Calm Like Home by Kaisa Clark Read Free Book Online

pacing near the gate now, clapping his open palm against the wrought iron with increasing fervor. When I glimpse his profile, his whole face is tight, the skin fiercely pinched together at the bridge of his nose. I glance back to Javier and Brittney in the pool, feeling guilty for listening in on his call yet unable to focus on anything else.
    “I know how fucking precious your time is.” He stoops to sit on the furthest chair, his back to me.
    “Yeah, well, thanks a lot.”
    Suddenly he’s stalking back towards me. His eyes are fixed firmly ahead, burning with ferocity. He’s gripping his phone so tightly his knuckles are strained white. For an instant I wonder if the screen might break under the pressure.
    He slings his V-neck over his shoulder and mutters, “I gotta go.” His voice is flat, his eyes refusing to meet my own. “Javier, I trust you can take care of these?” He gestures towards the remaining beer bottles.
    “Is everything okay?” I look up at him with questioning eyes, wanting to stop him, to somehow return the smile to his face. Adam should never be without his smile. It seems wrong. But he just shakes his head, almost imperceptibly. Then he’s taking long strides out of the pool enclosure, not looking back even once, heat practically radiating off his entire body as the wrought iron gate slams shut behind him.
     
    That night I head to Annabelle’s and collapse onto her couch. We sip wine and watch whatever reality TV reruns come on.
    Mid-dramatic episode, I interrupt her concentration. “So, we had a pool excursion.”
    “What?” she turns to me, eyes agape. “You were going to let me watch this crap when you had your own drama to share?”
    I smirk and take a silent sip of my wine.
    “Well spill it.”
    I tell her about the beer, about Adam stealing my towel, about him hauling me to the deep end. She shrieks and hugs a couch pillow to her chest when I tell about him brushing back my wet hair.
    “The only thing is…” I trail off. “Brittney was there too.”
    “So what,” she says flatly.
    “So she asked him to hang out next weekend and he said definitely .”
    “What kind of hang out?” Now she’s intent, blue eyes blazing.
    “I don’t know. She said she’s having people over.”
    “Well of course he said definitely .”
    I gaze at her blankly, unsure what she means.
    “Haven’t you ever noticed he doesn’t like being alone? The guy probably just wants something to do. He's a party boy and aside from Damien most of his friends are up at school. What's he supposed to do? Just sit around and pine for you?”
    I shrug. “Fine by me.”
    She laughs and smacks me with the pillow she’s been holding.
    In a rare moment of letting my guard down I come clean, telling her my deeper fear. “What if she’s more his type? I can't shake the feeling he's out of my league. I mean he's freaking gorgeous and funny and completely amazing.”
    She doesn’t miss a beat. “Maybe he's exactly what you need.”

Chapter 6
    “You look like you had a late night,” I say to Adam the next morning. We’re standing side by side on the chef’s line and I can tell he’s exhausted. His hair is disheveled, his eyes are flat, and he has a day’s worth of stubble occupying his chin.
    “Ugh, you have no idea!” he moans, cradling his head in his hands.
    Damien shuffles by and jabs him in the sides. He looks every bit as haggard as Adam, his hair mussed and eyes bloodshot. “How you feeling A-Dub?”
    “Fuck off, man,” Adam mutters, not even bothering to look up. Damien is unfazed, continuing on his way towards the kitchen.
    As Damien rounds the corner Adam groans and turns his head to me. “It was our buddy Seth’s twenty-first birthday last night. D planned everything so obviously we did it big: strippers on a party bus, cooler full of Jell-o shots, bottle service at the bar, the whole shebang.” He lets out a little snicker before going on. “The freaking birthday boy passed out in