Charisma by Jeanne Ryan Read Free Book Online Page A

I’m lucky. Not that I should count on luck.
    The tide’s coming back in and provides a soothing cushion against my feet, cold enough to numb them. If only I could eliminate every other feeling from my body too. My eyes track an eagle soaring overhead before it disappears into the surrounding trees. I wade in up to my knees and close my eyes. The waves lap against my legs without a sound, and my stomach begins to settle. I could almost forget—
    â€œSo, how long did it take to perfect the bitchy blow-off?”
    I jump a few inches and turn to see that Shane’s followed me. When I catch my breath, I say, “Look, I’m sorry. I’m just not feeling that great.”
    â€œOh, so excuse B is fake cramps?”
    Why is he hounding me? I blink at him, unsure of what to say, tears welling in my eyes, which he’ll probably claim is another excuse or bitchy drama.
    Instead he shifts gears. “Chloe says you practically live here. What a pain.”
    I swallow. “It’s for my brother.”
    He runs a hand through his thick hair. “I don’t think my sister cares. But my mom said she’d spring for a week of gas money if I came today.”
    I wrap my arms around my torso. “So it’s win-win.”
    â€œWin-win, eh? Even with the digging for weird clams?”
    I dip my hands in the water. A tendril of seaweed slips through my fingers. “The digging’s not so bad, just a little sandy.”
    He licks his lips. “I like a girl who’s not afraid to get dirty.”
    I eye him. Is that some kind of sexual crack? I should walk away again. That seems rude, but so is following someone around when she clearly isn’t comfortable with it.
    But I say, “Yeah, well.” My thoughts stop there. Argh. I’m so bad at this, whatever
this
is.
    He motions toward the beach. “So, you feel like digging before they haul us back inside?”
    I glance around. Chloe and her followers have disappeared around the bluff. “Not really.” Can’t he leave me to my socially dysfunctional self?
    He examines me in a way that feels hostile. “You know, girls who think they’re worth extra effort usually aren’t.” Without waiting for my reply, not that I have one, he hikes off, kicking sand in front of himself.
    What an ass. How dare he assume anything about me? I turn back toward the sound and wade up to my thighs. But even the water can’t soothe the knot in my throat or the hammering in my chest.
    By the time Joe Firelli rounds us up, my legs are stiff from the cold. I limp across the beach. Chloe appears out of nowhere, flushed and smiling, three guys in her wake. Shane sneers my way and says something under his breath to the guy next to him.
    Joe bounces from bucket to bucket, examining our catch and clapping. “Wonderful work! Let’s get these back to the cafeteria for our chefs to prepare.” Maybe they don’t let him out of the counseling suite often enough.
    We hike back toward Nova Genetics, and Joe leads us into an entrance near the kitchen to deposit the clams and wash up. “After lunch, we’ll meet in the conference room for a quick session.”
    My heart sinks to my belly. Those sessions, where everyone’s expected to contribute, slay me. Would anyone notice if I hid behind the tie-dye booth and took a nap until the “fun” day was over?
    Chloe sidles up to me, all dimply. “You and Shane looked cute together.”
    â€œYour powers of observation need serious work. Why did you set me up?”
    She seems startled. “I didn’t, really. He just wanted to talk to you. No big deal.”
    I look away. By now she should know that it
is
a big deal. It shouldn’t be, but it is.
    She taps my arm. “I’ll make it up to you, okay? When we have the stupid meeting later, I’ll blab so much you won’t have to take a turn sharing. That’ll even us up,