Read Online Gated by Amy Christine Parker - Free Book Online
Authors: Amy Christine Parker
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actual
lives
are at stake—but be so high-strung over this?”
“Ouch.”
Marie walks a little ahead, then stops and turns around. “I’m sorry, just … please, Lyla. Just this once. Please.” She gives me her best puppy-dog eyes.
I glance back at my house, at the windows. There are no lights on inside. My parents have been asleep for hours, and the Sour"justy haven’t checked on me in the middle of the night since I was ten. If I’m ever going to sneak out, this is as good a night as any—maybe even better. Smart, almost. No one would ever expect it.
“One hour,” I say. “That’s it.”
Marie hugs me so hard I cough. “Yesss! Thank you.”
“Can’t breathe,” I groan, and she lets go and laughs.
Brian and Will are waiting for us when we get to Marie’s yard—the absolute best place to attempt a sneak-out. Her parents hate to garden, so her backyard is completely overgrown, probably more jungle-like than an actual jungle. There are lots of places to hide.
Will is over by the wall, holding the makeshift ladder he built special for tonight. When he sees us, he smiles and props it up against the bricks. It’s a thick piece of plywood we smuggled out of the wood shop, with various bits of scrap wood nailed to it to make the rungs.
“Ready for this?”
“As I’ll ever be,” I say, and try to look excited. I’msupposed to be excited.
This
is the date I should be looking forward to. This is the boy who should be stealing my breath and making my heart race. Cody was just … someone new, and that’s the only reason I can’t stop thinking about him. Maybe this is the perfect thing for me to be doing right now, a way of refocusing.
“Heard you had to give a tour today,” Will says as if he’s reading my mind. “Smart of Pioneer to send you to do it—not that I’m glad he did, but I’m sure it made it hard for that guy to see anything around here besides you.”
“You’re crazy.” My cheeks flush.
“No, just honest,” he says, and kisses my blush-heated cheek. “By the way, nice bed-head.”
“Shut up.” I punch him in the stomach and he grunts.
“No, really, I like it. It kind of goes with the little bit of toothpaste you’ve got right there.” He wipes a finger against the corner of my mouth.
“Thanks for the heads-up, Marie,” I whisper, and pretend to glare at her.
She giggles. “What’re friends for?”
I smooth my hair and run my own finger across my lips.
“So, we’re really going to do this?” I ask Will.
“Absolutely,” he says.
“I can’t believe you’re actually on board, Mr. Consummate Rule Follower.”
Will pretends to look wounded. “Are you saying I’m uptight?”
“No, just boring,” Marie answers for me.
“That’s unfair,” Will says with a look of mock hurt on his face. “I follow the rules that make sense. The ones that keep us safe. But an hour or two by the river … to talk”—he raises both eyebrows here—“isn’t exactly life-threatening.”
“Something tells me being alone with you in the dark isn’t exactly
safe
either,” I say.
Will chuckles and leans in to kiss me softly on the lips. “I promise I’ll be good … or at least no Sr al cht
very
bad.”
I roll my eyes and put a little distance between us. I like it better when he’s just my friend like he used to be before we were Intendeds. Flirting like this always feels a little like target shooting. I’m more likely to want to shake his hand than I am to bat my eyes and aim for his heart.
“Can we get going already?” Brian grumbles. He’s the first one to scramble up the ladder, pulling himself up and over the wall in one fluid movement. I can hear the dull thud as he lands on the other side.
Marie goes next. She has a little more difficulty hoisting herself up onto the wall, but she’s still over it quickly enough to keep my fear of being found out to a minimum.
“Your turn,” Will whispers into my hair.
I climb carefully up the
lives
are at stake—but be so high-strung over this?”
“Ouch.”
Marie walks a little ahead, then stops and turns around. “I’m sorry, just … please, Lyla. Just this once. Please.” She gives me her best puppy-dog eyes.
I glance back at my house, at the windows. There are no lights on inside. My parents have been asleep for hours, and the Sour"justy haven’t checked on me in the middle of the night since I was ten. If I’m ever going to sneak out, this is as good a night as any—maybe even better. Smart, almost. No one would ever expect it.
“One hour,” I say. “That’s it.”
Marie hugs me so hard I cough. “Yesss! Thank you.”
“Can’t breathe,” I groan, and she lets go and laughs.
Brian and Will are waiting for us when we get to Marie’s yard—the absolute best place to attempt a sneak-out. Her parents hate to garden, so her backyard is completely overgrown, probably more jungle-like than an actual jungle. There are lots of places to hide.
Will is over by the wall, holding the makeshift ladder he built special for tonight. When he sees us, he smiles and props it up against the bricks. It’s a thick piece of plywood we smuggled out of the wood shop, with various bits of scrap wood nailed to it to make the rungs.
“Ready for this?”
“As I’ll ever be,” I say, and try to look excited. I’msupposed to be excited.
This
is the date I should be looking forward to. This is the boy who should be stealing my breath and making my heart race. Cody was just … someone new, and that’s the only reason I can’t stop thinking about him. Maybe this is the perfect thing for me to be doing right now, a way of refocusing.
“Heard you had to give a tour today,” Will says as if he’s reading my mind. “Smart of Pioneer to send you to do it—not that I’m glad he did, but I’m sure it made it hard for that guy to see anything around here besides you.”
“You’re crazy.” My cheeks flush.
“No, just honest,” he says, and kisses my blush-heated cheek. “By the way, nice bed-head.”
“Shut up.” I punch him in the stomach and he grunts.
“No, really, I like it. It kind of goes with the little bit of toothpaste you’ve got right there.” He wipes a finger against the corner of my mouth.
“Thanks for the heads-up, Marie,” I whisper, and pretend to glare at her.
She giggles. “What’re friends for?”
I smooth my hair and run my own finger across my lips.
“So, we’re really going to do this?” I ask Will.
“Absolutely,” he says.
“I can’t believe you’re actually on board, Mr. Consummate Rule Follower.”
Will pretends to look wounded. “Are you saying I’m uptight?”
“No, just boring,” Marie answers for me.
“That’s unfair,” Will says with a look of mock hurt on his face. “I follow the rules that make sense. The ones that keep us safe. But an hour or two by the river … to talk”—he raises both eyebrows here—“isn’t exactly life-threatening.”
“Something tells me being alone with you in the dark isn’t exactly
safe
either,” I say.
Will chuckles and leans in to kiss me softly on the lips. “I promise I’ll be good … or at least no Sr al cht
very
bad.”
I roll my eyes and put a little distance between us. I like it better when he’s just my friend like he used to be before we were Intendeds. Flirting like this always feels a little like target shooting. I’m more likely to want to shake his hand than I am to bat my eyes and aim for his heart.
“Can we get going already?” Brian grumbles. He’s the first one to scramble up the ladder, pulling himself up and over the wall in one fluid movement. I can hear the dull thud as he lands on the other side.
Marie goes next. She has a little more difficulty hoisting herself up onto the wall, but she’s still over it quickly enough to keep my fear of being found out to a minimum.
“Your turn,” Will whispers into my hair.
I climb carefully up the
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