Waylaid by Ruth J. Hartman Read Free Book Online Page B

my tongue over her lips, an invitation. She opened her mouth. When her tongue touched mine I nearly jumped from my skin. I’d kissed girls like that before, of course, but something about Addy, the feel of her, her taste, her scent, I felt like I was in a different world where it was just me and her. Nothing else mattered. No one else existed.
    What was happening?
     

Chapter Seven
    Addy
    I slammed my locker shut with my hip. Thankfully, the loud bang worked, jolting me from my daydream about Graham. Ever since a week ago Saturday night, the only thought running through my head was, what was I thinking? To not only let someone who was practically a stranger kiss me on Friday night when we’d barely spoken but then the next evening to make out with him as we leaned against his truck. If Marcus hadn’t walked out searching for Graham and scared the crap out of us, who knows how far we would have gone?
    “Hey, Addy.” Kendra hurried up from behind to walk next to me down the hall.
    “Hey.”
    “What’s wrong with you?”
    I shrugged. “I’m fine.”
    “Yeah, right. Hey, I keep meaning to tell you that Marcus had said something about you making out with that Graham guy, but I told him he was full of it. I never even saw you there that night. Besides, why would you be playing kissy face with someone when you’ve got Jud?”
    “Did I hear my name?”
    Jud. Oh no.
    My face burned hot. How much had he heard? I glanced over at my boyfriend. The one I hoped not to be attached to in the very near future. I forced a smile.
    Jud bumped in between me and Kendra. “Hey Kendra, you mind?” He pointed his thumb behind him.
    “Do I have a choice?” Kendra stomped off in a huff.
    “Now, where were we?” Jud, never one to shy away from public displays of affection, pulled me close and kissed me. Right on the mouth.
    I pulled away. “Jud…”
    “What?” He tried again.
    “Stop.” I didn’t want him standing so close, much less putting his hands on me.
    “Why?” He ran his hand down my back.
    “I don’t like it.”
    “Since when?”
    “You know it makes me uncomfortable when you do that… here, where everybody can see.”
    Jud stopped walking. A curse came from someone who had nearly run into him. “What’s going on?”
    “What do you mean?” I couldn’t look him in the eye. Instead I stared at his chin.
    “Something’s different, Addy.”
    I glanced down the hall. “Can we not do this here? Right now?”
    His large puppy dog eyes, the ones that pulled me to him in the first place, appeared as if they were ready to cry.
    Oh no…. not that.
    “Addy, so there is something going on, isn’t there? And here I was ready to ask you to prom.”
    “Oh, well I—”
    “Although since we’ve been dating for a couple of months, I assumed we’d go together. Asking you was just a formality.” He sounded like a toddler who wasn’t getting to play with his favorite toy. It wouldn’t have surprised me if he’d stomped his foot.
    Though I had really wanted to go to my senior prom, the idea of going with Jud suddenly wasn’t all that appealing. “Listen—”
    “What is it? What? Am I not good looking enough? Not smart enough?” His voice rose with every word.
    Why now? Why couldn’t this have waited until we were alone and I could break the news gently? “It’s nothing like that.” The bell rang signaling the next class was about to start. I really hated to be late and tried to walk away.
    He grabbed my arm. “Then what?”
    “Jud.” I took his other hand but he yanked it away. “I wanted to talk to you… but not like this. Not…”
    His face turned an ugly shade of red and he raised his voice even more. “Well that’s just wonderful, isn’t it? Where am I supposed to get a date now who is halfway decent looking?”
    Was that the only thing he worried about? A date for prom? Maybe I don’t feel as bad about breaking up now . “I’m sure you won’t have any trouble, Jud. You’re very cute and