Read Online The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sarah Addison Allen
Tags: #genre
Ads: Link
Chloe said tightly as she led Josey away, looking over her shoulder as they walked. "Oh, good, at least Adam is with him."
Like a hypnotist's command, that made Josey stop and turn, as if not of her own will. Adam was trying to talk to Jake, standing in front of him and pushing him back. Jake gestured in Chloe's direction and Adam turned his head. He froze, his mouth open as if in mid-rentence. His eyes had fallen on Josey. Did he recognize her? What was that look? Men didn't look at her that way. He'd never looked at her that way. Long looks from head to toe were for women like Della Lee and Chloe, not Josey. She looked down at herself to try to see what he saw. She saw her red sweater, but most of her seemed to be completely obliterated by the huge cloud of cotton candy she was holding. She quickly hid the cotton candy behind her back. But it was too late. Adam had already turned away and was pulling Jake with him.
"How long?" Chloe asked.
Josey turned to find Chloe looking at her thoughtfully. "Excuse me?"
"How long have you been in love with Adam?"
She brought the cotton candy from behind her back. "Is it written on my forehead?"
Chloe smiled.
"Since the moment I saw him," Josey said quietly.
"I don't think he knows, Josey."
"Oh, I know he doesn't."
Chloe looked again to where Adam and Jake had disappeared, then she locked her arm in Josey's. "Come on."
As they made their way to the stage, Josey threw the stupid cotton candy away. What adult eats cotton candy, anyway? It was a stupid thing to buy.
It was crowded in front of the stage as Josey followed Chloe into the warm and frantic hive of people. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before, the movement and cohesion. It was like being enveloped by a warm wave of humanity. She felt anxious at first, like she was going to lose Chloe, or suffocate. But then she let herself move with the flow, like water.
And she loved it.
The band's heavy bass boomed so loud she could feel it vibrate from the ground through her boots. For years Josey would lie in bed and hear the music from the festival, but she never dreamed she'd actually be here like this.
About an hour later, Josey suddenly stopped moving with the crowd. She knew he was there before he spoke.
"Chloe?"
Chloe turned her head slightly. "Adam," she said, looking back at the stage.
"I took him home." Adam leaned forward, talking loudly in order to be heard. "To my home. He was a little sauced. He's trying to give you space, he really is. He feels horrible about what happened." "Good."
Adam's eyes fell on Josey, curious. "Well, hello, Josey."
"Hi, Adam."
He straightened and she turned back to the stage, but she was acutely aware of his presence. She knew when he moved slightly, jostled by the crowd. He was now standing behind her, directly behind her.
She could feel the hair on her arms stand on end. It was like static. If she leaned back just slightly, she would actually touch him. She closed her eyes, wondering what it would feel like if he actually put his arms around her from behind. She felt an anxious pull, a longing she usually filled with food. She wanted the cotton candy back.
She could feel him move a little closer. Was it her imagination, or was he leaning down, his nose close to her hair?
She opened her eyes.
He was smelling her.
Oh, God, she thought. Her life had become so weird since Della Lee had shown up in her closet. Was this really real? Or was she making it up? What if she was going crazy?
The fear was so real that she turned around quickly, just to make sure.
And she bumped right into Adam's chest.
His hands went out to steady her and she looked up at him. His blue eyes had seen too much sun. Papery snow flurries were sticking to his curly blond hair. If his hair got too wet, the curls would tighten. She knew that from years of watching him walk up to her porch in the rain. He always seemed to like when it rained, and out here in the snow, he was in his element.
She
Like a hypnotist's command, that made Josey stop and turn, as if not of her own will. Adam was trying to talk to Jake, standing in front of him and pushing him back. Jake gestured in Chloe's direction and Adam turned his head. He froze, his mouth open as if in mid-rentence. His eyes had fallen on Josey. Did he recognize her? What was that look? Men didn't look at her that way. He'd never looked at her that way. Long looks from head to toe were for women like Della Lee and Chloe, not Josey. She looked down at herself to try to see what he saw. She saw her red sweater, but most of her seemed to be completely obliterated by the huge cloud of cotton candy she was holding. She quickly hid the cotton candy behind her back. But it was too late. Adam had already turned away and was pulling Jake with him.
"How long?" Chloe asked.
Josey turned to find Chloe looking at her thoughtfully. "Excuse me?"
"How long have you been in love with Adam?"
She brought the cotton candy from behind her back. "Is it written on my forehead?"
Chloe smiled.
"Since the moment I saw him," Josey said quietly.
"I don't think he knows, Josey."
"Oh, I know he doesn't."
Chloe looked again to where Adam and Jake had disappeared, then she locked her arm in Josey's. "Come on."
As they made their way to the stage, Josey threw the stupid cotton candy away. What adult eats cotton candy, anyway? It was a stupid thing to buy.
It was crowded in front of the stage as Josey followed Chloe into the warm and frantic hive of people. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before, the movement and cohesion. It was like being enveloped by a warm wave of humanity. She felt anxious at first, like she was going to lose Chloe, or suffocate. But then she let herself move with the flow, like water.
And she loved it.
The band's heavy bass boomed so loud she could feel it vibrate from the ground through her boots. For years Josey would lie in bed and hear the music from the festival, but she never dreamed she'd actually be here like this.
About an hour later, Josey suddenly stopped moving with the crowd. She knew he was there before he spoke.
"Chloe?"
Chloe turned her head slightly. "Adam," she said, looking back at the stage.
"I took him home." Adam leaned forward, talking loudly in order to be heard. "To my home. He was a little sauced. He's trying to give you space, he really is. He feels horrible about what happened." "Good."
Adam's eyes fell on Josey, curious. "Well, hello, Josey."
"Hi, Adam."
He straightened and she turned back to the stage, but she was acutely aware of his presence. She knew when he moved slightly, jostled by the crowd. He was now standing behind her, directly behind her.
She could feel the hair on her arms stand on end. It was like static. If she leaned back just slightly, she would actually touch him. She closed her eyes, wondering what it would feel like if he actually put his arms around her from behind. She felt an anxious pull, a longing she usually filled with food. She wanted the cotton candy back.
She could feel him move a little closer. Was it her imagination, or was he leaning down, his nose close to her hair?
She opened her eyes.
He was smelling her.
Oh, God, she thought. Her life had become so weird since Della Lee had shown up in her closet. Was this really real? Or was she making it up? What if she was going crazy?
The fear was so real that she turned around quickly, just to make sure.
And she bumped right into Adam's chest.
His hands went out to steady her and she looked up at him. His blue eyes had seen too much sun. Papery snow flurries were sticking to his curly blond hair. If his hair got too wet, the curls would tighten. She knew that from years of watching him walk up to her porch in the rain. He always seemed to like when it rained, and out here in the snow, he was in his element.
She
Similar Books
