Rocked to the Core Read Online Free PDF

was over I had to let go of the fantasy. It had taken too long to start down the road to recovery, I wouldn't go back.
    He finally released me, but held my arms and flashed his real smile, a crooked grin that most fans never saw, but I knew like the back of my own hand.
    "It's good to see you, babe."
    "You too, Joe."
    He stared at me so hard it made me want to look away, but I didn't. I knew he was trying to see into my heart, get answers to all the questions he wouldn't or couldn't ask.
    I glanced around the room and noticed everyone was pretending they weren't watching us. "Um." I cleared my throat. "Why don't we have a drink and sit down."
    "Good idea." He waved the bartender over and ordered us two beers.
    "So," I said once our drinks were delivered and we'd perched on stools next to each other, but carefully not touching. "How are you?"
    "Fine. Good." His finger ran up and down the side of the beer, leaving a trail in the condensation on the outside of the bottle and I realized he was as nervous as me. It was somewhat comforting. "You? You're good?"
    "Yeah, fine. I'm uh, auditing a journalism class at the U."
    "No shit? Cool. Good for you. But you're still at the diner, right?"
    "Oh yeah. Just off the night shift." The night shift that had brought us together in the first place. "Oh, I should thank you, by the way. The place has been packed all the time since you mentioned it in that interview. Darrell wanted to send you a gift or something but I told him it was weird. But we do appreciate it."
    He shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal. The food was good. And the service, of course."
    I reddened and looked down, letting my hair hide my face from him. I'd been a disaster of a waitress that night but he didn't care. We'd hit it off immediately and ended up making out on my bed as the sun came up.
    "You are not actually blushing right now, Liss."
    "Yes I am. So what?"
    "So you're amazing. And weird and wonderful."
    "No, Joe. Just embarrassed."
    His hand, cold from holding the beer bottle, rubbed my arm. "You've never been able to see who you really are."
    "I know. I'm working on it."
    "Good. I…this is going to sound stupid."
    "Go ahead."
    "Okay." He took a drink and then turned to face me. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm proud of you, Liss. Sad that this journey you're on doesn't include me, but I'm really impressed that you're doing it. Figuring out what you want to do, who you want to be."
    "Thanks," I whispered, pleased beyond belief.
    "You kept me sane when we were together. And even just thinking about you helps me still. It kills me that I couldn't do the same for you but I'm happy you're getting there on your own."
    "That means a lot to me, Joe. It really does." He was so good with words, in songs or conversations, and it made my heart swell. I'd been falling deeply in love with Joe when I left him and nothing in the months since had lessened that, even if I'd accepted we couldn't be together.
    I was opening my mouth to say something when Matthew, the last member of the band joined us.
    "Hey," he said to me, nodding. "Just saw you and wanted to say that." He clapped Joe on the shoulder and wandered off again, a little unsteady on his feet.
    Joe and I burst out laughing. "Oh my god. Weeks on a bus with him and he never approached me once. What the hell?"
    "I guess I'm not the only one who missed you, Liss."
    And just like that the tension and intensity were broken and everything was kind of okay. We drank and laughed, Joe telling stories of their adventures and me catching him up on home town news. Dex and his practically naked date for the night joined us and we all did round after round of shots.
    Hours passed in a haze and I realized I was having a wonderful time. Drama and feelings and fears were off the menu and it was just fun. The party raged around us and I barely noticed or cared about the crowd. The east rapport that Joe and I had shared from the first day was still there and I relished it.
    Finally,