Free The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage

head even more. "I'm sorry." Sheesh, he had this terrific ability to make me feel like a jerk.
    "All right, then. I'm glad we got that straight."
    But I couldn't raise my head. Everything I'd said to him was suddenly replaying in my head.
    "Hey," he said softly, and bumped my arm with his shoulder. I looked up. "Don't worry about it anymore, all right?"
    I nodded but I couldn't speak. I still couldn't believe how rude I'd been. Sure, I was honest but that didn't mean I had to intentionally say something to hurt another person. Well, unless it was Marty. And this guy was by no means my brother.
    "What've you got to eat in here, anyway?" he said. I'd moved to the fridge but hadn't gotten around to opening it.
    So he seized the initiative for me. It took me a second to realize he was trying to smooth us out of an awkward moment. But when I did, I fell for him even harder. And I completely forgot about why I'd been so angry with him in the first place.
    Luke rested his arm on the top of the opened refrigerator door and leaned down to peer inside. I caught myself staring at him, noticing how nice he looked when he leaned over. I turned away, blushing, glad he couldn't read my thoughts.
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    The Stillburrow Crush
    by Linda Kage
    And that's when I saw the note lying on the counter next to a bowl of fruit. It was from my mother, telling me she'd gone to Paulbrook to buy a birthday present for Aunt Kay.
    That meant I was alone in the house with Luke.
    Suddenly jittery in the stomach, I reached for the fruit bowl on the counter, knowing I needed to keep my nervous fingers busy or they'd shake right off my hands. I pulled out a banana, peeled it, and took a bite just as Luke stood up empty-handed. When he saw my food of choice, he gave me an odd look.
    "No wonder you're so skinny."
    I shrugged and looked at my banana. "What?"
    "Carrie, Carrie, Carrie," he said on a disapproving sigh.
    "This is the prime time of the day for a person to splurge on junk food." He spoke seriously, as if it was a sacred belief, and I had to giggle. But he didn't catch the humor.
    "Think about it," he said. "Adults stuff that nutritious garbage down us three times a day. Right after the bell rings and we've gained our freedom, we need a little brain food to recoup." He stopped lecturing then and just shook his head like I was hopeless. I took another bite and he grabbed the banana from me.
    "Hey. I'm not done with that."
    "Yes, you are." He found a trashcan and threw my snack away.
    When he returned, I set my hands on my hips. "What do you think you're doing?"
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    The Stillburrow Crush
    by Linda Kage
    "Here." He grabbed my shoulders and ushered me to a chair, pushing me into it. "Sit. I see you need a lesson. So I'm going to demonstrate how to make a true after-school snack."
    I was stunned. Before my very eyes, Luke Carter turned into some kind of Betty Crocker, opening cabinets and pulling down boxes and jars.
    "Make yourself at home," I said dryly. But then I became too fascinated with watching him to comment further.
    I had no idea what he was making but the ingredients were vanilla wafers, creamy peanut butter, and chocolate syrup. When he pulled open the freezer door and hauled out a tub of vanilla ice cream, I wrinkled my nose. What was he doing? Luke found a bowl in one of the cabinets and started to create his masterpiece. First, he piled on three huge scoops of ice cream and then he spread the peanut butter over it like frosting. He lined the top with vanilla wafers and then he artistically applied the syrup. When he was done he stepped back, grinning.
    "Now this is an after-school snack."
    I gaped at the formation he'd built. "You're not actually going to eat that, are you?"
    He flashed his dimples. "Nope. You are. I'm going to make my own."
    I surged to my feet. "No way." I couldn't eat that much in a whole day.
    Luke's back faced me as he searched a row of drawers.
    Either he didn't hear what I said or he simply ignored me because he said,