Read Online Life Interrupted by Kristen Kehoe - Free Book Online

his intentions, I knew it was most likely to save his own ass than out of love for Katie that Doug had put the kibosh on their relationship.
    Now, a s we sweat together through the last few minutes of hell, we survive it by mimicking Lauren and her cross country anorexics—I mean really, you run, what’s the point of the sport?
    When Coach ends his torture and brings us in for one last stretch and cheer, I glance over and see Tripp in the corner holding Gracie.  My eyebrows wing up and then I remember: G had an appointment today, I was supposed to grab her before five.  Shit, shit, shit. 
    I beeline for them, making note that the girls from the younger team are coming in from their own practice, filing through to the locker room.  Some of them stop and stare at Tripp, their eyes floating to Gracie and I inwardly cringe.  I don’t bring her to school a lot for this reason.  It almost feels like I’m parading her around so everyone can stare at her and I hate it.  It was bad enough being pregnant in high school—I don’t ever want Gracie to be stared at like I was.
    “G was in the parking lot as I was putting my stuff in my truck.  I grabbed her so she could go to her appointment,” Tripp says as I reach them and I nod.
    I reach out for Gracie and she opens her arms, babbling her garbled language as she comment s on everything around.  “Thanks, I forgot.  I bet G was pissed.”
    He shakes his head.  “Nah, she saw me so she asked me to bring her to you.  Said to tell you she hasn’t had dinner yet.”
    I nod and grab the black backpack from him that has all of her stuff in it.  “Thanks.  How was practice? You guys ready for playoffs?”
    He shrugs like he always does, superstitious until the end.  Tripp wears confidence like a second skin, but he’ll never promise a win before the game.  He always gives the same answer, no matter who he’s talking to.  “Only game day will tell.”
    I nod , secretly pleased that no matter what the papers say about him, there are some things that never change.  “Thanks for getting Gracie.  Do you need a ride?”
    He hesitates and then shakes his head.  “No, Lauren and I haven’t seen a lot of each other lately so she asked if we could grab dinner.  I told her I’d wait here for her.”
    I nod, two sharp jerks of my chin and plaster a smile on my face. “Okay, well, thanks again.  I’ll see you later.”
    “Do you want me to hold her while you grab your stuff?” he asks.
    “No, thanks, we’re good.  See you,” I say and walk away.  I can feel Gracie waving her arm over my shoulder as she shouts bye-bye over and over.  I laugh as I round the corner into the locker room but it dies away immediately as I come face–to-face with Gabriella Kash.  Marcus’s younger sister stops mid-conversation with another girl from her team when she spots us, her eyes widening only a fraction as she takes in me, then Gracie.
    There’s no mistaking the family resemblance between the two of them, the shape of her face, the blonde ringlets, the porcelain complexion.  I’m almost positive Gracie is Gabriella from fourteen years ago and staring at Gabriella’s face, I know she’s thinking the same thing.
    Gabriella (never Gabby) is a sophomore.  The first time I met her was this year.  I wasn’t here last year when she was going through tryouts for the high school team and then again for the club team, and when I met her this year, it was more by way of Katie pointing her out so I knew who to avoid, as Katie also informed me that though Gabriella was a nice, quiet girl (a thought that makes me snort thinking just how nice her quiet brother is), she’s heard the rumors and she isn’t convinced I had Marcus’s baby, more just that I had a baby and needed someone to blame.  Looks like I’ve just convinced her , I think as she continues to stare at Gracie. 
    “Hey, Flow,” the girl next to her says and I shift my eyes. 
    “Hey, Liz.  How’s it