Read Online Keep Her by Faith Andrews - Free Book Online Page A

into the phone.
    “I know you love your brother and your friend and you only want what’s best for them. I get that. You are one selfless, albeit hard-core and stubborn, firecracker. I didn’t know you that long while she was alive, but ever since your mom passed, you’ve been living your life for everyone but yourself. You worry about Marcus, about your dad, about the business and your friends. You overanalyze everything and don’t enjoy the moment. Even on those few dates you do go on… you’re too worried about the future to just live in the present. I’m not saying you’ve passed up your chance with a prince, because let’s face it… you’ve dated some real winners, but I think you need to go with your heart instead of your brain sometimes, Riles.
    “I think you see Tessa and Marcus doing exactly that—throwing caution to the wind, having fun together, not worrying about what comes next—and you’re green with envy because you just can’t allow yourself to do that, too.”
    “Fallon, you know I’m not the type to just fuck around for fun. And it’s not only that, I know Beck. I’ll always know Beck. There’s history there. It will be awkward now because I didn’t think with my brain the other night. And because for whatever reason, I’m thinking things about him that I didn’t expect.”
    “And there’s my point exactly—stop thinking. Just let it be. Just live. Isn’t that what she told you to do?”
    He was talking about my mother’s dying words. I wanted nothing more than to follow through with her hopes and dreams for me, but life wasn’t just about hopes and dreams. It was about being responsible and realistic too. Fucking around with Beck and hoping it could be more was neither of those—it was stupid. There was that word again.
    “Girl, I hear your brain juice working from here. Didn’t I just tell you to stop thinking so hard? Let this be your first experience with letting loose and having fun. Don’t make me chant it… live, live, live, live ! Why make it a big deal if he doesn’t call?”
    I let out a small laugh, trying to make light of everything. Fallon had some spot-on points. He knew me too well. I needed to stop being so damn serious and act like one of the Beatles… let it be . So what if Beck didn’t call? He didn’t owe me anything. We had a good time and I should be able to look back on it with an ear-to-ear grin. There was no need to make things awkward. It didn’t have to be. He was still the same old Beck and I was still the same old Riley. The fact that we knew each other’s naked bodies inside out should have no influence on how we reacted toward each other from here on out.
    Except that for some reason, it did matter.
    “Because I felt something, Fallon. Even in all the drunken sloppiness, the slurred words, and the silly jokes—there was something there. I don’t know how to deal with all these emotions, or even why I have any emotions about Beck Matthews, period. But I am. And I do. And I want him to call and I’m really pissed off that he—”
    The beep of the incoming call interrupted my rant. “Hold on. I have another call. Probably Ashworth finally getting back to me.”
    When I looked at the caller ID and saw Beck’s name flash across the screen, I nearly shit myself. “Oh my god, Oh my god, Oh. My. Gawd,” I yelled into the phone.
    “What, you freak? What’s the matter?”
    “Fallon, it’s him. Beck’s calling.”
    “Oh my gawd, is right. Go answer that shit and call me as soon as you’re done.”
    I didn’t have time to respond. Instead, I cleared my throat, put on my best smile, and clicked over to the other line.
    “Hello,” I said, trying to accentuate the out-too-late-and-hung-over rasp in my voice.
    Too much? Too soon? Ah, whatever. I was supposed to be having fun and living, right?

 
     
     
    So after dick move number one, which was lying to Marissa, I was about to go through with dick move number two, which was calling