All We Know Is Falling: Fall With Me: Volume One by Nicole Thorn Read Free Book Online

“I believe he does it to try and get a rise out of his father.”
    I blinked. “I doubt our father cares much about what we do.” I bet he didn’t even know most of our names. In that infinite head of his…I bet there was just no room for us.
    “I don’t think that’s true. I think your father is a busy man and couldn’t care for a child if his life depended on it. So he lets other people do it for him.”
    I stood up and put my backpack on as I turned to face him. “Do you think he loves us? At all?”
    The man’s eyes went up to the purple sky. “I think that the man is capable of many things. But I’m not quite sure that love is one of them. Not anymore. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a soft spot for a few of his favorites.”
    I smiled sullenly. “He has favorites? How, if he doesn’t pay attention to us?”
    “He sees more than you know. And he gives attention to those of you who he likes. Don’t doubt that.”
    Great. So my father just doesn’t like me. “I see,” I dipped my head. “I’ll see you later,” I said.
    “You will. I quite enjoy these little chats we have. Oh,” he said and I looked up. “It’s going to be quite the day for you. So good luck today.”
    My brow furrowed. “Why do I need luck?”
    He waved his hand and I wasn’t in Hell anymore. I was in the school parking lot. There weren’t any students around to see me. Well, almost.
    I was behind a rusty looking truck. I was staring at Hale’s back as he was getting something from his car. He turned before I could leave. And he smiled. He smiled like I mattered.
    “Rory,” he greeted me, then his smile faded. “Are you alright? You look like you don’t know how you got here.”
    I don’t. “I’m fine.”
    “Good,” he started walking forward and I took a step back. He noticed. Then he stopped moving. “I wanted to ask you something. Now is as good a time as any.”
    Uh oh. I thought he took the hint. I thought I was in the clear. “I’m actually gonna be late for class,” I moved back. “Sooo…”
    “Me too. But this won’t take a minute. I just wanted to—”
    “I really have to go,” I took another step backwards and stumbled. I reached for the truck for balance but it was too late. I fell flat on my ass and it hurt. I looked like a total moron.
    The bright side being there was no way Hale would want to keep talking to a loser like me. He’d laugh and be done with it.
    But he didn’t laugh. He knelt down and leaned into me. “Are you okay?” his hands quickly touched me and moved on. First my legs, then hips, the side of my face.
    “I’m fine,” I rubbed the dirt off of my arm and he stood up. He held his hands out for me to take. I did.
    He hauled me up and to my feet. “Thank you,” I said as I brushed the dust off of the rest of me.
    “So, anyway,” he said. “I was going to ask you—”
    I didn’t know what else to do. So I just ran away.
    I got into the building and there were a few students staring at me as I caught my breath. I felt so stupid. But I couldn’t let him finish that sentence. So I did all I could.
    I went into math class just before the bell rang. I sat in my seat and buried my fingers in my hair.
    My brain turned while the possibilities of what he was going to ask me ran into my train of thought. I knew it couldn’t have been anything good. This whole situation was trouble for me.
    The only option I had at this point was avoidance. He didn’t take no for an answer, so I would need to just flat out ignore him. Some part of me knew that wasn’t going to work.
     
    
     
    He got to class early today. Even before I did. Hale was sitting at our table staring up at the door expectantly. The second I walked through it and saw him, he straightened out and grinned at me like he won something.
    I slowly approached the table and took my seat. I didn’t look at him. I just pulled out my notebook and pretended to go over my notes from the day before.
    “And