Strung (Seaside) Read Online Free PDF

from now. I’d finally have my brother back.
    “Yeah, man.” I nodded. “We’re cool.”
    “Good.” His shoulders sagged in relief as he walked to the door, he stopped and whispered, “It’s been a week.”
    “A week?”
    “Since I’ve gotten high.” He didn’t turn around. “I just, I don’t know maybe it’s stupid. I just thought it’s something you may want to know.”
    He’d never shared that kind of information with me before. I felt honored and panicked at the same time. “Man, I’m so proud of you.”
    “Thanks.” Demetri turned around and flashed me a smile. “Maybe Seaside won’t be so bad after all, huh?”
    “Right,” I agreed, “What could possibly happen?”
    We shared a laugh and I decided to turn in. I had no idea, no freaking clue, that Seaside would almost be my brother’s downfall.

CHAPTER EIGHT
     
    Alec
    THE BEST THING about living in Seaside? Being able to run on the promenade. The air was crisper in Oregon than it was in Malibu; it had a different smell, a different bite as it hit my skin. I loved it.
    It was my third day running; this time I went an extra mile then back-tracked on the prom back towards our house.
    And saw Nat doing her own run.
    I wondered if she even realized how sexy she looked right then. With sweat pouring off her face, and pieces of hair falling out of her ponytail. Pretty sure if I was still the same guy I was two years ago, I would have attacked her, pushed her down into the sand and had my way with her.
    I shook the betraying thought from my head. Demetri’s. And he was trying. Damn him, he was trying.
    Nat still hadn’t seen me, so I ran up along side her and said in a casual voice, “Didn’t take you as the type to exercise.”
    Her eyes narrowed like I’d offended her. Shit, I didn’t mean it that way, it’s just she’d tripped twice in the same day, in the same hall, within the same six-hour period.
    “Yeah, well” — she finished tying her shoe — “I didn’t take you for the type to do anything but sit and brood, guess we’re even.”
    Touché . I smirked and fought the urge to burst out laughing. It was comical that she thought I had no personality — then again she didn’t know me, she didn’t know that I did, in fact, smile and that I rarely ate small children for breakfast.
    Hell, it’s not like I kicked puppies for sport or anything.
    With a small laugh, I shrugged. “Want some company?” That tiny voice, I think it was my conscience, told me I needed to tread carefully. But it was running! I could have her as a running partner, right?
    Nat’s cute eyebrows pushed together in a frown. “You want to run with me?”
    “I think I can keep up.”
    “I run fast.” She crossed her arms.
    I shrugged. “Okay.”
    “I listen to music.”
    Damn what was with her and excuses? It’s not like I was asking her to flash me or something! I held up my iPhone so she’d see that I wouldn’t be talking her ass off the entire time.
    “Sounds great.” Hah, right. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes and she looked like she was ready to puke. Was it me? Did she hate me that much? What exactly had Demetri said to her last night? “Ready?”
    I put in my headphones and fell into a solid cadence next to her. We ran a mile in complete silence. It took most of my energy to keep my eyes on the road ahead so I didn’t stare at her legs. Each time her foot came into contact with the pavement, I was distracted.
    It was going to be a problem.
    Suddenly, she stopped and pulled out her earphones. “What?”
    “Uh…” Shit, she knew I’d been staring at her. “I’m just surprised that’s all.” Wow, Alec way ta pull that out of your ass.
    “Do I even want to know?” She sighed and held her hands behind her back stretching.
    I moved behind her and tugged them down a bit to give her shoulders a better stretch. My eyes fell to her neck, her pulse was racing, I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “You tripped over your own two