Always Been Mine by Elizabeth Reyes Read Free Book Online Page A

Chances were she was making way too much out of it.
    First thing she noticed when she walked in the door was Isabel dancing along to the radio in the kitchen. Then she noticed how nice she looked. Though she was in jeans and a sweater, she’d really done herself up. She’d curled her hair, done her eyes the way Valerie always said made her look so sexy, and she had her contacts in. But most noticeably she wore her high heeled sling-backs.
    Valerie couldn’t help smiling. “Are you going out?”
    Isabel didn’t even try to hold back the silly grin, but she stopped dancing. “Yes.”
    “With Romero?”
    Isabel nodded, and Valerie thought she saw her blush.
    Valerie dropped everything and rushed to jump onto the kitchen counter. She put her hands under her thighs.
    “Okay tell me, tell me. I wanna know everything?” She didn’t care if he was Alex’s friend anymore. She’d never seen Isabel this giddy, and she was happy for her.
    Isabel pulled a water bottle out of the fridge and opened it. “Well, I mentioned to him at the shower that I get my nails done at the mall every other Friday.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t ask, I was trying to make a point about the parking at the mall. Anyway, so, yesterday I walk out of my nail place and guess who I run into?”
    Valerie sniggered. “Gee, what a coincidence.”
    “I didn’t think anything of it at first. He said he was there looking for some tool he needed.”
    “Oh, God, who goes to the mall for tools, Isabel?”
    “There’s a Sears there.” Isabel paused and then giggled. “I totally fell for his story. Then after dinner, he admitted he’d been there the week before and yesterday hanging around waiting to see if he’d see me.”
    “Ha!” Valerie covered her mouth when Isabel made a face. “Sorry, go on. Go on.”
    “At the shower, I also mentioned what a big Padre’s fan I am. Of course, he argued with me about them, but in the end admitted he was a fan too. Someone gave him tickets to today’s game a few weeks ago, and he thought maybe I’d wanna go.”
    Isabel shrugged in an attempt to make it out to be less than it really was, but Valerie knew better.
    “I knew I saw something that night between you two.” Valerie remembered her comments about him the morning after. “You weren’t mean where you?”
    “No, of course not.” Isabel sipped her water. “I thanked him for thinking of me but told him I had a lot of papers to grade today.”
    “What? You turned him down?” Valerie looked at Isabel up and down. “So, why are you all done up?”
    “I’m not all done up.” Isabel glanced down at her clothes. “It looks like I’m all done up?”
    “Of course, but you look great. So, you are going to the game with him, right?”
    Isabel seemed worried now. “After closing the place out, he talked me into going to the game. But that’s all it is. Two friends going to a game together.”
    Isabel walked into the front room and stopped at the mirror on the wall. “You think he’s going to think I got all done up for him?”
    “Well, didn’t you?” Valerie giggled jumping off the counter and followed Isabel.
    “No!”
    “What’s the big deal, Isabel? You’re obviously into him.”
    “No, I’m not.”
    Valerie rolled her eyes. “Really? So, the dancing and all this,” She pointed at Isabel’s curled tresses. “Is something that’s the norm for you?”
    Isabel’s eyes were opened wide. “Alright, so, he’s not usually the type of guy I date.”
    “Ah ha! You said it. It is a date.” Isabel’s expression was warning enough. Valerie attempted to hide the smirk.
    “Valerie. I don’t want him to think I’m all into him. I just thought it’d be interesting to try something new.” She dabbed at her eyes trying to remove some of the makeup.
    “Stop that. It looks really great.”
    There was a knock on the door, and Isabel turned to Valerie with a look of sheer panic. Valerie grinned but couldn’t help feeling guilty that