Taking the Fall Read Online Free PDF Page A

awful. After all, you don’t even know me and here I’m talking ill of my friend.” Allison rubbed her hands up and down her arms trying to warm them but knew the move had her sweater riding up ever so slightly and exposing her belly button ring.
    And Hunter didn’t miss it, either.
    “I don’t think anything, but you can’t say something like that and not explain.”
    “Okay, but I trust you, which is crazy since I don’t even know you, but you seem like a nice guy.” Allison looked toward Molly, who was still occupied, and then leaned in closer to Hunter. “When Molly and I first met, we really hit it off. Like instant BFFs, but then suddenly she didn’t have time for me anymore. She was with a different guy every other day, not coming back to the dorm room at night. I tried talking to her about it, but she just said she was having fun and enjoying college life. She told me she was going to some island with a couple of the guys by herself over break and I got really nervous. I begged and begged her not to, but it didn’t seem like anything would change her mind. But then a couple of nights before we came here, I assumed it was going to be a repeat of the previous week where she didn’t come back to the dorm room, when all of a sudden, the door swung open and she entered looking so haunted.” Pausing for dramatic effect she continued, “She didn’t want to talk about it, but given her appearance and the fact that she looked a little . . . rough, I could only guess. Suddenly her break plans had changed and she begged me to come home with her. Saying she needed to decompress.” Allison stopped and looked toward Molly, who was completely unaware she was being her silent accomplice by grabbing onto one of the guy’s forearms as she laughed and blew a kiss to an another. “When we heard about the bonfire, she said she couldn’t wait to go. I told her that I wasn’t really up for it, but she said she was going with or without me, so here I am, and looking at the way she is enjoying herself over there with the attention, I guess I was right.”
    Allison observed how Hunter’s head whipped around to focus on the growing number of people now centered around Molly. He interpreted it as she did seem to be flirting, with obvious enjoyment to the attention.
    Allison knew her words were taking hold of Hunter and given the way Hunter’s jaw was tensing, there was no denying that he did not like what he heard.
    “So, a new guy every night?” he asked pained.
    “Yeah, pretty much, and none of them real winners if you catch my drift.”
    “I’m suddenly not in the mood for a fire. How about you?” Hunter asked sarcastically.
    “Not really, but it looks like my ride is going to be a while.”
    “I can take you home,” Hunter offered as he stood. He extended his hand to help Allison up.
    His hand was strong and warm and flexed just when their hands connected.
    This may be a shutout.
    “You sure you don’t mind?”
    The smile that was gracing his face now was wide and warm, and Allison had to admit, quite sexy. She knew it wouldn’t take much to know how warm his lips really were.
    They walked toward where Molly still stood and when they reached her, she looked toward the two of them and the hurt Allison saw there was evident.
    “Allison, where are you going?”
    But before Allison could answer, Hunter did coldly, “Don’t worry about Allison, I’ll make sure she gets home. Seems you are keeping yourself busy enough.”
    Hunter reached for Allison’s hand and looked at Molly for the last time. He wanted to say something, but instead, he just shook his head and mumbled under his breath. He pulled Allison along in his wake as he headed back down the hill toward the car lot.
    Allison, perfecting her role, smiled widely, winked, and mouthed to her friend, “I’ll see you later.”

    The next few days, Molly saw little of Allison. She seemed to be spending an awful lot of time with Hunter. And enjoying every