Changing Forever by Lisa de Jong Read Free Book Online Page A

ass? “You don’t have to do that.”
    I lean in close, my chest hitting her back. “It’s just a drink, Emery. Don’t argue with me about this. Besides, I think I owe you.”
    “You don’t, but because I’m not in the mood to argue, I’ll take a medium iced mocha with no whip,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest. She’s stubborn, but I like the challenge.
    I step back to give her some space, but I’m still close enough to smell her perfume. I usually can’t stand the stuff, but hers reminds me of strawberries with a hint of vanilla. It’s sexy with a side of sass but not too overpowering. From what I know about her so far, it suits her perfectly.
    “Next,” the barista calls, waving me forward.
    Stepping up to the counter, I order and pay for our drinks. They don’t ask for my name, but it must not have been a secret because a couple minutes later it’s called, and our drinks are placed on the end of the counter. After handing Emery her coffee, we walk outside and start toward the water.
    This is my second year here, and I’ve never once taken the time to just sit outside. It’s hard to think about that kind of stuff when I rarely have free time. Every extra minute I have is devoted to football … my dad taught me how to live and sleep it.
    “You’re kind of quiet over there,” Emery says, interrupting my thoughts.
    “So you Googled me?”
    “What?” she asks, nervous laughter escaping her.
    “The other day in class … you knew I played football.”
    “Oh yeah,” she says, shaking her head. “You didn’t think I could work with you if I didn’t know who you were, did you?”
    “I didn’t expect anything less from you.”
    She stops about fifteen feet from the river and pulls a flannel blanket out of her bag. No wonder that thing was so full. “Does this spot look okay?”
    I scan the area, making sure there’s no one I recognize. It’s not that I’m embarrassed to be seen with her … I just don’t want anyone to draw conclusions. A guy and a girl alone on a blanket just screams couple, especially around here. Because of who I am, it would cause a breaking news flash across campus. “This’ll work.”
    When I look in her direction again, her lips are pursed around her straw, one arm crossed over her chest. “Is there a problem, Chambers?”
    My lips quirk; I can’t help it. “Just making sure no one sees me with you. I don’t want to ruin your reputation.”
    She rolls her eyes, letting her bag fall down her arm. “I don’t think I have one to ruin.”
    “No, you have one … you just don’t know it because it’s not that exciting.”
    “What makes you say that?” I watch as she lowers herself to the blanket, crossing her extended legs in front of her.
    I join her, sitting down a couple feet away. “Because I’ve never heard of you.”
    She runs her fingers through the grass, pulling a few pieces from the ground. I wonder what she’s hiding in her eyes because she won’t look at me. “It’s still better than a bad reputation,” she finally replies.
    “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
    The air between us is quiet as we both focus on the murky water. The berry smoothie I picked up in the coffee shop isn’t too bad … if anything, it’s keeping me busy while Emery’s thinking about something else. Usually, I could care less what others have going on inside their head, but this girl is so fucking hard to read. It makes me that much more curious.
    “What are you thinking about over there?”
    She pulls the straw from between her lips, and glances up into the sky. “It’s really nice out here.”
    “That’s all?” I ask, raising my brow. Her large, almond-shaped eyes squint against the sun. I focus on them … they’re hard to ignore.
    She clears her throat. “Speech topics. Do you have any ideas?”
    “Honestly, the only thing I know is football. The only thing that interests me is football,” I say, running my fingers through my hair.
    She tilts