Blind Love (The Complete Box Set Romance Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

You weren’t ready for it.”
    “My stupid grades
reflect it,” I said.
    This was
comfortable. I could talk about school with him. Then the silence fell, but I
kind of didn’t want him to leave. “Uh. Did you get on the team?”
    He frowned. “No, I
didn’t make it.”
    “I’m sorry,
Dylan.”
    He shrugged. “It’s
okay. Your dad was right. I need to put myself out there and try things.”
    That might mean he
wouldn’t be friends with Cole. That would be okay. “You did that.”
    “I’ll have to see
what else I can get involved with.”
    “How’s your
mother?”
    Another frown.
“She’s out of the hospital, but in a rehab center. She’ll be there for a few
days.”
    “Was it drugs?”
    His face fell. I
should have asked that.
    “Forget I asked.
I’m sorry, Dylan.”
    I really was. I
didn’t want to hurt his feelings. He was turning out to be a nice guy.
    “It’s okay. It was
almost an overdose.”
    “I’m sorry,
Dylan.”
    “Not your fault.”
    His face wasn’t so
open anymore. I had tread on personal ground and I had to bring things back
around. “Uh, are you taking the SATs on Saturday?”
    “I’m signed up,
but I don’t know if I’ll bother.”
    I shifted in my
chair to get more comfortable. “Why not?”
    “Not like I can
afford college.”
    “You haven’t
applied anywhere?”
    “No. I couldn’t
visit.”
    “You could start
at the local community college,” I said. Part of me wanted to go there for
nursing, but I knew my mother didn’t want me to go into that field. It was a
fight we had often.
    “I can’t pay for
it.”
    “Financial aid.”
    “But that has to
be filled out by a parent, and that’s not going to happen.”
    That was a bind.
“There must be something you can do.”
    “I can be
emancipated.”
    “But we’re
eighteen. Aren’t we considered adults?”
    “Not in terms of
financial aid.”
    “Then get
emancipated. What does that mean?”
    He leaned against
the door frame. “It means that I can take care of myself. That I’m not under a
parent’s authority.”
    “Do it.”
    “It costs money
and I’m not working,” he said.
    “Maybe my dad
could help.”
    He shook his head.
“Your father has done enough for me. I can’t ask him to do more.”
    “I could.”
    “No, Taylor.”
    It was only the second
time he’d said my name, and I liked how it sounded in his mouth. That was odd,
for sure. I wasn’t usually attracted to the bad boy and with his longer hair,
scruff, and tattoos he was definitely a bad boy.
    “Why not? He’d do
it if I asked.”
    “I know he would,
and I’d owe him even more that I do now.”
    “It’s okay to ask
for help, Dylan.”
    “Not for me,” he
said.
    I didn’t
understand. I asked for help all of the time. Was it a guy thing? Maybe. My
father helped me all of the time.
    “Is it because
you’ve never had anyone to help you?”
    “Why are you
trying to analyze me?” He pushed off the doorframe. “I’ll get this book back to
you in fifteen minutes.”
    He spun then
walked out. I’d pissed him off. I ran to my door. “Dylan?”
    He stopped in the
hallway then turned to me. “What?”
    “I’m sorry for
whatever I said wrong.”
    He pressed his
lips together. “ It’s fine, Taylor. You don’t have any
idea.”
    “No, I don’t. So,
if I do it again, please tell me and know that I don’t mean it.”
    He studied me, and
I wasn’t sure what he was thinking. I told myself to never play poker with
Dylan. Certainly not strip poker. Now, where had that idea come from? I’d never
played strip anything with anyone.
    “ It’s okay, Taylor. You don’t know any better.”
    “But I’m not a
child, so tell me when I insult you. I don’t want to.”
    He nodded. “Okay.
Deal.”
    I smiled, but he
didn’t return it. Instead, he turned back around and left me alone in the
hallway. What an odd person this Dylan was. Would I ever understand him?

 
 
    Chapter
Five
    Dylan
    Cole greeted me
outside of school after