Glass Hearts by Lisa de Jong Read Free Book Online Page A

waist, pulling her into my body. “I don’t like you walking around like this in front of my brother, or any man for that matter.” I move my hands up to rub her bare shoulders. Even in the moonlight, I can see her blush. “Wait right here. I’ll be back in two minutes.”
    She taps her index fingers on my nose. “Tell Nolan I said goodnight then. I don’t want him to think I’m mad at him about taking my ice cream.”
    “I love you,” I say, brushing my lips against her cheek.
    “I love you, too.” I’m determined more than ever to help Nolan. I want him to have what I have some day. I want him to experience this type of love with someone and have it become his new drug.

Before we went to bed last night, Dane warned me that Nolan would be going through withdrawals this morning. I’ve never been around an addict, so I have no idea what to expect.
    One thing I definitely wasn’t expecting was to wake up alone in the apartment with Nolan this morning. Dane left a note on the kitchen counter saying he had gone to get us coffee and would be back soon. He probably figured Nolan would be sleeping for a while yet, and he’d be able to get there and back before he woke up.
    I have no idea what time Nolan went to bed last night, but it had to have been long after Dane and I. We ate dinner in bed, before turning out the lights and talking for a couple hours. Dane went out to check on him one more time before we fell asleep and said he was sketching with a pencil which, I guess, is something he likes to do when he has the energy to let out.
    Panic starts to rise in my chest the moment I see Nolan tossing and turning on the couch. When he sits up, I can tell he’s not feeling well because sweat is rolling down his forehead, and his face is pale.
    “Do you want some aspirin?” I ask, trying to help ease the pain. I don’t know what to say to him, or what to do; it’s not like we’ve ever had a productive conversation.
    He winces. “All I need right now is silence. Don’t fucking talk. Please.” I head toward the kitchen to get him some water anyway. He looks like crap, and I consider making him some breakfast, but the more I look at him, the more I doubt he’ll eat it. And if he did, he probably wouldn’t be able to keep it down. I hand him a glass of water and sit down on the chair on the opposite side of the room, trying to decide what to do next.
    The room is quiet for several minutes before I decide to get up and take a shower. I can’t take the awkward silence any longer, and the way he keeps looking over at me with his brows pinched together is making me extremely uncomfortable. Plus, I need to get ready before Dane gets back. I’m hoping today will bring me my first job, but the confidence I had when I started yesterday is gone. The lady at the boutique made me feel like a nothing yesterday. I know I have no real job experience. I know I’ve never worked with money before. Most of all, I realize that she took one look at me and assumed I didn’t need a job.
    Dane offered to take care of me, but it isn’t about food or having a roof over my head. It’s about proving to myself that I can stand on my own two feet without having someone there to hold me up. It’s about proving to myself that I’ve come a long way, and even if I have no one, I can make it.
    Today I choose a pair of light blue jeans and a sleeveless white blouse to wear on my job search. I tried to accomplish too much yesterday by wearing a nice dress and heels. I need to scale it down to get the type of job I’m looking for. More than that, I need to look like someone who needs a job.
    Dane still isn’t home when I walk out of the bedroom, but Nolan is sitting on the couch looking agitated. He looks like he wants to be anywhere but here and I want to help him, but I have no idea where to start.
    “Are you feeling any better?”
    He doesn’t bother looking up at me as he shakes his head. I try to picture Dane like this. It’s hard