love to,” she said dreamily. Her facial expression and voice both fell when she remembered her sister. “But I’m supposed to watch her.” She pointed over her shoulder in Sara’s direction.

“She can come with us,” Tristan offered gallantly. I nearly rolled my eyes when he added, “Ty can keep her company.”

And just like that, our roles were established.