All Falls Down by Ayden K. Morgen Read Free Book Online Page A

on the swing creak as Kit begins to rock us back and forth.
    I wrap my arms around my legs and rest my chin atop my knees, waiting for her to speak.
    She stares out into the yard, her eyes narrowed.
    " Can I ask you something?" she finally says, taking a similar position to mine: lean arms wrapped around long, shapely legs, her cheek resting atop her knees.
    " You know you can," I tell her.
    " How do you know what you want to do after all of this is over?" Frustration sweeps through her expression, her blue eyes full of uncertainty. "I mean, I don't know, Savannah. I'm not sure I'm ready to grow up."
    " You'll do great," I say, and I mean it. Katrina's a ray of sunshine: bright, shining, brilliant. Everyone loves her. Whatever she does with her life, she'll be great at it. I'm sure of it. "Besides," I remind her, "you don't have to decide now. We don't graduate for another three months."
    " I know," she sighs, giving her head a rueful shake. "It's just–"
    " Just what?"
    " You have it all figured out already," she blurts. "You're smart and funny and you have these great grades, and a scholarship to study in England."
    " Oh, Kit," I can't help but laugh at her assessment. It's so far off base. "I have no clue what I'm going to do with my life. I have no plan. I'm just… here." My smile slips when the words leave my mouth because they are all too true. I'm just here.
    "Savannah?"
    I jerk when Jared says my name, pulling me back into the here and now.
    "I'm sorry." My face burns again.
    He motions toward the swing. "You should sit," he says softly.
    "I'm fine."
    He sighs and closes his eyes. "Am I truly that frightening?"
    "What? I–no…" I'm taken off guard by his question and don't know what to say. I don't think he'd appreciate the truth if I gave it to him.
    He sighs again, shaking his head. Water droplets run down his face and he brushes them impatiently away. "I've been an ass."
    I want to tell him that it's okay, that I understand, but I don't want to lie to him. I don't understand why he's always so angry with me. Does he not want me here? Did I do something wrong? Does he think I'm going to inconvenience him or expect something from the girls?
    "I'm sorry," I say instead of asking those questions.
    "Stop doing that." He narrows those jade eyes at me.
    I blink at the ire in his tone. What have I done wrong now?
    "Doing what?" I ask.
    "Apologizing. You're always apologizing to me."
    "I'm–" I bite my tongue before the instinctive sorry rolls from my lips.
    He stares at me for a moment and it's awkward. The urge to apologize for upsetting him is so strong, I have to bite down on the inside of my cheek to hold the words back. I turn away and look back out into the night, trying to quell the desire. The rain has slackened, but lightning still breaks the sky wide open at regular intervals.
    The chains of the swing continue to creak as Jared moves back and forth.
    Neither of us says anything for a long time.
    Eventually the awkwardness leeches away and it's just quiet. Companionable silence. I think I like it.
    "Lexi tells me you're staying," Jared says then.
    "I think so," I whisper. My voice is so faint it barely carries. "I'm not sure."
    He's quiet for a moment and then, "Matthew wanted you here, Savannah."
    "I have a home here," I say this out loud, needing to hear it. The words sound so strange, as if they couldn't possibly be true. And yet…they are.
    I don't understand.
    "You do," Jared whispers. "Welcome home."
    Warmth shoots through me when the words leave his lips, and I think maybe that has more to do with who said it than what he said.
    Maybe he wants me here, after all.
    Jared….
    "You don't scare me," I say. I'm not sure it's true, but I want it to be.
    "No?"
    I shake my head.
    "That's good. That's really good." He sounds pleased.
    I smile at him.
    He returns it, and that warmth spreads a little further.
    We say nothing else until he rises to head back to the mansion.
    "Goodnight, Savannah." He seems