The Lake (The Lake Trilogy, Book 1) by AnnaLisa Grant Read Free Book Online Page B

positive I was the worst first impression he ever had of anyone. As much as I’d love to run from the room right now, I’ll just have to roll with it.
    “So, Mr. Weston tells me you’re going to be a senior at Heyward. Me, too. It’s a pretty small school so I’m sure we’ll have some classes together. I’ll have to introduce you to my friends,” Will says continuing.
    “Oh…yeah.  It’ll be nice to know someone there before school starts.” This makes twice that I have lied to him. I’ve already planned on becoming the weird, reclusive girl at school and I won’t be changing that strategy any time soon.
    “Ah, food! Yes! I’m starving!” Luke gives Claire a quick kiss as he passes by her on his way to the sink to wash his hands.
    “How’s it going?” Claire asks.
    I interrupt before Luke can answer. “What are you doing down there…if you don’t mind me asking?”
    “The basement has been unfinished for years, but we’ve been working on getting it to a livable condition.” Luke smiles an almost sinister smile, like he’s hiding something. ”It’s…a surprise…for you, so don’t go down there until its ready. Ok?”
    “For me? Oh…uh…sure…no problem. There’s plenty of house to explore…and books to read. I’ll find something to occupy me until then.” I say, completely perplexed as to why the basement would be a surprise for me. Surprises are for people you care so deeply about that the idea of giving them something so unexpected is more exciting that the thing itself. How could I possibly fall into this category? I want to ask why but Luke is giving me the same look he did when I told him they didn’t need to stay home with me. I know it will be a lost cause to argue , and in all reality, it’ll probably be just a glorified TV room.
    As the days go by, I maintain my homebound status. I’m not spending much time alone with either Luke or Claire, but enough time to know that I really like them both…a lot. Claire and I cook together and have discovered that we work really well as a team. I fix dinner once or twice a week and the other nights we work together. It’s nice to feel like I’m a part of something rather than the glue holding it together, and mealtime with Luke is never boring. When I first moved in, I had him pegged as being straight-laced and serious. I’m finding out that he and I are more alike than I thought, starting with our sense of humor.
    I’ve mentioned Mom and Dad several times around Luke and have received the same response that I got from Claire, sometimes even better.
    “Your father could barely boil water…” Luke jokes.
    “But he could rebuild a car engine!” I say, matching Luke’s laugh. It’s such a relief. I haven’t talked about my parents in five long years. With Gram, it was like I had to pretend they never existed. It feels so good to say their names, to talk about them as they were.
    I’m grateful for how Luke and Claire are taking care of me , and they aren’t trying to be my parents. Not that anything eventful has happened where they’ve needed to step in and “act” like parents. Claire has been working from home every day. She doesn’t hover, but I’m glad she’s here. I can be alone without being alone. Luke goes into the office periodically but is home most of the time. I think they’re still waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop and for me to have an emotional breakdown. I guess that’s kind of parental of them.
    Will is at the house almost every day. Sometimes he works with Luke and sometimes he’s on his own when Luke is at the office. My plan of pretending I never met Will Meyer has swiftly been abandoned out of necessity. He eats lunch with us every day; climbing out of the box I put him in with each conversation.
    “You definitely want to get Mrs. Dishowitz. She teaches Civics and is great, really fun,” Will says as he gives me the low down on the teachers at Heyward Prep. “And you ’ll definitely have