DARK SOULS (Dark Souls Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

got out of that room as fast as my death-defying heels would carry me, trying not to draw attention to myself as I precariously waddled out. I pushed sweaty arms out of the way, my beer spilling over the edges of my cup and resulting in surprised gasps as the icy liquid landed on unsuspecting limbs.
    As soon as I reached the kitchen, I let out a sigh of relief. What was that?
    I mean, I wasn’t the most social of people, for obvious reasons, but I’d never felt the urge to literally scramble out of a room just because a good-looking stranger happened to be standing in it.
    No. No, I was not going to think that way. I am not my mother, and I am not going crazy. I repeated that sentence over and over again as I pretended to scan the different types of liquor on the countertop. I tried to reassure myself that just because I was having certain feelings, just because I was maybe becoming paranoid for no specific reason, did not mean that I belonged in a mental institution, lying in a bed next to my mother’s. Absolutely not. I took a deep breath, slowing the heavy breathing suddenly coming out of my mouth.
    “Need help choosing?”
    I startled at the sound of the voice, but recovered quickly. Even though the music continued to pulse, I heard him, crystal clear.
    I turned, wondering who was the source of the voice I could hear so brilliantly, but relaxed as I saw it was just Macy’s boyfriend, Rob Morrow.
    “Oh, hey,” I greeted him, as if nothing were wrong and my body wasn’t tense and vibrating like a thousand violin strings tangled up in knots. And my stomach... my stomach had begun clenching and retracting painfully.
    His pale green eyes softened when I looked at him. He reached up and brushed a hand through his sandy, unkempt hair, looking through the open doorway to where Macy stood, still determined to implement her plans for me. He smiled before he asked, “So, Macy’s on the prowl for you again, huh?”
    Despite my physical discomfort, it occurred to me just how perfect such a nice guy was for Macy’s antics. They were complete opposites, yet their traits balanced each other out. His patience coupled with her liveliness, well, it meant he tolerated and trusted everything about her, something that was probably needed when dating such an unpredictable firecracker. Rob’s patience also translated into an understanding of her. Like right now, when he just assumed his girlfriend was chatting up a hot guy for her best friend’s benefit. Who knew guys like this even existed anymore?
    “Of course,” I said, cringing a little at the fake enthusiasm in my voice. “She won’t stop until she’s succeeded in conquering me.” I leaned my right arm on the counter, hoping to quell my shaking.
    “Right, so her hopes and dreams of double dating can finally come true.” He smiled again, his gaze finally settling on me. “Let me make you a drink, and we can maybe grab some air. You look like you might need it.”
    “That’d be great,” I said, with huge relief.
    “Nick’s got an amazing rooftop. You want to go up there for a bit?”
    “Yep. Sure.”
    I watched him pour the drinks, my silence making both of us uncomfortable, but all I freaking wanted to do was escape this place. My knees were shaking, my legs wobbling. If I lifted my fingers, I knew I’d see them trembling. Instead, I kept them pressed to my side, silently begging Rob to hurry the hell up. As soon as he finished, I swooped in behind him, following him through the crowd and ditching my heels as soon as we hit the stairs.
    We weaved and hopped around splayed bodies as we walked up three flights, but it ended up being so incredibly worth it when I reached the blessed coolness of the night. The rain had stopped, leaving only freshly saturated air, and I breathed in deep, pressing a hand to my racing heart.
    Panic attack? I thought, staring up into the night sky, the city lights obscuring the stars above me.
    I breathed easier as my heart rate slowed,