Imperfectly Real (A Series of Imperfections) Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: A.E. Woodward
Tags: Contemporary
as I walked by and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.
“Good workout?” Shane questioned, before I plopped down onto the beanbag.
I grunted and closed my eyes. I hadn’t slept well and my early morning workout had done nothing but tire me out even further. I started trying to figure out a way for me to get information from Shane or Emma. I knew Emma would be harder to crack—blood is thicker than water, yada, yada—so I set my sights on Shane. I knew exactly what I could say to get him to tell me the truth. It was below the belt, but I didn’t give a shit.
Lucky for me, my chance came sooner than I thought it would. My ears pricked up as I listened to the girls talk about heading out to Central Park with the kids.
“Do you mind if I just stay here with the guys?” Shane questioned from his spot on the futon.
“Of course not,” Emma whispered, her voice closer than it had been. Then came the sickening smooching sounds.
“Get a room!” I yelled, not bothering to open my eyes. The sound of their love was gross enough. I didn’t need to see it. I heard Elizabeth laugh, and my heart thumped annoyingly in response.
What the hell?
I hadn’t heard her laugh since we were kids … I guess I’d forgotten how infectious it was. A smile spread across my face in response. I listened patiently, while I waited for them to gather all their things before heading out to the park.
“Finally,” I groaned after the door slammed shut. Silence resounded through the condo. My eyelids flew open and I sat up staring in Shane’s direction.
Shane rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming. “Don’t even bother to ask.” He immediately stood up and started to walk away from me. Where he was trying to escape to I wasn’t sure. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”
“Ah, that’s bullshit, Shane. Aren’t you the one always preaching about honesty? You admitted it yourself that people just need to be upfront about things.”
He froze, his mind apparently flashing back to his own words about keeping skeletons locked in closets. We all knew how pissed he’d been when he found out that Emma and I had spent a few nights tangled in the sheets— before they got together. “That’s a low blow buddy.” He turned and made eye contact with me. “Besides, this doesn’t have anything to do with you, so I don’t see why you care. It’s none of your business.”
“I don’t really care,” I argued. “It’s more like curiosity. But it sort of does have something to do with me, this is my condo too, and I’d kinda like to know why Half-Pint is here.”
“ Half-Pint ?” Shane laughed. “She’s been here a day, and you’re calling her Half-Pint again?”
I was irritated with my slipup. It was one thing for me to call her that but it was a totally different ballgame for Shane to know I was. “Just tell me why the fuck she’s here!” I demanded, a little angrier than I expected myself to be. I felt my face flush.
He motioned with his hands for me to keep my voice down. He didn’t want Rob to overhear us. “Relax buddy.” Shane shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m doing this. You’d better keep your mouth shut, ‘cause Emma will kill me if she knows that I told you.”
I hastily crossed my heart. “Scouts honor,” I promised.
“Liz hates her life.” He sighed. “There you happy now? You nosey asshole.”
“Very. Thank you.” It still didn’t explain much. Obviously she was unhappy. I’d figured that much out on my own. But why the hell did she feel the need to be here, with Em. “And—” I started, hoping for just a smidge more information.
Shane cut me off. “Supposedly she just needs a little support. You know what Mrs. Sloan is like, Ty. Liz has no place else to go, and we all know that in Liz’s eyes, Emma is great at navigating through life’s toughest shit. She’s independent, something Liz can only dream of being.”
I rolled my eyes at that. We all knew Emma was anything but
“Good workout?” Shane questioned, before I plopped down onto the beanbag.
I grunted and closed my eyes. I hadn’t slept well and my early morning workout had done nothing but tire me out even further. I started trying to figure out a way for me to get information from Shane or Emma. I knew Emma would be harder to crack—blood is thicker than water, yada, yada—so I set my sights on Shane. I knew exactly what I could say to get him to tell me the truth. It was below the belt, but I didn’t give a shit.
Lucky for me, my chance came sooner than I thought it would. My ears pricked up as I listened to the girls talk about heading out to Central Park with the kids.
“Do you mind if I just stay here with the guys?” Shane questioned from his spot on the futon.
“Of course not,” Emma whispered, her voice closer than it had been. Then came the sickening smooching sounds.
“Get a room!” I yelled, not bothering to open my eyes. The sound of their love was gross enough. I didn’t need to see it. I heard Elizabeth laugh, and my heart thumped annoyingly in response.
What the hell?
I hadn’t heard her laugh since we were kids … I guess I’d forgotten how infectious it was. A smile spread across my face in response. I listened patiently, while I waited for them to gather all their things before heading out to the park.
“Finally,” I groaned after the door slammed shut. Silence resounded through the condo. My eyelids flew open and I sat up staring in Shane’s direction.
Shane rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming. “Don’t even bother to ask.” He immediately stood up and started to walk away from me. Where he was trying to escape to I wasn’t sure. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”
“Ah, that’s bullshit, Shane. Aren’t you the one always preaching about honesty? You admitted it yourself that people just need to be upfront about things.”
He froze, his mind apparently flashing back to his own words about keeping skeletons locked in closets. We all knew how pissed he’d been when he found out that Emma and I had spent a few nights tangled in the sheets— before they got together. “That’s a low blow buddy.” He turned and made eye contact with me. “Besides, this doesn’t have anything to do with you, so I don’t see why you care. It’s none of your business.”
“I don’t really care,” I argued. “It’s more like curiosity. But it sort of does have something to do with me, this is my condo too, and I’d kinda like to know why Half-Pint is here.”
“ Half-Pint ?” Shane laughed. “She’s been here a day, and you’re calling her Half-Pint again?”
I was irritated with my slipup. It was one thing for me to call her that but it was a totally different ballgame for Shane to know I was. “Just tell me why the fuck she’s here!” I demanded, a little angrier than I expected myself to be. I felt my face flush.
He motioned with his hands for me to keep my voice down. He didn’t want Rob to overhear us. “Relax buddy.” Shane shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m doing this. You’d better keep your mouth shut, ‘cause Emma will kill me if she knows that I told you.”
I hastily crossed my heart. “Scouts honor,” I promised.
“Liz hates her life.” He sighed. “There you happy now? You nosey asshole.”
“Very. Thank you.” It still didn’t explain much. Obviously she was unhappy. I’d figured that much out on my own. But why the hell did she feel the need to be here, with Em. “And—” I started, hoping for just a smidge more information.
Shane cut me off. “Supposedly she just needs a little support. You know what Mrs. Sloan is like, Ty. Liz has no place else to go, and we all know that in Liz’s eyes, Emma is great at navigating through life’s toughest shit. She’s independent, something Liz can only dream of being.”
I rolled my eyes at that. We all knew Emma was anything but