Read Online Can't Go Home (Oasis Waterfall) by Angelisa Denise Stone - Free Book Online
Authors: Angelisa Denise Stone
Tags: Contemporary
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life. Typically, I just feed a girl a bunch of lines, and I’m golden,” I admit. “With you … I … I … have to think,” I whine, rubbing my head, faking pain and turmoil. “This is like a serious game of strategy and skill.”
Staring at me intently, she takes a deep breath, and then says, “So, I told Theodore that for months I dreamed of the day he’d come back to me and say those exact words.” I feel my shoulders fall, but I keep my eyes on her, not wanting her to see right through me, and register how disappointed every ounce of my body is.
Smiling, she says, “Then I told him that I’ve moved on, and although he’ll always be special to me, he’s my past.”
I can’t help the smile that is betraying me and splaying itself ridiculously across my face. She’s right; she doesn’t hold anything back. God, I don’t want to hurt her. But I have no idea how I can possibly walk away like I should. I should finish this date, take her home, and forget I ever met her. Utterly impossible. I could never forget the honesty of her words, the sincerity of her voice, the beauty of her presence … all things I’m not used to. I’m definitely not used to spending so much time trying to get a girl interested in me. But the truth is Kathryn Howell is too wonderful to be crushed by the weight of my lies and deceit.
As much as I don’t want to believe it, I like working this hard. People should have to work hard for what they want, what they get out of life. People shouldn’t be handed every little thing they want on a silver platter, like it’s hors d’oeuvres at a fancy country club dinner party. If you want something, then you have to go get it, not just wait until someone gives it to you. That’s not the way life works.
I have no idea what to say to her; I’m not even sure that a response is necessary. She just gave me the green light, when I know damn well I should hit the brakes and come to a screeching halt.
“If you’re done gorging yourself, I’m ready to ride some rides,” I say, pulling her up to her feet.
“Dre, I’m not really a thrill ride kind of girl,” she confesses.
“They have like five rides here. You can at least ride the merry-go-round with me,” I say.
Walking up to the ticket booth, I yell, “Hey Dave, two tickets please.”
Dave hands me a bunch of tickets, a lot more than two, and says, “Hey buddy, thanks for coming by earlier and—”
“No problem, anytime,” I say, cutting him off.
Nothing Dave says in front of Kathryn right now will be a good thing for her to hear. I have to remind myself of the goal: Bang and Bail. I have no intentions of getting serious with a woman right now—not even Kathryn Howell. Not even Kathryn Howell. Damn, it’s nuts how much I have to remind myself.
Dave nods and turns to the next customer. “Looking back and forth between Dave and me, Kathryn inquires, “What was that all about? Did you do some stuff for the Fair earlier today or something?”
“Or something,” I say, handing her some tickets.
“Dre, ummm, do you know everyone around here?” Kathryn asks.
“Nobody could possibly know everyone,” I say, blowing off her question. “That would be hyperbole—right? People don’t like exaggeration, do they, Agent of the Literary World?”
“No, no, they definitely don’t. Nobody wants to hear that he was the smartest, hottest man in the entire galaxy, and he took me to the edge a thousand times before—”
“Easy Pebbles, Bam-Bam might whip out his brontosaurus burger right here and—”
“Oh for God’s sake, are you ever going to let that go? The outfit wasn’t that slutty, geez. I’m sure you’ve seen much worse,” she argues.
“First of all, not from someone like you. Secondly, I like ‘Pebbles.’ It’s perfect for you,” I admit.
“What does that even mean, Dre, ‘someone like me,’ huh?”
“It means, good girls, classy girls, girls worth working for, don’t need to work so hard,” I
Staring at me intently, she takes a deep breath, and then says, “So, I told Theodore that for months I dreamed of the day he’d come back to me and say those exact words.” I feel my shoulders fall, but I keep my eyes on her, not wanting her to see right through me, and register how disappointed every ounce of my body is.
Smiling, she says, “Then I told him that I’ve moved on, and although he’ll always be special to me, he’s my past.”
I can’t help the smile that is betraying me and splaying itself ridiculously across my face. She’s right; she doesn’t hold anything back. God, I don’t want to hurt her. But I have no idea how I can possibly walk away like I should. I should finish this date, take her home, and forget I ever met her. Utterly impossible. I could never forget the honesty of her words, the sincerity of her voice, the beauty of her presence … all things I’m not used to. I’m definitely not used to spending so much time trying to get a girl interested in me. But the truth is Kathryn Howell is too wonderful to be crushed by the weight of my lies and deceit.
As much as I don’t want to believe it, I like working this hard. People should have to work hard for what they want, what they get out of life. People shouldn’t be handed every little thing they want on a silver platter, like it’s hors d’oeuvres at a fancy country club dinner party. If you want something, then you have to go get it, not just wait until someone gives it to you. That’s not the way life works.
I have no idea what to say to her; I’m not even sure that a response is necessary. She just gave me the green light, when I know damn well I should hit the brakes and come to a screeching halt.
“If you’re done gorging yourself, I’m ready to ride some rides,” I say, pulling her up to her feet.
“Dre, I’m not really a thrill ride kind of girl,” she confesses.
“They have like five rides here. You can at least ride the merry-go-round with me,” I say.
Walking up to the ticket booth, I yell, “Hey Dave, two tickets please.”
Dave hands me a bunch of tickets, a lot more than two, and says, “Hey buddy, thanks for coming by earlier and—”
“No problem, anytime,” I say, cutting him off.
Nothing Dave says in front of Kathryn right now will be a good thing for her to hear. I have to remind myself of the goal: Bang and Bail. I have no intentions of getting serious with a woman right now—not even Kathryn Howell. Not even Kathryn Howell. Damn, it’s nuts how much I have to remind myself.
Dave nods and turns to the next customer. “Looking back and forth between Dave and me, Kathryn inquires, “What was that all about? Did you do some stuff for the Fair earlier today or something?”
“Or something,” I say, handing her some tickets.
“Dre, ummm, do you know everyone around here?” Kathryn asks.
“Nobody could possibly know everyone,” I say, blowing off her question. “That would be hyperbole—right? People don’t like exaggeration, do they, Agent of the Literary World?”
“No, no, they definitely don’t. Nobody wants to hear that he was the smartest, hottest man in the entire galaxy, and he took me to the edge a thousand times before—”
“Easy Pebbles, Bam-Bam might whip out his brontosaurus burger right here and—”
“Oh for God’s sake, are you ever going to let that go? The outfit wasn’t that slutty, geez. I’m sure you’ve seen much worse,” she argues.
“First of all, not from someone like you. Secondly, I like ‘Pebbles.’ It’s perfect for you,” I admit.
“What does that even mean, Dre, ‘someone like me,’ huh?”
“It means, good girls, classy girls, girls worth working for, don’t need to work so hard,” I
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