Read Online The Exception by Brittany Wynne - Free Book Online Page B

annoying little sister. She’s fifteen, remember?” I whispered back.
    “Whatever you say, Blondie,” he teased.
    Sure, things have been different between them lately, but it couldn’t possibly be because Ryan was into my sister could it? I mean, she is only fifteen. I thought about it for a second longer, then pushed it out of my mind. There was no way Ryan looked at her like that.
    When my sister approached us, she asked if I would please tell Ryan to leave her alone because she was no longer speaking to him. She threw one more scowl in Ryan’s direction, then stormed off to the house. When she was gone, Ryan finally walked over and sat with us.
    “What did you do to her?” Dylan scoffed.
    “Nothing. She has just been exceptionally bitchy here lately,” Ryan snapped back.
    “Whoa bro…chill man. Just chill,” Dylan let out in a sarcastic tone trying to diffuse the situation.
    “And don’t you two look awfully cozy?” Ryan said harshly, looking at Jake and me.
    “Seriously, Ryan? You’re upset at my sister. That doesn’t mean you have to be a dick to me.”
    Ryan was about to say something else but was interrupted by Gabe laughing to himself. Realizing everyone was now looking at him, he shrugged at us.
    “Sorry, I find it amusing that, that is her new favorite word. I thought it was reserved just for me. Apparently not,” He said popping his P and his T.
    “What?” Maya chimed in, “Em never says stuff like that. And we always hang out together, so when would she have.” She stopped mid sentence, realizing exactly when I would have said something like that to Gabe.
    Everyone else knew that since the beginning of last year Gabe had made it a habit of climbing through my window. That is everyone except my new boyfriend or whatever he is. We all sort of looked around in awkward silence until Maya spoke up again.
    “So who’s going to order the pizza?”
    “Wait? Am I missing something here?” Jake asked a little uncomfortably.
    “Nope. Unless you didn’t know Gabe here snuck into Emma’s bedroom window just about every night,” Dylan informed with a shit eating grin on his face, cueing both Gabe and I to shoot him a look at the same time. “Sorry. Guess you didn’t know.”
    I just sat there. I didn’t know if I should move, say something, or what to do. So I sat there. I mean, how do you explain to the guy you just went on a date with that it is in no way how it sounds. Stupid Dylan.
    “Dylan, sometimes you can be such an ass,” Maya shot out before standing up. “Come on, Em, you and I will go inside and order the pizza while the boys act like children,” she spat while shooting Dylan a look.
    Maya had just started to order the pizza when Jake walked in the house.
    “Hey, Blondie. Can we talk for a sec?” he asked nervously, scratching the back of his head.
    “Uh, yeah. We can go up to my room. It’s the one on the left,” I offered. Jake turned around and headed for the stairs as I looked back at Maya. She had a concerned look on her face, while trying to force a smile.
    When we walked in my room, we both stood there silently for a second looking everywhere but at each other.
    “So listen,” Jake finally said, “I don’t want to be that guy you know? So if there is something going on between you and Gabe, just tell me.” He let out a frustrated groan. “Look, I don’t want there to be, and I know I don’t really have a place to even say that. There’s just something about you, Emma. I can’t explain it. I know I barely know you and this sounds crazy.” He stopped for a moment, his jaw clenching as he ran his hand through that tousled, deep brown hair of his. He looked at me with those piercing blue eyes and then took a step closer and grabbed my hand. “Emma, just say the word and I’ll step back.”
    I didn’t even have to think about it. I’m not saying I’ve never thought about Gabe and I before, but he is one of my closest friends. Besides, with Jake it is