Triton Read Online Free PDF

actually free.
    “Thank you,” she whispered, watching the girl Cedar had left with. Not that she had any chance with him, but God knew he needed a distraction.
    “Got ya!” said the little girl she was playing foosball with, whacking the ball into Brynn’s goal. “Hey, are you still playing?”
    “Here’s my advice,” said Brynn, kneeling down next to the little blonde—a miniature version of herself. “Tonight, find yourself a cute guy and have some fun. You only live once, right?”
    “Are you leaving?”
    “Don’t play innocent with me, young lady. I’ve seen you, you’ve been eyeing those boys over there all night, you little tiger . . .” she trailed off. “How old are you?
    “Seven.”
    “Well . . . never too young to start.”
    The little girl frowned. “Boys are icky.”
    Brynn gave a sly smile. “You have no idea.” She winked, trailed her fingers across the girl’s cheek, and started toward the exit opposite the one Cedar had taken.
    She went straight down to their stateroom to change, a thrill fluttering up her spine at disobeying her brother’s orders. Instead of going to bed, she dolled herself up for a night out on the ship.
    Her dad, she noticed, wasn’t in the room. Could he actually be enjoying himself like Cedar? Was it too much to ask that the two overprotective men in her life—her dad and brother—had both forgotten about her for the night?
    Practically giddy, she dragged on a short jean skirt they had no clue she owned—and wouldn’t let her own in a gazillion years—a loose fitting tank top, and platform sandals. Next she applied pink lip gloss and dark eyeliner, doused herself in Dolce & Gabbana perfume, and dashed out the door again, her confidence soaring.
    Thank you, thank you girl-who-has-a-crush-on-Cedar . Whoever she was, Brynn owed her one for sure.
    Her first stop was Fuel, the teen disco on deck fifteen astern. Cedar, of course, had forbidden her from setting foot in the place, but tonight she made her own rules.
    Beams of neon light darted around the dark club, flashing over teens on the dance floor leaping up and down. She made out a few groups of friends dancing in circles.
    She stepped onto the dance floor and started jumping up and down too in time with the beat. One of the circles opened up to include her, which she joined. Aside from the slitted eyes from the girl across from her, the rest of the group—mostly boys—welcomed her with smiles and head nods.
    The guy dancing next to her was really cute, baby-faced and curly haired . . . like adorably cute. He grinned at her and angled his body slightly toward hers—in other words, a noncommittal signal that he might think she was cool that could be easily denied later if she didn’t return it. Excited, she grinned back, and angled her own body a few degrees toward him.
    He swiveled a smidgeon more so he was facing her instead of the rest of the group, and they broke off from the circle to dance facing only each other.
    But aside from furtive glances at each other and shy smiles, the boy stayed two feet away—no more, no less—as if held there by a force field. Cedar would be proud.
    What was this . . . middle school?
    That was the problem with boys her age. They were all too afraid to touch girls. She scanned the rest of the dance floor, not a soul touching. Zero skin contact. Pathetic.
    But she also felt a strange sting in her heart, like she didn’t belong here anymore. Dancing in this room with strangers, she was more alone than ever.
    Simon had been her whole world. She remembered when they had experimented with third base, it was the most natural and exciting thing in the world. Only afterwards had she realized most girls her age hadn’t even been asked out on a date yet, let alone been through a serious long term relationship. After Simon, her never-been-kissed best friends were jealous and treated her like an outcast. They wanted what she had, not realizing how much it hurt. How