Read Online The Price of Love (A Price Novel Book 1) by Maggi Craft - Free Book Online

swear I’ll come knock on that door.” And he hung up.
    When I came out, Holly was leaning on the back of the couch, twisting her hair, pretending to be interested in what Kenedy was saying. She looked up and winked at me. She knew what I had been in there doing. I liked Holly. She was way more fun than my sister. I didn’t see how she could stand living with Kenedy. I knew how hard that could be.
    *****
    After Kenedy returned home, it was harder to see Slayde than I thought it would be. I felt awful lying to her, but that was the only way I could get away with seeing him. We always met at a little park a few miles away from their building, which meant we had to take the Metro to get there. I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but it did unless I told her, and I was not ready to do that.
    I was in Paris to spend time with Kenedy, and I was going to do as much of that as I could. After she had settled into being home again, I decided to try to do something together with her, just the two of us. I texted Slayde to tell him that I would probably not see him that day, that I was spending some time with my sister.
    He texted back,
Good luck.
    I went into her room where she was putting on her makeup. “So, I thought if you had time, we could go shopping today. I know you know exactly where to shop.”
    She stopped applying her eye makeup and looked at me in the mirror. “You don’t like to shop.”
    “I know, but I would like to visit with you some. That’s why I’m here.”
    “I don’t mean this to sound ugly, Arden, but this may be a break for you, but it’s not for me. I’m so busy. I’ve got too much going on to waste my days off entertaining you.”
Really?
“But don’t take that the wrong way.”
    “I understand,” I said quietly as I headed out of her room.
    “Where are you going?” she asked.
    “Just for a walk. I’ll see you later.” A smile hid my hurt feelings.
    “Don’t be mad, Arden. This isn’t about you,” she shouted after me.
    “Oh, I know. Never is,” I said under my breath as I was walking out the door.
    I met Slayde as I was getting off the elevator. “Hey, where are you going?” he asked.
    I shrugged. “Not sure yet.”
    “Thought you were spending the day with your sister.”
    “Obviously she’s too busy. I think I’m in the way.”
    He laughed. “Well, I’ll be glad to take you off of her hands.” He grabbed my hand. “Let’s go.”
    “Where are we going?” I asked as he dragged me down the street.
    He smiled at me over his shoulder. “Does it matter?”
    With that beautiful contagious smile, no!
And I went with him.
    After we’d been walking a few minutes, he said, “Are you hungry?”
    “Yes, I haven’t eaten all day. I’m starving.”
    “Let’s go find something to eat and then go find something to get into.”
    As we were finishing up our meal, I got a text from Kenedy. It said,
Sorry for blowing you off. Meet me at the apartment at five, and we will go to dinner and do a little shopping.
I read it aloud.
    Slayde responded, “Do you really want to do that? I think we’d have more fun.”
    “I know, but I really need to spend some time with her.”
    “I understand,” he said, sounding disappointed.
    We walked around and talked for about an hour after we finished eating and then went back.
    I was dressed and ready at five. However, she didn’t show up or answer my texts. By seven o’clock, I had gone from hurt to pissed. Not long after, I got a call from Slayde. “No Kenedy?”
    “How’d you know?”
    “Because I just saw her at a bar down the street with a guy from our building. I don’t think she’s coming back anytime soon. You wanna come over?”
    It only took me a second to decide. “Be there in a minute.”
    When I got there, he opened the door and handed me a glass of wine. “I told you that you should have stayed with me.” He hugged me.
    “I know. I just hoped we could hang out a little.”
    “Well, I’m sure that you will when