Heart's Reflection Read Online Free PDF Page B

Ellsworth continued.
    "I'm meeting
Keagan, not Liam," I announced.
    "I don't
under—Oh, are you giving Keagan a ride?" Mrs. Ellsworth asked.
    "I'll just
call Liam and tell him you're here," Mr. Ellsworth chimed in, moving to
the hall phone.
    "Don't call
Liam," I said in a harsher tone than I'd intended. "I'm not giving
Keagan a ride...well ... I am but..."
    Keagan grabbed his
off-white hoodie from where it had been draped over the banister and proceeded
down the stairs with a grin rivaling the Grinch's. He was clearly enjoying the
uncomfortable scene.
    "That is,
we're going in my car but it's a date," I continued. "I'm going on a
date with your son... with Keagan."
    Just as I said his
name, he reached the bottom of the staircase.
    His parents' shocked
silence continued for the time it took him to walk down the hall to my side.
    His father's shock
was the first to change to anger. "What is this?" Mr. Ellsworth
finally demanded, his gaze darting back-and-forth between his son and me.
"What has Keagan done? What is he threatening you with?"
    "Nothing,"
I answered, my entire body shaking as I put my arm through Keagan's. My action
seemed to startle him almost as much as it did his parents.
    "He must have
done something," Mr. Ellsworth said.
    Keagan shook his
head. "Is it so impossible to think she might want to date me?"
    "Yes,"
his father yelled. "When she can have your brother, why would she want
you? Tara's always been a good girl. I know you must have done something to
force her. You worthless piece of shi—"
    "Stop it!
You're wrong," I interrupted with a sharp shout.
    As Mr. Ellsworth's
jaw dropped Mrs. Ellsworth gasped.
    I lowered my voice
for the next bit. "Mr. Ellsworth, I don't want to be disrespectful to you
or Mrs. Ellsworth but I'm just not going to listen to you run down Keagan any
more. It's not fair. He hasn't threatened me or done
anything...ungentlemanly." Weird word but I couldn't find anything any
better. "In fact, I had to beg him to go out with me. Keagan is a good
person. You've been forcing him to be bad in order to live up to your
expectations."
    "Now listen
here, young lady—" Mr. Ellsworth started.
    "No, sir.
This is your home, and you're adults. I can't stop you from verbally abusing
your son when I'm not here, but I don't have to listen to it. I've been a
witness to it for too long without saying something."
    "Verbal..."
Mr. Ellsworth sputtered. "What abuse? Witness what?"
    "Tara,"
Mrs. Ellsworth exclaimed. "I'm going to call your grandmother, young
lady."
    "Go right
ahead. She knows what I'm doing." I tugged at Keagan's arm. "C'mon.
Let's go."
    Outside, Keagan
abruptly stopped when we reached the end of the block.
    I'd been so mad we
strode right past my car. I was just about to say something when he looked up
at the sky. A sound between a scream and a cry erupted. He turned to look at me
and another sound more like a laugh boomed out of him.
    "What?"
I asked.
    "Goody's not
so goody."
    "Yeah. Maybe
now you can give that horrid nickname a rest."
    "Not only the
nickname but no more lewd comments," he said but then ruined it with,
"for tonight at least."
    "Nice."
    He hooted to the
sky again. "My parents—"
    "I know.
They'll probably take it out on you later. I'm sor—"
    He grabbed my
shoulders and then stopped my word with a quick kiss.
    "Don't say
you're sorry. I don't care what happens later. I loved it. I love y—I
loved what you said." Another booming laugh finally trickled to chuckles.
"Did you see their faces? I bet dad'll have to check his pants. He
probably shit so many bricks he can build that retaining wall in the backyard
he's always wanted."
    I bit my bottom
lip to stop a laugh, not to mention the tingles that rippled along its surface
from the touch of his mouth on mine.
    "Let's
go." Clutching my hand, he tugged me into a run the rest of the way to the
car.
    "Where
to?" I asked.
    "Anywhere."

Chapter Four

 
    The local organic
burger joint with a vintage car motif seemed like a good