Until Then (Cornerstone Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

up and down her back.
    Emma shook her head. “She didn’t answer, but I got ahold of Janice, the R.D. She went and knocked on the door and nobody answered, but she thought she heard somebody inside. Possibly crying.”
    Michelle was furious. “Son of a …” she paused, remembering the company she was in. “I’m gonna kill Ben.”
    “Who’s Ben?” asked Sean.
    “Someone Maggie would be better off without.”
    It surprised her how protective she felt of Maggie already. If she ever came face to face with this Ben character, they were going to have words. And then she was going to beat the crap out of him.
     

     
    Simon was kind enough to drive them back early and forego the fireworks. Sean offered, too, but Michelle insisted he stay and enjoy the show.
    When the girls opened the door to their room, the lights were out.
    “Maybe she went to the fireworks after all.” Emma flipped the lights on.
    Michelle quickly slapped the light switch off when she noticed their roommate asleep in her bed. She pointed at Maggie then motioned for Emma to follow her into the hall.
    “Should we wake her and make sure she’s OK?” Emma quietly clicked the door closed behind them.
    “Let’s let her sleep.”
    They moved in the direction of the lounge.
    “I wish I knew how to find this Ben guy right now.” Michelle gritted her teeth. “He needs to be taught a lesson.”
    “I’m just worried about Maggie. I feel so bad for her.”
    “I’ve known guys like him, and I don’t care how good a friend she thinks he is, she deserves better.”
    Emma nodded. “I agree.”
    They pushed through the door into the lounge, and Michelle was surprised to see Simon still standing in their dorm. He had turned on the charm with a couple girls from the other hall, and they were all giggles, totally falling for it.
    He glanced over and spotted them. “Hey, how’s Maggie?”
    “She’s asleep,” Emma replied sadly.
    “Do you wanna go get ice cream or something?” he asked, all but ignoring the girls he had been talking to. “There’s still time until curfew.” He winked at Michelle, knowing full well her opinions about the school curfew.
    “Sure.” Michelle would never say no to more time with Simon.
    “I think I’m gonna stay here,” Emma replied, “just in case she wakes up and wants to talk.”
    “Are you sure?” he asked.
    “Yeah.”
    Michelle felt kind of bad. “Do you want me to stay, too?”
    “No, you two go ahead.”
    “OK.” She wasn’t going to ask twice.
    Simon hugged Emma, and a wave of jealousy hit Michelle. He said goodbye to his new friends, who seemed annoyed that he was leaving them so soon, then held the door open for Michelle. They walked along the sidewalk toward his car.
    “She’s so nice,” Simon gushed about Emma.
    “Yeah, she is. You like her, don’t you?”
    “Not as much as you like Sean.” He elbowed her.
    Michelle blushed, remembering. “Hey!”
    “He’s a good guy. Plus, he’s from your neck of the woods, so you have that in common.”
    “He’s from Chicago?” Sean hadn’t told her that, but then they hadn’t done much talking.
    Simon looked at her curiously. “Yeah. You didn’t know?”
    She shook her head.
    “He’s here on a basketball scholarship.”
    Her eyes widened. “Really?”
    “You didn’t know that either?”
    She shrugged.
    “What do you know?”
    “That he’s a good kisser.” She grinned behind a look of guilt.
    He put his arm around her and pulled her into his side for a hug. “What am I gonna do with you?”
    I can think of a few things.
    They drove to the nearest McDonald’s for sundaes — hot fudge for Simon and caramel with peanuts for Michelle. She wasn’t sure how it began, but they started talking about their hometowns and their families. Michelle found herself opening up to him about her home life, telling him things she had never shared with anyone, and he seemed to be doing the same with her. Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
    “Do