Pieces of Me by Rachel Ryan Read Free Book Online Page B

sky blue blouse. I leave my hair out flowing around my shoulders, before throwing my bag over my shoulder and grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl for breakfast.
     
    When I walk into the staff room, Jake is sitting at one of the tables staring straight at the door. I give him a smile and head toward my locker. I try to focus on putting my things away but I can feel his eyes on me. Walking over to the fridge, I put my salad tub on the top shelf and close the door. Just as I turn to walk out of the room, Jake appears in front of me.
    “Hey, Abbi. I was just wondering…do you want to meet up after school today and get a drink…do some catching up?”
    Do I? “Um…sure, Jake. Meet me here at three thirty and we can organise something.”
    He flashes me those gorgeous dimples again and says “Great, will do.”
    Stepping around him I tell him I’ll see him later before heading off to my classroom.
     
    At three twenty five I am standing outside the staff room with my bag and books, when I spot Jake walking down the hall toward me. There are still a few students lingering around their lockers and I notice a few girls standing huddled in a group watching Jake and whispering as he walks past them. As he approaches me I give him a smile and nod at the group of girls saying softly “It looks like you’ve already made some friends.”
    He smirks and shrugs his shoulders, “What can I say? I’m irresistible. Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
    We walk out to the staff parking lot and I follow Jake to the far corner where his blue SUV is parked. I guess not everything has changed in six years.
    As he goes to open the passenger side door, I tell him I’ll take my car and he can follow me.
     
    Ten minutes later I pull up in the parking area of a small bar that isn’t far from my apartment and step out of the car, locking it behind me. Jakes SUV pulls in beside me and he grins as he locks up his car and follows me into the bar. Finding a small table near the front window we sit down opposite each other and glance at the drink menu that’s sitting on the table.
    After a minute of awkward silence, Jake stands up to go and get our drinks
    “Do you know what you would like?” I know exactly what I would like and it has nothing to do with a drink, but of course I can’t say that.
    I give him the name of my favourite red wine and he strolls over to the bar.
    Watching him walk away I can’t help but admire the way his jeans sit on his nice, firm butt. As if he can hear my thoughts he suddenly glances back at me and I quickly look away, but not before I see the huge grin on his face. Great, now he’s going to think I’m a dirty perv. I force myself to keep staring through the window to avoid another embarrassing moment until he returns with our drinks.
    “So…what have you been up to for the last four years?” Like I said we were in contact for the first two years, but I have no idea what has been going on in his life since then.
    He shrugs his shoulders and takes a sip of his beer. “I’ve really just tried to focus on my studies. Plus I was working part time in a music shop selling guitars. That was kind of what reminded me about my love of music and eventually I realized that business isn’t really something I’m passionate about, you know? I was only really getting into business ‘cause my dad wanted that for me.”
    Blinking I realize that he has stopped talking. For a second there I was lost in the beautiful dark, chocolate coloured eyes.
    “Your dad would be proud of you. He would be happy that you are doing something you are passionate about.”
    His warm eyes linger on my mouth as I speak, making me rather nervous, so I look away, trying to settle my nerves.
    “What about you? What has been happening in your life over the last four years?”
    Shrugging, I take a sip of my wine and let it swirl around my mouth before swallowing. How do I reply to that question? Do I tell him that I spent the majority of