Two Blue Lines (Crossing The Line #1) Read Free

the more empathetic toward Jonah—how she’d nearly drowned at my favorite beach when she was a toddler, only to be saved. By Lettie. Sometimes I thought Jonah understood the best, living the nightmare he lived. But they’d both come out good people, so there was hope. I really thought it was a miracle that the rest of his Biblically named crew hadn’t turned out as rotten as his big brother, Noah. But they were acting like he’d won the freakin’ Nobel Prize because he’d joined the Army. They even threw a big party when he signed the official papers a couple months ago.
    Mel and I had gone, but that had been a mistake. The King family was only covering up their crap in streamers, balloons, finger food, and a keg, giving Noah the chance to act like a drunk prick. Fun times.
    In the hubbub, I got separated from Mel and Jonah for a while, and found myself nearly in a fight with one of Noah’s prick friends when he started mouthing off about Jonah. When Mel and I finally caught up with each other, she was super pale and tired. She just wanted to go, and frankly, so did I. We left without saying bye to Jonah. I tried to call him later and he said it was no biggie—his brother had only gotten drunker and meaner and the party went to shit anyway. Poor Jonah.
    Thank God dickhead Noah was leaving. I hoped the drill sergeant put a boot up his ass.
    But now I had bigger worries.
    Bigger worries than douches like Noah, or school, or fights with Mom. But were they bigger than me? I had heard how “gifted” I was my whole life. Above average. Smart. “Old for my age,” whatever the hell that meant. I guess I was just mature. I sure wasn’t feeling it now. I felt like an angry kid.
    A kid.
    About to have a kid.
    I sat up as reality crashed in, and stopped short when I found Jonah studying a photo of the two of us from three summers ago. The most momentous summer of my life. Until this one.
    “You still have this?” He lifted it with a half-smile.
    “Sure.”
    “That was a crazy one, huh?”
    I looked closer at the picture of us grinning like loons over the simple white cross at the site where we’d started our adventure that summer. Finding Lettie’s bones—finding out she was a hero—changed my life in so many ways. “Sure was.”
    He huffed out a laugh. “Shitload of fun, though.”
    It felt good to laugh along with him for what felt like the first time in days. “Yup. It was.”
    But the laughter quickly faded when the doorbell rang, and a moment later my mom called out, “Reed! Melissa and her parents are here!”

June 13 th
     
    The cat’s out of the bag. Mom found me puking this morning and finally figured it out. She’s pissed and hurt and barely speaking to me.
    I’m glad she didn’t ask too many questions and assumed this baby is Reed’s. It’s gotta be! I refuse to think anything else. But I feel like such a dirty liar. A frightened child.
    It’s bad enough I can’t speak the truth because I’m so afraid . . . what if it really is HIS baby?

Papa Don’t Preach
     
    M y eyes swung to Jonah as my stomach found itself in my mouth. I felt myself choking on a sudden case of nerves as adrenalin flooded my body painfully. Melissa was here? With her parents ? Oh, shit.
    My heart began to pound against my ribs in an erratic rhythm, fast enough to rival any thrash metal album on my shelf.
    My palms started to sweat.
    My vision tunneled as the room darkened to a pinpoint.
    Shit.
    Jonah scrambled to his feet, his eyes bugging. “Dude, you okay?”
    Okay? Was I okay? I clutched at the comforter on my bed. “No,” I managed in a wheeze.
    “Reed!” my mom hollered again. “Get out here.”
    Jonah’s eyes darted between me and the door. He must’ve decided I was going to live. “Guess I gotta go.” He took a step away, his expression showing obvious relief he was not the one in my shoes. “Sorry, man.” He turned and fled as quickly as his Nike Air Jordans would carry his sorry ass. Some