Read Online Whisper (Novella) by CRYSTAL GREEN - Free Book Online Page A

was in his swimming trunks, his skin warmed and worked with gym-honed muscles. It was like I’d conjured him just by picturing him in my mind.
    Something in my chest twisted again, like it was being drilled. And when one of the cheerdevils called out, “Guess who
else
is here, Rex?” I wanted to die.
    â€œCan we go?” I whispered to Evie, wishing we’d taken off ten minutes ago. Forget taking a stand against the others.
    From the dock, a chant started: “Lo-ser! Lo-ser! Lo-ser!”
    And they weren’t talking about Rex, their gridiron god.
    â€œCome on,” Evie said softly, standing and turning her back on the jerks. “Pretend they don’t exist.”
    I wished. But I managed to piece together all the dignity I could as I pulled on my cut-off jeans shorts and a halter top, then stuffed my towel in my oversized hand-me-down bag. My legs shook as I walked side-by-side with Evie, who was obviously taking great pains to block everyone’s view of me.
    But I couldn’t stop myself from peering around her to get a glimpse of Rex.
    He was telling his friends to be quiet, and as their jeers petered out, his gaze caught mine. Even with the tense distance between us, the connection rocked me and, for a suspended moment, we were back in the first week of college, on the lawn in front of the brick dorms. I was reading a book when I felt a shadow cover me.
    Don’t I know you?
he asked, a dark figure haloed by the sun. Still, I’d recognized him. Who didn’t?
    My heart was in my throat, my pulse tripping in my veins as I looked up at him.
We went to high school together
.
    I thought so. We didn’t have the same classes
.
    That was true. When he’d first moved to Aidan Falls junior year, I’d already been on the honors track, then AP. He’d skated by in the lower-level classes, powered by an amazing football arm and the knowledge that he’d have his pick of colleges on a sports scholarship.
    Then he’d smiled with those kissable lips.
You grew up over the summer, didn’t you?
    A blush. A stammer. I wasn’t used to the attention because I
had
changed lately. I’d finally grown out of my gawky body and into this new, improved one.
    I suppose
I did
, I said.
    I recognized your hair, though
. He’d sat next to me, a rush of shivers rolling over my skin. And when he’d brazenly touched my hair, I bit my lip, just to make sure I didn’t gasp.
    Blondest I’ve ever seen
, he said, grinning.
    But now, he wasn’t here by my side, and my heart wasn’t pumping because of his nearness. It was because I wanted to run away before things got ugly again. And they would, because his friends were crowding around him, flanking him.
    When he looked away from me first, a pained expression on his face, my stomach sank. It felt like someone had wrapped a towel over my face and shoved me underwater.
    Evie pushed me ahead of her as we entered the copse of trees where I’d parked the used, paint-challenged gray Ford pickup Mom had bought for me on my sixteenth birthday. As soon as we were in the clear, relief overcame me, and my legs almost gave out before I opened the driver’s door and plopped into the seat, dropping my bag down next to me.
    Evie didn’t make a sound as I started the engine. She only clicked on the radio, which was tuned to a throwback station that was playing a ’70s song.
    But she changed her mind about the white noise, turning off the tunes as soon as I drove onto the lane leading away from the lake.
    â€œThat stunk,” she said. “I’m sorry for putting you through it.”
    â€œI put myself there, Evie.” I swerved the car onto the main road and gassed the pedal.
    She changed the subject. “What’s going on with you for the rest of the day? You up for a sundae at the DQ?”
    â€œI’ve got to run some errands for Mom before I go into work.” I jerked my thumb to the