Hush by Micalea Smeltzer Read Free Book Online Page A

you.”
    “Do you want to kill your lungs?”
    “Of course not,” he replied smoothly and laid down on his back.  “But doesn’t everyone have a guilty pleasure?” He winked at me and turned on his side to face me. He propped his head up on his hand. “What’s yours?” he asked.
    “I don’t have one,” I said.
    “Oh come on,” he said, “I know you have one.”
    “Purses.”
    “Purses?” he clarified.
    “Yeah, you know, purses. Those things women carry around all the time full of all their crap. Yeah, that’s my guilty pleasure. It’s a lot healthier than your poisonous death stick,” I said pointing to the offensive white cylinder littering the ground beside the blanket.
    “You’re very opposed to cigarettes,” he commented.
    “My dad died of lung cancer,” I said.
    “Oh.”
    “Yeah, oh.”
    “I see now why you hate them,” he said softly.
    He pulled the pack of cigarettes from his pockets and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. I was surprised when it hit the mark.
    “Now they’re gone,” he shrugged.
    The light caught his hair in that moment and it glowed with indigo highlights.
    “Thank you,” I whispered.
    His violet eyes smiled at me. “Shouldn’t I be thanking you?” he chuckled.
    “Yes you should,” I smiled.
    “My lungs thank you, Sloane,” he said and his British accent became more pronounced. His purple eyes glittered with mirth. The aqua color of his shirt made his skin look like molten honey. His teeth were a blinding white when he smiled. I found myself leaning closer to him. Taking in every beautiful detail of him. I was beginning to learn that despite him being Dev’s brother they were two completely different people. If not for their similar looks no one would know they were brothers.
    Dev was always kind and caring whereas one minute Siva was happy go lucky and the next he walked out on you. Siva was unpredictable. Siva was not safe.
    But Dev was gone.
    And I couldn’t help but think that maybe fate was pushing Siva and me together.
    * * *
    “Oh no! I’ve got to get back,” I cried standing. “April is going to be so mad at me,” I smacked my hand to my forehead.
    Siva began rapidly packing up our picnic and I bent down to help him.
    “I should’ve kept better track of the time,” he said angrily and venom dripped from every word.
    “Siva,” I said and put my hand on his shoulder. He flinched and I removed my hand. “This isn’t your fault.  I was enjoying myself and completely forgot about my responsibilities.”
    “Come on,” he growled. Suddenly the carefree Siva was gone replaced by mercurial Siva. Lovely.
    “Can you just chill for a second,” I said.
    “No,” he growled.
    “What’s your problem?”
    His lip furrowed. “I’m a control freak. I don’t like the unexpected.”
    “It’s not like you didn’t know I had to go back to work,” I said putting my hands on my hips.
    “I need a fucking cigarette!” he yelled tossing the paper bag full of our trash forcefully into the trashcan where he had just dumped his cigarettes.
    My eyes grew wide.
    “Siva,” I hissed. “There are other people here besides ourselves, like children. Can you keep the vulgar language to a minimum please?”
    “Sorry,” he muttered but he didn’t look sorry at all.
    “Sure you are,” I said storming behind him trying to catch up to his long legged stride.
    He forcefully opened and then closed the driver’s side door. I heard the engine start but I was too pissed to climb inside the car with him.
    I saw a taxi sitting empty by the curb.
    I strode up the Porsche, grabbed my purse from the passenger’s seat, and slammed it closed before heading to the empty taxi.
    “Sloane,” I heard behind me.
    “I don’t want to hear it, Siva,” I turned to face the angry man sitting in the polished Porsche, in the polished clothes, with the so-called perfect life. “Thank you for the interesting lunch. It was… enlightening.”
    “Sloane,” he called