Read Online Worth It by Nicki DeStasi - Free Book Online Page A

me to get to know him— Jed is a really good guy. You should try to get to know him. He’d be a great fit for you.
    I still can’t believe Donnie was so forward, but I appreciate the approval and nod of encouragement. My mind and body are frazzled at what’s happening. My body responds instantly with butterflies and buzzing and all the cliché bullshit that I’ve read in my books. I’ve felt attraction before, obviously, but never like this.
    The timing is awful though. I can’t explore where this attraction might take us. I just can’t. I need to get my shit together. Just this morning, I was tempted to cut. Relationships are always so much stress, and although I want to be happy with someone else one day, I can’t risk breaking down when things turn south. I’m too weak right now. I know I’m getting ahead of myself, thinking about being in a relationship when he only said he wanted to get to know me, but that’s usually where these things lead.
    Gah! I need to stop overthinking everything, or I’m going to drive myself insane.
    He opens the door for me, and I almost gawk at the sweet gesture. I’ve never had a door opened for me, and I give him a genuine smile in thanks. My heart warms a little more, but my brain tells my heart to cut the mushy crap before it ends up shattered—again. I use the grab handle to help myself make the distance into the cab. I flinch when sparks sizzle through me as his hands grip my hips while he’s helping into the truck. Once I’m seated, he shuts the door and saunters around the front of his truck. He climbs in beside me and starts the ignition.
    “Where to?” he asks, shifting his weight to look at me.
    Temporarily blinded by his heart-stopping stare, I stutter, “Uh, Groton.”
    “Okay, Groton, it is.” Turning to see out the rear window, he slings his arm around my headrest as he starts to reverse.
    With his hard body so close, my chest rises and falls as my breathing speeds up. I clench my fists, so I don’t do something stupid, such as grabbing his face and kissing him—hard. Not that I’d ever be that aggressive.
    After I give him a few directions, he asks, “So, you’re from Groton, right?”
    “Yeah.”
    I glance at his profile, and he peeks at me. He flashes that damn smile, and I blush.
    “How did you know?” I ask.
    “My uncle told me when I asked about you.”
    “You asked about me?” My tone rises in surprise.
    He shrugs. “Yeah, I saw you leaving the shop earlier. Shirley is so small, and I haven’t seen you before, so I was curious.”
    “Oh.” My heart rate picks up, and I tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
    I don’t know how to feel about him asking about me. He’s so fucking hot, and he’s sweet. Not to mention, he offered to help me out, and he doesn’t even know me. But I just can’t want him.
    “Don’t be so nervous,” he says, drawing me out of myself.
    My lips tip up on one side, and I feel myself relax.
    “So, twenty questions?” he asks.
    I half smile at the typical get-to-know-you tactic, and I nod.
    “Okay, I’ll start. Favorite movie?”
    “ The Princess Bride .”
    “I do not think it means what you think it means.”
    My lips spread into a grin, remembering the scene he quoted. “What’s your favorite?”
    “Probably The Terminator movies—minus that fourth one that came out a couple of years ago. That one was fucking stupid.”
    I smile at his bold tone. He reminds me a lot of my friends. “ Come with me if you want to live,” I say, using my best Arnold voice.
    He chuckles. “Okay, your turn to ask.”
    My lips scrunch to the side. “Favorite food?”
    “Steak.”
    A giggle escapes me. “I guess I can see that.”
    He looks to be all man, so steak makes sense.
    He tilts his head and smirks at me. “What’s yours?”
    I bite my bottom lip. “Carrot cake.”
    “That’s not a food! Food has meat in it!”
    I laugh and feel myself relax. “It’s definitely a food! All that sugary goodness