CONVICTION (INTERFERENCE) Read Online Free PDF Page A

enough! One more word and you’re grounded for a week! I’m so sorry, Shane. As you can tell, my daughters are like night and day!” my mother said apologetically, still sporting an evil eye at her youngest offspring.
    He only smiled and said, “It’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with speaking your mind.”
    My father parked the car and we all started to get out. I noticed Samantha hadn’t said another word, but just as Shane was getting out of the car, I saw her whisper something in his ear. He smiled and said, “Okay, thanks, I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”
    He walked around t he car to meet me and I looked up at him, wondering exactly when he was going to run for the hills, but he simply smiled and offered me his arm. I looked up at him and said, “I’m afraid to ask, but I have to know. What did she whisper in your ear?”
    I didn’t realize it, but I was squeezing his arm tightly as I waited for what I was certain to be another of the continuously embarrassing moments of the evening.
    “I’ll tell you later. Don’t worry, it was nice.”
    I doubted that, and I couldn’t help but glare at my sister as we walked into the restaurant.
    She stuck her tongue out at me and I wondered when she was ever going to grow up. She was a freshman in high school, for heaven’s sake.
    We sat in a booth in the back of the room. I sat with Shane, my parents sat across from us and my sister sat at the tables’ edge, making herself available to sign autographs for all of her adoring fans that she imagined might walk in at any given moment. The fact that she was still wearing her costume and working very diligently at trying to draw attention to herself, failed to go unnoticed by all passers-by. I was grateful for the distraction because at least it took some of the focus off of Shane.
    We ordered dinner.
    “I’ll have the French onion soup and the grilled cheese quesadilla, please,” Shane said.
    “Would you like chicken or beef?”
    “Just cheese, thank you.”
    After everyone ordered, my sister was at it again. Not quite as bad, but I was terrified as each word worked its’ way out of her mouth.
    “Don’t you eat meat?” she asked.
    “No, I’m a vegetarian.”
    “Really? I thought all guys ate meat,” Sam added.
    “I used to, but I gave it up a while back and decided to become a vegetarian.”
    I could see my dad out of the corner of my eye. “So, how long’s it been since you haven’t eaten any meat…a month, a week, a day, what?” my dad snapped, certain that if he couldn’t finish school, then he probably couldn’t stick to anything else for more than a short time.
    “Seven years. I eat dairy, but no meat of any kind. I’m not against it, I just…well, my dad used to take me hunting…I hated it.”
    I looked up at him and thought I saw a brief flash of pain, or something. I knew there was more to the story, but I wasn’t sure what.  I reached under the table and put my hand on top of his. I felt the need to comfort him for some reason, although at the time, I didn’t know why.
    He glanced at me when he felt my hand on his and he smiled, but pulled his hand away and put both of his hands conspicuously on the table. I assumed it was only because he didn’t want my dad to see my display of affection, but I realized I didn’t care anymore. I liked him…a lot, and I wasn’t afraid to show it. I reached up and took his hand in mine, keeping it in plain sight on the table, not caring about the glares I got from my father. I knew I’d hear about it later…among other things, but I wanted Shane to know that I was happy that he stayed and I wanted my parents to know that he was more than just a short-lived crush…at least I hoped he was.
    After a few minutes went by, and my father’s face had gone from pink to fuchsia, Shane removed his hand from mine and excused himself to the bathroom.
    “Rebecca, you’re pushing it!” my father snapped the second Shane was out of ear shot.
    “Dad,