Love & Hate (Book Two: Love) by JJ Dorn Read Free Book Online

find my truck. I’m on a total high. I feel hopefully that maybe, just maybe, swimming will help improve my back. I also am hopeful that my new blossoming friendship with Holden is the exact thing I need to get my mind off Cutter. But of course having shit for luck is the name of my game. As I walk across the parking lot toward my truck I see him across the street walking into the rec center with his gym bag. Thankfully he doesn’t spot me, but seeing him is enough to dash all my happiness in an instant. Will there ever come a time when seeing him won’t affect me or will I live the rest of my life forever scared of laying eyes on him?

    “ I’m full on freaking out here Mills? What do I wear?” I whine as I rapid-fire clothes out of my closet onto my bed. Poor Millie is almost covered by my onslaught of garments.
    “ Calm down. It’s just dinner and movie. Most the time you will be in the dark so just wear something comfy. Jeans and a hoodie?”
    I let her words sink in a second. “Which hoodie?”
    “ Umm….your new teal and gray Northface one.”
    “ Okay. I think I chucked that out here a while ago.” I say now madly rifling through the pile of clothes covering Mills.
    “ Found it!” I hold it up in victory.
    “ Great. Now what jeans?” Millie asks.
    “ Well shit…I don’t know. Ah… this is so stressful.” I pace back and forth.
    “ Alright calm the hell down. It’s just a date no biggie. Here wear these ones; they make your butt look great.” She tosses a pair of skinny jeans from my dresser at my face.
    “ Thanks Mills!” I scream down the hall to her as she makes her escape from my craziness.
    Holden will be here any minute to pick me up and I feel totally unprepared. I am a huge ball of nerves. I know that I need to calm down and just relax but I can’t. I’m not good at this type of thing.
    “ Paige, get your fine ass out here. Holden just pulled up.” Millie calls from the living room.
    “ Be right there.”
    I take a deep breath and try to center myself. This is the first step in moving on I tell myself repeatedly as I walk toward the living room.
    “ Hi Paige. You ready?” Holden says from the doorway. He is dressed in a dark jeans and a sky blue hoodie that compliments his dirty blonde hair perfectly.
“She sure is!” Millie cuts me off before I can even answer him. She hands me my purse that was sitting on the coffee table and lightly pushes me toward the door.
    “ Oh I need my cell phone.” I try to turn back to get it from my room.
    “ Already ahead of you, I put it in your purse. Now you two kids have a fun time. Holden don’t bring her back before two, okay? I have a date myself and we have plans.” With that Millie slams the door shut and locks it. I don’t even know if I have my freaking keys!
    “ Well okay then.” Holden says with his signature bright smile playing on his lips. “Shall we get going?” He says as he opens the passenger door to his SUV.
    I nod and climb in the car.
    “ I hope you like Chinese.”
    “ I love Chinese.”
    “ Great, the place we are going to is a Mom and Pop shop. It is the best Chinese on the East side by far.”
    “ Can’t wait.”

CHAPTER 7
     
    Holden wasn’t lying. The food was amazing at the restaurant he took me too. It was a tiny brick building up on the hillside off-campus. It surprised me how much space there actually was inside and there was even a small water garden in the back part of the restaurant. Holden had recommended I get the lemon or orange chicken. He raved about it and now I know why. It was phenomenal.
    Dinner was going great with Holden. We talked about school and our classes. We also mused about what Millie was possibly up to with her date in that empty house. I found being around Holden was just easy, and that was refreshing.
    As we walk through the packed parking lot of the sole movie theater in Pullman, Holden reaches out and tucks his hand lightly in mine. I instantly smile and get a boost of