Read Online Natural Selection by Elizabeth Sharp - Free Book Online Page B

I
wasn’t quite sure what was wrong, but I was starting to suspect the
punch. I tried to sit up but just kind of flopped around, my arms
and neck feeling boneless. I wanted to tell him I thought the punch
was spiked but couldn’t make my tongue work. I felt myself being
lifted and swept into someone’s arms. I knew it was Nate because I
could hear the rumble of his voice nearby, but the world was kind
of vague. I felt hot, like I was wearing too much clothing, and
knew there was something wrong with that idea. I buried my nose in
the crook in Nate’s chest and inhaled his masculine scent. Despite
the fog in my brain, I noticed the earthiness of his scent. I
wondered if that was something specific to Gaia or if that was all
Nate. Maybe that was what made him appeal to me? That was at least
what I was going to tell myself.
    I heard him tell somebody to get a
ride with someone else then I heard him open the doors. My head
cleared a little once we were outside in the cool night. I looked
up and tried to get him to put me down, but he held firm. By the
time we got to Nate’s Pontiac G8, I was back in complete control of
myself. He opened the door and went to set me in the seat, but I
stopped him and made him let me go. I ran into the grass in front
of his car and proceeded to empty my stomach.
    I’d never been so embarrassed in my
life. He was the only guy I’d ever had the hots for now here he was
smoothing my hair as I heaved what felt like everything I’d ever
eaten. He whispered soothing things as I prayed to die on the spot.
I finally stopped heaving, and he fetched me a bottle of water from
the vending machine in front of the building. I wiped my mouth with
the back of my hand and took a long drink before I could bring
myself to look him in the eye.
    He looked so worried my heart skipped
a beat. I felt that strange connection between us, so strong now it
took my breath away. Without thinking, I reached out to touch his
cheek with my hand. A second before I made contact he pulled back.
I couldn’t keep the hurt from showing on my face, despite the
reluctance I saw in his eyes. I dropped my hand and we looked at
each other for a long moment.
    He cleared his throat and started
moving towards the car, calling over his shoulder that he should
take me home. I was once again heading down Wyatt in awkward
silence. I didn’t know what I’d done wrong, or why his rejection
hurt so damn much. If anyone had the right to be leery, it was me!
I could still remember the poignant fear as I lay in the dirt
outside the gym at school. Though I wasn’t as afraid now that I
understood what had happened, I was still afraid of him losing
control again. I tried to say something, but my voice faltered and
before I knew it we were pulling into my driveway. Instead of
getting out of the car, I turned to him.
    “ The first day of school,
Nate…”
    He held up a hand and gave me a hard
look that told me he wasn’t ready to have this discussion with me.
I started to argue, to try to get some sort of emotional response
from him, but he got out, walked around the car, and opened my door
for me. “Goodnight, Amelia,” he said in a very tight
voice.
    I felt tears, and I tried
to blink them back. I avoided his eyes as I climbed out of the car.
Watching him drive away as I stood on my porch, my mind was a
tangled knot of hurt and confusion. Unable to process what
happened, I sighed and opened the door. The walk to my room seemed
endless, but I made it without anyone spotting me or the tears
still threatening to spill. I couldn’t stand the offensive costume
a second longer. Tearing it off my body, I threw it across my room
in an untidy pile of ruffles and bows. Climbing into my familiar
pajamas had never felt so heavenly. Miserably, I collapsed on my
bed and grabbed my latest book, the first in a trilogy
called Secrets . I
tried to losemyself in Olivia and Juliet’s problems, so I didn’t
have to worry about my own.

 
     

    I SLEPT