Read Online Kisses and Lies by Lauren Henderson - Free Book Online Page B

say a quick hello and goodbye. I’m more confused than ever.
    “Um, I was wondering,” Jase starts, and then grinds to a halt. He clears his throat. “Um  .  .  . are you up to anything right now?” he asks.
    “Well, I’ve got some homework to do  .  .  . ,” I say, and then I could bite my tongue off. How boring does that sound? And it wasn’t what he was asking at all, I know that.
    “Oh,” he says, looking disappointed, and he shuffles his feet as if he’s going to walk away.
    “But that won’t take all day  .  .  . ,” I hear myself adding quickly. “I’ve just got, um, a couple of hours’ work to do.”
    Which is a total lie. I can’t believe these words are coming out of my mouth. Despite my best intentions, I just couldn’t bear the sight of him walking away from me disappointed.
    I must be the weakest-willed girl in the world.
    “Oh, good,” he says enthusiastically, a lovely smile lighting up his face. “Do you maybe want to go see a film or something later on, when you’ve got that done? There’s the new James Bond in Princebury—it’s on at four—”
    “I’ve been wanting to see that,” I say.
    “Cool,” he replies. “Meet you at three-thirty?”
    I nod, still feeling that I should back out. I swore I wouldn’t get involved with a boy in any way till I’d solved the mystery of Dan’s death. But now at least you know it wasn’t your fault that Dan died, says a wicked little voice inside me. You didn’t kill him, you’re in the clear. Why shouldn’t you go to see a film with Jase, just once?
    “Wear jeans and a warm jacket,” he says, grinning at me. “It’s a nice day, but it gets a bit cold on the bike. I’ll be waiting for you down by the main gates.”
    I’m going on a motorbike to see a film with Jase Barnes. I can’t believe this.
    With trembling fingers, I search my rucksack for the door key. The idea of going on a motorbike with him is so dazzling it momentarily sweeps away any doubts I might have had. I let myself in and run upstairs to my room, throwing my rucksack on the bed and pulling open my dresser drawers, looking for an outfit to wear. That dark pink cashmere hoodie will be perfect—the style’s casual enough to look like I haven’t gone to too much trouble, but it fits really nicely. And the jeans I wore to ambush Nadia go with that really well. I can tuck them into boots again. Suddenly I realize I am planning exactly the same outfit to impress both Nadia and Jase. Is that weird, or ironic? Or does it just mean I haven’t got that many cool-yet-sexy clothes?
    I look at my watch: it’s 1:30. I have two hours before meeting Jase. For a second, I wonder whether I should ask Aunt Gwen’s permission to go out with him on the bike, and then I decide I’m being ridiculous: Aunt Gwen wouldn’t care if I said I was going out with a whole pack of Hell’s Angels to do some devil worshipping, as long as I was back for the dinner roll call.
    But before I can get too excited at the thought of holding on to Jase as we zip through the streets, I feel a big lump form at the back of my throat. I remember how excited I was when Dan smiled at me from behind the bar in Nadia’s flat.
    So instead of picking out what earrings to wear, I’m sitting in front of my computer, searching for Lucy Raleigh.
    That makes sense, doesn’t it?
    Beep! Beep!
    I’m so deep into my online research that I completely forgot that I’d set my alarm so I could make sure I have time to get dressed and do my makeup before meeting Jase. I switch off the alarm without even taking my eyes off my computer screen. I’ve been scouring all the networking sites and I’ve got a ton of information here.
    Crucial facts learned about Lucy Raleigh so far:
    1) She really is very pretty: she has straight blond hair, round blue eyes, and porcelain skin. Her features make her look very innocent, but she’s so trendily dressed and made up that she has just as sophisticated an aura as Plum.