Read Online Anywhere But Here by Stephanie Hoffman McManus - Free Book Online Page B

“You were serious about Pride and Prejudice ?”
    “Yeah. Don’t tell me you don’t want to do it. It is your favorite book isn’t it?”
    “How do you know that?”
    I chuckled and grabbed for her backpack, reaching inside to pull out the worn leather bound copy. I held it up. “Not that hard to figure out. I swear you’ve carried this thing around with you every day for three years.”
    The creases on her forehead deepened. “How do you know that?”
    “I notice things.”
    “About me?”
    “About a lot of people, but yeah, you.”
    She worried her bottom lip between her teeth as she seemed to take that in. “What else have you noticed about me?”
    “Wouldn’t you like to know,” I teased. “But quit changing the subject. I’m trying to have an important discussion about our project, and you’re distracting.”
    “Fine,” she huffed. “We have until Monday to do the plot and character analysis. I have cheer practice until five every day, but I could meet you at the library one night this week after five. Just not Friday.”
    Right, because she’d be cheering for her douchebag boyfriend in her tiny skirt at the big game. Wouldn’t catch me there even if I did enjoy the sight of her legs in that skirt. “Can’t. I’m busy every night this week.” I couldn’t afford to take a shift off, even for homework. “I could do Saturday night.” I worked the day shift on weekends.
    “I have plans Saturday night. What about Sunday?”
    “Sunday doesn’t work for me.” Sunday was family dinner night, which was usually just me and Trin, because Tucker couldn’t be bothered to actually give a shit about family, but I wouldn’t blow Trin off. I knew our dinners meant something to her, even if it was just the two of us eating mac and cheese from a box because that’s all we had sometimes.
    Frustration tugged at her features, but she did her best to keep it down. “Then I guess I can change my plans on Saturday,” she said reluctantly. I hoped they were plans with Jeremy.
    “Okay, seven good for you?”
    “Seven? The library closes at five on Saturdays.”
    “Sorry, I don’t get off work until five-thirty, and trust me, you’ll want me to go home and shower.” I always smelled like grease and meat when I left the restaurant.
    “Oh. I didn’t know you had a job. Seven will work then. You can come over to my place, unless you’d prefer we work at yours.”
    “No, yours is good.” No way did I want Shaeleigh Bradford stepping foot inside my house. If she didn’t think I was trash already, she would definitely change her mind if she saw our dump. Not that I really cared what someone like her thought, but she definitely wouldn’t feel comfortable at my place.
    “Okay,” she took another bite of that delicious looking club sandwich, completely oblivious that there wasn’t much I wouldn’t have done in that moment for a bite. I let Trin have the last of the milk on her cereal this morning, so I had a bowl of dry, generic Cheerios, because you could get them cheap in a big ass bag.
    “So have you read Pride and Prejudice before?” She set the second half of her sandwich aside and popped open another container with perfectly sliced green apples and a little dipping cup of peanut butter.
    “No, but I’m sure you have the thing memorized. I’m confident you can break it down for me.”
    “You need to read it,” she protested. “It’s so good. It won’t be the same if I just tell you about it.” She dipped one of her apple slices into the peanut butter and then into her mouth, crunching down on the juicy apple. I couldn’t pull my eyes away from her lips. Mostly because of the food. Yeah, it was just the food.
    “Jane Austen’s not really my style.”
    “Please read it.” She batted her stupidly long lashes, enhanced by the make-up crap she wore, and pouted her lips just slightly.
    “Sorry, sweetheart,” I couldn’t help myself from reaching out and stealing one of her apple