Take Heart by Lauren Smith Read Free Book Online

embrace, and cup her face in my hands. “I don’t want this to ruin our friendship. That was one of my concerns early on, but you assured me that you knew what you wanted, and that didn’t include a relationship with me. I don’t want to hurt you.”
    Her shoulders sag in defeat.
    “I know you never meant to hurt me, Chase. But having said that, I need some space. With the way I feel, I can’t be your friend right now.”
    She chews her bottom lip in contemplation, but not even that distraction can mask the hurt in her eyes. “I think you should go,” she says definitively.
    This is how we are. We’re blunt and honest and we aren’t the types to hold grudges. When I argue with her, it’s like having an argument with Eric; we say what we need to say, and then it’s done. In my experience, most women aren’t like that. They argue everything to death, throw it back in your face, and then hold it over your head for the next ten years of your life.
    Christa spins and sulks, walking into the apartment. Then she turns back around to face me. “I really hope you know what you’re doing. Goodnight, Chase.”
    “Goodnight, Christa.”
    The door starts to close, but I stick my hand against it and lean in. “For the record, the lingerie is smoking hot on you.”
    The tiniest of smiles appears. “Eat your heart out, Chase Williams.”
    Knowing all too well that I deserve that comment, I simply smile and push myself off the doorframe. My mood is slightly lifted. I hope Christa and I can work things out down the road. She really is a cool chick to hang with, but now that I’ve cut ties with her sexually, my conscious is clear when it comes to a certain girl whose text messages I keep repeating over and over in my head. Monday night can’t come soon enough.

FIVE
    a     m     e     l     i     a
     
    Procrastination is one vicious bitch. It’s officially Monday morning and I still haven’t unpacked. I haven’t responded to any of my mom’s messages from Saturday morning, either. If I ignore her, then I can pretend the problem will go away on its own. Duck and dodge: that’s my motto. If a tornado is heading your way, you wouldn’t eagerly prance into it with arms wide open, would you? No. You duck and take cover. Or, if you're feeling especially zealous and a tad suicidal, you run like hell.
    Since I spent the majority of my weekend watching old movies with Raven and shamelessly stuffing my face with ice cream and beer, I decide it’s time to start being productive. Raven already left for class over an hour ago, so she’s definitely one step ahead of me in that department. I grab my phone off the nightstand, and leisurely stroll across the hall into her room to use her stereo system. If I’m going to do mind-numbing, back-breaking labor (i.e. unpacking), then I’m going to at least listen to some good music to make it a little more bearable.
    I’m thoroughly convinced that a good song can make anything seem less painful. Music has always been a huge part of my life, and I have my dad to thank for that. Music has the power to speak to the soul, to express how you’re feeling at any given moment. It speaks for you even when you can’t speak for yourself. It’s a language all it’s own. I’d go as far to say that it’s essential to extending the human lifespan. Can you honestly imagine a world without music? I think our souls would slowly wither away and die. I know mine would.
    Growing up, Dad used to have a record player in our living room. It sat next to an old bookcase that housed his large collection of records. He played a lot of The Beatles, Queen, and The Clash—some of his favorites. Subsequently, they became some of my favorites. He used to come home from work, put a record on, and dance with me around the living room before bedtime. I remember being spun around in circles as he belted out the lyrics to whatever song was playing. It was during those moments that I experienced