Read Online Read Me Like a Book by Liz Kessler - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Liz Kessler
Ads: Link
dad?”
I’m trying to work out how to put my unease into words when I spot a familiar black Ford at the curb. Dylan! Suddenly thoughts about my parents are gone. “Cat, I can’t talk now. I’ll ring you later, OK?”
“I thought you were coming back to my house.”
I’m about to answer when Dylan gets out of the car. He comes over and puts his arm around me.
“Hi. Fancy a lift?”
“Cat, this is Dylan. Dylan, Cat.”
“Hi,” Dylan says, smiling at Cat.
Cat looks him up and down. “The wonderful Dylan,” she says.
Dylan laughs and pulls me closer.
I give Cat a half-pleading, half-guilty look. “Do you mind?”
She shakes her head. “I’m fine. Go on.”
“Can I drop you off anywhere?” Dylan asks Cat.
“I’m all right with the bus. Ta.”
I give Cat a hug.
“Call me when you get in, OK?” she says.
“I will.”
Dylan opens the door for me and I can’t help feeling a twinge of guilt as we drive past Cat, lighting up a cigarette and heading to the bus stop.
We drive down to the canal for a walk. Dylan holds my hand as we amble along, kicking leaves at each other. Dead romantic. Then we get to a bench and sit down to stare into the canal.
It’s been ages since I’ve been down here; it’s like a secret world. It’s just getting dark and there’s a line of mist above the water. We’re the only people around. A bit further down, there’s a blue boat tied up, smoke drifting in a straight line from the chimney. It smells of autumn. And it’s so quiet. We only parked about ten minutes’ walk away, but it feels as though roads don’t exist. I squeeze Dylan’s hand while I look around, breathing in the stillness of the woody air.
When I turn to smile at him, he lets go of my hand and pulls me close. Then he starts kissing me, hard. He hasn’t kissed me like this before. It doesn’t feel right. Not here.
“Hey, chill.” I pull away from him after a bit, my lips stinging from his teeth.
“There’s no one around.”
“I know. Doesn’t mean I want to be eaten alive.”
He smiles, like he thinks I’m teasing, and I suppose maybe I am. “Sorry,” he says. “Let’s try again.”
So we do. He kisses me slowly, and I don’t stop him this time. He runs his fingers through my hair, kind of holding my face next to his. A moment later, his hands are moving down my body. For a second, I wonder if I should protest. I don’t want him to think I’m easy. But it feels good. When he puts his hand up my sweater, it makes me jump; his hand is icy on my skin. He stops to look at me, a question on his face.
“Just a bit cold,” I say with a quick smile, and he kisses me again, pressing me up against him and fiddling with my bra. I shiver when he undoes the clasp.
A second later, I’m aware of something on my ankle. I pull away and look down. A scruffy gray terrier with bracken in its fur is looking up at me and panting. Its owner isn’t far behind. A thin woman wearing big headphones over black, straggly hair. She doesn’t even look at us as she strides past.
The second she’s gone, Dylan leans over to take up where we’d left off, but I push him away. “No. Don’t.” The moment’s passed.
“What’s up? You were into it, weren’t you?”
“Yeah. It’s just, let’s take it slow, OK? What’s the rush?”
“OK,” he says with a smile, but I know he’s disappointed.
I reach my hand out and he takes it as we sit quietly, watching a perfect line of ducks waddle past. I laugh and look at Dylan. He smiles weakly and squeezes my hand.
Later, when he drops me off at the end of the street, he starts fiddling with his nails. I know by now that this means trouble.
“What’s up?”
“I want to ask you something.”
Oh, God, here we go again. “Yeah?”
“It’s just that, well, my parents are going away for the weekend . . .”
“Y-e-s?”
“Well, d’you want to, kind of, come round on Friday and, you know . . .” His voice trails off. It’s obvious what
I’m trying to work out how to put my unease into words when I spot a familiar black Ford at the curb. Dylan! Suddenly thoughts about my parents are gone. “Cat, I can’t talk now. I’ll ring you later, OK?”
“I thought you were coming back to my house.”
I’m about to answer when Dylan gets out of the car. He comes over and puts his arm around me.
“Hi. Fancy a lift?”
“Cat, this is Dylan. Dylan, Cat.”
“Hi,” Dylan says, smiling at Cat.
Cat looks him up and down. “The wonderful Dylan,” she says.
Dylan laughs and pulls me closer.
I give Cat a half-pleading, half-guilty look. “Do you mind?”
She shakes her head. “I’m fine. Go on.”
“Can I drop you off anywhere?” Dylan asks Cat.
“I’m all right with the bus. Ta.”
I give Cat a hug.
“Call me when you get in, OK?” she says.
“I will.”
Dylan opens the door for me and I can’t help feeling a twinge of guilt as we drive past Cat, lighting up a cigarette and heading to the bus stop.
We drive down to the canal for a walk. Dylan holds my hand as we amble along, kicking leaves at each other. Dead romantic. Then we get to a bench and sit down to stare into the canal.
It’s been ages since I’ve been down here; it’s like a secret world. It’s just getting dark and there’s a line of mist above the water. We’re the only people around. A bit further down, there’s a blue boat tied up, smoke drifting in a straight line from the chimney. It smells of autumn. And it’s so quiet. We only parked about ten minutes’ walk away, but it feels as though roads don’t exist. I squeeze Dylan’s hand while I look around, breathing in the stillness of the woody air.
When I turn to smile at him, he lets go of my hand and pulls me close. Then he starts kissing me, hard. He hasn’t kissed me like this before. It doesn’t feel right. Not here.
“Hey, chill.” I pull away from him after a bit, my lips stinging from his teeth.
“There’s no one around.”
“I know. Doesn’t mean I want to be eaten alive.”
He smiles, like he thinks I’m teasing, and I suppose maybe I am. “Sorry,” he says. “Let’s try again.”
So we do. He kisses me slowly, and I don’t stop him this time. He runs his fingers through my hair, kind of holding my face next to his. A moment later, his hands are moving down my body. For a second, I wonder if I should protest. I don’t want him to think I’m easy. But it feels good. When he puts his hand up my sweater, it makes me jump; his hand is icy on my skin. He stops to look at me, a question on his face.
“Just a bit cold,” I say with a quick smile, and he kisses me again, pressing me up against him and fiddling with my bra. I shiver when he undoes the clasp.
A second later, I’m aware of something on my ankle. I pull away and look down. A scruffy gray terrier with bracken in its fur is looking up at me and panting. Its owner isn’t far behind. A thin woman wearing big headphones over black, straggly hair. She doesn’t even look at us as she strides past.
The second she’s gone, Dylan leans over to take up where we’d left off, but I push him away. “No. Don’t.” The moment’s passed.
“What’s up? You were into it, weren’t you?”
“Yeah. It’s just, let’s take it slow, OK? What’s the rush?”
“OK,” he says with a smile, but I know he’s disappointed.
I reach my hand out and he takes it as we sit quietly, watching a perfect line of ducks waddle past. I laugh and look at Dylan. He smiles weakly and squeezes my hand.
Later, when he drops me off at the end of the street, he starts fiddling with his nails. I know by now that this means trouble.
“What’s up?”
“I want to ask you something.”
Oh, God, here we go again. “Yeah?”
“It’s just that, well, my parents are going away for the weekend . . .”
“Y-e-s?”
“Well, d’you want to, kind of, come round on Friday and, you know . . .” His voice trails off. It’s obvious what
Similar Books
