Fever Pitch Read Online Free PDF

pack of popular kids. You’ve dated half the girls from their herd. Pull the other one, buddy.”
    â€œWhat?” Aaron put down his Frosty, Giles’s angry tone making him uneasy. He wanted to argue he’d gone out with two girls, and both instances had been such disasters he’d quit dating full stop. But this confession invited a question as to why they’d been so awful, so he only shook his head. “Whatever. It’s over. You’re right, college has to be better.”
    Giles was pissed now for some reason. “What do you mean, whatever ? You telling me you didn’t hang out with those guys or date those hookers, it was an optical illusion?”
    Aaron’s stomach hollowed out. “Why are you so mad at me?”
    Giles deflated. “I don’t know.” He let his hands slide to the sides of the wheel. “Let’s say in my experience, guys who hang out with your people, then seek me out are a particular class. I wouldn’t have pegged you for that.”
    â€œThey’re not my people. I hung out with them because I was lonely. I went out with the girls because they asked me.” The last comment made Giles glance sideways at him, and Aaron had about had it with these weird looks. “ What ?”
    Giles said nothing for several minutes. Aaron ate, but the food was now ash in his mouth. He had the vague sense he’d fucked things up, but he couldn’t figure out how.
    Well, at least everything was normal.
    Eventually Giles spoke. “Mina says I’m too harsh and judgmental. I decide who people are before I get the truth.”
    The statement felt important, but Aaron couldn’t unpack it. He ate his Frosty in silence.
    Giles continued. “In my defense, every time I don’t do that, if I let my guard down, I get burned.”
    Aaron still had no idea how this had anything to do with who he’d hung out with in high school. “Okay.”
    Giles’s gaze was heavy with meaning, but Aaron still didn’t have a clue about what was going on.
    Averting his gaze, Aaron stared at the road. “I try not to be in a situation where I have to guard at all. I hunker down.”
    Giles’s expression was softer now. “So you’re a full-on shy boy. Huh. Would never have guessed. I figured you were bored with A-H, or pissed at it.”
    Aaron frowned at his food. “I’m not.”
    â€œI’m starting to understand that.”
    Giles turned onto an access road. Aaron held on to the door with one hand and tried to stabilize his food with the other as the car went over some serious ruts. “Where are we going?”
    â€œSide way into Hickey Lake.”
    Aaron grinned. “Seriously? I always wanted to check that place out.”
    â€œWell, now you can. This isn’t the main recreation area, but it’s got a nice view. Also no one will come down this road.”
    Aaron braced himself against another rut. “I’m not entirely convinced this is a road.”
    Giles shot him a quick glance and a grin. “You seem to be doing better. Food helping?”
    â€œ Company more than anything. ” He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. “Sorry. When I’m drunk, I talk too much.”
    â€œAlcoholic truth serum? Yeah. Probably why I don’t drink often. That and nowhere to drink. And no way to get it.”
    â€œI think I drink for the wrong reasons. Usually it’s like tonight, when I want to shut the world off.”
    â€œHappen often?”
    â€œI can’t think of a time I didn’t want to shut the world off.” Except for right now. He shoved his mouth full of fries, really stuffed it so he couldn’t speak. When he’d swallowed and made sure he had his sappy self muzzled, he continued. “Colton tries to get me out every weekend, but I can only take so much of him.”
    Giles laughed, a tinkling nasal cascade. Aaron loved the sound. He finished