Personal Demons 2 - Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers Read Free Book Online Page B

little bit of a lie. Taylor’s still pretty pissed. But that’s Taylor—not great in the forgiveness category.
    Taylor was the first person I met in Haden, and she’s been the perfect friend for me. We moved here not long after Matt died. I was pretty messed up at the time, so it took me a while to realize that my mom was messed up too. What I know now is that Dad moved us here so Mom could be closer to her parents.
    Anyway, Taylor was just what I needed. Neither of us is big into sharing our feelings or crap like that. Riley came along much later and is kind of our accidental friend. She and all her feelings are dangerous. But I can’t help being happy for her that she’s found “the one.” She always knew he was out there. It’s just too bad for her that it turned out to be Taylor’s brother.
    â€œChase is picking me up too, Mom,” Kate says. I look over what she’s wearing and push away the tinge of jealousy. She’s always totally amazing. In a stroke of universal unfairness, Kate got not only the looks in our family, but also the height. She’s the only one of us sisters to break five-six.
    â€œDon’t his parents get sick of all those parties?” Mom asks.
    â€œNo, they’re good with it. At least they know where all their kids are,” Kate answers.
    Kate’s boyfriend, Chase, is one of ten Gallagher kids, and every high school party since the dawn of time has been in their backyard.
    Maggie bounces in her seat. “I’m going too.”
    Dad points his fork at her and fixes her in a hard gaze. “I don’t think so.”
    â€œBut Roadkill is playing there tonight. Delanie wants me to come,” she whines, turning her pleading eyes on me.
    I pick at the remains of my chicken. “Not up to me, Maggs. Sorry.”
    Dad regards Maggie with his serious hazel eyes. “You’ll have plenty of time for that when you’re older.”
    She pulls a hand through her dark curls and rolls her eyes. “Dad! I’m not a freshman anymore. It’s summer, so I’m a sophomore now.”
    Dad’s gaze becomes even more stern. “Maggie…”
    Maggie jerks back from the table with a shove that nearly knocks over every water glass. At the same instant, two of the three bulbs in the overhead fixture pop loudly and go dark.
    â€œI hate being the youngest!”
    With a stomp of her foot, Maggie storms out of the kitchen as the last bulb pops, leaving us sitting in the dark.
    Dad looks warily up at the fixture, then he pushes back from the table. “I’ll take care of that.”
    The light in the laundry room clicks on and I hear him flipping circuit breakers in the fuse box. He’s back in a minute with new bulbs and climbs onto his chair to change them. “Must be a short circuit somewhere,” he says, stepping off the chair.
    Mom sighs as the kitchen illuminates, then turns a concerned eye on me. “Who’s driving?”
    â€œLuc and Riley.”
    I see the relief in her eyes as she dabs the corners of her mouth with her napkin.
    â€œMom,” I say, exasperated. “I’m not a bad driver.”
    â€œI never said you were, dear.”
    â€œWhatever,” I growl, pushing my chair back and clearing my place.
    I rinse my dishes and finish just as the doorbell rings. I bolt for the door and slide through, smiling up at Luc, who stands on my front porch.
    He grins at me. “Where’s the fire?”
    â€œIn my kitchen.” I step back to admire him, and my heart struggles to keep a rhythm. He looks crazy hot in a sapphire blue button-down, one tail untucked and lying over a pair of faded black jeans.
    â€œYou look…” I can’t finish. There’s not a word. “Nice shirt.”
    â€œIt’s the color of your eyes,” he says, and stops my struggling heart.
    I breathe deep, tear my eyes away from him, and skip down the porch stairs. He