Next to Me Read Online Free PDF Page B

same bed ever. He said it wasn’t what you did when you became a man of a certain age. Zane respected his father and he wouldn’t break his trust.
    Whitney sleepily got out of bed and came over to hug him. “It’s just a dream, but tell me how it happened this time.”
    Zane had been having the same dream since his mom had died a year earlier. She was fixing dinner and his dad was at the table. For some reason Zane wasn’t there yet, and they were waiting for him to put dinner on the table. There was a knock at the door and a horrible monster with tentacles and red eyes was waiting for them outside on the porch.
    It always killed his mother first, and she was screaming for Zane to save her, but he wasn’t there. There was no way to know where he was. He just wasn’t there to help his mother. His father was next, and the same thing happened. He called for his son, but he just wasn’t there.
    “This time the monster had a top hat,” Zane said.
    “That makes it way less scary, doesn’t it?” Whitney asked. “A top hat on a tentacle monster is silly.”
    “No, it was still very scary and I didn’t like it any more than I’ve liked the dream any other time I’ve had it.”
    “Here, I’ll read to you.” Whitney went and got a book off the shelf and started to read. It was what they did to calm each other down and it helped. They loved to read to each other.
    Zane was actually looking forward to seeing Whitney and sharing the good news with her. His best friend could always show the most enthusiasm for his accomplishments and make him feel good about himself. As he pulled up into the parking lot of Ren’s, he noticed there were already people pulling in for dinner. He had left straight from work to catch her as she was getting ready for her shift so he could actually talk to her.
    As he walked into the double doors he saw a larger guy walking toward him and thought he would go around him. The guy walked right into Zane, pushing him back a little bit like he wasn’t even there.
    “You asshole, watch where you’re going.” The guy looked like trouble, and it wasn’t the tattoos or the motorcycle helmet but the threatening look in his eyes. Zane wasn’t one to be pushed around, though.
    “Dude, I just walking here, pay attention.” The guy continued to glare at him as he made his way outside, and Zane just shook his head at the ignorance, heading in to look for Whitney. Sophie was the first person he saw. She was a pretty little blonde and was always in a good mood. She smiled wide at him and started twirling her hair as she walked up to him.
    “Hi, Zane, how are you?” She rolled her eyes and leaned in close to whisper, “Did you see Whitney’s new man walking out of here?” Surely, she couldn’t have meant that jackass he ran into.
    “The cool rider out there? You have to be shitting me.” Sophie giggled like he had told a joke.
    “Nope,” she said, “this is the second night he has been in here to see her.” Sophie was going to keep talking, so he smiled and interrupted her.
    “Will you go get Whitney for me, Sophie?”
    “Yes, but be prepared when you see her.”
    He wasn’t really sure what that meant until Whitney came out with sunglasses on. Was she high at work again?
    “Hey, Zany-poo.” Whitney hugged him, and he punched her in the arm lightly.
    “I hate it when you call me that, Whit.” She used it mostly when she was drunk and being a smart-ass. He reached over and took the glasses off when he noticed her lip was swollen. His heart sank when he saw her eye black and swollen with a cut underneath it.
    “What the hell happened to you?”
    “She got jumped in the parking lot,” Sophie said. “Three girls.”
    “I’m okay, Zane, just that guy you picked me up from the other morning had a girlfriend, and she didn’t like me staying over.”
    Zane gently held on to her chin and tilted her face up. “Are you sure you don’t need a stitch in that, Whitney?”
    “I’m sure,