Inside Out Read Online Free PDF

of dry, but I like it. Besides, my father is a corporate law consultant. I guess I took after him.”
    Garrett was quiet.
    Tracey tried to fill the silence. “You know, I hear that people struggling under the white man’s burden sometimes feel the need to give confession.”
    He looked rather perplexed, and Tracey started to laugh.
    â€œThat was a joke,” she said. He relaxed again and stared down into his mug. “What is it?” she implored. “You want to talk about it? And while you talk about it, would you also please explain why you stalked me. You still haven’t.”
    â€œNah, I don’t guess so.”
    But he didn’t say anything more. She sat on the couch contemplating how long he would be there and if he was ever going to talk about what was bothering him or tell her why he’d gotten her address. His appearance on her doorstep was probably the oddest thing that had happened to her in her entire college career.
    Something occurred to her, and she looked him full in the face. As was becoming usual, his yellow and brown and green eyes met hers dead on. Tracey could feel hers widen, then narrow. “Where’d you find my books, Garrett?”
    â€œHuh?” His surprise and guilt were as evident as Santa Claus’s appetite for frequent dining.
    â€œYou stole my books, Garrett?” It was barely a question.
    â€œI gave ’em back, didn’t I?” he returned with a wolfish grin.
    â€œAnd that makes it okay?”
    He shrugged.
    â€œAnd you’re number three—”
    â€œSoon to be number one,” he interrupted.
    â€œGood lord! Why did you do this?”
    â€œYou remember that day about two weeks ago in the student lounge? You know, when my ingenious friends and I decided to vandalize the Quiki Snack Machine?” His gaze moved from hers briefly, a glance at his mug and back. She nodded. “Well, you may not believe this, but I heard you laugh—”
    â€œOf course I believe it. Everyone heard me laugh. And here’s a shocker: I wasn’t the only one laughing, either.”
    â€œAw-right, aw-right. But that’s not what you won’t believe. You won’t believe that I never heard a laugh like that before.”
    â€œThere is not a single thing peculiar about my laugh,” Tracey said, not at all pleased.
    â€œOh, but there is,” he insisted cryptically. Then he winked at her.
    â€œAnyway,” she demurred, “I still don’t understand what you’re doing here, what you’re doing with me.” That was a funny choice of words, and they both knew it. Tracey rushed ahead. “Isn’t it homecoming weekend or something? Shouldn’t you be doing something to show your school spirit?”
    â€œShouldn’t you?”
    â€œIt’s not my style,” Tracey answered, shrugging her shoulders.
    â€œBut you figure it’s mine?”
    She didn’t answer that.
    â€œWell, yesss,” he drawled. “I was out with some friends on the strip tonight. I was doin’ the same old thing I always do on the weekend—homecomin’s not for two more weeks, by the way. Anyhow, sometime tonight, I got bored and left.”
    Tracey pinned him with a stare. “And came here.”
    He licked his lips. “And came here.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œIt bothers me, the way you look at me. It bothers the hell outta me. And I don’t know why, but I like you.”
    â€œYou don’t know me.”
    He dipped his head in the most awkward and entrancing way, almost like a bird running its wing over its head. “You’re right. So let me fix that. Where you from?”
    â€œHuh?”
    â€œWhere are you from?” He cocked his head to the side.
    â€œHere, why?”
    â€œThe accent or the no-accent. You don’t talk like you’re from down here.”
    â€œIf you mean I don’t talk like you, that’s true. I’ve never had