Read Online Second Nature by Ae Watson - Free Book Online Page A

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breasts. “Hey, Lain.” His smooth way of talking and sly grin never made me
uncomfortable, but to me he was just like Vincent, a player with a plan. “What’s
going on?”
    “Nothing.” I turned and
looked at Andrew who was chatting up the other two. “How is he so fine?”
    “Drugs probably.” He
offered a chuckle. “I heard Sage and Linds had to go to the police station.” He
lowered his voice and leaned against the table next to me. “What’s up with
that?”
    “Some new questions about
something. I don't know.”
    His dark-blue eyes
narrowed. “You’re lying, Lainey.”
    “What? No, I’m not.
Sierra’s dad wouldn't tell us anything.”
    He leaned in, staring
into my glasses. “You are. Whenever you lie you furrow
your eyebrows and wrinkle your forehead. It’s the best tell. Not as bad as
Sierra’s dad with the eye twitching. Or Linds with the whole
high-pitched voice. But yours is just as obvious. What happened?”
    How the hell was Jake
clever enough to see all of that? I shook my head, not wanting to lie again.
“Nothing.”
    “Do you guys know
something about Rachel’s death?”
    That, I
didn't have to lie about. “No. We honestly weren’t there.”
    “You can tell me.” He didn't
buy it. “I won’t tell anyone.”
    “I know you won’t.” I
smiled softly. “And I don't want you being dragged into something you can’t
fix. The less you know the better. Rachel’s death is a total mystery to me, I
swear.”
    He rolled his eyes. “If
you need help, let me know.”
    I pressed my lips
together, forcing myself not to say anything else. I needed to work on the fact
my forehead wrinkled when I lied. No wonder Jake always cleaned up in poker.
Even with my memory he beat me, which was essentially impossible since I could
count cards like a junkie in Vegas.
    His eyes darkened as he
lowered his heavy brow over them. “If you need help finding Ash, seriously, let
me come with you.”
    “What?” The word slipped
out, along with the forehead wrinkle I actually felt.
    He grinned with one side
of his mouth only. “I know how you feel about him. If the shoe were on the
other foot, he’d be crazy looking for you too. If you get an idea and you want
to go look, I’m your guy.” He slapped me lightly on the bare arm, like we were
pals, but my heart was racing and my mouth was dry. “Don't go alone, it’s not
safe. Promise me, okay?”
    “I won’t.”
    Did everyone know about my love for Ashton?
    Oh my God.
    Wait!
    Why would Ashton be searching high and low for me if the
shoe were on the other foot?
    I pushed the panic inside
me away and nodded, pressing my mouth together again.
    Jake winked and strolled
over to where Sierra was, really working his charming swagger. “Hey, ladies.
Need any heavy lifting done?”
    Andrew was already making
Rita laugh as he sucked in the helium from a balloon and said something in a
squeaky voice. She giggled and swatted him in the chest.
    Sierra sauntered over to
Jake, tilting her head to the right and laying on the leering and grinning.
Whatever she said made him take a step back. He shook his head and glanced back
at me, smiling.
    I ignored them all, stuck
on one thought. Had he been tormenting me by telling me that about Ashton, or
was there something I didn't know about the way Ashton felt about me?
    My heart was lodged
somewhere in my throat. I could feel it pulsating there. I felt sick as I
slinked back into the house.
    “Lain.”
    I spun, seeing Lindsey.
Her face was streaked from dried tears—not fresh ones, but there had been
plenty of them at some point to color her face. Her mascara stains were heavy.
    “How’s it going? What did
they know? What did they say? Did they ask about the blood?”
    “No.” She shook her head.
“I don't know.”
    “We need to start taking
this seriously, as a group. We need to solve this. We’re going to be framed for
this. They’re probably bringing us in two at a time and hoping our stories
don't