Entice by Amber Garza Read Free Book Online

and handsome boyfriend. He was the boy who held my heart. The first boy I ever loved. I pulled the phone out of my pocket and sent him off a text.
    Thinking of u.
    His reply came quickly. I’m always thinking of u.
    My heart skipped a beat, and a smile played on my lips. I wished so badly that Isaac was here so he could go to the movies with us. Heck, if he lived here, he and Tanner would probably be friends. We’d probably all hang out. Tanner was a nice guy. He was a good friend. However, I loved Isaac and he was the only one I wanted to be with.
    The phone vibrated in my hand. I glanced down.
    I love u.
    I texted back that I loved him too and then tucked the phone away. Satisfied that I was doing nothing wrong, I grabbed my sweater and headed back out to Tanner.
     
    The lobby of the movie theatre smelled of popcorn and butter. It made my stomach rumble. Tanner introduced me to Janna, Rick, Toby and Garrett. I had seen all of them at church before but never talked to them. They all seemed nice. I was particularly interested in getting to know Janna, but she was mostly interested in Rick. Judging by how touchy-feely they were, it was obvious they were a couple. It made me wish more girls had come. I was really hoping to make a new girlfriend.
    While Tanner and I stood in line for popcorn and sodas, I spotted Scarlet holding hands with another boy just a few feet away. She wore a mini skirt and high-heeled sandals, which showed off her long, shapely legs. I was struck, as always, by how beautiful she was. When she and Tanner were together everyone in school called them Ken and Barbie. When she glanced in our direction, I saw Tanner’s face redden. When she walked away, I turned to Tanner.
    “You okay?”
    He nodded.
    “It must be weird seeing her with someone else. I mean, it is for me, even. You two were together forever.” When I noticed how irritated he looked, I scolded myself for rambling on like that. “I’m sorry.”
    “No, you’re right. It is weird.”
    It was the most Tanner had ever said about Scarlet. He never talked about her at all. I decided to capitalize on it.
    “So, how come you guys broke up?”
    He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
    “Okay. That’s fine.” I wished I hadn’t even asked. It was none of my business. My hand flitted up to my neck and I wrapped the chain of my cross necklace nervously around my index finger.
    “So, what’s with the necklace?” Tanner asked. “You wear it all the time. Is it, like, from your grandma or something?”
    I dropped my hand. The chain tickled my neck as it fell back into place. “No, it was a gift from Isaac. He gave it to me on our last day together.”
    Tanner nodded. “Smart dude.”
    That was not the response I was expecting. “What do you mean?”
    “Well, you were leaving and he didn’t want you to forget about him. So, he gave you something to wear so he’d always be on your mind.” Tanner smirked. “It’s genius, really.”
    I bristled. “That’s not why he gave it to me. I would think about Isaac even if I didn’t have a necklace as a reminder.”
    “Sure.” Tanner winked.
    Angered, I turned away. We moved forward in the line.
    “Hey, I was just teasing you.” Tanner spoke softly.
    I felt silly for getting so angry. Why did I keep letting him get under my skin. It didn’t matter what he thought about my relationship with Isaac. I knew the truth.
    “I know.” I smiled at him as we stepped to the counter to order.
    After Tanner and I bought sodas and popcorn, we headed into the theatre. Janna and Rick had planned this evening and they chose one of those vampire love stories. Not my favorite, but it beat a sitcom on my bunny-eared television. I settled into one of the springy chairs with popcorn in my lap. As I munched on the buttery kernels, I relaxed. It was fun being out with friends. I glanced over at Tanner’s profile, blue light from the screen flickering over his cheek. He still seemed agitated