Read Online One Little Thing by Kimberly Lang - Free Book Online Page B

crowd. “Everyone there will know who you are already.”
    â€œMrs. Kenna was a popular teacher. I figured some of her former students who live out of town now might be there to thank her and wish her a happy retirement.” She shook her head. “Oh, just ignore me and forget I even said that. Mrs. Kenna’s party is a social event and no place to do business. I know better than that. I’m just—”
    â€œExcited,” he finished for her. “I know.” He squeezed her hand. “But take some business cards. Just in case.” If he didn’t have to cover the party for the
Clarion
, he’d just make a brief appearance, and while Sophie had agreed to go with him, he didn’t know if she really wanted to. “You know, if you’ve got stuff you need to do, you don’t have to go.”
    â€œI want to go,” she said quickly. “I always liked Mrs. Kenna.”
    He’d liked Mrs. Kenna well enough, too, but biology had never been his favorite subject or anything. “I didn’t know you liked science so much.”
    Sophie shook her head. “It wasn’t the class. I mean, I didn’t hate it or anything, but Mrs. Kenna was really good to me when . . . well, when all the shit hit the fan.”
    All the guilt he’d been conveniently forgetting and ignoring slammed into him. He’d gotten good enough at it to not have even thought about it recently.
    And God knew, he had something pretty awesome here with Sophie and he didn’t want to screw that up unnecessarily. The past was past. It was done, and nothing he could say or do now would change what had happened. It certainly wouldn’t make anything better. There was little chance Sophie would ever learn the truth, and he had nothing to gain by unburdening his soul. Aside from a little bitterness that night she’d been tipsy, Sophie didn’t seem to be holding grudges or harboring any resentment. She seemed fine. Over it. Why dig up a long-buried past just to appease his conscience?
    And it seemed a little too late anyway. The right time to confess would have been earlier—ten years ago, ideally, but at the very least before they started sleeping together. What if Sophie felt betrayed or lied to? What if she got angry at him for the part he played?
    This would not go down as his proudest moment in life, but he wasn’t willing to risk messing this up with Sophie. If that meant he was a coward at heart, so be it.
    â€œQuinn? Are you okay?” Sophie’s face was in the shadows, but he could see her eyebrows pulled together in concern.
    His poker face must suck. “I’m fine. I just remembered something I was supposed to do.”
    Her eyes widened, and she laughed. “Well, based on the look on your face, you should probably go do it.”
    â€œNo, no, it’s fine. It’s not that big a deal.”
At least I hope it’s not.
    â€œAre you sure?”
    â€œI’m sure.”
    Sophie closed the cookbook with a snap, then turned toward him, waggling her eyebrows suggestively. “Want to goinside, then?”
    Yeah, this was just too good to risk screwing up.

Chapter Seven
    The Magnolia Beach High School gym looked almost exactly the same as it had ten years ago—meaning it looked exactly like every other high school gym in America.
    Sophie hadn’t expected a rush of memories to greet her, so she was a little surprised by the fact that they did. She’d made out with Bobby Sorkinson behind the bleachers over there during a pep rally, cheered her heart out during home games from the “Girlfriend Section” during that brief time she’d dated one of the basketball players, and sat through endless assemblies urging her to be a better citizen, say no to drugs, and respect the school dress code. Typical stuff.
    With so many
good
memories to look back on, why, then, did being here have her feeling on edge? That