Halfling (Black Petals Book 1) by Tarisa Marie Read Free Book Online Page A

I like to have a beer with my supper.”
    “It’s like that stuff pregnant ladies can drink?” I ask. I don’t get what the point of non-alcoholic beer is.
    He looks at me as if I’m making a joke and laughs. “Yeah, I guess so.”
    “What’s the point? If you’re going to drink, don’t you want to feel the effects?” I roll over onto my side, so I can face him better.
    “Some people, believe it or not, drink because they like the taste and not just to get drunk. I take it you’re not one of those people.” His expression is amused.
    “I drink when I’ve had a bad day,” I admit sheepishly. “My mom’s an alcoholic, so I guess some of that must’ve rubbed off on me.”
    “As long as you don’t let it run your life or ruin your health, I see nothing wrong with a few beers on the odd ‘bad day’,” he agrees lightly. “As for me, I like one with my supper. I’d think that being around your mom’s alcoholism would turn you away from alcohol though. Aren’t you scared to end up like her?”
    “A beer a day probably doesn’t keep the doctor away,” I tease him with a small giggle. “And no, because I would never let myself become like her. She’s in jail right now. She was drunk driving and killed some kids.”
    He winces at my words.
    “Yeah, anyways, isn’t drinking a beer a day pretty unhealthy?”
    “Well, the way I see it, we only have so long to live anyway, right? Why not enjoy the time we have instead of wasting it doing things we don’t really like. Like eating cabbage and broccoli.”
    “How can you say that? You’re a doctor.”
    He bites his cheek for a moment in thought. “Well, I’d rather live a short, happy life than a long, unhappy one, wouldn’t you?”
    “I guess so,” I decide after a moment of contemplation.
    “Exactly.”

Chapter 3
     
     
     
     
    “Rise and shine, time to check your head again,” Crispen shouts in a voice far too enthusiastic for the time of day. I open my eyes to the dim light of the sunrise and Crispen’s face right in the middle of it.
    “Ugh,” I groan, “Do I have to get up?”
    “Yes, unfortunately,” he murmurs through a smile.
    I notice that he’s wearing new clothes. He must’ve changed sometime during the night. He asks me a few questions and shines that stupid light in my eyes again before concluding that I’m still fine.
    “I’m fine. I’m starting to think that you just used checking on me as an excuse to stay overnight at my house,” I pry, taking a sip of water from the glass on the coffee table and swallowing my pills.
    When he doesn’t answer right away, I turn and look at him kneeling on the floor in front of me and smirking wickedly.
    “You’re joking?” I ask, but it sounds more like a statement than a question.
    When his smirk doesn’t falter, I grab a pillow from the end of the couch and whack him across the head with it using all of my might. We spent the entire night talking and watching stupid comedy movies that I don’t think either of us enjoyed all that much. I slept for only a few hours, and only because my medication finally knocked me out around three in the morning. Take it from me, it’s pretty tough to sleep when you know someone is going to be watching you all night. I guess it’s better than getting watched by someone else though, and maybe even murdered. Not even the medication was enough to make me pass out for the majority of the night and morning. I hate people watching me sleep as much as I hate them watching me eat.
    “Are you serious?!” I demand. I should probably be angry, but for some reason, I’m not. I’m actually relieved, thankful and maybe even enamored . I don’t think anyone in my entire life has shown me such care, including my own mother. 
    “Maybe it was a little of both. I wanted to get to know you better, and you do need to be under supervision, but as for the deal I made you about not having to stay overnight in the hospital, it wouldn’t have hurt to send