Just One Reason by Kirsten DeMuzio Read Free Book Online Page B

hands away.  Her shoulder length brown hair swirled around her face as she looked from Josh to me.
    Josh glanced nervously at me, trying to gauge whether my head was about to explode.  He sighed, “Remember when we first started dating and Grady was with that girl.  We never met her, but he spent all his time with her that summer…that was Lindsay.”
    Recognition dawned on her face as Leah pursed her lips and studied me.  I could tell she was struggling with reconciling the heartless bitch who had broken my heart with her new friend, who I’m sure she got along great with.  Because that’s what Lindsay was - a two faced, manipulative bitch who could make you love her, right up until she stabbed you in the back.
    Leah patted the center of my chest where she had been poking.  “I’m sorry, Grady.  I didn’t know.  But have you thought about trying to talk to her?  Because the girl who I spen t the day with and who just left here shaking and sobbing doesn’t seem like the type of girl to callously stomp on your heart.  Maybe there’s more to the story.”
    Lindsay was crying?  I shoved that thought aside.  I wouldn’t feel bad for her.
    “Just drop it, Leah,” I growled at her, earning me a glare from Josh.   I rolled my eyes.  If any woman could take care of herself it was Leah.
    She held up her hands in surrender.  “Fine.  I’ll drop it.  For now.  But the next time you see Lindsay, I expect you to apologize.  And you’re buying me dinner tonight since you ran off my friend.  Ford!  Get over here.  I need food - now!”
    Dinner I could do.  Apologize to Lindsay?  Over my dead body.  She should be the one apologizing to me.
    Ford plunked three shot glasses full of whiskey down in front of me and took our orders.  By the time the food arrived, the whiskey had done its job and thoroughly mellowed me out.  Josh and Leah left shortly after we ate, but I stayed put at the bar, shot glass in hand.
    “You want to talk about it?”  Ford asked grudgingly.  It was part of the job as a bartender to listen to people’s problems.  Ford was not your typical bartender and went out of his way to avoid conversation.  But he was my friend, and as much as it pained him to ask, he gave me a chance to talk if I wanted to.  But I didn’t.
    “Nah, man.   Just keep refilling this shot glass, and I’m good.”  He nodded with relief.  I think we had all changed in the last five years, but Ford was having the hardest time dealing with how his life turned out.
    The pub was packed, as was normal for a Saturday night, and I let the nois e and alcohol keep me occupied so I didn’t give in to the urge to go find Lindsay.  She was all grown up and even more beautiful than before.  Shimmering beneath the anger was an urge to pull her into my arms and make up for lost time.
    The one good thing about seeing her was I had a new image of her in my mind.  Now that I was twenty four, picturing a sixteen year old Lindsay every time I had sex was bordering on creepy and illegal.
    “What are you smiling about?”  Ford asked as he refilled my shot glass.  I was about to reply with a detailed description that I’m sure he wouldn’t appreciate but his normal scowl deepened as he glanced over my shoulder.
    Out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of blonde hair right before I felt a hand on my back.  Turning slowly so I didn’t fall off the bar stool in my inebriated state, I locked eyes with Shelly Hayes.  Well, shit.  Shelly was a waitress at the pub and was pretty much the town slut.  Her tits were as fake as her bottle blonde hair.  But for tonight, she would do.
    “Hi, Grady .  I’m done with my shift, and it looks like you could use some company,” she purred near my ear, pressing her tits against my arm.
    Ford leaned on the bar and said, “Leave him alone, Shelly.  He’s having a bad night.”
    That challenge only made her push closer against me and start tracing circles on the