Swept Away by Nicole O'Dell Read Free Book Online

everyone knows that. You’re seriously going to have to move this along. I’ve got to go.” She held her watch up to Kyle’s face. “I’m about to miss my bus.”
    “Okay.” Kyle shot a quick glance toward the door, then lowered his voice to a whisper. “Deal is, I can get you copies of your midterms. You can study right off the tests themselves, and—”
    “Whoa. Whoa. Stop right there.” Amber held up a hand and started to back out the door. “I want no part of anything like that. Brittany’s my friend, and cheating is wrong. That’s not how I want to win.” Amber turned to hurry away. “I’m going to pretend we didn’t have this conversation.”
    Kyle grabbed her arm as she stepped through the door. “Just remember my offer. She can’t be too much of a friend if she’s willing to fight so hard to take something you clearly need way more than she does. Think about it.”
    Hmm. Could he be right?

Chapter 6
HEARING VOICES
    “Well, well. Don’t you look lovely?” Mom sipped from her coffee cup, leaning forward carefully so she wouldn’t spill on her church clothes—JC Penney knit separates in coordinating mauve and olive green.
    Why doesn’t she get new clothes?
Amber wondered, shaking her head at her mom’s dated and over-worn outfit. Visions of an eggplant ski bunny swooshed in her head.
She could have had three outfits for the price of my new ski clothes
.
    Dad came into the kitchen as Amber spread butter onto her almost-burnt toast. He winked at Amber. “What’s the occasion?”
    “I’m going to church.” She held up her hand to ward off the onslaught of questions and squeals of excitement. “Brittany’s church.”
    Mom deflated a bit, but almost immediately perked up. “That’s great, honey. What brought this on?”
    “I just decided to go. No big deal.”
    “Sounds good, sweetie. Have a good time.” Mom put her cup in the sink and grabbed her out-of-season-and-style white purse.
    “Have fun.” Dad tucked his Bible under his arm and held the door to the garage for his wife.
    That’s it?
Shocked they let it go, Amber hurried to the dining-room window where she could see into the open garage. Her mom and dad stood beside the car giving each other big grins and a huge high-five. Dad made two fists and clenched tightly. Amber could read the
Yes!
on his lips.
    So predictable
. With a smile, Amber returned to the kitchen, shaking her head while she poured cereal into a bowl and added milk.
    She hoped the service wouldn’t be too painful and would pass quickly—they planned to go shopping afterward. Brittany had originally offered to pick her up
after
church for the shopping part. Why hadn’t she agreed to do it that way? She could have slept in and avoided the whole church thing.
    She must be feeling guilty for almost cheating.
    No!
Why would she feel guilty? She told Kyle no, and she meant it.
But I considered it
.
    Nope!
Amber shook her head to clear it of the raging inner battle.
    Glancing at the clock on the microwave, she dumped her milk into the sink and rinsed out her bowl. She dried her hands on the towel next to the sink and glanced out the kitchen window just in time to see the silver Lexus pull into the driveway. The horn lightly sounded. She grabbed her purse and pulled the door shut behind her, checking to make sure she’d locked it.
    She slid into the backseat next to Brittany. “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Kim. Thanks for picking me up.”
    “Is our pleasure, Amber.” Mrs. Kim looked into the backseat and smiled warmly. “We go to church, then Brittany take us home so you go shopping. We take a nap.”
    Mr. Kim laughed along with his wife and turned on the radio.
What nice people
.
    Amber finally turned her attention to Brittany, adorable in a new black cashmere sweater with a tiny turtle pattern. She also had a hot-pink scarf draped across her shoulders—it looked long enough to reach her knees—and a matching pink, black, and green slouchy hat over her silky hair. She