Loose by Coo Sweet Read Free Book Online Page A

Grace was an earthy looking woman in her late 30's. Her casual business slacks and stylish fitted blouse accentuated her trim body. Sonnet studied Jasmin from the kitchen doorway. 
     
    “Morning, baby. How're you doing? Nervous about school?” She walked over and kissed the top of Jasmin’s head. Sonnet raised a hand to smooth her daughter’s ornery tresses, but she had second thoughts and dropped her hand instead. 
     
    “Nah, I'm good. You nervous about it?”
     
    Sonnet poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a seat across from Jasmin at the table. 
     
    “Please. You know your mama has nerves of steel. Anyway, what's there to be nervous about? The fact that you're going to a high school with more people than the entire population of the town we just moved from? Pffft! Piece of cake. I can handle it.” 
     
    Sonnet rustled through the sections of the newspaper and laid the pages out on the table when she found the one she was looking for. 
     
    “Mom, there's nothing to worry about. This'll be an adventure for me; A chance to explore different things; Meet new people. I'll be fine.” 
     
    “Will you really? Everybody here seems so...I don't know...serious. They don't smile, don't speak. That's not us. What was I thinking, Jas? Bringing us here?” 
     
    Jasmin reached across the table. She grabbed her mother's hand. 
     
    “You can't be serious, Mom. You're writing for one of the biggest papers in the country. This is your dream. Besides, after the mess with Dad what choice did you have? I sure didn't want to stay back there.” 
     
    Sonnet clasped Jasmin's hand in hers. 
     
    “I didn't bring us here to get away from your dad, Jasmin. You know that. ” 
     
    “Oh, right. I forgot. The separation was his idea, not yours.” 
     
    “So you’re still mad, huh?” 
     
    “Aren't you?” 
     
    “Honestly? No. Too many other things I need to be right now.” 
     
    “You still love him?” 
     
    Sonnet peered into her coffee cup. She twirled it between her hands and looked up at Jasmin with misty eyes.
     
    “We had a lot of great years together, honey. And we had you. That counts for something. I can't just erase what's written on my heart.” 
     
    “Huh. I could! He cheated on you, Mom!” 
     
    “And he was wrong for that. But he's human, Jas. We all make mistakes. I’m sure I wasn’t always a perfect wife.” 
     
    “So you'd take him back? After everything he did?” 
     
    “Love's complicated, baby. There's no rule book to tell you how things are supposed to go. I honestly don't know what I would do. But I'm not counting anything out. There's no shame in giving someone a second chance.” 
     
    “Yeah? Well, maybe there is for me.” 
     
    “I hope you don't really mean that, Jas.”  Sonnet rose from the table. She took a long sobering look at her daughter. Then she smiled wistfully and left the room.
      
    A cacophony of voices, a symphony of industrial kitchen appliances running, and sappy Muzak filled the air in the high school cafeteria. Sage and Peyton shared a mound of fries and intense conversation. 
     
    "Quit bugging me, man. You can slobber over the details later. I don't want my business in the streets," said Sage. 
     
    "Aww, that's cold. How’re you going to hold out on me like that? I'm the one who hooked you up, Sage!” 
     
    “Uh, yeah, don't remind me." 
     
    Peyton’s eyes narrowed. He leaned in toward Sage making sure he wouldn’t miss a word of the details. 
     
    "Why? What happened?" Peyton’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, but the inquisition was sand-bagged for the moment.
     
    Jasmin walked up to their table. Both boys swallowed the words sitting on their tongues. They gave her their undivided attention.
     
    Peyton sat up straight and puffed his chest out in a bid to catch her eye first. He obviously missed the mark because Jasmin zoned right in on Sage instead. 
     
    "Hi. Sorry to interrupt, but where are the pay