Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult Read Free Book Online

choice. They were pushed farther back by the heaving throng of people until they were standing underneath a highway tunnel. It was long and dark, and they could not see a thing. “I can’t believe this,” Nicholas said, and just as he was wondering how things could possibly get worse, a convoy of helmeted bikers cut him off, one ten-speed running over his left foot.
    â€œAre you okay?” Paige asked, touching his shoulder as he hobbled around and winced at the pain. In the background, Nicholas heard the beginning bursts of fireworks. “Jesus Christ,” he said.
    Beside him, Paige leaned against the damp concrete wall of the tunnel. She crossed her arms. “Your problem, Nicholas,” she said, “is that you always see the glass half empty instead of half full.” She turned to stand in front of him, and even in the darkness he could see the bright glow of her eyes. From somewhere came the whistle of a Roman candle. “That’s a red one,” Paige said, “and it’s climbing higher and higher, and now—there—it’s shimmering across the sky and falling like a shower of hot sparks from a soldering iron.”
    â€œFor God’s sake,” Nicholas muttered. “You can’t see a thing. Don’t be ridiculous, Paige.”
    He had snapped at her, but Paige only smiled. “Who’s being ridiculous?” she said. She moved in front of him and placed her hands on his shoulders. “And who says I can’t see a thing?” she said.
    Two loud booms sounded. Paige turned so that her back was pressed against him and they were both staring at the same blank tunnel wall. “Two circles exploding,” Paige said, “one inside the other. First blue streaks and then white streaks reaching over them, and now, just as they’re fading, little silver spirals are showing up at the edges like dancing fireflies. And here’s a fountain of gold spouting like a volcano, and this one is an umbrella, raining tiny blue spots like confetti.”
    Nicholas felt the silk of Paige’s hair beneath his cheek; the tremble of her shoulders when she spoke. He wondered how one person’s imagination could possibly hold so much color. “Oh, Nicholas,” Paige said, “this is the finale. Wow! Huge bursts of blue and red and yellow splashing over the sky, and just as they’re fading, the biggest one yet is exploding—it covers everything-it’s a huge silver fan, and its fingers are stretching and stretching, and they hiss and they sizzle and fill the sky with a million new glowing pink stars.” Nicholas thought he could listen to Paige’s voice forever. He pulled her tightly against him, closed his eyes, and saw her fireworks.

    â€œI won’t embarrass you,” Paige said. “I know which one is the salad fork.”
    Nicholas laughed. They were driving to his parents’ home for dinner, and Paige’s understanding of table etiquette had been the last thing on his mind. “Do you know,” he said, “you are the only person in the world who can make me forget about atrial fibrillation?”
    â€œI’m a girl of many talents,” Paige said. She looked at him. “I know the butter knife too.”
    Nicholas grinned. “And who taught you all these grand things?”
    â€œMy dad,” Paige said. “He taught me everything.”
    At a red light, Paige leaned out the open window to catch a better glimpse of herself in the side mirror. She stuck out her tongue. Nicholas looked appreciatively at the white curve of her neck and the tips of her bare feet, curled beneath her. “And what other things did your father teach you?”
    Nicholas smiled as Paige’s face lit up. She counted off on her fingers. “Never to leave the house without eating breakfast,” she said, “to always walk with your back to a storm, to try to steer into a skid.” She straightened her