Every Last Promise by Kristin Halbrook Read Free Book Online Page A

and gave it to him.”
    â€œWhy do they even hang out together?” I said. Steven McInnis wasn’t that well-liked, except for when he was with Jay.
    â€œThe great football brotherhood,” Jen said. Her voice lowered dramatically and she waved her hands in the air. “Once, they would have gathered naked in great Roman coliseums and wrestled to the death. Bloodbaths of honor. Now, they hide under layers of padding and throw a stupid ball across a field.”
    â€œShame how things have changed. They used to get all oiled up, too,” Selena said over our laughter. “Gleaming muscles. Ooh yes. Now we’re lucky if guys don’t smell like hogs.”
    I snorted. “You watch too many gladiator movies. I’m pretty sure those ancient guys were ripe, too. Deodorant wasn’t invented back then.”
    â€œLucky for girls back then, body spray wasn’t invented, either. I hate when guys douse themselves in that stuff. Yuck.” Jen shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth and unscrewed a bottle of nail polish.
    â€œI prefer a little smelly to oily and naked.” Bean wrinkled her nose. “But mostly, I wouldn’t want to see their . . . things flinging all over the place when they wrestled. Ew .”
    â€œYour imagination is lacking.” Selena giggled and reached over me to tickle Bean in the ribs. “I just wouldn’t want to see the junk of anyone around here. But gladiators? Oh yes. Give me a real man any day.”
    â€œBlah, blah, college guys. Yeah, we’ve heard it before. This town isn’t a complete wasteland of boys,” I said, shoving Selena back in her place. A half-popped kernel stuck in my teeth and I paused to dig it out.
    â€œAre you talking about T. J.?” Selena said. “Hotness is not everything.”
    â€œWorks for now.” I shrugged. “Not like I’m trying to find my soul mate and settle down or anything.”
    â€œWhat about Jay? I can imagine him in some kind ofgladiatorial combat,” Selena said.
    Jen scowled at the way her nail polish brush skipped across her finger messily. “Can we not talk about my brother and oil at the same time? I’m going to puke.”
    â€œYou two would be cute together,” Selena continued, nudging Bean. “He keeps sitting next to you at lunch.”
    â€œSeriously?” Bean gave Selena an incredulous look. “He just barely broke up with Hailey. It’s like second degree of separation spit swapping.”
    â€œGross,” I agreed.
    Jen blew on her nails to dry them and looked at us. Saying nothing.
    â€œThis town needs some new blood.” Selena sighed. “Did you happen to invite anyone I don’t know to your party, Jen?”
    â€œI invited everyone who matters.” Jen frowned at her nails and reached for a cotton ball to wipe off the red polish.
    â€œSo, same old, same old, then,” Selena said.
    â€œThere are some nice guys around here,” Bean said. “What about Noah Michaelson? Didn’t you say you invited him, Kayla?”
    Selena pulled her shoulders a few inches off the floor so she could give Bean the evil eye. “He’s weird. Does he ever say a word to anyone? I don’t think you actually love me anymore.”
    â€œYou’re one to talk. Didn’t you just suggest Jay—” She broke off, her smile fading and her glance flicking up at Jen.
    â€œOh Jesus,” Jen said, choosing a new nail polish color. “It’s not like I don’t know the truth about my own brother. Even if he wasn’t my brother, I’d never date him.”
    That strange, heavy silence fell over us again. Selena finally broke it by grabbing the remote and pointing it at the TV. “This movie is crap. Let’s dance.”
    The quick inhale of air the rest of us took left me light-headed for a moment. I ran upstairs for my laptop and put on my dance playlist, then sat on the couch next