BoysLikeYou.indd by Juliana Stone Read Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Juliana Stone
as he fell in step beside me.
For the first time today, I relaxed a bit. “So, where are we going?”
We were almost to the parking lot when he answered, his
voice not only subdued and maybe distracted but definitely sad.
“The hospital.”
Wait. What?
That wasn’t what I had expected to hear. A party maybe. Or an
underage club— if they had them out here in the boonies— but
the hospital?
And yet, the sea of happy that existed here at the Peach
Festival was so thick I felt like I was drowning. Even though I
hated hospitals, I couldn’t deny that, at the moment, they were
more my speed.
53
BoysLikeYou.indd 53
11/19/13 10:02 AM
Juliana Ston e
Anyplace other than here was where I wanted to be. “Okay,”
I answered. “Let’s go.”
54
BoysLikeYou.indd 54
11/19/13 10:02 AM
Chapter Eight
Nathan
I stared at the text again, my heart pounding so hard I was sure
Monroe heard it. They’re gone for now. Can you make it?
Did I want to? Did I want to make it?
“Turn left at the lights.”
We passed Sheriff Bellafonte’s car parked next to the bus stop
and I looked away, glad that Monroe’s lead foot was relaxing
a bit. Up ahead, I saw the hospital, and I told Monroe where
to park for free, on Fraser Street just to the right. She pulled
in along the sidewalk, and I pretended not to notice when she
bumped the curb.
Foo Fighters were playing on the radio, and the air that blew
out the vents was colder than I liked. Guess the northern girl
wasn’t used to our steamy summers, but I liked the heat.
I blew out a long, hot breath, my foot tapping an insane beat
on the floor. I was nervous, and I felt like my head was going to explode, but I kept it cool. I had to.
“Are you going to be long?” Monroe asked.
BoysLikeYou.indd 55
11/19/13 10:02 AM
Juliana Ston e
She tapped her fingers along the steering wheel, and when
she turned to look at me, for one second— for one perfect
second— I thought she had the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen.
“Nathan?” she asked.
“Call me Nate,” I said as I reached for the door handle.
“What?”
“Nate,” I said again and opened the door. “It’s what my friends
call me. Nathan is saved for the parents and everyone else.”
I rounded the car and stared down at her.
“So we’re friends now?” she said, her fingers still tapping the
steering wheel, tap, tap, tap, in rapid succession.
“Are you coming?” I asked instead, moving back so she could
open the door. She hadn’t even asked why I was here or what I
was going to do, which I found interesting. I wondered if it was
because she was afraid to ask, but then I decided it was more that she didn’t give a crap. She wasn’t exactly the warm and fuzzy type, and I guess that was another thing that I kinda sorta liked about her.
She wasn’t clingy or needy or begging me for something
that I couldn’t give her. It was nice to be with someone who
had no expectations.
Just last week, Rachel had gotten all heavy on me, afraid that
I was mad at her about something and that I was going to break
up with her. She begged me to tell her that everything was going
to be all right, and I gave in.
But the lie still stuck in my throat, and when I thought about
it, I felt sick.
56
BoysLikeYou.indd 56
11/19/13 10:02 AM
BOYS LIKE YOU
Monroe glanced behind me, toward the hospital. I’m sure she
thought I was a freak. Hell, I probably was. What kind of guy
brings a girl to the hospital? A girl he hardly knows? And yet, I needed her. I needed someone , and I guess it sucked for Monroe that she was the only person around.
“Come on,” I repeated, my hand held out.
I could pour on the charm. Smile a certain way and lean
against the car. Stare into her eyes like she was the most
important girl in the world. I knew what girls liked and I also
knew what I could get away with. But I didn’t think any of
that would work with this particular girl. Her bullshit meter
seemed to
For the first time today, I relaxed a bit. “So, where are we going?”
We were almost to the parking lot when he answered, his
voice not only subdued and maybe distracted but definitely sad.
“The hospital.”
Wait. What?
That wasn’t what I had expected to hear. A party maybe. Or an
underage club— if they had them out here in the boonies— but
the hospital?
And yet, the sea of happy that existed here at the Peach
Festival was so thick I felt like I was drowning. Even though I
hated hospitals, I couldn’t deny that, at the moment, they were
more my speed.
53
BoysLikeYou.indd 53
11/19/13 10:02 AM
Juliana Ston e
Anyplace other than here was where I wanted to be. “Okay,”
I answered. “Let’s go.”
54
BoysLikeYou.indd 54
11/19/13 10:02 AM
Chapter Eight
Nathan
I stared at the text again, my heart pounding so hard I was sure
Monroe heard it. They’re gone for now. Can you make it?
Did I want to? Did I want to make it?
“Turn left at the lights.”
We passed Sheriff Bellafonte’s car parked next to the bus stop
and I looked away, glad that Monroe’s lead foot was relaxing
a bit. Up ahead, I saw the hospital, and I told Monroe where
to park for free, on Fraser Street just to the right. She pulled
in along the sidewalk, and I pretended not to notice when she
bumped the curb.
Foo Fighters were playing on the radio, and the air that blew
out the vents was colder than I liked. Guess the northern girl
wasn’t used to our steamy summers, but I liked the heat.
I blew out a long, hot breath, my foot tapping an insane beat
on the floor. I was nervous, and I felt like my head was going to explode, but I kept it cool. I had to.
“Are you going to be long?” Monroe asked.
BoysLikeYou.indd 55
11/19/13 10:02 AM
Juliana Ston e
She tapped her fingers along the steering wheel, and when
she turned to look at me, for one second— for one perfect
second— I thought she had the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen.
“Nathan?” she asked.
“Call me Nate,” I said as I reached for the door handle.
“What?”
“Nate,” I said again and opened the door. “It’s what my friends
call me. Nathan is saved for the parents and everyone else.”
I rounded the car and stared down at her.
“So we’re friends now?” she said, her fingers still tapping the
steering wheel, tap, tap, tap, in rapid succession.
“Are you coming?” I asked instead, moving back so she could
open the door. She hadn’t even asked why I was here or what I
was going to do, which I found interesting. I wondered if it was
because she was afraid to ask, but then I decided it was more that she didn’t give a crap. She wasn’t exactly the warm and fuzzy type, and I guess that was another thing that I kinda sorta liked about her.
She wasn’t clingy or needy or begging me for something
that I couldn’t give her. It was nice to be with someone who
had no expectations.
Just last week, Rachel had gotten all heavy on me, afraid that
I was mad at her about something and that I was going to break
up with her. She begged me to tell her that everything was going
to be all right, and I gave in.
But the lie still stuck in my throat, and when I thought about
it, I felt sick.
56
BoysLikeYou.indd 56
11/19/13 10:02 AM
BOYS LIKE YOU
Monroe glanced behind me, toward the hospital. I’m sure she
thought I was a freak. Hell, I probably was. What kind of guy
brings a girl to the hospital? A girl he hardly knows? And yet, I needed her. I needed someone , and I guess it sucked for Monroe that she was the only person around.
“Come on,” I repeated, my hand held out.
I could pour on the charm. Smile a certain way and lean
against the car. Stare into her eyes like she was the most
important girl in the world. I knew what girls liked and I also
knew what I could get away with. But I didn’t think any of
that would work with this particular girl. Her bullshit meter
seemed to
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