Read Online Hometown Girls: Beginnings (Hometown Girls Series Book 1) by Tressa Messenger - Free Book Online Page B

hands and pleaded, “You told me that she gave you her blessing. That she wanted us to figure this out. Well we did, or at least we started to. The cats out of the bag now. We can’t undo what happened, but I think we owe it to ourselves to see what we could be. And I think we owe it to her. She was selfless to allow us this chance. It couldn’t have been an easy thing to do. I’m not sure what I would have done in her situation. Do you really want her sacrifice and pain to be for nothing? It’s here, it’s happening, and there’s nothing either of us can do to change that now, whether you and I are together or not. Please, just give us a chance.”
    Katie quietly listened to him, staring down at their clasped hands, absorbing everything he’d said. He was right. Of course he was. Marissa Lou made the decision to end her relationship with him, not them, and now that she had, nothing could ever go back to normal. Only now, if she and Daniel didn’t stay together, all three of them would be hurt and none of them would be friends.
    Katie’s previous tears dried. She looked up at him and squeezed his hands back, then smiled weakly. “Okay.”
    “Okay?” he asked looking at her excitedly.
    She nodded her head. “Yes, I want to give us a chance.”
    He quickly pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight. “That’s so great. I promise, it’ll all work out. We’ll find a way somehow.”
     

* * *
     
    After spending the entire day together, something Marissa Lou never would have expected, Randy took her back to school where she left her car.
    “Surprisingly, I had fun today,” she said leaning against his truck in the senior lot. “I didn’t know it this morning, but it was exactly what I needed.”
    “Good, I’m glad I could help. I am, like, one big surprise, after all. Kinda like Christmas morning.”
    Marissa Lou laughed out loud for the hundredth time that day.
    “There’s that sexy smile. You should do it more often.”
    “Yeah?”
    “Yep. You know, there’s no reason to feel down. Not about anything. Life is screwed up enough to sweat the little stuff. Live life, be free and have fun. That’s my philosophy.”
    She smiled up at him, feeling surprised and attracted once again. “I like that. That’s going to be my new mantra.”
    “There you go,” he laughed. He then bent down and kissed her lightly before getting into his truck. With the window down, he leaned out. “Try to stay outta trouble. Wouldn’t want ya to get mixed up with some bad influences.”
    “Yeah well, that would mean staying away from you, and I’m not so sure that’s going to happen. Not so soon anyway.”
    “I hear ya. See ya later, girl.”
    “Yeah, see ya.” She backed up and stood beside her car, watching him as he drove away and maybe it was the pot, or maybe the excitement of something new, but a new sense of hope fluttered through her. It was the same feeling she had gotten for most of the day. A feeling telling her that she was going to be alright, thanks to a new, unlikely friend. Randy was dark and dangerous, with piercings and a tattoo that she unearthed when his chest was bare after their make-out session went a little further than she had expected.
    Even that was different from Daniel. He was rough and controlling, whereas Daniel was gentle and tentative. It surprised her to realize she liked Randy’s way better. He was definitely not what she was used to in any way, but maybe that was a good thing. Maybe a change would do the trick to get her out of her funk. It sure did today.
    She nodded to herself and got in her car. She drove home with blissful thoughts, but when she got close to her house her heart began to grow heavy. In Katie’s driveway, which happened to be right beside her own, was Daniel’s car.
    Before she got out of the car, she noticed Katie’s bedroom light was on. That was where they mostly likely were and the thought of them in her bedroom together made her