Read Online First (A Crescent Chronicles Novella) by Alyssa Rose Ivy - Free Book Online
Authors: Alyssa Rose Ivy
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mannerism. I was getting close. “So it’s all Toby?”
“No, it’s not.”
“Okay, so what is it?” Something in me needed to know. I needed to know what made this beautiful, infuriating woman tick.
“Can’t there be a third choice? I wanted to try something new.”
“Isn’t college trying something new already?” It was definitely a big change from high school, especially if you went away from home.
“Yes, but that’s different.”
“Different?” I sipped my coffee.
“Yeah, I don’t know, it just seemed like an adventure.”
“An adventure? You’re looking for an adventure, huh? Where do I sign up?” I wriggled an eyebrow at her. Now we were talking. If she wanted adventure, she’d come to the right place. Owen’s warning words flooded my head, but I ignored them. This felt right. I was showing her my true self. If she wanted to run, she might as well get it over with before I fell harder. Was that possible? Was it possible to want a girl more than I already wanted her?
She laughed. “Stop. I just mean no one would ever expect me to spend a summer in New Orleans. It’s different and it was so last minute. I actually quit another job at the last second so I could come here.”
I feigned shock. “What? How could you?”
“Well, I guess it wasn’t quitting because I didn’t quite start, but I was supposed to be a lifeguard at a local beach. I changed my mind when my dad called to invite me down.”
“Then I propose a toast.” I lifted my cup.
“A toast? With coffee?”
“You can toast with any beverage.”
“Sure, why not?” She raised her cup. “But what are we toasting?”
“To Allie’s great adventure.”
She laughed again as our cups touched and her eyes finally got that twinkle back. I put my cup to my lips and drank the last of my coffee like I was taking a shot. That got her smiling.
Her phone rang. I hoped it wasn’t that Toby kid again.
“It’s Jess. Do you mind if I get this?”
“No, not a problem.” Jess I could handle. Besides, maybe if they talked, Allie would feel better about things. I wanted her in a good mood for the rest of the night.
She answered. “Hey, are you home?”
I listened in to the other end of the conversation. I couldn’t catch every word, but I caught enough. “ Yeah, I got in about ten minutes ago. I wanted to apologize.”
“It’s okay. I completely understand.”
Allie glanced at the door. Another group of customers poured in. They were a rowdy bunch of tourists wearing beads they must have purchased at a store. Why people would spend money on those crappy pieces of plastic I’d never understood.
“Hey, where are you?” Jess must have heard the crowd.
“Out getting coffee.” Allie smiled.
“With who?”
“Umm, can I call you later?” She looked down at the table.
Allie pushed the phone tighter against her ear. I tried to hear but the only thing I caught was my name.
She played with her coffee cup. “Maybe.”
I stopped trying to listen. I’d heard what I needed to. She disconnected and sat up enough to slide her phone in her back pocket. I realized she hadn’t brought a purse with her that night.
“Jess made it back?” I decided to pretend I hadn’t heard the conversation for myself.
“Yeah, she just got home.”
“Anything else going on?”
“Nope.”
“Exciting.”
She flipped her hair back. “Isn’t it?”
“How’s the coffee?” I made conversation but really I was planning things out in my head. If I was ready to reveal myself, I had to show her. Telling her would probably just leave her thinking I was crazy or just making it up as a joke. Showing her would be easy enough, but how was I going to handle the fall out if she didn’t take it well? Should I give her some space to think about it, or force her to face it head on?
“No, it’s not.”
“Okay, so what is it?” Something in me needed to know. I needed to know what made this beautiful, infuriating woman tick.
“Can’t there be a third choice? I wanted to try something new.”
“Isn’t college trying something new already?” It was definitely a big change from high school, especially if you went away from home.
“Yes, but that’s different.”
“Different?” I sipped my coffee.
“Yeah, I don’t know, it just seemed like an adventure.”
“An adventure? You’re looking for an adventure, huh? Where do I sign up?” I wriggled an eyebrow at her. Now we were talking. If she wanted adventure, she’d come to the right place. Owen’s warning words flooded my head, but I ignored them. This felt right. I was showing her my true self. If she wanted to run, she might as well get it over with before I fell harder. Was that possible? Was it possible to want a girl more than I already wanted her?
She laughed. “Stop. I just mean no one would ever expect me to spend a summer in New Orleans. It’s different and it was so last minute. I actually quit another job at the last second so I could come here.”
I feigned shock. “What? How could you?”
“Well, I guess it wasn’t quitting because I didn’t quite start, but I was supposed to be a lifeguard at a local beach. I changed my mind when my dad called to invite me down.”
“Then I propose a toast.” I lifted my cup.
“A toast? With coffee?”
“You can toast with any beverage.”
“Sure, why not?” She raised her cup. “But what are we toasting?”
“To Allie’s great adventure.”
She laughed again as our cups touched and her eyes finally got that twinkle back. I put my cup to my lips and drank the last of my coffee like I was taking a shot. That got her smiling.
Her phone rang. I hoped it wasn’t that Toby kid again.
“It’s Jess. Do you mind if I get this?”
“No, not a problem.” Jess I could handle. Besides, maybe if they talked, Allie would feel better about things. I wanted her in a good mood for the rest of the night.
She answered. “Hey, are you home?”
I listened in to the other end of the conversation. I couldn’t catch every word, but I caught enough. “ Yeah, I got in about ten minutes ago. I wanted to apologize.”
“It’s okay. I completely understand.”
Allie glanced at the door. Another group of customers poured in. They were a rowdy bunch of tourists wearing beads they must have purchased at a store. Why people would spend money on those crappy pieces of plastic I’d never understood.
“Hey, where are you?” Jess must have heard the crowd.
“Out getting coffee.” Allie smiled.
“With who?”
“Umm, can I call you later?” She looked down at the table.
Allie pushed the phone tighter against her ear. I tried to hear but the only thing I caught was my name.
She played with her coffee cup. “Maybe.”
I stopped trying to listen. I’d heard what I needed to. She disconnected and sat up enough to slide her phone in her back pocket. I realized she hadn’t brought a purse with her that night.
“Jess made it back?” I decided to pretend I hadn’t heard the conversation for myself.
“Yeah, she just got home.”
“Anything else going on?”
“Nope.”
“Exciting.”
She flipped her hair back. “Isn’t it?”
“How’s the coffee?” I made conversation but really I was planning things out in my head. If I was ready to reveal myself, I had to show her. Telling her would probably just leave her thinking I was crazy or just making it up as a joke. Showing her would be easy enough, but how was I going to handle the fall out if she didn’t take it well? Should I give her some space to think about it, or force her to face it head on?
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