Read Online Matt Archer: Blade's Edge by Kendra C. Highley - Free Book Online
Authors: Kendra C. Highley
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way I can.”
The knife picked that moment to vibrate on the table. Mom jumped.
“Don’t worry, it’s just agreeing with you,” I said. “Do you really mean it? That you’re okay with all this?”
“No, I’m not okay with it in the least,” Mom said, sounding stern. She smiled, though. “But I know it’s a sacrifice we have to make. That’s the difference between acquiescence and bravery. One means you’re giving in. The other means you’re stepping up.”
“I’m really sorry we lied.” I stared at the table, unable to look her in the eye. “And I promise I’ll do everything I can to stay safe.”
She put her arm around me. “You better, otherwise you’re grounded.”
I finally found it safe to look up from the table. “Dad really had a Harley?” When she nodded, I asked, “Can I have one?”
“No.” Mom quirked a little smile. “Too dangerous.”
Chapter Seven
T he next morning, I woke up to the scents of home—fabric softener, a fog of Axe drifting from Brent’s room, all overlaid by the scent of cinnamon rolls baking downstairs. I only had two days of break left before I had to go back to school, and I hadn’t seen Will or Ella in a week. I needed to get out of the house to visit everyone, but I had a more pressing concern to attend to first—I was freaking starving. After throwing on some clothes, I hurried downstairs to stake my claim on breakfast.
I’d eaten four cinnamon rolls and washed them down with a gallon of milk by the time my phone rang at nine-thirty. All You Need Is Love, by The Beatles, played throughout the kitchen.
“Ella,” Mom and Mamie said in unison, and Brent choked back a laugh.
My face flushed sunburn-hot. Ella had asked me to download that song for her ringtone because it was “sweet.” I liked the song too, but now I wished I’d used Black Sabbath.
I ran upstairs to my room as I answered. “H’lo?”
“Hey, you sound out of breath,” Ella said, her smile audible. “I catch you at a bad time?”
“Nah, just running up the stairs.” I flopped on my bed. “Sorry I missed you last night.”
She laughed. “I’ve been wondering when you’d be awake enough to see me. That must’ve been some trip.”
“Yeah,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t ask me for details. She had a tendency to freak when I came home injured. “You doing anything later?”
“Going out with you.”
Just what I wanted to hear. “What time?”
“I’ll be over at five. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
The way she said “surprise” made me sit up straight with my mouth hanging open. “Uh, okay…”
Ella laughed again. “See you tonight.”
I tossed my phone on the bed. A surprise? What did that mean? My imagination was teeing up a few good scenarios when the doorbell rang. I heard Mom answer, then she came upstairs.
“It’s Will, honey. He seems really excited about something,” she said, cracking my door open. “He’s waiting on the porch.”
It was twenty-two degrees outside and he was waiting on the porch? “On my way.”
I grabbed my jacket and trotted downstairs to find my best friend bouncing on the doorstep, looking like he’d won the lottery. “Ho, ho, ho, dude! Come see what Santa brought me for my birthday.”
“I’m scared to ask,” I grumbled. “Last year, Santa delivered a golf cart with your name painted on it and this year you’ve already been on a ski trip to Aspen. So, let me guess—your other present was…a couple of Victoria’s Secret models?”
Will chuckled. “That would’ve rocked, but no, I got something a little better than that.”
He gestured for me to follow him down to the street. I threw up my hands. He’d parked a gleaming, midnight-blue BMW 335i sport coupe at the curb.
“You could’ve shoveled the driveway,” he said, smirking. “I hate that I had to park my lady on the road.”
“They gave you a brand new Beemer?” There were times when Will’s absentee parents went too far to buy his love,
The knife picked that moment to vibrate on the table. Mom jumped.
“Don’t worry, it’s just agreeing with you,” I said. “Do you really mean it? That you’re okay with all this?”
“No, I’m not okay with it in the least,” Mom said, sounding stern. She smiled, though. “But I know it’s a sacrifice we have to make. That’s the difference between acquiescence and bravery. One means you’re giving in. The other means you’re stepping up.”
“I’m really sorry we lied.” I stared at the table, unable to look her in the eye. “And I promise I’ll do everything I can to stay safe.”
She put her arm around me. “You better, otherwise you’re grounded.”
I finally found it safe to look up from the table. “Dad really had a Harley?” When she nodded, I asked, “Can I have one?”
“No.” Mom quirked a little smile. “Too dangerous.”
Chapter Seven
T he next morning, I woke up to the scents of home—fabric softener, a fog of Axe drifting from Brent’s room, all overlaid by the scent of cinnamon rolls baking downstairs. I only had two days of break left before I had to go back to school, and I hadn’t seen Will or Ella in a week. I needed to get out of the house to visit everyone, but I had a more pressing concern to attend to first—I was freaking starving. After throwing on some clothes, I hurried downstairs to stake my claim on breakfast.
I’d eaten four cinnamon rolls and washed them down with a gallon of milk by the time my phone rang at nine-thirty. All You Need Is Love, by The Beatles, played throughout the kitchen.
“Ella,” Mom and Mamie said in unison, and Brent choked back a laugh.
My face flushed sunburn-hot. Ella had asked me to download that song for her ringtone because it was “sweet.” I liked the song too, but now I wished I’d used Black Sabbath.
I ran upstairs to my room as I answered. “H’lo?”
“Hey, you sound out of breath,” Ella said, her smile audible. “I catch you at a bad time?”
“Nah, just running up the stairs.” I flopped on my bed. “Sorry I missed you last night.”
She laughed. “I’ve been wondering when you’d be awake enough to see me. That must’ve been some trip.”
“Yeah,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t ask me for details. She had a tendency to freak when I came home injured. “You doing anything later?”
“Going out with you.”
Just what I wanted to hear. “What time?”
“I’ll be over at five. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
The way she said “surprise” made me sit up straight with my mouth hanging open. “Uh, okay…”
Ella laughed again. “See you tonight.”
I tossed my phone on the bed. A surprise? What did that mean? My imagination was teeing up a few good scenarios when the doorbell rang. I heard Mom answer, then she came upstairs.
“It’s Will, honey. He seems really excited about something,” she said, cracking my door open. “He’s waiting on the porch.”
It was twenty-two degrees outside and he was waiting on the porch? “On my way.”
I grabbed my jacket and trotted downstairs to find my best friend bouncing on the doorstep, looking like he’d won the lottery. “Ho, ho, ho, dude! Come see what Santa brought me for my birthday.”
“I’m scared to ask,” I grumbled. “Last year, Santa delivered a golf cart with your name painted on it and this year you’ve already been on a ski trip to Aspen. So, let me guess—your other present was…a couple of Victoria’s Secret models?”
Will chuckled. “That would’ve rocked, but no, I got something a little better than that.”
He gestured for me to follow him down to the street. I threw up my hands. He’d parked a gleaming, midnight-blue BMW 335i sport coupe at the curb.
“You could’ve shoveled the driveway,” he said, smirking. “I hate that I had to park my lady on the road.”
“They gave you a brand new Beemer?” There were times when Will’s absentee parents went too far to buy his love,
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