Bittersweet Chocolate Read Online Free PDF

sisters had attended and graduated from Hallahan.
    Moving on to happier thoughts, she considered what graduating meant to her relationship with Joel. They’d been dating for a little over a year, had talked about getting a place together when she turned eighteen, and marriage. Albeit, her vision of the marriage idea was for the distant future. Sure, she was ready for the sex experience, but marriage...not ready for that much of a committed relationship. And yes, they had discussed the possibility of pregnancy.
    “Marissa!”
    She flinched, focused on her surroundings, and realized she was outside the Hall with her mother staring up at her expectantly. “Sorry, Mother. My mind had wandered.” Her mother’s lips curled into her familiar tight-lipped expression, and Marissa fought the urge to laugh.
    Glancing over her mother’s head, she saw her dad shake his head, and she bit down on her bottom lip to keep from smiling. “Yes...Mother?”
    “I asked, where’s Joel?” Elise snapped.
    “He’s getting the car. His dad let him have the car for the day. I’m riding back to the house with him.”
    “Marissa—”
    “Elise,” Stephen cut in. “Today is Marissa’s day, cut her some slack. She graduated.”
    “Like I said I would,” Marissa retorted.
    Her father frowned at her and remarked, “Here’s Joel. I’ll see you back at the house, honey.” He brushed his lips across her forehead, grabbed her mother’s arm, hustling away before Elise could say another word.
    “What was that about?” Joel asked.
    “My mother being her usual self, never missing an opportunity to stir up friction between Dad and me.” Marissa smirked. “She thought I’d get pregnant, not finish school, because I had a few boyfriends. Heck, none of them lasted long enough to get to first base.”
    “Don’t I know it,” he stated. “I’ve been your main man for the last year, and I’ve had nothing more intimate than kissing and frustration to speak of.”
    She grinned. “That’s because you’re a gentleman. You understood my sentiments on the topic of sex, and I thank you. But enough about my mother’s skewed assumptions. As Dad said, this is my day. Don’t I deserve a kiss?” Leaning forward, she gazed into sexy blue eyes, outlined by the longest, thickest eyelashes she’d ever seen on a man. A woman should be that lucky.
    “Marissa, stop. The nuns are watching.” He squirmed away when she tried to kiss him.
    “Hey, when did you become so modest?”
    He didn’t answer, just grabbed her arm, strolled toward his car idling at the curb, and opened the door. “Get in, brat, where to?”
    “Home first. The parents have a party planned and I have to be there. Afterward, I’ll change, and it’s up to you.”
    Shaking his head, he said, “You know my house is out. No privacy there.”
    “Okay, I’ll confiscate a few goodies from the party, and we can go to the park, have a private celebration. Later, former classmates are having parties. We’ll check out a few.”
    “Sounds good.” He leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on her mouth before starting the car.
    “I hope you’re planning on doing better than that later.”
    “We’ll see,” was his laughing response.
     
    Three weeks later, she attended Joel’s graduation at Simon Gratz High School. Soon after, drastic changes disrupted their relationship.
    From an upper middle-class family, her father didn’t want her to work or leave home until she was eighteen. She’d just turned seventeen, months before graduation. Joel wasn’t as fortunate.
    In his family, he was the oldest of six kids. To help out, since starting high school, he’d been working downtown after school as a part-time dishwasher at the Horn and Hardart food automat. Now he had to find full-time work.
    He appeared to welcome the prospect of earning his own way. It didn’t take long for him to secure a job with a long-distance trucking company. Hired as a driver’s helper, with the potential to