Fatal Charm Read Online Free PDF Page A

years and I didn’t think you’d ever come back. Thank goodness your mom came to her senses.”
    “She just got sick of having me around,” I joked.
    “Isn’t it usually the other way around?”
    “Usually. But she’s mellowed and almost treats me like a human being.”
    “What brought on this miraculous change?”
    I thought of Jade, Crystal, and Dad. “Could be menopause. I heard that women her age have weird mood swings.”
    “Well, I’m glad she released you from captivity.”
    I chuckled. “It’s not like I was in prison. I wasn’t locked in my room or anything. I had friends there, too.”
    “But they couldn’t compare with your friends here. Namely moi,” Penny-Love said with a flourish of her hand. “It’s much nicer walking to school with you instead of Catelyn. She’s sweet and all, but she can’t stop talking about herself. That just gets so boring.”
    “Really?” I glanced away to hide my grin. “I never noticed.”
    “That’s because you’re too nice, which isn’t that healthy. I’ll have to toughen you up or people will totally tread all over you.” Then she went on to tell me about every conversation she’d had during the few weeks I was gone.
    I only half-listened as she described a blog quiz she’d taken that proved that she was a true romantic. I would have flunked that quiz. Romance was a tricky topic for me and I agonized over the serious decision I had to make today. I’d woken up thinking about Josh, and what a great person he was and what I’d feel when I saw him at school. Would I be happy to see him or just confused? I loved all the sweet things Josh said to me and the surprises like the heart-shaped balloon. But did I love Josh?
    Should I break up with him or work things out?
    Then I thought of Dominic and got this shivery excitement that made it hard to even think … only yearn to see him again. Did that mean I really should break up with Josh? I thought of my father and my resolve not to be like him. I couldn’t be sure if he was cheating on my mother, but I could make sure I didn’t make the same mistake.
    So while Penny-Love talked, I wondered if Josh was going to greet me at my locker like usual (well, usual before I moved away). His last email had just said “C U 2-morrow.” He didn’t say where or when or how things really were between us. Was there even an us? He’d apologized for being so busy lately—just one of our growing problems. Eventually we’d have to talk. Seriously scary.
    I should have been glad to find out that Josh wasn’t waiting for me at my locker. But call me foolish or selfish or something worse because I was disappointed. I wanted him to show up with a kiss and say romantic things to me. I loved the attention, and I especially loved how other people thought we were great together. It was easier to fit in when I was dating one of the most popular guys at school. When I was next to him, no one noticed that I wasn’t a typical teen. I could just relax with a semipopular status.
    So where was Josh?
    Had he heard I’d kissed Dominic? Was he avoiding me? Or was he waiting for the right time to break up with me before I could break up with him?
    Sighing, I turned to my locker, spun the combination on my lock, and opened the door to find a giant poster with the words “TURN AROUND” spelled out in black ink. And when I turned around, there was Josh—strong and tall and totally hot Josh, holding out his hand to offer me a tiny gold-wrapped box.
    “Wow!” I murmured, touched deeply.
    “Well, aren’t you going to take it?” He had these amazing dimples when he smiled and I felt myself getting all rubber-legged and mushy inside.
    “Sure.” My fingers closed around crinkly foil as I stared down at the tiny box.
    “Go ahead. Open it.”
    “Okay,” I said smiling. Sometimes I could look at gifts and know what was inside, much the same way I knew who was calling when the phone would ring. But just because I was psychic didn’t