Saving Sloan (Sloan Series Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Kelly Martin
mean to bring that up. I know how raw it is for you.”
Raw indeed.
“It’s okay. I’m glad you’re having a much easier time than I did. But to be fair, you weren’t as, um, much of a bad seed as I was when I got saved. I sort of did a three-sixty overnight, and people tend to talk when that happens.”
“People talk anyway. Nothing you can do to stop it.”
“Sadly,” she agreed when they got to the door to her classroom. “But nearly getting killed isn’t the norm for getting saved.” She didn’t think anyway. “I’m sure most people are more accepting than Darcy and… uh… here’s my stop.”
“Like every day.” Ray smiled. His expression wasn’t as confident as it had been before. He shifted on his feet and cleared his throat. “Ready for Friday?”
Friday. The prom. “Yup. Got my dress. Got my hair appointment. Got my dancing shoes. I’m ready to roll.”
“Red, right? Your dress is red?”
She nodded. “Candy apple red. I’ll stand out like a sore thumb, which one should do when going to the biggest dance of one’s life with a huge, hideous scar on one’s cheek.”
Sloan hated that scar. Boyd couldn’t walk forever, and she’d have that ugly scar… forever. It didn’t seem fair.
Ray’s fingers lightly drug across the raised skin on her cheek. It always made her self-conscious when he did that. Ray was as cute as ever with his big blue eyes and California-blond hair. He hadn’t changed. She wished she could say the same for herself.
“I don’t think it’s hideous. Sticks out more today, though.”
She moved back, and his hand fell away. “I didn’t have time to put on my heavy-duty foundation. This is it in all its glory.”
Ray leaned toward her and gently kissed the scar. Her breath caught, and her eyes fluttered. She hadn’t been kissed since her incident. The self-conscious part worried about how she looked up close. The human part, the girl in her, swooned a little. His breath tickled her skin in a very good way.
“Finally. Been wanting to do that for a while.” He grinned down at her.
So close. So close.
Now she knew why he’d been so nervous. He’d had that planned all along. She couldn’t think of any coherent words to say. She liked Ray. She really did. But she liked Aaron too. She didn’t want to pick. Why couldn’t things stay like they had been? Why couldn’t they all three just stay together and do things together and not have to change? She’d changed enough for a lifetime.
“It was just a kiss, Sloan,” Ray said, reading her mind. “I’m not asking you to marry me. I wanted to show you the scar doesn’t bother me.”
She tried very hard to smile. It probably came out all wonky. “I know. It bothers me though.”
People streamed past them, watching and gawking. They weren’t the first two people to kiss in school — most did worse. But they were the only two doing it at the moment. Plus, since her big falling out with Boyd, people tended to think they deserved to know every ounce of her love life — or lack thereof.
“Thank you though. For the kiss.” No need in him going off to his next class upset or thinking she was mad at him. She wasn’t mad. Well, she was. She was mad at herself for acting like an ungrateful, depressed person when Ray had done something so nice for her.
“You’re welcome. Well…” He backed up and put his hands in his jean pockets. “So… red.”
“Red. Red dress.”
“Red flower.”
She raised a brow.
“Flower. Corsage. Not like the weird flowers in your car… which were also red. Yeah. I’m going to stop now. See you later.” He left before she could say anything.
The bell rang, forcing her to move into the classroom. This had seriously been the weirdest day.
The weirdness got better. Thankfully. Lunch with Mackenzie and Ray went fine. Neither mentioned the kiss, so Sloan tried not to read too much into it. In high school terms, a chaste kiss on the cheek meant squat. It wasn’t like
Raw indeed.
“It’s okay. I’m glad you’re having a much easier time than I did. But to be fair, you weren’t as, um, much of a bad seed as I was when I got saved. I sort of did a three-sixty overnight, and people tend to talk when that happens.”
“People talk anyway. Nothing you can do to stop it.”
“Sadly,” she agreed when they got to the door to her classroom. “But nearly getting killed isn’t the norm for getting saved.” She didn’t think anyway. “I’m sure most people are more accepting than Darcy and… uh… here’s my stop.”
“Like every day.” Ray smiled. His expression wasn’t as confident as it had been before. He shifted on his feet and cleared his throat. “Ready for Friday?”
Friday. The prom. “Yup. Got my dress. Got my hair appointment. Got my dancing shoes. I’m ready to roll.”
“Red, right? Your dress is red?”
She nodded. “Candy apple red. I’ll stand out like a sore thumb, which one should do when going to the biggest dance of one’s life with a huge, hideous scar on one’s cheek.”
Sloan hated that scar. Boyd couldn’t walk forever, and she’d have that ugly scar… forever. It didn’t seem fair.
Ray’s fingers lightly drug across the raised skin on her cheek. It always made her self-conscious when he did that. Ray was as cute as ever with his big blue eyes and California-blond hair. He hadn’t changed. She wished she could say the same for herself.
“I don’t think it’s hideous. Sticks out more today, though.”
She moved back, and his hand fell away. “I didn’t have time to put on my heavy-duty foundation. This is it in all its glory.”
Ray leaned toward her and gently kissed the scar. Her breath caught, and her eyes fluttered. She hadn’t been kissed since her incident. The self-conscious part worried about how she looked up close. The human part, the girl in her, swooned a little. His breath tickled her skin in a very good way.
“Finally. Been wanting to do that for a while.” He grinned down at her.
So close. So close.
Now she knew why he’d been so nervous. He’d had that planned all along. She couldn’t think of any coherent words to say. She liked Ray. She really did. But she liked Aaron too. She didn’t want to pick. Why couldn’t things stay like they had been? Why couldn’t they all three just stay together and do things together and not have to change? She’d changed enough for a lifetime.
“It was just a kiss, Sloan,” Ray said, reading her mind. “I’m not asking you to marry me. I wanted to show you the scar doesn’t bother me.”
She tried very hard to smile. It probably came out all wonky. “I know. It bothers me though.”
People streamed past them, watching and gawking. They weren’t the first two people to kiss in school — most did worse. But they were the only two doing it at the moment. Plus, since her big falling out with Boyd, people tended to think they deserved to know every ounce of her love life — or lack thereof.
“Thank you though. For the kiss.” No need in him going off to his next class upset or thinking she was mad at him. She wasn’t mad. Well, she was. She was mad at herself for acting like an ungrateful, depressed person when Ray had done something so nice for her.
“You’re welcome. Well…” He backed up and put his hands in his jean pockets. “So… red.”
“Red. Red dress.”
“Red flower.”
She raised a brow.
“Flower. Corsage. Not like the weird flowers in your car… which were also red. Yeah. I’m going to stop now. See you later.” He left before she could say anything.
The bell rang, forcing her to move into the classroom. This had seriously been the weirdest day.
The weirdness got better. Thankfully. Lunch with Mackenzie and Ray went fine. Neither mentioned the kiss, so Sloan tried not to read too much into it. In high school terms, a chaste kiss on the cheek meant squat. It wasn’t like