Lost in You by Heidi McLaughlin Read Free Book Online Page A

no.
    “No, but I have an idea.” If her idea is letting go of my hand, I’m not a fan. She stands quickly and walks to the back of the chaise lounge and pulls the top portion down until it’s reclined. She’s back before I can comprehend what is going on. She’s kneeling in front of me, before she sits down. She pulls her dress down as far as it will go. I wonder if she’s cold and wish I could offer her a jacket, but I just have on my dress shirt.
    I watch as she lays down, her eyes on me the whole time. She’s on her side, on the edge, leaving space for me. I unbutton my shirt and pull it off, thankful that I’m wearing a t-shirt underneath. I lay it across her legs before turning on my side to lie next to her. She immediately pulls my hand into hers and sets them between us.
    “The sun is almost up.”
    “That means the night is almost over and I’m definitely not ready.”
    “Me neither,” I say. “Can I try something?”
    “Sure.”
    I sit up slightly and pull her up a bit with me. I slip my arm under her head and she falls into the curve of my elbow. I lie back down and pull her closer until her head is resting on my shoulder. For the first time I’m holding a girl in my arms. Something I’ve only dreamed of.             
    “Is this okay?” I only ask for confirmation. She seems very comfortable with me holding her like this. I know I like it, I just hope she does too. I dread the sun coming up because that means everything ends. At least right now I feel like I’m someone special with her.
    “This is perfect,” she says, wrapping her arm around my waist. I set my head on top of hers and hold on for this emotional ride I’m about take myself on. I already know I’m going to miss her tomorrow when I have to face reality.
    I fight the urge to close my eyes, but it’s a losing battle. I want to prolong this night because I know that when the sun rises, it’s all over and tonight has been one of the best nights of my life. She’s going to go on to her superstar life and I’ll return to the dirt road and house that I share with my parents. School will start and I’ll just be another body in the cesspool of high school. Back to wearing clothes from the second-hand store and eating lunch at a table in the corner.
    Hadley will return the stage and find herself a man that is capable of and deserving of being seen with her. I know I shouldn’t be thinking like this, but I can’t help it. What if… what if I was Hadley’s boyfriend? Images of us standing side by side while she gets her photos taken flood my mind. They call her name and she looks only at me while flashes of white light go off repeatedly.
    Her image quickly changes to dust as realization slaps me in the face. I can never be that guy on her arm. She’d be embarrassed by me. She needs someone who can complement her in every way and that is just something I can’t do.
    Tonight is a fantasy. Something everyone dreams about, but only few can enjoy. No one will ever believe me. Not that I have anyone to tell. Dylan probably knows, but she won’t say anything. Or maybe she will. For all I know she could be jealous that I’ve spent all this time outside with Hadley while she’s been stuck inside. It didn’t escape my attention that only the server came out here. No other fans or her best friend.
    I rest my head upon her and breathe in her scent. I don’t know what perfume she’s wearing and I can’t describe what I smell. I’ve never been this close to a girl to learn all the things I should know about them. Seventeen years old and I’ve never been kissed. You’d think that is something a girl would say, but sadly that is my life. Having Hadley in my arms is surreal. I close my eyes and think about what it would be like to do this every night.

CHAPTER 8
    Hadley
     
     
    I have never felt so warm before in my life. The early summer heat is flickering down on my arms and my back. I open my eyes carefully so the sun