Read Online Break The Ice by Kevin P Gardner - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kevin P Gardner
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then spills over the edge, rolling over her wrist before falling. I throw my hand out, ducking under her arm pit and doing my best to avoid touching anywhere I shouldn’t. My fingers stop, less than an inch from her chest, with a whopping pile of ice cream melting between them.
Kaitlyn looks from the ice cream in my hand to her empty cone.
I slide back and toss the handful to the side. Without any napkins, I wipe the remaining ice cream on the grass next to me. “Sorry,” I say. “Keep talking. I just didn’t want…you know.”
“Thanks,” she says. “This is my favorite shirt.”
“Killer reflexes, bro,” Ted says.
“I don’t expect anything less from the Destroyer.”
The comment is meant for me, but Ted’s eyes grow wide. “Wait a second. This is that Sam?”
“In the flesh,” she says, still staring at me.
My face gets hot.
“Dude, you’re like, a legend,” he says.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I say. What else is there to say? I don’t even understand what’s happening.
“You’re the one that saved Black Lion from Shinrock’s Cavern?”
Now it’s Kaitlyn who blushes.
I remember tackling Shinrock’s Cavern with Kaitlyn. It took us almost seven straight hours. On a school night. The night before midterms. The next day had been awful, but worth it.
But I did that with BlueKnight. It takes me a few seconds to put it all together. She has another account that she uses to play with other people. I don’t know whether to be angry or embarrassed.
To save her from getting any redder, I say, “The one and only.”
“Shouldn’t you be getting back to work, Ted?” Kaitlyn says.
He checks his watch. “Oh! Good call, thanks babe.” Jumping to his feet, he tosses the rest of his cone into the bushes. “Catch you later, Destroyer.” The name sounds crass coming from him, on the edge of mocking.
Ted is only a few steps away when Kaitlyn hides behind her hands. “I’m so sorry,” she says.
“For hiding me from other people or never telling me you’re dating that guy?” I guess I chose angry.
“What? No!” She crosses her legs, shifting her body to face me. “I never told them about BlueKnight for a reason. I wasn’t hiding them from you. I hid you from them because I didn’t want…to…share you.” She sinks back a little. “That sounds really childish saying it out loud.”
“And him?” I say, in a whisper, hitching a thumb at Ted who is taking forever to walk away.
“We used to date, like, four years ago? It lasted a month. A typical middle school relationship, you know? And now every time he can, he calls me babe. I hate it, but he won’t stop, no matter how many times I tell him to. You saw his sense of humor.”
I’m an idiot. Why did I assume the right to question her like that in the first place? As soon as she finishes explaining, I’m ashamed. Not only for the way I reacted but for not trusting her.
“Look,” she says. “I wouldn’t have agreed to a meeting like this just to throw a fact like that in your face. I did it because…”
The words form on her lips, but she stops. “Yeah?” I say.
She bites her lip. “I did it to–”
Her words cut short, and she flies forwards. Her body lands on top of mine, and my arms instinctively fall around her.
It takes an extra second to process what’s happening. She isn’t jumping on me. No, she fell forward. And I’m not embracing her. I’m shielding her from the exploding building thirty feet away.
Chapter 6:
The high pitched ringing forces tears to my eyes. It can’t be more than a decibel or two below a jet engine. I yell to Kaitlyn, trying to find out if she’s okay, but I can’t figure out if the words make any noise.
Her heart races against my chest. At least she’s alive.
I place a hand behind her head and move her ear closer to my mouth. Her intoxicating perfume fills my senses, but I have to focus. “Are you okay? Squeeze once for yes, twice for–”
She digs her fingers
Kaitlyn looks from the ice cream in my hand to her empty cone.
I slide back and toss the handful to the side. Without any napkins, I wipe the remaining ice cream on the grass next to me. “Sorry,” I say. “Keep talking. I just didn’t want…you know.”
“Thanks,” she says. “This is my favorite shirt.”
“Killer reflexes, bro,” Ted says.
“I don’t expect anything less from the Destroyer.”
The comment is meant for me, but Ted’s eyes grow wide. “Wait a second. This is that Sam?”
“In the flesh,” she says, still staring at me.
My face gets hot.
“Dude, you’re like, a legend,” he says.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I say. What else is there to say? I don’t even understand what’s happening.
“You’re the one that saved Black Lion from Shinrock’s Cavern?”
Now it’s Kaitlyn who blushes.
I remember tackling Shinrock’s Cavern with Kaitlyn. It took us almost seven straight hours. On a school night. The night before midterms. The next day had been awful, but worth it.
But I did that with BlueKnight. It takes me a few seconds to put it all together. She has another account that she uses to play with other people. I don’t know whether to be angry or embarrassed.
To save her from getting any redder, I say, “The one and only.”
“Shouldn’t you be getting back to work, Ted?” Kaitlyn says.
He checks his watch. “Oh! Good call, thanks babe.” Jumping to his feet, he tosses the rest of his cone into the bushes. “Catch you later, Destroyer.” The name sounds crass coming from him, on the edge of mocking.
Ted is only a few steps away when Kaitlyn hides behind her hands. “I’m so sorry,” she says.
“For hiding me from other people or never telling me you’re dating that guy?” I guess I chose angry.
“What? No!” She crosses her legs, shifting her body to face me. “I never told them about BlueKnight for a reason. I wasn’t hiding them from you. I hid you from them because I didn’t want…to…share you.” She sinks back a little. “That sounds really childish saying it out loud.”
“And him?” I say, in a whisper, hitching a thumb at Ted who is taking forever to walk away.
“We used to date, like, four years ago? It lasted a month. A typical middle school relationship, you know? And now every time he can, he calls me babe. I hate it, but he won’t stop, no matter how many times I tell him to. You saw his sense of humor.”
I’m an idiot. Why did I assume the right to question her like that in the first place? As soon as she finishes explaining, I’m ashamed. Not only for the way I reacted but for not trusting her.
“Look,” she says. “I wouldn’t have agreed to a meeting like this just to throw a fact like that in your face. I did it because…”
The words form on her lips, but she stops. “Yeah?” I say.
She bites her lip. “I did it to–”
Her words cut short, and she flies forwards. Her body lands on top of mine, and my arms instinctively fall around her.
It takes an extra second to process what’s happening. She isn’t jumping on me. No, she fell forward. And I’m not embracing her. I’m shielding her from the exploding building thirty feet away.
Chapter 6:
The high pitched ringing forces tears to my eyes. It can’t be more than a decibel or two below a jet engine. I yell to Kaitlyn, trying to find out if she’s okay, but I can’t figure out if the words make any noise.
Her heart races against my chest. At least she’s alive.
I place a hand behind her head and move her ear closer to my mouth. Her intoxicating perfume fills my senses, but I have to focus. “Are you okay? Squeeze once for yes, twice for–”
She digs her fingers
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