Read Online Without You Here by Carter Ashby - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Carter Ashby
Tags: Humor, Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Women, Women's Fiction
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again next weekend. Maybe I still could. Maybe I could be his weekend fun girl. Surely that could be enough for me.
He kept kissing me. His hands were in my hair. I dared to open my eyes once and realized he was in pain, too. I started to pull back. He whispered, "Not yet," and pulled my lips back to his. He pressed me against my car with the length of his body. He wouldn't stop kissing me and touching me. It was killing me. I realized I was doing the same as him, clinging and clawing, desperate to hang on. I touched his face and neck and shoulders and chest. I ran my hands down his waist and hips and around to his ass. He moaned and pressed harder against me.
Finally I turned my head to break the kiss. "Please!" I gasped, not knowing for sure what I was asking.
He stepped back and took with him all of the warmth and light he'd brought to me this weekend. And he took away the warmth and light I'd had on my own even before meeting him. He may as well have dropped me in a cold, dark pit. It was no consolation at all to see the tears in his eyes and hear the trembling in his voice. "I'm sorry," he whispered. And then he turned and left.
I got in my car, closed the door and screamed, "Coward!" after him. And then called myself every version of the word "stupid." The two-hour drive home was the longest of my life.
CHAPTER FIVE
Blake sat on the couch in Lauren and Ettie's apartment Monday morning. He'd made the journey back last night after giving up on waiting for his dad. He'd finally managed to reach Wyatt on his cell phone and verify that he was okay. Apparently he was fishing with Cal. At least he had a friend.
It was nearly noon and Lauren was fixing sandwiches. Lauren was Ettie's roommate and one of Blake's best friends. She was tall, slender, and red-headed. That dark auburn color. She kept a very old-fashioned hairstyle that made her look like Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday. "You don't have to feed me," he said.
"It's fine. I was fixing one for Ettie, anyway. I'll be glad when she doesn't have a ten-thirty class anymore. She can take over and fix me lunch for a change."
He leaned back and checked his watch. He'd tried to come by last night, but Ettie had already been in bed. He needed to get this straightened out. He wanted to take her home with him for Spring break this weekend.
Lauren sat next to him and handed him a plate with a sandwich on it. She crossed her legs and her dress slid up her thighs another inch. She had the best legs he'd ever seen in his life. Legs he would never get to touch or have wrapped around him. He accepted that. He'd bungled his first and only date with Lauren two years ago and she hadn't been willing to entertain the idea of a second ever again. So he'd moved on. No sense pining over what he couldn't have. But God, those legs looked good.
"Whatever you're planning to say to her, Blake," Lauren said, "go easy. She came home yesterday a complete wreck."
Blake was concerned. But also a little hopeful. Maybe she'd regretted trying to break up with him again. "Did she say what was wrong?"
"Yes. But that's covered under girlfriend confidentiality, so you'll just have to ask her yourself."
"Ettie tells me everything. She has no brain-to-mouth filter. Makes it impossible for her to lie."
"Just go easy on her, that's all."
"I resent that you think I'd ever be harsh with her. She's one of the most trying people I've ever met, but I've always treated her with patience and kindness."
"Just because you speak with a gentle tone, doesn't mean your words can't still hurt."
"Are you saying I've hurt her with my words?"
Lauren just shrugged.
Blake ate his sandwich and was almost finished when Ettie walked in. She paused and then dropped her backpack by the door.
"In your room, young lady," Lauren said.
Ettie rolled her eyes, grabbed the pack off the floor and marched across the apartment to toss it in her room. Lauren took Blake's plate and her own to the kitchen. Then she
He kept kissing me. His hands were in my hair. I dared to open my eyes once and realized he was in pain, too. I started to pull back. He whispered, "Not yet," and pulled my lips back to his. He pressed me against my car with the length of his body. He wouldn't stop kissing me and touching me. It was killing me. I realized I was doing the same as him, clinging and clawing, desperate to hang on. I touched his face and neck and shoulders and chest. I ran my hands down his waist and hips and around to his ass. He moaned and pressed harder against me.
Finally I turned my head to break the kiss. "Please!" I gasped, not knowing for sure what I was asking.
He stepped back and took with him all of the warmth and light he'd brought to me this weekend. And he took away the warmth and light I'd had on my own even before meeting him. He may as well have dropped me in a cold, dark pit. It was no consolation at all to see the tears in his eyes and hear the trembling in his voice. "I'm sorry," he whispered. And then he turned and left.
I got in my car, closed the door and screamed, "Coward!" after him. And then called myself every version of the word "stupid." The two-hour drive home was the longest of my life.
CHAPTER FIVE
Blake sat on the couch in Lauren and Ettie's apartment Monday morning. He'd made the journey back last night after giving up on waiting for his dad. He'd finally managed to reach Wyatt on his cell phone and verify that he was okay. Apparently he was fishing with Cal. At least he had a friend.
It was nearly noon and Lauren was fixing sandwiches. Lauren was Ettie's roommate and one of Blake's best friends. She was tall, slender, and red-headed. That dark auburn color. She kept a very old-fashioned hairstyle that made her look like Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday. "You don't have to feed me," he said.
"It's fine. I was fixing one for Ettie, anyway. I'll be glad when she doesn't have a ten-thirty class anymore. She can take over and fix me lunch for a change."
He leaned back and checked his watch. He'd tried to come by last night, but Ettie had already been in bed. He needed to get this straightened out. He wanted to take her home with him for Spring break this weekend.
Lauren sat next to him and handed him a plate with a sandwich on it. She crossed her legs and her dress slid up her thighs another inch. She had the best legs he'd ever seen in his life. Legs he would never get to touch or have wrapped around him. He accepted that. He'd bungled his first and only date with Lauren two years ago and she hadn't been willing to entertain the idea of a second ever again. So he'd moved on. No sense pining over what he couldn't have. But God, those legs looked good.
"Whatever you're planning to say to her, Blake," Lauren said, "go easy. She came home yesterday a complete wreck."
Blake was concerned. But also a little hopeful. Maybe she'd regretted trying to break up with him again. "Did she say what was wrong?"
"Yes. But that's covered under girlfriend confidentiality, so you'll just have to ask her yourself."
"Ettie tells me everything. She has no brain-to-mouth filter. Makes it impossible for her to lie."
"Just go easy on her, that's all."
"I resent that you think I'd ever be harsh with her. She's one of the most trying people I've ever met, but I've always treated her with patience and kindness."
"Just because you speak with a gentle tone, doesn't mean your words can't still hurt."
"Are you saying I've hurt her with my words?"
Lauren just shrugged.
Blake ate his sandwich and was almost finished when Ettie walked in. She paused and then dropped her backpack by the door.
"In your room, young lady," Lauren said.
Ettie rolled her eyes, grabbed the pack off the floor and marched across the apartment to toss it in her room. Lauren took Blake's plate and her own to the kitchen. Then she
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