Read Online Breathless by Scott Prussing - Free Book Online

much about it.”
    “Lucky you,” Cali said, grinning. “Leesa lives in San Diego now,” she told Caitlin and Stacie.
    “Wow, what brought you all the way back here?” Stacie asked.
    Leesa shrugged. “I wanted to get away from home. Try something different.”
    “You came rushing in here like you’d just won backstage passes to a Coldplay concert or something,” Cali said. “What gives?”
    Leesa glanced toward Caitlin and Stacie. This was so not the way to make a first impression. “Oh, nothing really. It can wait.”
    “C’mon, Lees,” Cali prodded. “Caitlin and Stacie are cool. Give it up.”
    Still, Leesa hesitated. Her mouth began to feel very dry. She was so not good at this social stuff. And even worse when it came to talking about guys. But she was in college now, she reminded herself, and finally on her own. Having made a friend like Cali was a great start. She decided to go for it.
    “It’s about this guy,” she began.
    “Sweet!” Cali said. She grinned and pulled her legs up under her on the bed. “Now you’re talkin’. Time for Girl Council.”
    “Yeah, let’s hear it,” Caitlin said.
    Leesa took a deep breath and plunged on, hoping she wasn’t going to sound foolish. “He was in my class today. I didn’t even notice him till right at the end. He was sooo good-looking. Different from any guy I’ve ever seen.” Her cheeks began to grow warm, but she forced herself to continue. “When he looked at me, I felt…I don’t know…I can’t even describe it.” She could feel her heart beginning to pound again. What was going on? How could merely talking about this guy make her feel like this?
    “You’re turning red as a lobster,” Caitlin laughed. “You got it bad, girl.”
    “Got the hots all right, big-time,” Cali agreed.
    Leesa wanted to crawl under the blankets and hide. She felt her hand moving toward her hair, but forced it down. Instead, she pulled her knees up against her chest and wrapped her arms around her shins. She had never felt so embarrassed. Or so confused. Guys just didn’t do this to her. She’d seen cute guys before—San Diego was loaded with ’em. But no one like this guy, not even close. He was different in a way she couldn’t begin to explain. Or even understand. She hoped some of the way she was feeling right now was from talking about it in front of two girls she barely knew, instead of from just thinking about the guy. Yeah, that would be better.
    “Earth to Leesa,” Cali said, waving her hand in front of Leesa’s face. “Come back to us, girl.”
    “I’m sorry,” Leesa said, shaking her head. “It’s just… I’ve never felt like this.”
    “Rule twenty-three…” Cali began with exaggerated seriousness.
    Uh-oh, here we go again, Leesa thought. Cali had confided to her that she made up most of her rules on the spot, and that even the genuine ones—like making friends with a really cute girl—didn’t have actual numbers. Leesa wondered what Cali was going to come up with now.
    “When you start feeling all funny inside,” Cali continued, “it’s time to get laid.”
    Caitlin burst out laughing. “I like that rule!”
    Stacie giggled. Leesa felt herself blushing again.
    Cali looked at her. “How long’s it been, Lees?”
    Now Leesa really wanted somewhere to hide. She was sooo not comfortable talking about this. If her face had been red before, she dreaded how it must look now. All three girls were looking at her expectantly. She had to say something. They were going to find out sooner or later, and knowing Cali, sooner was way more likely.
    “Ummmm,” she said finally, her eyes fixed on her feet. “About eighteen years?”
    For an instant, her words were met with silence, as the girls deciphered her reply.
    “Wow,” Caitlin said. “A virgin.”
    “For real?” Cali asked.
    Leesa nodded. Cali put her hand on Leesa’s shoulder. “That’s cool,” she said. “Means even more leftovers for me. Rule twenty-five: guys