Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt Read Free Book Online Page A

with a dark cloud over my head I just couldn’t shake. Mom was waiting with oatmeal and ideas for my room. We chatted for a while, and she clicked her tongue when I went to get on my bike.
    “ It’s good for me,” I said. “I like it.”
    “ It’s freezing. They’re saying this cold snap is breaking records.” She hugged her body and shivered for effect.
    “ I’ll keep my hat and scarf on. I promise.”
    “ Wear your helmet,” she sulked.
    “ I always do.” I kissed her, then started out, and if I was a little bit excited to see Saxon, I didn’t admit it. First of all, he was seeing Kelsie, and she was pretty much the only friend I had. Secondly, he was trouble. You just got this sense about him, like no matter how into you he pretended to be, he would be kissing you with his eyes on the next pretty girl he noticed. I pedaled harder, building a really solid case against him. By the time I made it to school, I was pretty sure I could look him in the eye and hate him.
    Then I saw him leaned against the bike rack and all those little fragments of carefully built up hate slid out of my head and got replaced with a warm, happy excitement I couldn’t stamp out. I popped my iPod into my pocket and tried not to look like a complete fumbling dork while I locked up my bike.
    “ Hey, Saxon.” I wasn’t going to ignore him. I wasn’t going to be rude.
    “ I want to take you out,” he announced out of the blue, without preamble. His dark eyes focused on me with wolfish interest.
    “ I thought you were taking Kelsie out.” I pulled off my hat and smoothed my flyaways.
    “ It’s just a date, Blixen. It’s not like we’re going to get married.” There was a razor edge to his voice.
    “ Would you tell Kelsie that you were taking me on a date?” I challenged.
    “ What you and I do has nothing to do with anyone else.” His voice was a little snarly. I tucked my hair behind my ears and looked at him for a long time.
    “ No thanks.” I whirled on my heel and started towards English.
    “ Wait up!” He had to chase me down the hall a little, and I could tell he didn’t like it at all. I don’t think Saxon ever had to chase anyone anywhere. “We could just hang out then, right? As friends?” He gritted his teeth over the word.
    “ Why?” I asked. “You don’t really seem all that friendly.”
    “ I’m friendly when I want to be.” He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, like I was really irritating him. We were standing outside my locker and he had one hand pressed on the metal of the top compartment.
    “ I need to get in there.” I pointed where his hand was pressed.
    “ Say yes to one friendly date.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you last night.”
    My heart rocketed into my throat. I didn’t want to admit that I’d been thinking about him, too, though it would have been fun to tell him that I was thinking about him and another boy.
    “ Maybe you need a hobby,” I suggested, widening my eyes. “Model airplanes? Skateboarding? How about music? You could take up the guitar.”
    “ You’re funny,” he muttered. “I need to get you out of my system.”
    I knew in that moment that Saxon felt way more for me than he wanted to or than he was willing to admit. He didn’t like that he felt this way about me, so he was going to get rid of me. Well, he could screw off for all I cared. I wasn’t about to let him use me for entertainment then dump me when he was done.
    “ That sucks for you. I’m not available, and I’m not interested. So go bother someone else.” Even while I was saying those words to him, part of me wanted him to grab me and kiss me right there. He looked angry and hungry at the same time, and I didn’t want him to stop looking at me like that.
    “ Fine.” His voice was low again. “But I’m not an idiot, Brenna. This isn’t a one-sided thing. I know you feel something about me. We’re going to end up together