In Too Deep Read Online Free PDF Page A

throat. My body hummed with an indistinct undercurrent. My skin warmed right beneath the hand on my chest that kept me still. I was sure these overwhelming sensations were a result of what felt like near-death panic.
    I shook my head and wiped my eyes. He took his hands off my body and took a step back. The undercurrent dissipated, and I breathed in slowly and calmly, trying to clear my throat. It seemed to work a little.
    I looked up just as Noah handed me a cup he’d grabbed from the counter. I took a huge gulp, to clear my throat before I embarrassed myself further by dying at Murphy’s. A sharp sting offended my taste buds followed by an unfamiliar heat that made its way down to my toes, and once again, I was gasping for air.
    “What is that?” I said as I wiped my mouth with a grease-stained sleeve and shoved the cup back at him.
    “This? Ha…” He kind of scoffed arrogantly like I should just know. “It’s my man, Jim Beam…Jimmy will fix what ails ya! You want more?”
    He drinks at work.
    “No!” That sounded harsh. “Thank you for helping me, but I am not much of a drinker, and right now, nothing ails me.”
    I walked away to pour myself some water from the soda fountain around the corner. It was a small little nook that I could use to gather myself before finishing up in the kitchen. I leaned back against the counter, trying to calm my nerves. I cleared my throat a couple times and started to feel like I may survive the evening. Noah rounded the corner and leaned against the opposite counter, which only put about eighteen inches between us. He crossed his legs at his ankles and smiled. And there he was…Noah…just looking at me, and he radiated a subtle warning that could no longer go unnoticed. The same bad boy current that had an unexpected effect on me a couple minutes ago. He needed to knock it off.
    “Not much of a drinker?”
    “Nope.”
    He nodded with a grin stuck at one corner of his mouth. That’s when I realized all the inner vibrations weren’t Noah’s fault. It was my body’s reaction to him. I smiled, turned quickly, and walked toward the mess waiting for me by the sink. The sooner I got the dishes done, the sooner I could escape this unsettled feeling I had. Initially, I thought all the humming through my body was a reaction to the fear of almost choking to death. But I don’t remember fear being so positively exhilarating. When my little sister jumped out from behind the coat rack, I didn’t feel positive or exhilarated, I felt like I could mortally wound her.
    “You mind if we listen to some tunes?” he called, making me jump when he yelled from the other side of the kitchen, “or are you not much of a music-listener either?”
    “Music’s fine.” Was he trying to be funny? It made him sound like a jerk.
    “Good, because I was going to play it no matter what you said.”
    What the hell was that?
    He blasted AC/DC’s “Shook Me All Night Long” so loud, I forgot I was annoyed. There was something in the guitar riffs that shot images of Joel throwing back a beer and watching me dance. I wondered if I could rattle anyone as much as Noah was rattling me. I pushed that thought away when I realized it was no longer Joel, but Noah watching me dance in my mind. I got back to the dirty dishes and pizza pans. The thought of Noah’s hands on me was still making my knees weak. Or maybe I was just exhausted.

Four
    Saturday, Morning After the Formal
    There was a noise in my room that brought me out of the state I wanted to stay in forever; my own little reality. It was a gentler place to live. I liked it there.
    “Hey, I don’t know what’s going on, but this just came for you.” My roommate, Stacy, had been one of my closest girl friends since 10 th grade, and we transferred from Martin to Knoxville together. I opened my eyes and her concerned look warmed my heart. She touched my back so lightly it sent shivers under my skin.
    When I saw the long white box with the red