Lost to You by A. L. Jackson Read Free Book Online Page B

Elizabeth tossed her napkin to her plate. “That was really good. Are you finished?”
    I nodded. “Yeah,” then mumbled, “Thanks,” when she grabbed my plate.
    “Thank you for dinner,” she countered with a grin as she got to her feet.
    While Elizabeth rinsed our plates in the sink, I stuffed the empty containers and garbage in the plastic bag left discarded on the floor, tied the handles in a knot so it wouldn’t spill.
    Stuffed, I lay back with my feet flat on Elizabeth’s floor. A minute later, Elizabeth crawled to her bed, her sweet face passing above mine as she climbed up to lean against the wall. She drew her knees up to her chest.
    Releasing my satisfaction in a sigh, I patted my stomach, feeling relaxed after the long week of classes and studying.
    It was cool it was this way between us, without expectations, just quiet and ease.
    I glanced up to the left and caught Elizabeth staring down at me. Red flooded her cheeks, and she dropped her chin.
    Or maybe there were.
    I turned away because I didn’t want her to be uncomfortable with me there. “So what do you think of New York now that you’ve been here for a while? Living up to all those childhood fantasies?” I asked toward her ceiling.
    “Sure...more stressful than I thought, but fantasies are always that way, aren’t they? A little disappointing?”
    “I suppose.”
    “I just can’t wait for winter.” Excitement surfaced in her voice.
    “Why?”
    She released this little surprised sound, as if I should have already known exactly what she was talking about. “Christian...the tree and ice skating at Rockefeller Center.”
    If it wasn’t so out of character for her, I would have sworn she’d added a little duh at the end.
    I squinted up behind me, looking at her upside down. “Ice skating? Are you joking, Elizabeth? You come all the way to New York City, and the one thing you’re excited to do is go ice skating? You have to be the biggest nerd I’ve ever met,” I teased.
    Her face puckered in offense, before her mouth dropped open with it. It was cute. Really cute.
    “ Nerd ,” I mouthed, unable to stop myself from provoking her more.
    Her mouth dropped open farther, and I struggled to keep from laughing, but I couldn’t hold it in when Elizabeth suddenly lunged at me, her little fingers coming out to jab me in the sides. “Nerd, huh? Well you”—she did her best to tickle me, to dig her fingers in, while I did my best at shielding myself—“are...a...jerk.”
    I crossed my arms over my chest, splayed my hands out to try to deflect her assault. Her hair fell all around my face, the weight of her tiny body pressed over mine. We were both convulsing with laughter and exertion. Her eyes were all soft and playful, and I was thinking how damned good it’d feel to kiss her right now. Would one kiss really make that much a difference? Change this dynamic? Steal her from me?
    As if those questions had just played across my face, Elizabeth jerked away, tucking her hair back behind both ears as she straightened herself.
    I kind of smiled at her as she slinked back. Then in a flash, she snuck up and slapped me on the stomach. “Jerk.”
    “Ow!” I clutched my stomach, searching for air since she’d knocked it from me, laughed some more. “Not cool, Elizabeth. That was a cheap shot.”
    “You deserved it,” she said, laughing as she scooted up the bed, grabbing the remote to flip on the television
    I sat up on the edge of the bed, turned around, and plucked the remote from her hand. She had one coming.
    “Hey.” She grappled for it, and I just shook my head.
    “Don’t even think about it. This is mine.” Smug, I turned back toward the television, leaned with my elbows on my knees and began flipping through the stations.
    “Just for that, you’re going ice skating with me,” she mumbled, almost so low I couldn’t hear her.
    But I did.
    “Not a chance, Elizabeth.”
    She toed me in the rib, this playful thing that took my