Splintered Read Online Free PDF

to
prom. Show up just like this and knock everyone on their asses. I
guarantee you’ll still have your dignity.”
He studies my face with an expression I’ve only seen when he
paints. Intense. Absorbed. As if he’s considering the painting from
every angle. Me from every angle.
He’s so close, I smell the raspberry on his hot breath. His gaze
shifts to the dimple in my chin and my cheeks flame.
In the back of my head, that shadowy sensation rouses, not so
much a voice as a presence, like a shudder of wings scrambling my insides . . . urging me to touch the labret beneath his lower lip. Instinctively, I reach out. He doesn’t even flinch as I trace the silvery
spike.
The metal is warm, and his stubble tickles my fingertip on either
side. Hit full-on by the intimacy of my action, I start to draw back. He grabs my hand and holds my finger against his lips. His eyes
darken, thick lashes narrowing. “Al,” he whispers.
“Butterfly!” Dad’s shout carries through the open window. I jump,
and Jeb boomerangs to his side of the car. Dad saunters down the
immaculate lawn toward Gizmo, wearing khaki pants and a royal
blue polo embroidered with tom ’ s sporting goods in silver thread. I soothe my racing pulse with a few deep breaths.
Dad bends over to look through my window. “Hello, Jebediah.” Jeb clears his throat. “Hey there, Mr. Gardner.”
“Hmm. Maybe you should finally start calling me Thomas.” Dad
grins, arm propped on the window’s edge. “After all, you graduated
last night.”
Jeb smirks, proud and boyish. He gets that way around my dad.
Mr. Holt used to tell him he’d never amount to anything, pressuring
him to drop out and work at the garage full-time, but my dad always
encouraged Jeb to stay in school. If I wasn’t still ticked over how
they’d teamed up against me about London, I might actually enjoy
their moment of bonding.
“So my girl lassoed you into being her chauffeur?” Dad asks,
shooting me a teasing glance.
“Yep. She even sprained an ankle to get her way,” Jeb ribs back.
How can his voice sound so steady, while I feel like a hurricane
has been set loose in my chest? Isn’t he even a little rattled by what
happened between us two seconds ago?
He reaches into the backseat and tugs on the handles of the
wooden crutches he borrowed from Underland’s medical supply
room.
“What did you do?” Dad opens my car door, worry apparent on
his face.
I swing out my legs slowly, gritting my teeth against the throb
as blood rushes to my ankle. “The usual. Skateboarding is trial and
error, you know?” I glance at Jeb as he comes around to the passenger side, mentally forbidding him to tell Dad about the worn-out
knee pad.
Jeb gives his head a shake, and for a second, I think he’s going to
turn on me again. Instead, our eyes lock and my insides knot. What
made me touch him like that earlier? Things are weird enough
between us as is.
Dad helps me stand and crouches to look at my ankle. “Interesting. Your mom was convinced something happened. She said you’d
hurt yourself.” He stands, an inch shorter than Jeb. “I suppose she
just assumes the worst any time you’re late. You should’ve called.”
He cups my elbow while I position the crutches under my arms. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. Let’s get you inside before she does something—” Dad
stops himself in answer to my pleading gaze. “Uh, before our ice
cream melts to cheesecake soup.”
We start toward the sidewalk lined with peonies. Bugs dance
atop the flowers and white noise grows around me, making me wish
I had my earbuds and iPod.
Dad throws a glance over his shoulder when we’re halfway to the
door. “Could you park the car in the garage, in case it rains?” “Sure thing,” Jeb’s voice answers back. “Hey, skater girl . . .” I pause behind Dad and pivot on my good foot, fingers tight
around the cushioned crutch grips as I study Jeb’s expression in the
distance. He looks as confused as I feel.
“When do you work