Read Online Tethered 01 - Catalyst by Jennifer Snyder - Free Book Online

this what we were to each other? Why we were attracted to one another so intensely? Even realizing all of this didn’t make anything seem more believable, more acceptable. Everything still seemed so incredibly far-fetched.
    Binks came into my bedroom then. He hopped up onto the foot of my bed and curled into a ball, like the one he’d been in on the kitchen counter earlier. I sat up and began stroking his back, listening to him respond to my touch with a rumbling purr.
    “How is it possible you’re my grandmother’s cat? You don’t seem ancient to me,” I whispered.
    Binks looked up at me. His head cocked to the side as he continued to glare at me as though he were trying to figure out what I was yapping about. He yawned and his eyes fluttered closed again as he laid his head back down against my comforter.
    “I just don’t understand any of this,” I admitted as I fell back against my pillow with a soft thud.

    I woke to the sound of my cell phone chiming loudly through my room.
    “Jesus, will you answer that,” Vera yelled from somewhere in the house, startling me worse than waking to my phone. “It’s rung like twenty times already.”
    “Wow, someone’s a little snippy,” I shouted back as I slid out of bed and padded across the floor to where my phone was going crazy on my dresser.
    “You would be too if you had a headache as killer as mine right now,” Vera replied, walking past my room toward the stairs with her hands pressed to her temples.
    I frowned after her. Hungover Vera was no fun. Ever.
    My cell stopped ringing as soon as I picked it up. Glancing at the screen, I realized it had been my mom calling. I clicked call and waited, heart pounding, for her to answer. It was strange talking to her after everything I’d learned last night. After everything I’d come to find out about my grandmother in the last couple of days. Did she and Dad know any of this?
    She answered after three rings. “Honey, how are you?”
    I closed my eyes at the sweet sound of her voice, the genuine excitement. “Hey, Mom, I’m good.”
    “So, have you girls spent a lot of time at the beach? I hope you’re remembering to wear some sunblock.”
    “We haven’t really hung out at the beach during the day much. We went last night for a bonfire party with some people we met, but that’s about it,” I informed her, even though I knew exactly what her next words would be…some form of motherly concern.
    “Oh, well…how old were these people? I’m not going to be delusional about the situation, I’m sure you were drinking. I just hope you girls didn’t accept any opened drinks from anyone and you stayed together.” Her voice managed to only crack once as she spoke. I knew she wanted to freak out, but she’d contained herself well.
    “We did. We were safe about it. Promise,” I assured her. “And they were some locals who were around our age.”
    “Well, I just worry about you, you know. Things can easily get out of hand at a party like that, especially with people you don’t know. I just want you girls to be safe.”
    “I know, we are,” I said, hoping to ease her conscience for a second time.
    “How about food, did you manage to find the grocery store okay?”
    “Mom, the town is like the size of Linfrank… Finding a grocery store was a piece of cake.” Not really. I’d gotten lost once, but she didn’t need to know that. It would only make her worry more.
    “You’re right. I know.” She sighed. “So, have you decided if you’re staying the two weeks like Vera, or are you gonna stick it out for the entire summer?” I could hear the panic in her voice clearly, even though she’d tried to hide it behind false excitement.
    There was only one answer she was hoping for, and unfortunately, it wasn’t the one I was planning on giving. This was not a conversation I wanted to have at the moment with her. So, I did what any person would do… I stalled.
    “Umm, I’m not sure yet.”
    “Oh, okay”