Toxic Secrets by Jill Patten Read Free Book Online Page A

didn’t even know who I was at that moment. Jaxon was forming a haze in my brain, and all moral thoughts were swiftly getting tossed out the window.
    “I need a break,” I said breathlessly, twisting myself from his embrace.
    “Is something wrong? We only danced to two songs.”
    “No!” I blurted a little too loudly. “I mean no… everything’s fine. I just need a pee break,” I replied, giving him my best fake smile.
    “Okay, I’ll be here when you get back.” From the expression on his face, I figured he knew I was feeding him a line of bullshit.
    Waltzing over to Kendra, I grabbed her arm and dragged her behind me.
    “What the hell!” she exclaimed.
    “Shut up and just come with me.”
    “This better be good. I was having a good time back there,” she said, glancing back at Reed dancing.
    “Yeah, well, rolling tongues around in each other’s mouths is something you can do anytime. You don’t need the dance floor for that.”
    We stumbled through the labyrinth of bodies looking for a bathroom. I caught sight of a long line of girls waiting their turn and spun us around in the opposite direction, heading toward the front door. Squeezing through the crowd became more of a struggle as we encountered our share of intoxicated people. I swear I felt a couple of hands squeezing my butt. I just wished I had some way of knowing which one of these drunks was trying to cop a feel. We finally made our way outside, and the cool, fresh air was inviting.
    “Will you now tell me why you so rudely interrupted my lip-lock with Reed by nearly jerking my arm out of socket?” Kendra asked rubbing her shoulder.
    “I lost myself in there,” I blurted as Kendra gave me a puzzled look. “It’s like I was having an out of body experience, and I didn’t know who I was. That’s not me. I’m not that type of girl.”
    “Court, you’ve lost me. What are you talking about?”
    “I’m talking about my behavior with Jaxon. It’s not me. I don’t rub all up on guys I’ve just met, guys that inform me that they are only interested in sex. That’s not me!” I exclaimed. I walked over to the porch swing and sat down. “I just don’t want him to get the wrong idea, and right now I’m pretty sure he’s probably thinking third base is a possibility tonight.”
    “Courtney, you are not doing anything wrong. You are just paranoid because you’ve never had a guy other than Phillip show any interest in you or find you attractive. Well, you actually have, you just never noticed.” She took a few steps closer to me then leaned against the railing on the porch. I started to protest, but she stopped me. “It’s true, Court. Everybody knew you were off-limits, so no one ever bothered giving any attempt to pursue you. What you are doing in there tonight is normal,” she said pointing to the house. “Look around and watch, you will see what I’m talking about. You are on your way to experiencing life the way it should be, not under that damn rock where Phillip kept you hidden. Phillip scrutinizing your every move for the last four years has really screwed you up.” She sat down beside me on the swing. “Nobody is judging you but yourself. Stop questioning your morals, and let’s have some fun tonight,” she smiled, wrapping her arm around my shoulders for a quick hug.
    “You know you’re the big sister I never had. I know I’ve told you that a million times, but I just want to remind you again. You always know how to get me back in check. I don’t know what I would do without you. Thank you for being my best friend and sticking with me these past few years. I know Phillip didn’t make our friendship easy,” I whispered, laying my head on her shoulder.
    “Whoa, easy on the shoulder, I seriously think you dislocated it,” she winced, rubbing her shoulder again.
    “Well, we’re not going to dwell on the past right now. What’s done is done, and I love you regardless. Now we have two hot guys waiting for us