LIKE RAIN by Leen Elle Read Free Book Online Page A

upstairs."
    "Oh, I guess I should go then."
    "I thought you were going to a movie with Kyla," I said.
    "I am," he replied. "She's still at my house. I just told her I wanted to come talk to you for a minute."
    "Well, she must be pretty cool if she'll allow that," I said with a smile.
    "Yeah, she is." He waved goodbye and I closed the door. I wondered what Maddy was thinking, seeing all this happening. She would say it wasn't right and Cael and I were just dating other people to hide our true feelings for each other. And maybe she was right, but it didn't look like Cael and I were going to be together anytime soon, if ever. He had someone waiting for him at his house, and I had someone waiting for me upstairs. Whether or not that was supposed to be what was happening, I didn't know. I only knew that was the way it was, and all I could do was go with it.

Chapter Thirteen
     
     
     
    I heard a soft tapping on my bedroom door late that night. I sat up and looked at the clock. It was 2am.
    "Nevaeh? Can I come in?" It was my father.
    "Yes," I said. He opened the door and came in my room I couldn't make out his shape in the dark, but I felt him sit down on the bed next to me. My eyes began to adjust to the light, and I could clearly see his face. His eyes looked serious.
    "I want to talk to you," he said quietly.
    "Okay. About what?" I asked.
    "About Jasmine," he said. I sighed and leaned back against the bed post. I waited for him to continue. "We're getting pretty close."
    "Unfortunately," I mumbled under my breath. He ignored it.
    "I think you should spend some time with her," he said.
    "What?! I don't-," I began to say.
    "Now Nevaeh," he said cutting me off, "I think you need to get to know her.
    "But-"
    "You need to get closer to here if we start thinking about marriage," he said.
    "Marriage!" I screamed. "Who said anything about marriage? You can't marry her!"
    "I know it's a scary thing to think about, but I'm sure you realized that I might some day re-marry," he said.
    "I know that, but her?! How can you possibly want to marry her? She can't be my mother!" This was insane. I couldn't believe what he was telling me. There was no way in hell I could stand having her as my mother.
    "Nevaeh, calm down. This is why I want you to get to know her. I think you'd really like her if you tried to," he said.
    "No way!" I yelled. "There is no way I could ever like her."
    "Well, you're spending the day with her tomorrow."
    "What? Definitely not! I am not going," I protested.
    "Yes you are. Whether you want to or not, you're going. She's taking you shopping and for lunch. She'll be here at 10:30 tomorrow morning so you better be ready. No more complaining."
    "But-"
    "No more complaining," he said sternly. He got up and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. I could not believe what was happening. He couldn't make me go, he couldn't. I was not going to spend the day with her!
    But the next morning I found myself sitting in her car, staring out the window and sulking.
    "Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" Jasmine said.
    "Fun is not the word I was thinking," I mumbled. We got to the mall and Jasmine power-walked to the entrance in her way-too-high, way-too-skinny heels. I could just see her tripping and collapsing on the floor, and I almost wished that it had happened. I had to practically run to keep up with her as we dodged between people and made our way to the first store Jasmine wanted to visit, Bloomingdale's.
    "Um, isn't this a little expensive?" I asked as we made our way through racks of skirts, pants, and blouses.
    "Oh, don't worry about a thing," she said. "A woman can treat herself every once in a while, can't she?" I just rolled my eyes. "Now you go find your section, and I'll just stay right here in the woman's department. Just come find me when you're done," she said.
    I was relieved to get away from her. I didn't even go to my clothing section. I just walked around the store for about 10 or 15 minutes. It