The Agrista (Between the Lines Book 1) by Shannon Lamb Read Free Book Online

much room for indulgences. She had a very feminine figure and mannerisms, but she was far from being curvaceous. A middle-of-the-road body for a middle-of-the-road gal, topped off with muddy brown eyes that matched her pin-straight, shoulder-length hair.
      Her face didn’t have any distinguishing features whatsoever. Nothing that would make her stick out in a crowd, and nothing that would make anyone give her a second look, and no one ever did. Amelia must be driving herself crazy right now trying to figure out how plain ol’ Marie landed such a gorgeous guy.
      Amelia always had better luck attracting men. Marie didn’t consider her to be particularly physically attractive, but she knew how much make up it took to make her beautiful. She was five feet even and slightly overweight, though the extra pounds went straight to her hips and bust, which men seemed to like.
      She was quite pretty, but she always covered it up with oversized glasses and an unruly mop of curly red hair. She tarnished her good looks further by dressing in garishly bright clothes that were either too big or too small, never the appropriate size.
      Although Amelia had many features that would distinguish her from a crowd, she was just as awkward as Marie herself. The main difference between the two of them, however, was that boys seem to swoon over Amelia, and not even realize that Marie existed. It was a dynamic that Marie never quite understood, but over the years learned to ignore, for the most part. It must be pheromones.
      Marie’s eagerness over leaving seemed to dissipate just as quickly as the billowing steam, leaving her alone to face the cold hard truth. Whenever Marie compared herself to other females, she spiraled into a sudden depression and felt less than worthy by the end of her descent.
      She willed away her negative thoughts as she straightened her posture and squared her shoulders. She no longer needed courage to face Alex. She had something else instead. Something that always superseded her overwhelming insecurity: Apathy.
      It was easy for Marie to don a thick skin and will herself not to care what others thought. It often made her appear confident, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.
      If she left with Alex, would things be any different? Would she fall into the same kind of life? Maybe she was the problem. Even if things were different, would she feel any different? Hypothetically, if she went with him and failed at whatever it was she was supposed to do – which was likely – would she at least finally feel something?
      Happiness seemed unattainable. Love, to Marie, was just a joke. She simply wanted to feel something. Anything! She felt like a ghost, watching the world exist around her and never actually making a difference in it.
      Marie headed back to her room and took a seat next to Alex. He’d stayed exactly where she’d left him like an obedient pet. As soon as she snuck a glance at his awe-inspiring physique, her apathy melted away and she felt embarrassed about her appearance all over again. She hoped she would eventually get used to him and not always feel so flustered, though it didn’t seem likely due to his constant state of undress.
      “Sorry to keep you waiting,” she fumbled over her words. “But, um…I’ll be right back!”
      Marie snatched the first set of clean clothes she saw and zipped out of the room. On her way back to the bathroom, she noticed Amelia sprawled out on the loveseat. Her crude outline served as a sudden reminder of what she’d be leaving behind and brought Marie’s responsibilities into sharp focus. How could I be so thoughtless?
      She couldn’t leave Amelia high and dry, or abandon her mother and Lunaroo. She quickly changed into her clothes and let out a deep sigh, knowing what she had to do. She miserably slumped her shoulders and dragged her feet across the hall. She briefly hesitated before turning to Alex with a depleted sigh.
      “I’d