Read Online The Death of Lila Jane by Teresa Mummert - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Teresa Mummert
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raising my arm to take a whiff of myself, praying I didn’t stink. All day I’d thought of the numerous ways I could screw this up but stench hadn’t crossed my mind.
“We don’t have to do this… I mean, if you don’t really feel like it, I understand,” I mumbled as we reached his car. Kaden stood between me and the passenger door and I was worried he really did want to blow me off, not that I could blame him. I wasn’t exactly the type of girl I’m sure he liked to spend his time with. The muscles in his jaw worked under his skin as he looked me over.
“It’s fine. It’s… nothing.” Reaching behind him, he gripped the car handle and pulled open the door, this time clearing the way so I wouldn’t have to rub against him. I hated that disappointment that followed that realization but I shoved that thought to the back of my mind to overthink about later.
“Thanks,” I said as I slipped into the bench seat and he quickly pushed the door closed behind me, putting a thick window between us. I felt like a monkey on display at the Alexandria Zoo. I tried not to take it personally as he shook his head while rounding the front of his car. He yelled something to his uncle but his voice was muffled leaving me to worry that he was expressing his disappointment. Why did I agree to this? Oh, right. It was my stupid fantasy since I watched him arrive months ago.
I kept myself pressed against the door as he joined me inside of the car and turned the key in the ignition. His eyes met mine briefly before he rolled down his window with a frustrated sigh.
“Should I?” I gripped the window crank with my damp palm and began to turn it as he shrugged, putting the car in reverse and backing us out of the driveway. The engine was so loud I was terrified my parents would come running outside any second but I knew not even they thought I’d willingly leave the house to hang out with some hot guy in his badass car. They probably assumed I was harassing my brother right now about what times of pens write best and all of the different types of notebooks I would need. Boring old predictable Lila Jane.
“It’s a warm night,” he shrugged again. “The fresh air is… nice.”
“Oh. Really? Most people think it smells like a swamp.” I tilted my chin down and inhaled again, silently cursing Bridget for spraying me down with her Vanilla Sugar body spray. Was I really nastier than a swamp? Is it too late to jump out into the road? If I tucked and rolled I would probably only get a few bumps and scrapes.
Kaden laughed sardonically as we made our way out of the Green Acres, our neighborhood, and onto the narrow highway. “Shit,” he mumbled under his breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you think that you stank.” He laughed again, this time, deeper and I relaxed into my seat as I pulled my seatbelt across my chest and buckled it into place even though I was still seriously considering jumping out. I could use the exercise. I wasn’t fond of being the butt of jokes but I couldn’t say it was worse than being ignored and alone.
“I don’t normally wear this stuff. My friend picked it.” I chewed my lip, still feeling self-conscious.
“It’s… fine,” he glanced over at me as another car passed, illuminating his face with their headlights. The dimple was back in his cheek and it caused my stomach to flutter. “It just reminds me of someone… else.” His words hung heavy in the air and stung my ego like a slap in the face.
“Oh,” I repeated because I wasn’t sure if he wanted me to ask him to elaborate and I didn’t really feel like listening to him talk about some girl. I looked ahead at the road taking in the passing buildings. “Oh, this is toward Lake Charles. I was hoping to go to the mall in Alexandria. Shoot. I should have told you before we pulled out.”
Kaden made no attempt at decelerating and his eyes were locked ahead on the road.
“We’re not going to the mall. Either
“We don’t have to do this… I mean, if you don’t really feel like it, I understand,” I mumbled as we reached his car. Kaden stood between me and the passenger door and I was worried he really did want to blow me off, not that I could blame him. I wasn’t exactly the type of girl I’m sure he liked to spend his time with. The muscles in his jaw worked under his skin as he looked me over.
“It’s fine. It’s… nothing.” Reaching behind him, he gripped the car handle and pulled open the door, this time clearing the way so I wouldn’t have to rub against him. I hated that disappointment that followed that realization but I shoved that thought to the back of my mind to overthink about later.
“Thanks,” I said as I slipped into the bench seat and he quickly pushed the door closed behind me, putting a thick window between us. I felt like a monkey on display at the Alexandria Zoo. I tried not to take it personally as he shook his head while rounding the front of his car. He yelled something to his uncle but his voice was muffled leaving me to worry that he was expressing his disappointment. Why did I agree to this? Oh, right. It was my stupid fantasy since I watched him arrive months ago.
I kept myself pressed against the door as he joined me inside of the car and turned the key in the ignition. His eyes met mine briefly before he rolled down his window with a frustrated sigh.
“Should I?” I gripped the window crank with my damp palm and began to turn it as he shrugged, putting the car in reverse and backing us out of the driveway. The engine was so loud I was terrified my parents would come running outside any second but I knew not even they thought I’d willingly leave the house to hang out with some hot guy in his badass car. They probably assumed I was harassing my brother right now about what times of pens write best and all of the different types of notebooks I would need. Boring old predictable Lila Jane.
“It’s a warm night,” he shrugged again. “The fresh air is… nice.”
“Oh. Really? Most people think it smells like a swamp.” I tilted my chin down and inhaled again, silently cursing Bridget for spraying me down with her Vanilla Sugar body spray. Was I really nastier than a swamp? Is it too late to jump out into the road? If I tucked and rolled I would probably only get a few bumps and scrapes.
Kaden laughed sardonically as we made our way out of the Green Acres, our neighborhood, and onto the narrow highway. “Shit,” he mumbled under his breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you think that you stank.” He laughed again, this time, deeper and I relaxed into my seat as I pulled my seatbelt across my chest and buckled it into place even though I was still seriously considering jumping out. I could use the exercise. I wasn’t fond of being the butt of jokes but I couldn’t say it was worse than being ignored and alone.
“I don’t normally wear this stuff. My friend picked it.” I chewed my lip, still feeling self-conscious.
“It’s… fine,” he glanced over at me as another car passed, illuminating his face with their headlights. The dimple was back in his cheek and it caused my stomach to flutter. “It just reminds me of someone… else.” His words hung heavy in the air and stung my ego like a slap in the face.
“Oh,” I repeated because I wasn’t sure if he wanted me to ask him to elaborate and I didn’t really feel like listening to him talk about some girl. I looked ahead at the road taking in the passing buildings. “Oh, this is toward Lake Charles. I was hoping to go to the mall in Alexandria. Shoot. I should have told you before we pulled out.”
Kaden made no attempt at decelerating and his eyes were locked ahead on the road.
“We’re not going to the mall. Either
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