Read Online Adrenaline: An Ode to Love and Heartbreak by Sunniva Dee, Clarise Tan - Free Book Online
Authors: Sunniva Dee, Clarise Tan
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okay?”
“No, you have not?”
“In high school, Inga. My first boyfriend and I were on and off for a year, and every time was a new heartache, all right? But then, on the second breakup, I realized what we were doing to each other, and I stayed strong and didn’t let him suck me in again.”
“Yeah, Arria—I get it, okay? That’s why I moved here in the first place, to be away from him. But now he’s moving closer to me…”
“Not that much closer, is it?”
I shake my head, not wanting her interruption. “Arria, hear me out. Thing is, I can’t learn from your mistakes. I need to go full circle on my own mistakes. Plus, look at Leon and you, how perfectly that worked out despite the odds.”
My friend subdues a happy smile. Lets the curtain of her hair cover her face while she strokes the head of the living proof of their love. He grunts, impatient with my lipstick.
“Your situation is the opposite, though, honey,” she says. “I’m sorry I have to say this, but it’s because I care about you. Me, I wanted to chicken out of my relationship with Leon when it got too intense. But you, Inga, you’re too brave. You hang on too hard.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. Press the tips of two fingers in to help it disappear.
“Ingela,” Arriane murmurs. “You are such an amazing person. You don’t need a man to validate your worth. Not that beauty means anything, but you’re beautiful inside and out. Don’t let a Debbie Downer of a man pull you down when you have an entire town’s crop of college students going gaga over you—you dollface, nutty, runway model babe.”
I puff at her exaggeration. “Whatever.”
“No, you realize why a slew of our regulars are regulars , right?”
I scrunch my mouth up, thinking. I can’t come up with anyone who’d be at Smother for me. “Who?”
“Bar stool two, four, five, six and ten to name a few.”
“Main room?”
“Of course main room. Are there that many stools at the patio bar?” She winks at me. “Linebacker boy with Justin Beiber’s face. Short fat guy named Roy or Troy. The biker. Ginger hot stuff who leaves with a different girl every night because you pay no attention to him—”
“Oh, come on,” I object.
“No, I’m serious. And what about that one dude, the handsome funny-guy who looks so much like you he could be your brother?”
“What? I have no idea.” I really don’t. My male clone, if he exists, does not frequent Smother.
Violet eyes glitter with humor in front of me. “No? Well, apart from how this boy isn’t catwalk skinny, he could be your twin. Hmm… how else to describe him.” She quirks her mouth up on one side making a show of roaming for the best portrayal. “Well, he’s pretty extreme . Has a fondness for threesomes he never scores—”
“Cameron.” I smile too—fleetingly. Just his name on your tongue can make a girl happy. Then, I remember how he’s busy dying in Whistler, that I shouldn’t be all perky over him. Sweet boy. Sweet dumbass boy.
She sighs, gaze roaming my expression and reading me. “Anyway, I’m telling you this for a reason. Cut the tie between Bo and you. If I were you, I’d call him back and tell him asap.”
“Naw. No need to. He agrees with you and withdrew his offer to come here. I… ended up pleading with him in the end, and he just said he’d think about it.”
She’s stunned, so stunned at how low her friend has sunk. Tears burn my eyes again, and I squeeze them shut in an effort to squash another stupid meltdown. On my lap, Lyric squirms free and crawls off. Absently, I notice him fling a stocky leg over the seat of his plastic tractor and race off with his stolen prize—my lipstick. “Yah!” he sings.
Then, Arria’s arms are around me, hugging me tight. “Oh. Inga.”
Today’s a kickass day. The weather gods are with us, lending light clouds and minimal wind. I zoom past Dan to the right of Marek, who’s in a corkscrew aerial off a camouflaged jump
“No, you have not?”
“In high school, Inga. My first boyfriend and I were on and off for a year, and every time was a new heartache, all right? But then, on the second breakup, I realized what we were doing to each other, and I stayed strong and didn’t let him suck me in again.”
“Yeah, Arria—I get it, okay? That’s why I moved here in the first place, to be away from him. But now he’s moving closer to me…”
“Not that much closer, is it?”
I shake my head, not wanting her interruption. “Arria, hear me out. Thing is, I can’t learn from your mistakes. I need to go full circle on my own mistakes. Plus, look at Leon and you, how perfectly that worked out despite the odds.”
My friend subdues a happy smile. Lets the curtain of her hair cover her face while she strokes the head of the living proof of their love. He grunts, impatient with my lipstick.
“Your situation is the opposite, though, honey,” she says. “I’m sorry I have to say this, but it’s because I care about you. Me, I wanted to chicken out of my relationship with Leon when it got too intense. But you, Inga, you’re too brave. You hang on too hard.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. Press the tips of two fingers in to help it disappear.
“Ingela,” Arriane murmurs. “You are such an amazing person. You don’t need a man to validate your worth. Not that beauty means anything, but you’re beautiful inside and out. Don’t let a Debbie Downer of a man pull you down when you have an entire town’s crop of college students going gaga over you—you dollface, nutty, runway model babe.”
I puff at her exaggeration. “Whatever.”
“No, you realize why a slew of our regulars are regulars , right?”
I scrunch my mouth up, thinking. I can’t come up with anyone who’d be at Smother for me. “Who?”
“Bar stool two, four, five, six and ten to name a few.”
“Main room?”
“Of course main room. Are there that many stools at the patio bar?” She winks at me. “Linebacker boy with Justin Beiber’s face. Short fat guy named Roy or Troy. The biker. Ginger hot stuff who leaves with a different girl every night because you pay no attention to him—”
“Oh, come on,” I object.
“No, I’m serious. And what about that one dude, the handsome funny-guy who looks so much like you he could be your brother?”
“What? I have no idea.” I really don’t. My male clone, if he exists, does not frequent Smother.
Violet eyes glitter with humor in front of me. “No? Well, apart from how this boy isn’t catwalk skinny, he could be your twin. Hmm… how else to describe him.” She quirks her mouth up on one side making a show of roaming for the best portrayal. “Well, he’s pretty extreme . Has a fondness for threesomes he never scores—”
“Cameron.” I smile too—fleetingly. Just his name on your tongue can make a girl happy. Then, I remember how he’s busy dying in Whistler, that I shouldn’t be all perky over him. Sweet boy. Sweet dumbass boy.
She sighs, gaze roaming my expression and reading me. “Anyway, I’m telling you this for a reason. Cut the tie between Bo and you. If I were you, I’d call him back and tell him asap.”
“Naw. No need to. He agrees with you and withdrew his offer to come here. I… ended up pleading with him in the end, and he just said he’d think about it.”
She’s stunned, so stunned at how low her friend has sunk. Tears burn my eyes again, and I squeeze them shut in an effort to squash another stupid meltdown. On my lap, Lyric squirms free and crawls off. Absently, I notice him fling a stocky leg over the seat of his plastic tractor and race off with his stolen prize—my lipstick. “Yah!” he sings.
Then, Arria’s arms are around me, hugging me tight. “Oh. Inga.”
Today’s a kickass day. The weather gods are with us, lending light clouds and minimal wind. I zoom past Dan to the right of Marek, who’s in a corkscrew aerial off a camouflaged jump
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