Damaged: A Violated Trust (Secrets) by Melody Carlson Read Free Book Online

me throughout the entire lunch hour? Maybe they’re spies for my mom.
    “You’re like a caricature of them, Haley. Like you’re trying too hard, trying to pass yourself off as being like them, when it’s obvious you’re not.”
    I know what he’s saying is true, yet I have no intention of showing that. Mostly I feel aggravated that my disguise is so easy to see through. If Zach and Poppie have figured me out, why haven’t the others? Or maybe they have and they’re just waiting to pull the rug out from under me.
    Whatever the case, I feel seriously rattled as I gather my things after school. Questions like Who am I? are rolling around in my head, and I can’t wait to get out of here.
    “Hey, wait up,” calls a guy.
    I turn to see Harris coming toward me. I make a sheepish wave and slam my locker shut, glancing around to see if Emery or any of her friends are nearby. This could be the setup.
    “I’ve been looking for you since lunch.” He leans against my locker. “I wanted to see if you’re still on for my guitar lessons.”
    “Seriously?” I frown at him.
    “Yeah, I want to learn to play. Are you into that or not?”
    I make an uneasy smile. “Sure, but what about Emery? She seemed a little concerned — ”
    “Emery is not my mother.” He looks over his shoulder like he doesn’t want anyone to hear this. “The truth is, I’m about to break up with her.”
    This makes me feel slightly dizzy … and suspicious. “Really?”
    “Don’t say anything though.” He looks into my eyes and that makes me even dizzier. “I feel like I can trust you, Haley. You seem different than the other girls. More mature, you know?”
    I just shrug.
    “So anyway, how about tomorrow afternoon for lessons?”
    “Sure,” I tell him. Then I give him my dad’s address.
    “Hey, that’s not far from where I live. Cool.”
    I nod. “Yeah. Cool.”
    “Are you coming to the game tonight?”
    Now I’m gauging … is this a casual question or a cloaked invitation? “I don’t know.”
    He frowns. “You’re not into football?”
    I think hard and then decide to go for it, making my flirtiest smile. “I suppose I could be into football. I mean, if the right guy was playing.”
    He throws his head back and laughs. “Then you better get yourself to the game tonight.”
    Keeping up my sly, flirty persona, I just nod. “I’ll give that some serious thought, Harris.”
    He pats me on the shoulder. “You do that, Haley.”
    As he leaves, my head is spinning and I feel tingles from the roots of my hair to my toenails. He is coming on to me — I know it. And he said he’s going to break up with Emery. It’s like Harris Stephens is mine for the taking. And I’m going to do the taking. This is a chance I do not want to miss. I am most definitely going to the game! Hopefully Dad won’t mind.
    I practically dance all the way home, and once I’m there, I spend the afternoon trying on every outfit I think would be perfect for going to a football game. And I primp and primp.
    “Hello,” Dad calls out as he gets home.
    Bracing myself for his disappointment, I go out and try to think of a gentle way to break the news that I want to go to the game tonight.
    “Hey, Hay.” He grins. “How’s it going?”
    “Great. How about you?” I realize how little Dad and I have talked this week. He works such long hours that he’s sometimes getting home just as I’m getting ready for bed, and it feels like we’re ships in the night.
    “Okay.” Now his grin fades. “Hey, you don’t mind if I take Estelle out tonight, do you? It’s kind of an expected thing, but I could cancel if you—”
    “No, Dad,” I say quickly. “That’s actually perfect because I wanted to go to the football game anyway.”
    His smile returns. “Great!” Now he looks more closely at me. “You look really pretty, Haley.”
    I give him a self-conscious thank-you and head back to my room. Hopefully he doesn’t know that I’m fixing up for a boy.