Read Online The Lost Girl by Lilian Carmine - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lilian Carmine
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garden.
“Hey, Joey. Having fun?” Tiffany stopped to chat, smiling as she saw how much I was enjoying the free day out with friends. She had been pampering me all day long, still worried about my head and making sure I was feeling all right whenever she bumped into me in the garden. The sight of all the blood yesterday had scared her half to death.
“Yeah, loads. Today is such a perfect day,” I declared, beaming widely.
“Yeah, you look really happy today,” she mused.
“I’m just relieved that everything turned out okay, and you guys weren’t hurt. I was so worried in that room while I was waiting for Jarvis to get you guys upstairs!” I confessed.
“I’m glad everybody is okay,” she told me, giving my arm a reassuring squeeze. “I was pretty nervous too. But that’s in the past. What matters is that you’re happy now. We can all see it, it’s like you have a bright halo around you. It makes everyone drift towards you, like moths to a flame,” she confessed with a smile.
“Come on, Tiff. You’re joking, right? I don’t have any halo or whatever. I’m just
me
!” I laughed at her.
“You don’t see how all the boys chase after you all thetime? It’s like they can’t stand being away from you for too long!” she said, amused. “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s your thing. You’re a
charmer
. And the best thing is that you don’t even know you’re doing it, which makes it even more special.”
I shuffled my feet self-consciously. “Am not,” I protested. “I was never good at charming anyone, you know that. How many times did you have to help me with my seduction skills back at school? If it wasn’t for your lessons I would have never gotten together with Tristan, remember? Remember when I only wore boys’ clothes? I was hopeless. You saved me!” I said, throwing my arms up in the air.
She laughed at my theatrics. “Yes, you
were
hopeless back then. But look at you now! My baby girl is all grown up!” She pinched my cheeks proudly and we ended up reminiscing about the old days at our boarding school.
The afternoon passed by in a cheerful mood, with everybody joking, laughing, playing around and relaxing in the sun. By the end of the day, the boys were all excited about the raging party that was supposedly happening later at some trendy club downtown. Amanda and Tiffany were already discussing what clothes to wear, and everybody began drifting off to start getting ready for the night out.
I watched Tristan as he walked up the stairs with a spring in his step to take his bath, excited to be going out tonight. I hunched down on the living-room couch and sulked: I
really
didn’t want to go out tonight. I didn’t want to deal with people in another crowded and stuffy room. I wasn’t in the mood to dance, or drink, or tell people over and over again about what happened in that bookstore. I just wanted to relax in my own home, drink some tea and go to bed.
“Hey, what’s the matter, Joey?” Harry asked as he walked by the couch and noticed me sulking by myself.
“Do you think there’s any way I could weasel out of going to this thing?” I mumbled, staring at my feet.
“You don’t wanna go?” he asked curiously, and then chuckled as I pulled a face. “If you don’t wanna go, don’t go.”
“Yeah, but … everybody’s going …”
“So?” he said, and then he paused, like he was just realizing something. “Stay here with me,” he proposed. “I’m not in the mood to go out, either. I think I’ll stay home tonight. You can stay with me.”
“Harry. You don’t need to do that. I know you want to go …”
“Please, Joe. I need to make it up to you. Let me do this?” He smiled and wrapped an arm around me.
“Okay,” I agreed, after seeing his pleading eyes. I was so relieved that I wouldn’t be on my own anymore.
“Great, then,” he said, slapping my back lightly, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek and standing up.
“Harry …?” I called after
“Hey, Joey. Having fun?” Tiffany stopped to chat, smiling as she saw how much I was enjoying the free day out with friends. She had been pampering me all day long, still worried about my head and making sure I was feeling all right whenever she bumped into me in the garden. The sight of all the blood yesterday had scared her half to death.
“Yeah, loads. Today is such a perfect day,” I declared, beaming widely.
“Yeah, you look really happy today,” she mused.
“I’m just relieved that everything turned out okay, and you guys weren’t hurt. I was so worried in that room while I was waiting for Jarvis to get you guys upstairs!” I confessed.
“I’m glad everybody is okay,” she told me, giving my arm a reassuring squeeze. “I was pretty nervous too. But that’s in the past. What matters is that you’re happy now. We can all see it, it’s like you have a bright halo around you. It makes everyone drift towards you, like moths to a flame,” she confessed with a smile.
“Come on, Tiff. You’re joking, right? I don’t have any halo or whatever. I’m just
me
!” I laughed at her.
“You don’t see how all the boys chase after you all thetime? It’s like they can’t stand being away from you for too long!” she said, amused. “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s your thing. You’re a
charmer
. And the best thing is that you don’t even know you’re doing it, which makes it even more special.”
I shuffled my feet self-consciously. “Am not,” I protested. “I was never good at charming anyone, you know that. How many times did you have to help me with my seduction skills back at school? If it wasn’t for your lessons I would have never gotten together with Tristan, remember? Remember when I only wore boys’ clothes? I was hopeless. You saved me!” I said, throwing my arms up in the air.
She laughed at my theatrics. “Yes, you
were
hopeless back then. But look at you now! My baby girl is all grown up!” She pinched my cheeks proudly and we ended up reminiscing about the old days at our boarding school.
The afternoon passed by in a cheerful mood, with everybody joking, laughing, playing around and relaxing in the sun. By the end of the day, the boys were all excited about the raging party that was supposedly happening later at some trendy club downtown. Amanda and Tiffany were already discussing what clothes to wear, and everybody began drifting off to start getting ready for the night out.
I watched Tristan as he walked up the stairs with a spring in his step to take his bath, excited to be going out tonight. I hunched down on the living-room couch and sulked: I
really
didn’t want to go out tonight. I didn’t want to deal with people in another crowded and stuffy room. I wasn’t in the mood to dance, or drink, or tell people over and over again about what happened in that bookstore. I just wanted to relax in my own home, drink some tea and go to bed.
“Hey, what’s the matter, Joey?” Harry asked as he walked by the couch and noticed me sulking by myself.
“Do you think there’s any way I could weasel out of going to this thing?” I mumbled, staring at my feet.
“You don’t wanna go?” he asked curiously, and then chuckled as I pulled a face. “If you don’t wanna go, don’t go.”
“Yeah, but … everybody’s going …”
“So?” he said, and then he paused, like he was just realizing something. “Stay here with me,” he proposed. “I’m not in the mood to go out, either. I think I’ll stay home tonight. You can stay with me.”
“Harry. You don’t need to do that. I know you want to go …”
“Please, Joe. I need to make it up to you. Let me do this?” He smiled and wrapped an arm around me.
“Okay,” I agreed, after seeing his pleading eyes. I was so relieved that I wouldn’t be on my own anymore.
“Great, then,” he said, slapping my back lightly, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek and standing up.
“Harry …?” I called after
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