Read Online A Whisper in Time by Elizabeth Langston - Free Book Online Page B

thought four months was bad, what about two centuries? Until Susanna moved here, that’s what I’d lived with. “Long-distance relationships suck.”
    The other three stared at me.
    “Are you in a long-distance relationship?” Benita asked.
    “Not anymore.” Wait. That was misleading. “Actually—”
    Jesse waved me to silence. “Better change the topic. Alexis McChord is heading this way.”
    Damn. “Is she alone?”
    “No.”
    I crammed fries in my mouth just to have something to do.
    Benita raised her eyebrows at Gabrielle. “Alexis is the girl who dumped Mark at prom.”
    I nearly snorted ketchup into my sinuses. Why make it sound like Alexis was the story here? She wasn’t. It hadn’t taken me long to get over her at all. We’d spent our entire relationship in one extended battle over how much I neglected her for my training schedule. On the rare occasions I’d thought about her since, it was more along the lines of what the hell was I thinking .
    No, my problem wasn’t how she dumped me. It was who she was with now. Carlton May had been my best friend until the day he started dating my ex. Now, we were…nothing. It was weird.
    “Hi,” Alexis said. Carlton halted behind her. His gaze met mine briefly before slipping to Gabrielle.
    None of us responded. I snagged another fry.
    Alexis tried again. “What’s going on?”
    Benita eyed her coolly. “Physics study group. Projectile motion.”
    Alexis stared hard at me. “I haven’t spoken to you since school started, Mark. Do you ever see the colonial girl?”
    I dropped my head to my chest. I should’ve known she’d try to stir things up. “Her name is Susanna,” I bit out, “and I see her every day.”
    A ripple went through my study group, which Alexis must’ve felt, because she got even more persistent. “Where does she go to school?”
    “Nowhere.”
    “She’s already graduated?”
    “Susanna had to drop out.” My expression dared Alexis to keep going.
    “What’s she doing, then?”
    I stared at her with cold fury. “I think she planned to bake bread today.”
    “That’s an interesting hobby.”
    “She’s the most interesting girl I know.”
    Alexis flushed. “Nice.” She spun around and stalked to the exit. Carlton trailed after her.
    “Who is Susanna?” Benita the Brave asked.
    “My girlfriend.”
    There was a surprised silence.
    “I can’t believe that Alexis McChord’s ex is dating again and nobody knew it.” Benita slumped back in her bench. “Is there some reason you’ve never mentioned your girlfriend? Not even Friday night?”
    I shrugged. I’d been to one football game and this study group with the three of them. I didn’t share private stuff that easily.
    “Okay, then,” Benita continued. “How about explaining why Alexis calls her a colonial girl?”
    “Because Alexis can’t resist making bitchy comments.”
    “No argument here, but it seems like a fairly specific statement.”
    I wasn’t going to let Alexis dictate how or when I explained Susanna to anybody, and now was not the time. So as rude as this might seem, I had to get out of here. “See you guys.” I slung my backpack over my shoulder and gestured at Gabrielle to let me out. There would be no studying for me this afternoon. “Thanks for including me.”
    “Wait a minute, Mark.” Gabrielle’s brow was scrunched up. “I’d like to meet her. Why don’t you bring her to the next game?”
    “That’s not likely to happen in this century,” I muttered as I took off.
    When I reached my truck, I heard the slap of running feet behind me. Gabrielle appeared beside my truck. Her bodyguard hovered nearby.
    “You know how to make an exit,” she said.
    “Okay.” I wrenched open the door to my truck and flung my backpack on the passenger side.
    “So, are we your friends?”
    “Yeah. Sure.”
    “Then don’t we deserve a better answer than that?”
    If this conversation was about to turn into one of those stupid-ass, touchy-feely