Willow Read Online Free PDF Page A

was Haven.
    Of course . 
    He was watching me, silent and unsmiling, but there was a glimmer of recognition in his eye. I quickly looked down. It was as if there were no other people in the hall, just the two of us. I looked up one more time and saw no change in his expression. My lips parted slightly. Should I pay him back? I lacked the confidence to approach him because he didn’t look the least bit amicable.
    Seconds later, Reece touched my arm. “I was wondering, Willow…” he looked unsure of himself. “Do you have plans for Friday night?” He was walking with me. I wanted to look behind me to see if Haven was watching but I somehow knew he was and it made me self-conscious. What was it about him that intrigued me? Could it be his mysterious silence? I know silence, I live with silence. Perhaps it’s that shared quality that makes me want to know more about him. I shook my head. I was over-analyzing.
    “Willow?” Reece was waiting for an answer.
    “No, I don’t. Is something going on?”
    He looked happy. “I have a game but I was hoping that after the game you might want to go out for pizza? A group of us usually meets at the Pizzeria.”
    Oh great, a group event. Something I’ve never been good at.
    “I appreciate the invitation Reece, it sounds like fun.”
    The invite was nice, but the real reason I was going was to do something for my dad. He had wanted me to come out of my shell and I had to make the effort. I could still picture his arm around me and I could hear his urging. It was like he knew he wouldn’t be around and didn’t want me to be alone.
    After I gave Reece my number I watched as he jogged over to his friends. He looked happy. Why couldn’t I be? I stood there for a moment and casually looked to my left. He was still there and he was talking with a blonde but his eyes lifted to meet mine. I looked from his piercing blue-green eyes to peek at her. Her hair was so blonde it was nearly white. She had separated her hair into sections, twisted them and piled them on top of her head.  It was as if she knew I was looking because she turned to glance in my direction. Her eyes were unnaturally dark. Was it the eyeliner? She had it on thick but her rosy cheeks balanced the severity of it. She was devastating in appearance or maybe I thought so because everything about her was extreme. They both stared at me and I flushed with embarrassment. What if he thought I was attracted to him? And why do our eyes keep meeting? This was getting ridiculous. I turned and walked to my locker but I realized I was walking in the wrong direction. I had no choice but to turn and my cheeks began to burn. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw him smirk. I walked even faster.

Chapter 7
    “You have a date already!” Anne exclaimed. She was more excited than I was.
    “It’s not a date, it’s more like a group thing,” I explained as I brushed my hair into a pony tail.
    Anne was beaming. “When is he picking you up?
    “He should be here any minute.”
    I caught a glimpse of myself in the hallway mirror. “Do I look alright?” It was chilly so I dressed in jeans, a black turtleneck, and white jacket.
    “Lovely,” she answered. Anne reached up and brushed some stray hairs from my face and looked at me with tender approval – something I wasn’t used to. Her maternal ways weren’t uncomfortable for me but they were unfamiliar. I had never known what it was like to have a mother and Anne was the only female influence I had.
    Pandora announced Reece’s arrival before he had a chance to knock. I opened the door to see his sociable face already smiling. He was easy to like.
    “What, no car?” I teased.
    “Don’t need one in this town,” he laughed.
    We bantered back and forth as we walked to school. He introduced me to a few of his friends and some of the cheerleaders. While he was helping me choose a good place to sit, he motioned to a fairly attractive but rugged looking man in the bleachers.