Dare (Finding Love Book 1) Read Free Page B

Feeling slightly uncomfortable talking about Hayley, I change the subject. “So, rooms?” I ask her as we’re just standing in the hall now.
    She laughs. “Right! So the bathroom is next to your bedroom. Our rooms are on the left.” She points to her left where two doors are. Jaclyn pushes open the door on the right, revealing a bedroom.
    It’s pretty sparse. A bed with a white sheet on it is against the wall. It’s pretty large, bigger than the twin I had to sleep on at home. There is a clean desk on the other side of the room, a door next to it. A window is straight ahead, though there isn’t really a view. At least sunlight can come through.
    Upon seeing my duffel and box on the bed, the realization hits me. I have a room all to myself, and no one is here to tell me what to do. I’m free, for the first time in my life, and I don’t have to worry about showering at a certain hour or making too much noise.
    I’m on my own, and it feels amazing.
    “This is great, Jaclyn. Thanks,” I say, finally allowing myself to smile.
    She chuckles. “Sure. Now, you unpack. Want to get dinner tonight? We have a cute little diner down the road.” She leans in. “The sexiest waiter works there. I’m close to catching him.” She grins and winks.
    Laughing, I nod. “Sure, I’d love to.”
    As she leaves the room, I take another look around before falling on the mattress. This is it. My new beginning.
    I have a good feeling about it.
     
    _*_*_*_
     
    An hour later, I head into the living room. I’ve taken a shower, glad to get the dust and all around dirtiness off me. It’s still sunny and warm, so I find another pair of shorts and a green T-shirt. 
    I’m done unpacking, but it depresses me to see the lack of personal items I have. The day I left, Mom trashed most of my belongings. All I have are clothes, a picture of Mo and me, and a necklace my grandma gave to me years ago before Steven came around. The yelling, sounds of flesh meeting flesh, and cries for help are all I hear sometimes. These last few years have been the hardest and to finally be free of it all, it doesn’t seem real.
    Feeling a dark cloud hovering over me, I shake my head. No more thinking about it. That’s the past, and it’s staying there. A few seconds later, Jaclyn and Hayley come out, wearing clothes similar to mine.
    Jaclyn claps her hands. “Ready? I need to reel in Sexy Waiter. This is my night, and I will get some.” She winks.
    Shaking my head at her, I laugh. Jaclyn, I’ve come to learn, is blunt, funny, and has one heck of a dirty mouth. As I was unpacking earlier, there wasn’t a curse word she didn’t say. Some were even made up.
    Hayley, who has been quiet this whole time, pats Jaclyn’s shoulder. “Cool down, J. You’re going to set the apartment on fire with the heat in your eyes.”
    I gawk at her and Jaclyn laughs, pointing a finger at my face. “You should see your face right now. Didn’t expect that, did ya?”
    I shrug with a smile. “Honestly? No.”
    This time Hayley pats my shoulder. “It’s okay, you’ll get used to me.”
    Not wanting to wonder about that any longer than I should, I follow them out the door and down the stairs. For such an expensive apartment building, you think there would be an elevator.
    We head to the diner, deciding to walk instead of using Jaclyn’s blue Prius. Along the way, I ask them questions. From that time, I realize the topic of family and school are off limits. Doesn’t make my curiosity any better though.
    They ask me questions too, and like them, home and school are off limits. Guess we have more in common than we all realize.
    We finally reach the diner and head inside, Jaclyn making sure we’re on the Sexy Waiters side. I slide into the booth, the smooth vinyl warm from the sun shining through the window. The diner has 50’s memorabilia all over the walls, a colorful jukebox near the entrance and Coca Cola signs hanging up on the walls.
    Jaclyn hits my side, and I turn