Read Online After Summer by Hailey Abbott - Free Book Online Page A

was wide. “But this party is going to be epic. I guarantee it. We’re talking DJ, light show—”
    As he continued, Ella felt a swell of regret. She really didn’t want to miss out on anything, truth be told.
    “It might be a great party,” she said. “But since I’m not going, it obviously can’t be that epic. By, like, definition.”
    “You make a good point.” Ryan looked at her, slowly, carefully, and it was like he could read her. “You know you want to come, Ella.”
    “What I know,” she told him with a dazzling smile, “is that I can’t wait to see my boyfriend.”
    Because as bummed as she might be to miss a party, Ella knew she wanted to see Jeremy more.
    When her cell rang Friday evening, Ella was already nearly dizzy with excitement. Her mom was, mercifully, away for the weekend (Ella’s parents were divorced). She’d rented a selection of slasher flicks, decorated the den with jack-o-lanterns, and bought bags of Halloween candy. The only challenge would be to keep herself from slipping into her costume before Saturday night. The costume she’d prepared especially to wow Jeremy.
    No matter what Ella told Marilee or Ryan, being in a long-distance relationship was a challenge. Ella wasn’t as good on the phone as she was in real life. She always had the best intentions of blocking out time for her and Jeremy’s daily scheduled phone call, but other things always seemed to pop up and interrupt those plans. Whether it was an impromptu shopping trip for Halloween costumes with Marilee, forgetting to put her cell phone on the charger after a long conversation with Jamie, or just zoning out while updating her MySpace profile, poor Jeremy sometimes got the shaft.
    She wasn’t happy about it. It frustrated her, especially when he complained about their recent lack of phone time. It wasn’t that she didn’t care—she obviously did. But she knew no amount of phone calls or texted-photos could ever achieve what the real-life sight of her in something clingy could.
    Ella grabbed her phone, seeing it was Jeremy. “Where are you?” she cried. By her calculations, Jeremy should have left his home around 3:30 or 4:00 at the latest, which meant he should be rolling into her driveway anytime after 7:00. It was 6:45.
    There was a pause. “Ella, I don’t know how to say this,” Jeremy spoke quietly. “I’m not coming.”
    The words didn’t make sense.
    “What do you mean?” Ella asked.
    “I mean, I’m not coming,” he said. “I’m still in Philadelphia. I’ve been sitting here with the car keys in my hand. For hours.”
    “What?” Ella felt stupid. Her tongue felt clumsy in her mouth. “Is something wrong with your car?”
    “It’s not the car.” His voice sounded heavy, and Ella felt something freeze in her belly.
    “Then what is it?” she demanded. “Jer, you could have been here by now!”
    “And then what?” he asked. “I know that if I see you, I’m just going to overlook the fact that you always forget tocall me, and when you do, it’s like you’re concentrating on everything but our conversation. And for all the quizzes and stuff I e-mail, you’ve never once sent me one.”
    “I know,” she said hastily. “I’m not very good at all the communication stuff, but I can be—”
    “I don’t think you can,” Jeremy said sadly. “I don’t think that’s who you are, Ella. Maybe we should have left things the way they were in the summer. We work better when we can see each other.”
    Ella had the strangest flashback then. She remembered that night in Maine when she’d pulled out her biggest power move on a date with Jeremy, and he hadn’t reacted at all the way she’d expected. This moment felt similar. Like he was playing some game she’d never even heard of before.
    “What are you saying?” she asked then, even though she was pretty sure she didn’t want to hear his answer.
    “I’m really sorry, Ella,” Jeremy said, and it didn’t make Ella feel any better