Read Online The Death of Lila Jane by Teresa Mummert - Free Book Online

as his other hand shoved deep into his pocket.
    “Wave back, dummy,” Bridget nudged me from behind causing me to lurch forward. I raised my hand, waving each finger individually as if they had a mind of their own and I was thankful because the brain in my head seemed to have been placed on mute.
    His other hand was shoved deep into his jeans pocket but he stood, unmoving as he watched me, hand raised in mid hello as I noticed the doorway behind him light up, illuminating him from behind before it faded and a shadowy figure crept up from out of the darkness.
    Daven placed his hand on Kaden’s shoulder as he said something to him, now both of their faces turned up to my silhouette. At first, it looked as though Daven might be angry but when he saw me, he tilted his chin up in acknowledgment before he waved as well. I suddenly became self-aware again and dropped my hand to my side, my mouth gaping open like a fish desperate for a gulp of air.
    But as my head swam in the euphoria of this boy noticing me, I then noticed him… moving… closer. His feet had set out to cross the street and he was heading toward my front door.
    “Oh, God!” I let the curtain fall back into place as I began to panic. “There is no way my dad is going to let me leave the house with him.”
    “Breathe, Lila. Breathe. Your parents are in their room for the night. Just go intercept him before he rings the bell. I’ll sneak out with your brother and they will be none the wiser.”
    I nodded, not sure I understood the plan but I knew I could trust Bridget and there was no time to second guess her. She was a wild child by nature and if I wanted to enjoy life, I needed to take a play from her book.
    I flew from my room, taking the stairs two by two, cringing as the third from the bottom squeaked in protest under my weight. I grabbed the front door and turned the cold metal against my sweaty palm, yanking it open to a startled Kaden. I froze, unable to speak with him this close. He was even better looking than I’d realized.
    “Hey,” He smiled again with a lopsided grin that caused a dimple to settle deep into his right cheek. I wanted to reach out and run my fingertips over the divot to see if one would sink into the other side. I promised myself then that by the end of the night, I would cause a full smile to spread across his face. “Hey,” he repeated, bending at his knees slightly to catch my gaze which was still locked on his lips.
    “Oh... ugh… Davin said you needed someone to show you around the mall,” I stammered, shifting my weight from foot to foot and feeling like I might collapse under the heavy weight of all of the makeup Bridget had smeared across my face.
    “Right,” he nodded as if he had been told the same about me. Glancing over his shoulder, I groaned audibly when I saw Davin in his doorway, waving his entire arm as if he had just pulled off his master plan. My body burned with humiliation but I was grateful that I would finally be able to have some fun with someone else. Don’t get me wrong, books have always been my escape but at some point I need to stop imagining what could happen and live my life before it passes me by.
    My brothers muffled voice from upstairs telling my dad we were getting ready to leave brought me back into the moment. I had to disappear quickly. Grabbing the door handle, I pulled it behind me, pushing myself closer to Kaden. Instead of stepping out of the way, he kept his feet firmly planted, causing us to play a game of chicken that I couldn’t afford to lose. I inhaled deeply as a waft of his minty cologne drifted in the thick night air. His body went ridged as I brushed against his chest with my arm, sliding between him and the door frame. The dimple that accented his cheek had disappeared as his jaw went hard killing any self-esteem I may have harbored.
    “Come on.” He stepped around me and made his way across the darkened street. I stumbled over my own feet as I followed behind,