Calm Like Home by Kaisa Clark Read Free Book Online Page B

one to put me in my place. But he doesn’t say it, doesn’t say what a great friend I am. Instead he asks, “You’re not working tonight, right? Want to hang out?”
    Surprise washes over me, a sharp tingle searing from scalp to chest to stomach. I want to act casual, to not let on what this means to me, but my face betrays me, cheeks and lips and eyes all grinning. Even if we are hanging out as friends, it’s a start. It’s something.
    “That sounds okay.” I try to say the words casually. I try not to let him know how hard my heart is pounding, how my hands are already clammy, how I’ve wanted nothing else since he walked back into this restaurant weeks ago.
    “Just okay ?” he asks, eyes widening in mock surprise, his face bright with a smile.
    One glimpse of that smile and I know that any time spent alone with Adam will be anything other than just okay .

Chapter 7
    He knocks at my door around nine o’clock that evening, two short taps, each one feeling electric and charged. A thrill runs through my whole body, knowing he’s right outside my door.
    “You ready?” he asks when I pull the door open. He’s slowly twirling his car keys around his index finger, looking completely relaxed in khaki shorts and a pale blue polo, the color perfectly contrasting with his dark eyes.
    I nod even though I have no idea what I’m ready for.
    “So, Alexa, where are we going?” he asks as we make our way down the stairs to his car.
    “I don’t know, Adam. Where are you taking me?”
    He climbs in the car and reaches to plug in his iPhone. “You hungry or anything? This is kind of a weird time for dinner.”
    His eyes meet mine over the console and I can’t tell what I see there. The way he’s acting so nonchalant about this makes me feel all the more certain this is a purely friendly get-together. Maybe it’s like Annabelle says: he just hates being alone.
    “I’m up for whatever,” I say brightly, curious to see what he’ll do next.
    “Well we’ll see where the road takes us.” His fingers press the screen of his phone and a playlist comes on the speakers. Eager to distract myself from the is this a date or isn’t it debate raging in my head, I pick up his phone and start scrolling through the playlist.
    “You’re into Jack Johnson?” I ask, angling my body toward his.
    “Yeah, I’m actually going to his concert right before schools starts. I’ve seen him once before. Still the best show I’ve ever seen.” He pauses and his eyes flick to mine, fervently alight. “Well aside from that show you put on today rolling silverware.”
    His delivery takes me by surprise and laughter bursts from my mouth. I try to pull myself together, sighing out an “oh my goodness” as I recover.
    He chuckles and his eyes flash to mine. “I love how you follow hysterical laughter with an oh my goodness like it’s your way of maintaining your lady-like composure. You’re so incredibly proper.”
    This makes me laugh even harder. “I honestly had never even noticed it. Thanks a lot!” I say, pushing his shoulder gently.
    “Hey, I’ve got precious cargo here, Clausen. Watch the wheel.”
    He sneaks a glance at me from the corner of his eyes and gives me a half-smile that’s the perfect blend of ornery and sweet. Any reservations I might’ve had about things being different when it’s just the two of us alone are instantly assuaged. It’s exactly like it always is with Adam: completely easy, completely natural. I honestly think I could be with him anywhere, in any situation, and we’d still manage to have the best time together.
    As we drive, Adam and I entertain each other with random conversation. Outside of our friendly banter at the restaurant, I really don’t know much about him and am hungry for any new detail. I listen intently, feeling like I’ll never get enough as he enlivens me with stories about his high school days at Milano’s when he and Damien were lowly busboys. I laugh when he describes a