Flirting With Maybe Read Free

friends.”
    “Mmhm . . . is this part of your shy thing?” She grinned, making him squirm a little.
    “Nah,” he said. “I’m serious.”
    He stared at her lips and wondered what she’d do if he leaned over and kissed her. He imagined her opening her mouth for him and going wild for his touch, though he knew realistically she’d be more likely to smack him.
    He tried to concentrate as she continued talking. “Being single kind of sucks. I’m sure you’ll hear about this if you haven’t already, but I was dating J.J. for a while. I’ve known him forever, so I should have known better than to go out with him. You know J.J.?”
    Ryan nodded, appalled. Everyone knew the all-star varsity pitcher J.J. McDonald. Did Brooke have any idea what kind of shit that guy talked in the locker room? If any girl could hear him, she’d steer clear. Or maybe not. Girls were kind of weird like that.
    Brooke must have been able to read the revulsion on his face.
    “I know,” she said with a sigh. “He’s a jerk, right? I thought he’d be nicer since we were friends for so long.”
    “What happened?”
    Brooke hesitated, parting her lips and then closing them again before working up her nerve.
    “You can’t tell anyone about this, okay?” She gave him a serious, imploring look. “Because I hate when people get in my business, and everyone freaking worships J.J.”
    Ryan knew this. J.J. was one of those popular guys with a big mouth who could get away with anything—a jerk one minute, then class clown, then a charmer, and back to a jerk. J.J.’d always been cool to Ryan, nicknaming him “the Kid,” but he didn’t like the idea of him dating Brooke.
    “Yeah,” he said. “I mean, I won’t tell anyone.”
    She looked down at her fingers. “He got mad ’cause I didn’t wanna do it with him. He said I was the prudest non-virgin he’s ever met.”
    Ryan’s gut twisted in a fit of jealousy, which he knew was stupid. Brooke’s gaze dropped and her shoulders slumped, like she was ashamed.
    Whatever her past, she was amazing to him. Leave it to a dick like J.J. to make her feel bad and use her past to try and manipulate her.
    “He’s a douche,” Ryan said, knowing full well he’d never have the balls to say it to J.J.’s face. But at least it made Brooke relax a little.
    “I had a boyfriend my whole tenth-grade year,” Brooke explained. “He was kind of a troublemaker, though. He got transferred to this alternative school because he had a lot of issues. Fighting and drugs.”
    “Oh . . .” Ryan couldn’t picture her with someone like that. Apparently Brooke was one of those girls who went for assholes. Even more of a sign that he was crazy to feel this way about her.
    She seemed to read his mind, and started to explain her past actions.
    “He wasn’t always bad. When we were together, he made me laugh. I thought he’d chill out and grow up. Then I found out he was cheating. Guess I wasn’t enough for him.” She picked at a string on the bottom of her shirt, the hurt obvious in her voice.
    They were both lying on their sides now, facing each other. Ryan was surprised how comfortable he felt, given the subject matter.
    “Well then, I’m glad you’re single.” Dude, Ryan, shut up. “I mean, not because . . . I—”
    Brooke’s giggle cut him off. She reached over and put her fingers on his sleeve. His skin tingled under the cotton.
    “Yeah, there are worse things than being single.” Brooke looked at the clock and sighed. “I guess we should go.”
    Damn. She was right, but he didn’t want to go. He wanted everything outside the car to disappear. For a second, Ryan felt reckless.
    “Wanna put my seat up for me?” he asked. “Since you’re so good at it and all?”
    She laughed and gave his arm a shove. “Nice try, Ry.”
    Ryan felt a little more like himself now that he’d had the nerve to flirt, earning him another gorgeous smile.
    When he drove her home, she sat in the car for a