The One You Want Read Online Free PDF Page B

asked.
    She’d told him no. Why would that matter? Then he’d said, “This is probably going to get me killed, but better me than some poor shmuck who won’t realize he’s just stepped on a land mine. Sure. I’m in.”
    She should have canceled. He clearly didn’t want to go with her.
    “Let’s go veg out in front of the tube now, squirt, and avoid your mom’s incoming panic attack,” Jessie Kay said.
    “I want to dessert out in front of the tube!” Norrie jumped up, and the two hurried away.
    Panic attack was right. Kenna’s heart had kicked into an unsteady rhythm, making it clear there was only one thing that was certain tonight. She was going to make a fool of herself. She had no idea what to say to West, as his friends called him, or how to act with him.
    She and Paul had hung out at his rented house on the rare evenings she’d been free. They’d watched TV, fooled around and gone their separate ways.
    And that, right there, was the extent of her “dating” experience.
    She certainly hadn’t been dating Norrie’s sperm donor.
    Perfect description of him. At sixteen, she’d gone to her first and only rager and watched, completely awed, as the girls had gone crazy, drinking, flirting and dancing. Being an underdeveloped, never admired girl, she’d wanted so badly to be someone else. So she’d drunk more than she should have, hoping for liquid courage, and ended up in bed with random college guys.
    Guys. Plural.
    The next morning, she’d woken up with three complete strangers with only a foggy recollection of all the things they’d done, hating herself, hating them, sore and aching, having to walk through a living room filled with hungover teenage boys who’d leered at her before inviting her to attend the party in
their
pants, and teenage girls who’d whispered about her, refusing to look her in the eye, and basically making her feel like the lowest life-form on the planet.
    #Screwed #NotInAGoodWay
    No. No!
Not starting that again.
    The doorbell rang, drawing her out of her musings.
    Crap! It was too late to call West and cancel.
    Not going to let old mistakes dictate the future. I move forward. Always.
She tugged on her sneakers and strode to the front door. She paused in the living room to kiss Norrie goodbye and give Jessie Kay a warning glare.
Take care of her. She’s my life.
    Jessie Kay rolled her eyes. “Go bang the hottie. We’ll be fine.”
    “What does
bang
mean?” Norrie asked.
    “It means to punch him,” Kenna said, and told herself it wasn’t actually a lie. “But that would be rude, so I’m not going to do it.”
    “You’re so nice, Momma.”
    “Thank you, baby. Now, don’t stay up too late, and don’t eat too much sugar. And don’t—”
    “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Jessie Kay threw a couch cushion at her. “You’re interrupting our
SpongeBob
marathon. Get lost.”
    At the door, she didn’t stop to exchange pleasantries with West, but exited and shut herself outside so that there was no reason for him to meet or speak with Norrie. She didn’t like that he’d had to pick her up, but she didn’t have a car. Allowances had had to be made.
    West gave her a once-over, his lips twitching at the corners. “We’re going to the Michaelson mansion, yes?”
    “Yes.” He wore a dark gray suit, paired with a red tie, and he smelled nice. He also radiated heat. But where were the sparks? The same wild surge of attraction she’d felt whenever she’d looked at Dane?
    Dane, who was not an option. Ever.
    “Is that your subtle way of telling me I’m hobo chic?” she asked.
    “Hell, no. Just that I’m feeling a tad overdressed is all.”
    “Well, I’m sorry about that,” she said, and truly, she meant it. “I don’t usually go out with guys, or anyone, and didn’t have the time to shop,” or the resources, “so I had to make do with what I had.”
I’m babbling. Stop.
“If you’d rather not go with me, I will completely understand and won’t hate you for more