Read Online The Space in Between by Melyssa Winchester - Free Book Online

laugh threatening to escape and practically choking on it, I shake my head and she laughs.
    “I’m not your first?”
    Ignoring the ways I could take those words that have nothing at all to do with the real meaning, I nod. “You almost were, but Jonah beat you to it.”
    Jonah Thomas. The only other person besides Emery to talk to me the first day. All around sports nut and nice guy. Having to share a gym class every day, with him practically running the joint when we’re there, he’d taken me under his wing and never looked back.
    “Oh, Jonah! Isn’t he just sooooo dreamy?” Bringing her hands together and leaning them under her chin, resting on them, she gets this glossed over look in her eye and even knowing deep down she’s being sarcastic, it still hits me like a sucker punch to the gut.
    What the hell? Why do I care who Emery likes?
    “Hey! He’s a nice guy.”
    “Uh, hello! Didn’t I just say he was dreamy?”
    “Yeah and you may have rolled your eyes a little when you did it.”
    “Grrr.” She growls. “I was really trying to sell that better.”
    “Looks like it needs more work.”
    “But Mikey, you should know. He’s not nearly as dreamy as you.”
    This time she takes it a step further by moving closer into me, her eyes moving at such a rapid pace it’s hard to keep up. Her lips pursing, her head now leaning on my shoulder, she’s making it impossible to think, much less anything else.
    When did it get so hot in here?
    “I think—you nailed it.” I manage to choke out, at which point she pulls away, punches me in the shoulder and turns away laughing.
    “Don’t ever doubt my ability to sell bullshit when I need to. Now, I hate to break up the party, but I need to drop off some stuff at the paper before class, so I’ll see you soon.”
    Watching as she grabs her bag and slings it over her shoulder, I’m still rendered speechless as she heads for the door. My heart dropping deeper into my stomach when she pauses before going through and turns toward me again, saying words that I’m sure are designed to stop my heart.
    “Don’t miss me too much.” With a blown kiss to me as her final act, she breezes through the doorway and as I watch her go through and the door subsequently shut behind her, I’m left with only one thought.
    What if I don’t want it to be bullshit?
     

Chapter Six
     
    Emery
     
    Pulling the car into the driveway and letting it idle as the newest Sleeping with Sirens song plays to the end, I turn the key in the ignition, step out and jog up, trying the door and finding it unlocked, before pushing it open and stepping inside. 
    Pausing as I catch the music coming from the living room, I toss my bag on the floor and watch as the strangest scene plays out in front of me.
    My mom is making her way around the room with our feather duster, dancing like nobody is watching and humming along with the song, her face lit up in a smile. At least there’s a smile there until in the middle of one of her spins around she realizes she’s no longer alone and has an audience held captive.
    “Oh, Emery! I didn’t hear you come in.”
    Turning the volume on the stereo down, she places the duster on the ledge of our fireplace, her expression going from surprised to embarrassed in the second it takes for me to blink.
    “Gee, I wonder why.” I say, motioning to the stereo and I’m met with her laughter.
    It’s been happening a lot more lately, but until now it was nothing this obvious. She’s been moving more fluidly around the house, smiling more often, and I could have sworn this morning when I got up to get a shower, she was singing while doing her makeup.
    A move I haven’t seen her do since I was six. 
    It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what’s causing it.
    She’s been out three times already this week to meet the mysterious coffee guy and whatever they’ve been doing when they’re together—which part of me is almost afraid to ask—it’s obviously