Love Blind by C. Desir Read Free Book Online Page B

waiting on the porch for me, arms crossed, leaning against one of the posts. Exactly like she said she’d be doing for at least the next two weeks. Special torture treatment after my weekend.
    Frickin’ brilliant.
    The bike slowed just past me, and I smelled citrus. Then a flash of green caught my eye as he stopped in the driveway in front of Rox’s pottery shop.
    â€œKyle! The shoes!” He was actually wearing them. After that morning, I’d sort of thought he might not, and honestly it would have really pissed me off. It wasn’t the easiest job to goin search of the perfect Kyle shoes—especially because I didn’t know him all that well with the whole barely talking thing he had going on. And they’d pretty much wiped this month’s allowance.
    â€œYeah. Uh.” He turned to face me.
    â€œNow you need to scuff the shit out of them, okay? Otherwise you’ll look like a total poseur.” Even I could see how bright the rubber was. Not good.
    His eyes almost, almost met mine, but he stared down again.
    â€œSo, you like ’em?”
    He started to scuff, a black mark from our driveway marring the pristine rubber. “They’re the color of your glasses from that night.”
    I grinned. A whole sentence. Aces. “Yeah. Funny. These seemed like good Kyle shoes. They’re one of those limited-edition Converse colors.”
    â€œHuh.” Silence. Painful, awkward silence.
    â€œYou’ve got some serious issues, Kyle. I’m cool with this. People with issues are good. I need to surround myself with people crazier than me. You’re totally a safe bet.” I reached out and punched his arm.
    He didn’t react.
    Unfortunately, Tess and Mira only dressed like they had issues—most of their act was bullshit, but they could both play, so I let it slide. Kyle seemed to be pretty seriously messed up.
    We definitely had to be friends. Even quiet, he wasn’t boring.
    â€œWait.” I looked up and down the street. “You don’t normally go home this way, do you?”
    His eyes widened a bit before he stared at the ground again, and his head shook once.
    WORDS. I had to get the guy to use some words .
    Rox cleared her throat. “No friends, Hailey.” And she even used her authority voice.
    Hell.
    â€œThis is Acquaintance Kyle, but I think maybe almost Friend Kyle. You don’t need to worry about him. He’s, like, one of the good guys. I mean . . .” I narrowed my eyes at him and leaned in ’cause I knew it made him uncomfortable. “There could be an ax murderer in there somewhere, but he did leave the awesomeness of Portugal. The Man early when I couldn’t find Tess.”
    That comment, and the shoes, were about as much thank-you as he was going to get from me, so I figured a bit of flattery couldn’t hurt. I also knew I made him uncomfortable. I wasn’t blind enough not to see that. Probably I shouldn’t have enjoyed making him squirm.
    Rox sighed. “Thank you again, Kyle.”
    â€œNo problem.”
    I let my gasp be heard. “Really? ‘No problem’ to her and a series of head shakes for me? Wait. You came home this way to show me you had the shoes on.” It was good. Great. “Thatwas very awesome of you, Kyle.” I slugged him on the shoulder again. “You’re, like, blossoming already.”
    â€œI gotta get home.” He started to push off.
    â€œWait.” I jogged a few steps so he couldn’t get too far away. “The list?”
    â€œUh.”
    I touched his forearm and he shrank back. Serious issues. “The list. In or out?”
    â€œI’m in,” he mumbled before he started pedaling as if he’d robbed a bank.
    Though a bike was a pretty dumbass way to rob a bank. Still, it was a cool picture. Kyle, in his bright green shoes, money bags on his back, cops chasing him. And he was in. I was going to get to learn a lot