Read Online One Penny: A Marked Heart Novel by M. Sembera, Margaret Civella - Free Book Online

thought it would be more interesting. Even doctor's offices have pictures on the walls."
    "You think my apartment looks like a doctor's office?"
    Shaking her head, Penny replied, "No, it's worse."
    Seth scowled at her saying, "Oh," before walking back to the kitchen.
    Thinking she may have hurt his feelings, Penny followed him and sat down at his table.
    Seth pulled three boxes of cereal out of the cabinet and set them on the table in front of her before grabbing a carton of milk. Placing it on the table too, he walked back grabbed a bowl and spoon then set them in front of her.
    Pushing the bowl away, Penny crossed her arms against the table asking, "Did I hurt your feelings?"
    Seth sat down in the other chair replying, "No."
    "Are you gonna eat?"
    Shaking his head he informed, "I only have one bowl."
    "You're kidding me right."
    "I'm the only one that lives here why would I need more?"
    Stopping for a moment to think, Penny hopped up from the chair.
    She could feel his eyes on her as she opened his silverware drawer. Inside the drawer there was a butter knife and one with a serrated edge, a salad fork and a dinner fork, and a soup spoon. Grabbing the soup spoon out of the drawer, she closed it and walked back to the table.
    Sitting back down, she pushed the bowl between them asking, "Which one is your favorite?"
    Seth hesitantly pointed to the coco puffs.
    "Ah, good choice," Penny complimented as she poured the cereal into the bowl.
    After adding milk, she handed him the soup spoon.
    "We're sharing," she insisted, urging him to eat.
    It took him a few minutes of her nodding and smiling as she ate before Seth decided to share the cereal with her.
    Once the bowl of cereal that they were sharing was empty, Penny started to take it to the kitchen when Seth took it from her. He immediately washed and dried it along with the spoons and put them away.
    Smiling at him, Penny couldn't help noticing his messy hair. Trying to run her fingers through her own, she started to laugh.
    "What?"
    "I just realized my hair's not even brushed."
    Seth smiled back at her saying, "You do look like you just rolled out of bed."
    Nodding at him she shared, "That's because I did."
    As Seth continued to smile at her, Penny couldn't help the warm and fuzzy feeling it created inside of her.
    Realizing it wasn't a friendly feeling, she said, "I better get back next door."
    "Okay," he replied appearing slightly disappointed.
    "Thanks for breakfast," she said turning to leave.
    When she reached the door and started to open it, Seth asked, "Do you really think it's boring in here."
    Giving him a sympathetic expression, she said, "Yea," then smiling she offered, "On the plus side though, if you have a girl over you're definitely the main attraction."
    Seth bit his bottom lip as he smiled and looked off to the side as Penny gave him a little wave and walked out.
    Taking a deep breath when she stepped out onto the balcony, Penny headed to her apartment thinking, it may not have been the best idea to befriend someone as cute as Seth.

 
    Eleven
    Rigid in his chair, Seth waited for his father to speak. When Leonard demanded he come for lunch, Seth had no idea it would be just the two of them. With no buffer or anyone else to concentrate on, he started to feel his chest constricting.
    Leonard leaned forward slightly in his chair before questioning, "How much longer do you plan on causing your mother and I this embarrassment?"
    "Pardon?"
    Appearing put out, his father replied, "I have always tolerated your inadequacies."
    Staring at his father, Seth tried to focus on the fact that he did not live there anymore as he felt bile rising in his throat.
    "What was it called? Stress induced anxiety?"
    "Yes sir," he forced out thinking, 'is' not 'was'.
    Leonard stood up and walked to a large china cabinet against the wall.
    Looking into the cabinet instead of at his son, he stated, "Your mother is organizing a hospital fundraiser in honor of my father. For some reason,