I Am Yours (Heartbeat #3) by Faith Sullivan Read Free Book Online Page B

touching mine. His breath hitches when we connect. But I’m determined to get through this. He deserves to know the truth. I can’t keep lying to him.
    “No, I’m serious, Adam. I’ve been dreaming about you for months.” I drag my fingers nervously through my hair. “I was just as startled to see you yesterday as you were to see me.”
    His demeanor undergoes a rapid change as he jumps to his feet, dragging the sheet with him. He roughly jerks the shade and it snaps up to the ceiling, filling the room with light. He stands there, looking out, not saying a word. He rests his arm on the pane and I see the muscles in his back ripple.
    “Is this some kind of joke?” he asks bitterly. The deadness in his voice frightens me. It’s like he’s giving up. “Because if it is, you have one twisted sense of humor.”
    “It’s not a joke, Adam. I swear. It’s not.” I pad across the carpet to stand behind him, but I’m too afraid to touch him. “I planned on telling you sooner. I was just scared that I’d freak you out.”
    “Why is this is happening?” He moans, beating his fist against the glass. “I thought I was finally going to get some answers, and all I’m left with is more questions.”
    “We’ll figure them out together. I promise.” Delicately, I slide my hand under his hair, giving the nape of his neck a gentle squeeze. “You’re not alone in this anymore.” He sighs heartily, relaxing into my fingers. “I refuse to rest until we get to the bottom of it.”
    Turning around, his blue eyes bore into mine before he lowers his head, giving me the softest kiss imaginable. It carries with it no expectation—only hope.

Chapter Ten
Jada
    I should be on a bus heading back to Pennsylvania. Instead, I’m perched on a sand dune, wearing a hoodie and sweating profusely under the noontime sun. I can’t bring myself to walk away—not yet. I have to witness the deed firsthand before I’ll believe that Adam’s safe. He’s definitely not my favorite person at the moment, but my protective instincts are on high alert. I have to make sure this happens, for his sake.
    I crouch lower, shielding the burn on my face as well as to avoid being seen. They’re all aligned under a canopy, waiting for Kelly’s big entrance. Brian is standing barefoot on the packed sand close to the waves. His white pants are cuffed at the bottom and he’s wearing a pair of Ray-Bans. His jaw is tight and his posture is rigid as the wind ripples the lapel of his satin vest. The minister is trying to make small talk with him, but it’s like he’s purposely tuning him out. I can’t tell if it’s the effects of his hangover or if Brian’s normally this rude.
    The O’Malleys are chatting with another middle-aged couple, most likely Kelly’s parents. They’re all dressed a little too formally for the occasion as Mrs. O’Malley empties the sand out of one of her high-heeled pumps while holding on to her husband’s arm. It would be comical if I felt like laughing, but I don’t.
    As if on cue, a dreadlocked ukulele player begins to strum the opening chords of Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March,” officially kicking off the ceremony. I allow myself to exhale a tiny bit. So far, everything’s going off without a hitch. Adam’s almost in the clear.
    And it’s as if my thinking about him makes him appear. I don’t even notice Katie on his arm as they step out of a side tent. He’s all I see. His hair is slicked back with the elastic band I gave him weeks ago, and I feel such a profound sense of remorse that I have to look away for a minute. He was so close to being mine. If we didn’t take this trip, who knows what might have developed between us?
    His face is freshly shaven and his tan skin looks amazing against his white gauzy shirt. A pair of khaki shorts accentuates his long legs, and he has to duck to make it under the canopy. He’s still the lanky guy who first made me swoon while strutting around campus, but seeing him