Tethered by L. D. Davis Read Free Book Online

that. And I was angry that I didn’t get that kiss. Not because it was something I necessarily wanted, but because it should have been my own decision, not my – whatever Emmet was to me – not his decision.
    “I care about you,” Emmet answered quickly.
    “Not like a sister,” I bit out. “You made that clear.”
    He was quiet for a long moment. And then “No, not like a sister, but you’re too young and too dumb to get it, which is exactly why I won’t be explaining it to you.”
    “You don’t make any sense at all,” I said flatly. “Go check on your sister and go away.”
    I rolled over, turning my back to him. My feelings really were badly hurt by his denying me earlier. After years of calling him my brother, he denied it when it probably could have mattered most.
    I didn’t hear him leave, but I assumed he did. I was mad at him and I was mad at myself for getting drunk with a senior male scumbag like Jorge. I was mad I didn’t get my first kiss. I was mad that it could have been worse than a kiss. I was mad at myself for crying.
    When did I start crying and why?
    “Your first kiss should be with someone who isn’t going to try to get into your pants immediately after,” I heard Emmet say.
    I froze and stiffened. My tears continued to roll down my face, but I didn’t make a noise.
    “I know it doesn’t always happen that way, but that’s what I want for you. And Emmy,” he said more as an afterthought.
    When I didn’t respond, I heard him sigh, and I heard the telltale sound of the door closing as he left.

Chapter Four
    Emmy and I sat on the couch in the family room like mindless zombies, wearing sunglasses, sipping on water and watching mindless television. Occasionally one of us would reach for a saltine and nibble carefully on it. Samantha and Fred left early that morning before we rolled out of bed, thankfully, because then they wouldn’t have had to witness and then question our peculiar behavior. Then again, Sam was good at sniffing things out. From wherever she was, she probably could smell the alcohol in our blood.
    I couldn’t stop thinking about the epic mistake I had almost made with Jorge. He was cute, but that’s about as far as it went. I didn’t want to kiss a boy just because he was cute, and when I considered that he was probably prepared to deflower me…I sighed inwardly. I couldn’t consider it.
    If it was not for Emmet, I could have been in a world of pain and regret instead of just hung over. If I would have listened to him in the first place I wouldn’t even be hung over. If I would have paid attention when Emmet was whispering in my ear…warm breath tickling my ear…arm banded securely around my waist…
    I made a sound of disgust. Emmy looked at me, but I ignored her.
    I was making something out of nothing. Like, really, that whole hand in his hair and his hand on my cheek thing was nothing. Really, it was. I don’t know what he meant about me being too young and dumb to understand. I know I wasn’t the smartest person I knew, but I wasn’t dumb. He was just trying to come up with some excuse for announcing that he wasn’t my brother. Like there was any excuse.
    “Hmph,” I said.
    “What is wrong with you?” Emmy asked me.
    “Nothing,” I said and got to my feet. “I’m going to go skateboard.”
    Em picked up the remote and turned off the television. “Honestly, I don’t know why I even got out of bed.”
    Emmy went back to bed. I went into the garage and grabbed my skateboard. Fred bought me my very own a few years back and Emmet bought me a nice long board last year. Whenever I felt the need to shake my mind of the things that could possibly bother someone my age, I got on my board. Once in a while Emmet joined me, but those times were few and far between as we got older. He was too cool to be caught skateboarding with his kid sister – or kid sister’s friend.
    I was boarding on the street for some time, letting my eyes settle on the pavement