Read Online Strong by Jennifer Rivard Yarrington - Free Book Online

After another kiss and one of his famous winks, I rush to my truck.
    Fiona is sitting in the kitchen at home with two cups of coffee. As soon as I enter, she motions to the second cup. “It's for you,” she smiles mischievously. “I saw the text on Mom's phone. She's still asleep. Now, spill, or I will disown you.”
    I feel a flash of embarrassment and guilt. I have always felt a substantial amount of responsibility to set a good example for my younger sister. Now I feel like I've thrown all of that out the window with my seemingly blatant indiscretion.
    “Nothing happened!” I began.
    “ Oh, gosh, I know that !” I'm sure my face is visibly relieved as Fiona reassures me that she believes the best about me. She continues, “I just want to know more about the guy who's stolen my sister's heart.”
    “ Is it that obvious? Oh, my gosh, Fi, I've only known him for a few weeks! What is wrong with me?”
    I then proceed to pour out every bit of information about Chase and me. About Chase. About his accident. About our first kiss the night before.
    Every time I think that Fiona has got to be getting bored with my re-telling of every detail, I look at her and find her gaze completely fixed on my face, eagerly awaiting the next part of our tale. When I think I've told her every possible thing that has happened in the past week, I ask, “Do you think I'm crazy, Fi?  I can't really be in love already...can I?”
    Fiona responds with a very unhelpful, “Who knows?” Followed by a huge, playful grin.
    “Thanks a lot,” I roll my eyes at her. But then I lean over to hug her and tell her that I'm glad she's finally up to speed on my “love life.”
    I start to clean up the dishes that have been left from the night before. My mom stumbles in and heads for the coffee. She is about to reach for her phone and it occurs to me: I could have erased that message. She doesn't even know I was out all night. Why didn't I think of that before she woke up?
    But it's too late, and sure enough, a moment later, she holds up her phone and questions: “Kate?”
    “Yeah.” I clear my throat. “Chase and I talked almost all night, and we fell asleep...on the couch ,” I emphasize. I'm trying very hard to sound nonchalant, but my apprehension is getting the best of my voice.
    She breaks out a “mom sigh,” one of those breaths that she holds in her cheeks for a moment and then blows out all once. “I'm disappointed in you,” she finally says.
    I turn sharply and insist, “Mom, nothing happened .”
    “ Yes, I know, but I think you're getting way too serious about Chase. You just met him.”
    “ Well, we've spent a lot of time together already and I think I know him pretty well.” 
    “ You think ?” She asks. “You only think that because you've spent so much time with him. Your feelings are already far too involved because you've already spent the night with him for heaven's sake!”
    I no longer try to control my volume when I shout at my mother, “Mom we did not sleep together, and you said you believe me! I told you we stayed up TALKING. So what??? You could have a little more faith in me; you know, trust that I'm not stupid enough to have sex with a guy I just met!” 
    My mom employs another one of her famous “mom tools” and brings her voice down to almost a whisper, but her words are still sharp and biting, “Katherine, I believe you, but you are not making very good choices. You just met him and you don't really know him yet. You cannot possibly be in love after a few weeks.”
    “ I am not in love with him!” I yell and storm off to my room.
    As much as I want to slam the door, I resist because I don't want to act the way my mom is treating me – like a child. But as soon as the door is locked, I burst into tears. There's so much emotion behind my outburst – indignation, embarrassment, frustration. 
    I also have a twinge of of guilt about lying to my mom.
    Because I think I am in love.
     
    When I've