Totally Tormented Read Online Free PDF

lips.
    “That’s because you’re lying.”
    “I don’t lie.”
    “Maybe not to me, Justin Brown,” she said, leaning back against the wall again and taking a slow sip of her drink. “But you might be lying to yourself.”
    “You can call me JB,” I told her. “And I don’t have to prove anything to you.”
    But she had a point. Why was I spending all of this mental energy on someone I knew I couldn’t be with? Was I just trying to torture myself?”
    “Whatever. It looks like not everyone is as timid as The Barbarian,” Brooklyn laughed, as she looked past me.
    I turned around in time to see Tim and Virgil leading Lindsay out of the room.
    “What the— ” Instinctively, I moved after them. I caught up with Lindsay in just a couple of strides, grabbing her wrist. “What are you doing?” I said.
    She spun, pulled away from me. “What’s your problem?”
    “Where are you going?”
    Tim and Virgil were watching us now. Virgil laughed. “Relax, dude. We were just going to show her Quarry’s awesome game room.”
    I didn’t even pay attention to him. I looked at Lindsay. “Are you drunk?”
    “No, I’m not drunk! I’ve hardly even had a beer. I’m totally fine.”
    “She’s fine, JB,” Tim said. “So why don’t you chill?”
    “I need to talk to you for a second,” I told her. “Now.”
    “Fine,” she sighed.
    “Come on.” I led her away from those two bozos and down to the first floor, where everything was quiet and calm and we could have some privacy.
    “Why are you acting like a jerk?” she said, the moment we were alone.
    I paused before answering. Seeing her standing there, the light from the window cascading over her shoulders, she looked almost angelic. It stunned me momentarily—
    and a voice inside my head screamed, KISS HER ALREADY! WHAT THE HELL IS
    WRONG WITH YOU?
    But I gathered my senses. “I’m not trying to be a jerk, Lindsay. But I know those guys—the ones you were talking to. They’re not nice guys.”
    “It was harmless.”
    “How do you know?”
    “I just know. Like how I knew you were harmless.”
    “Maybe you’re wrong about me.”
    That quieted her. She closed her mouth and looked down, her eyes wandering as if trying to come up with something to combat my logic. Finally, she spoke again, softly, in something close to a whisper. “You brought me to this stupid party. What do you expect me to do, Justin, stand in the corner all night while you talk with to the cute girls?”
    “That was my fault. I shouldn’t have brought you here, Lindsay. Let me call you a cab.”
    Now she looked up at me again, and the hurt in her eyes was unmistakable.
    “You’re not leaving with me?”
    I did want to go with her, but I knew that nothing good would come of it. I couldn’t be her boyfriend, as much as I might like the idea. The best I could do now was protect her from me, from this world. Send her away and then do my best to stay away from her. “I can’t leave with you. This is my job, it’s where I’m meant to be. But it’s not where you’re meant to be.”
    “Fine. I’m leaving.” She turned and walked out the door.
    “Lindsay!” I followed after her. “Hey, I’m calling you a cab. Where are you going?”
    She kept walking down the steps. “We’re in Brookline, not Southie. I can take the T home or even walk. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
    “Lindsay, please. Try and understand—”
    She was starting to run now. “Just leave me alone, Justin!” she yelled, and then she rounded the corner and I knew it was a waste of time to keep chasing after her.
    ***
    Some hours later, I’d had another three or four drinks and hung out with Malcolm and Jimbo, who were both really cool guys. We hung out in the game room and played pool, while Brooklyn watched and made little snarky comments.
    I could tell she was interested in me. What surprised me was that I didn’t feel much interest in her. She was attractive, she was dressed in a