Read Online Blood Type by Melissa Luznicky Garrett - Free Book Online Page A

happened to be dead , but also a man. Fortunately, no one except Olivia and Zach knew my middle name. Everyone else just assumed my parents were cool and trendy, which was so not the case.
    “What? I can’t hear you,” I said, climbing into the tub and sinking below the quickly rising water.
    “I said we need to talk, Missy! You have some explaining to do, and you’re being rude !”
    She must have been really mad. Mom only ever called me ‘Missy’ when she was furious.
    I nudged the spigot with my toe as hot as I could stand it. I needed this bath to last as long as possible, because that was one conversation I was not looking forward to having.
    Unfortunately, the water didn’t stay hot forever and eventually I had to get out. Also, my fingers and toes look ed alarmingly like raisins.
    Mom was in my room, waiting to ambush me when I got back. She still had on her nice slacks and heels, one leg draped over the other and bobbing up and down in an expectant manner .
    “Since I doubt you’re actually sick,” she said, “I didn’t go to the trouble of preparing your soup. You can fix your own dinner tonight.”
    I removed the towel from my head and let my wet hair cascade down my back. I opened the top drawer of my vanity and rummaged for the wide-tooth comb.
    “Whatever. ” I gathered the bulk of my thick and unruly hair in one hand to begin working out the tangles from the ends up. It was a job.
    “Don’t be like that, Blake. You know I don’t like when you use that word or tone of voice.”
    I had to consciously repress the urge to say whatever again. “I’m sorry.”
    “And can you please look at me when I’m speaking to you.” It came out as an order; not a question.
    I turned around so I was at least facing her , but very passive-aggressively gave my hair the better part of my attention. “I suppose you want to know what happened with Zach . ” 
    Mom uncrossed her legs and raised her eyebrows. “I think that’s the logical place to start.”
    I shrugged. “We broke up.”
    She sighed loudly. “I gathered that. What I want to know is why?”
    I rolled my eyes and went back to my vanity for the bottle of moisturizer. I had just had a variation of this same conversation with Zach and Olivia. I was not going to rehash it again with my mother, of all people.
    “Don’t worry, Mom. All I did was tell him I need a little space to think things over. He understands.”
    Mom laughed, but it wasn’t a funny, ha-ha sort of laugh. “He understands? Helen told me Zach’s been in his room crying since this afternoon. Crying, Blake!”
    I very uncharitably thought it wasn’t my fault that Zach was being over ly sensitive . “ I’m sorry that I hurt his feelings,” I said as I rubbed moisturizer onto my arms. “But we’ve been together since freshman year, Mom. Haven’t you ever considered that I might want to date other guys?”
    Her eyes widened. “Is there another guy?”
    I slammed the bottle on the vanity. “Holy biscuits, Mom! Why does everyone think there’s another guy?”
    “Well is there?”
    I went to my walk-in closet to hunt for my slippers, but more so my mom couldn’t see the guilt I knew must be written all over my face. “I am so not talking about this,” I said as I disappeared between the racks of clothes. 
    “Is there?” she repeated, with more insistence this time.
    I leaned against the wall where she couldn’t see me and took a deep breath.
    “Blake. Answer me.”
    I shoved my feet in my slippers and charged back into my room. “So what if there is? What’s the big deal?”
    Mom reeled back as though I had slapped her. “What’s the big deal? I’ll tell you what the big deal is. There’s a boy with a broken heart, for one. For another . . .” Her face crumpled and she took a moment to compose herself, as though she might be the one to start crying. “For another, I already put a down payment on that wedding dress you liked.”
    My jaw dropped. I couldn’t