Read Online OVERPROTECTED by Jennifer Laurens - Free Book Online

cable exposed, ends frayed and yet vulnerable.

    His leg continued to jitter. He appeared ready to leap from the car and, what, I wasn’t sure. Did he regret the job already? Had Mother’s attention given him second thoughts?

    He caught me watching. He remained silent, but his brown eyes stayed fastened to mine in what? Curiosity?

    School was easy for me because, through the years, my narrow life made learning something to look forward to. Outside of music, English and History were my favorite subjects. I loved to dream about life outside my world, and both of those subjects facilitated my fantasies.

    Knowing Colin waited for me in the school somewhere caused my mind to wander. The dream of him pressing me against the door, kissing me, streamed through my brain to the soundtrack of his aching tune. Three of my teachers took me aside after class and asked me if I was feeling ok, telling me that I looked distracted.

    My cheeks heated even thinking about what my teachers must think of me to notice distraction in their perfect little student.

    I couldn’t wait until lunch.

    Most of the other senior girls left campus for lunch, choosing to hit Joe’s Deli down the street or Indian Palace on the corner. I wasn’t allowed to leave, and Felicity kindly remained with me.

    “It’s so boring we have to stay here and eat,” she mumbled. A twinge of fear trembled inside of me. Was she getting tired of living with my restraints? If she chose to take off without me, I’d be alone.

    The thought made my stomach crimp, yet, I could hardly blame her.

    “It’s ridiculous,” I said. “What burns me is that everyone thinks I’m this perfect conforming student. ‘She has one day of distraction and—call her parents—sound the alarm.’”

    The scent of fried food and Italian seasonings filled the archaic, wood-paneled halls of Chatham as Felicity and I walked to the cafeteria.

    A tingle of mischief shot through my blood. “Let’s go.”

    Felicity came to a halt beside me. “Your dad will kill you.”

    “He’ll fire Colin for not doing his job and I’ll finally be free of all of these bodyguards.” I tugged her sleeve down the hall and turned right, taking an empty corridor which led to the gated exterior of Chatham.

    Felicity snorted. “Like that’ll ever happen. I don’t know, Ash, I love you and all, but if your dad finds out I was along for the ride and he’ll probably ban us from seeing each other. Think about it.”

    She was right, Daddy would do just that. I stopped at the glass door and gazed out onto the cement courtyard of Chatham where groups of girls stood in clusters eating lunch. Some hung by the chain link fence, taunting the occasional high school boy or two who happened by from the private boy’s school two blocks away. Losing privileges with Felicity would pretty much cut off the minuscule vein I had feeding me anything social. Yet the drive I had to continue reaching for freedom wouldn’t let me stop trying.

    Mother, with her weird interest in Colin would probably give me the silent treatment for weeks. Daddy would just find someone else to come work for him. If Colin lost the job because of me—I didn’t like carrying that weight on my shoulders.

    I’d thought of running away before, but knew how stupid that irrational choice really was. I had no way of supporting myself. The picture of me coming back because I’d failed was worse than being stuck.

    “You’re right,” I sighed. I was surrounded by the fences, doors, and windows I perpetually observed life from.

    “But so what,” Felicity taunted.

    “We’ll just make sure we don’t get caught.” I flashed a grin at her and tugged her through the door.

    We snuck along the exterior brick and stone walls of Chatham, peering around corners, dipping beneath windows like fugitives. The forty-five minute lunch period clicked away, but I didn’t care. Finally, we reached the front of the building.

    “You sure you want to do