Mine, Not Hers (True Love Book 1) Read Free Page B

think her name is Missy, is surveying the slowly growing crowd around the pit.
    "Do you think he's coming tonight?"
    Her friend rolls her eyes.
    "I don’t know! You need to give that one up. He doesn’t date. Mr. Football doesn’t waste his time, and if he did, it would be with me!"
    They both start laughing. I have a sinking feeling I know who they’re talking about. As his image pops into my head, Missy squeals.
    "Oh my God, he's here!”
    My stomach drops like I’m parachuting down from the moon. I feel his presence again. He’s walking with another guy from farther down the beach. The sun has disappeared into the sky already, making it difficult to see anything from a distance. His height is a dead giveaway. He stops when he reaches the fire pit, which they’ve finally set ablaze. I like that I can watch him from over here without fear of being noticed. Our blanket is a few feet behind the fire, and we’re shielded by the glow of the large flames. He waves to Kevin, and then sees Colleen. As soon as he sees her, I notice his head jerk up and look around like he’s searching for something. Me? Ha. I sound just like those other girls, fawning over him and pretending like he’s in my reach. He’s already apologized; maybe he’s just trying to avoid me. Again.
    I see him ask Kevin a question, and he points over to the blanket. I feel like I’ll pass out on the spot. What should I say? He approaches the blanket, and I realize he’s headed for the cooler of beer and soda next to us. Missy is the first to speak up.
    "Hi, Jason!"
    He looks our way, and I can tell he’s having difficulty seeing in the dark.
    "Hi. Sorry I can’t see you, hang on."
    He turns and heads in our direction. The other two girls squeal again, barf, as he approaches us. I turn ever so slightly to put my back between us. Maybe he won’t notice me, and leave.
    "Oh, hi, Missy. Good to see you."
    He is so polite. She squeaks out another “hi” with a dry mouth. I, on the other hand, can't try any harder to make myself turn into a crab and dig a home right here in the sand. He turns to head back to the fire. Whew. Just when I think I’m safe, I hear him say quietly, "Bye, Katie." The girls stop what they’re doing and stare at me like I’ve sprouted horns.
    I say, “excuse me," and stand up. I have no place to disappear. I go to the cooler and pull out a Coke. I am so grateful I brought my jacket; the temperature is really beginning to drop. I’m stuck. I don’t want to go to the fire where he is, and don't want to stay with the other girls and handle the inquisition. I head down the beach for a walk; it’s my only option.
    The air is crisp and the fire smells good. My mom isn’t picking us up for another two hours yet. Maybe I can have Kevin drive Colleen home, and I can find a place to call my mom. She'll give me the third degree about why I would want to leave early. I can handle her, but the humiliation of going back to the fire and facing him is far more difficult.
    I've never been to this area of the beach before, and realize it’s going to be tough to find a pay phone. I resolve to keep my distance until it’s time to leave. I turn to walk my fourth stretch of beach, and I see someone approaching me. I’m nervous when I catch a glimpse of the fire way down the beach, and see just how far away I’ve meandered. As if on cue, I hear a deep voice.
    "Hi, Katie. I was worried about you, I thought you may have gotten lost."
    It’s Jason. My insides jump from scared to melting all at once. How can I pull off calm indifference?
    "Oh, hi. I didn’t realize just how far down I had walked. Is Colleen ready to leave? Did she send you to find me?"
    He closes the dark space between us, and I can see his face. It’s dark out, but his features seem to light up in front of me.
    "No, she didn’t. I noticed that you hadn’t come over to the fire, and when I went looking, Missy said that you had gone this way a while ago. I kept hoping that