Read Online Beating Heart by A. M. Jenkins - Free Book Online

who it all belonged to, she had a daughter. And this guy came to visit—see, his mom sent him because he was getting wild, like getting expelled from school. And I think when he got here, he and the daughter started getting it on, and then she died, and he was so freaked that he kind of settled down.”
    â€œWhat makes you think they were getting it on?”
    Evan flashes back to his dreams. “I dunno.”
    â€œPeople didn’t have sex outside of marriage back then, Evan.”
    â€œHow do you know?”
    â€œThey just didn’t.”
    She says it with certainty. Carrie’s better in school than he is, and knows more about history and stuff like that. He doesn’t like the way she said it, though, like he should have known that already.
    He also doesn’t want to get into an argument—a discussion —right now. “Okay. How about this? They were in love, and it broke his heart when she died, so he took a vow of celibacy and then followed her to the grave.”
    â€œMuch better.”
    The knob turns with a click, and the door swings open. It’s Libby. Evan is glad he’s nowhere near Carrie. Still, she zeroes in on Carrie’s Diet Coke can. “You’re not supposed to have drinks up here,” she informs Evan.
    â€œCarrie’s company.”
    â€œYou’re supposed to leave doors open when she comes over.”
    â€œOkay, it’s open,” he says evenly. “You can go now.”
    But Libby plunks herself down cross-legged outside the open door.
    â€œLibby.” Evan’s getting irritated. “You promised you’d leave us alone.”
    â€œI am leaving you alone. I just want to play right here.”
    Evan goes out into the hall and pulls Libby out of sight of the doorway. “Listen,” he tells her. “If you go downstairs and watch a movie all the way to the end, I’ll give you something.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œWhat do you want?”
    â€œA dollar.”
    Evan thinks about it. “I’ll give you five dollars if you watch a whole movie and if you don’t tell Mom.”
    â€œYou want me to tell Mom a lie?”
    â€œNo, no. I just don’t want you to bring it up.”
    â€œBut what if she asks?”
    â€œShe won’t.”
    â€œBut what if she does?”
    â€œIf she asks you whether Carrie and I were alone together with the door shut, you can tell her yes. You don’t have to lie.”
    â€œWill I still get the five dollars?”
    â€œYes. But only if she’s the one who brings it up. If you bring it up, you get nothing. And I won’t ever play dolls with you again. Got it?”
    â€œI guess so.”
    â€œOkay. I’ll walk downstairs with you and help you put on a DVD. What do you want to watch?”
    â€œUm. Lion King .”
    â€œBe right back,” he calls to Carrie. And a few minutes later, when he walks in, she’s sitting on the edge of his bed, looking at his football poster. “We have maybe an hour,” he tells her, pulling the door shut behind him. “But we’ll have to be quiet, because I guarantee it won’t take much to get her back up here.”
    â€œMaybe we shouldn’t.”
    â€œMaybe we should .”
    â€œMaybe you ought to say it again.”
    â€œSay what again?”
    â€œWhat you said downstairs.”
    Evan sits down beside her and leans over to nuzzle her neck. “You’re beautiful.”
    Â 
    Â 
    a mere turn of a key
    in
    the
    lock

 
    H e pulls back to look at Carrie. Evan knows in the back of his mind that it really isn’t wise to start now, not with Libby in the house.
    But this moment—or something very like it—has been dangled in front of him many nights.
    Carrie tilts her head and leans in for a kiss.
    He gives in. He really wants this; it’s all set, it’s just too good to pass up. The pattern has already been imprinted here: it feels as if