Read Online Last Breath by Brandilyn Collins, Amberly Collins - Free Book Online Page B

long-sleeve blue shirt. I’d only seen him in jeans at school.
    My breath hitched. He looked so good .
    Gary headed up the sidewalk with that confident-yet-unassuming walk of his. I dropped the curtain. Didn’t want him to catch me watching.
    My heart beat a little too hard as I crossed my room. On my dresser in a small, clear vase sat the white rose. I’d used the red ribbon to tie the cellophane like a skirt around the vase. I grinned at the flower as I passed.
    This guy was too much.
    The doorbell rang.
    â€œRa-aayne!” my mom called.
    â€œComing!”
    I couldn’t remember when I’d been so excited about a date. (Even if I’d told Gary it wasn’t a real one.) I’d gone out with lots of guys, and never had any trouble getting their attention. But Gary was … different.
    As I entered the short front hallway, I glanced down at myself—in tight jeans and a pink, silky shirt. I’d changed outfits five times. Hope he likes it.
    I opened the door and stood back. “Hey.”
    â€œHey yourself.” His eyes grazed down my body and back to my face. “You look beautiful.”
    How could I not smile at that? “Thanks. Come on in.”
    Gary stepped inside. I closed the door.
    How different it felt, standing next to him. I was used to facing him across a desk. He was a good six inches taller than me. His height made me feel good. Feminine.
    I nudged his arm. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to my mom.”
    â€œOkay.”
    Mom was lounging on the couch in old jeans and a faded sweatshirt, no makeup. Worn out from working in her backyard garden all day. She didn’t bother to stand as I made the introductions.
    â€œNice to meet you.” Gary held out his hand, and she shook it.
    â€œLikewise.” She gave him her I’m-the-big-bad-mom frown. “You gonna take care of my daughter?”
    â€œAbsolutely.”
    â€œShe’s the only one I got, you know.”
    Gary threw me a glance. “I’d say you got the best.”
    Mom drew back her head. “Oh, listen to him, Rayne. Flattery and all.”
    â€œNo, ma’am. Not flattery. Just fact.”
    The way he said it—not cocky, like some fast-talking salesman. Just quiet and firm.
    Approval gleamed in Mom’s eyes. She turned to me. “Twelve o’clock. Not a minute late.”
    â€œI know, I know.”
    Gary and I whisked out the door.
    Parties at Nikki’s house were always fun. She had a large rec room basement that we could take over while her parents stayed on the main floor. We’d laugh and eat and play CDs, and laugh some more. We had a regular group of friends who always came—about ten girls and their dates. But to me that party with Gary was like none other. All through the evening I felt so aware of him, even if we weren’t at each other’s side every minute. As he talked to other people, when he went to the table for food, as he moved around the room, vibrations seemed to link us. I knew he felt it too.
    And he got along easily with everyone. Wasn’t quiet, didn’t seem shy. All my friends liked him. So why did he keep to himself so much at school?
    â€œYou have fun?” I asked as we walked to his car just before midnight. Christmas lights shone from houses up and down the street. The air had turned chilly. I shivered.
    â€œCold?” He put his arm around my shoulders. It felt good. Right.
    â€œThanks.”
    How could this guy have sat in front of me in French class all semester and never shown a bit of interest? And how could he get along so well with everybody at a party but seem so reserved at school?
    He opened the passenger door of the truck for me, then walked around the front and got in. The engine roared to life. I watched him out the corner of my eye as he put the truck in gear and started down the street.
    â€œGary?”
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œWhy did you come with me