Free Half to Death by Robin Alexander Page B

nodded. “Sometimes, we just need something to laugh at.”
    *******
    She wasn’t joking about her truck being shitty. The parking lot when I picked her up was full, but by the time we got back to the gym, her old Ford was the only thing out there. I figured it rolled off the assembly line in the early nineties. The door creaked loudly when she opened it. It cranked on the first try, though, and I followed her out of the parking lot in a billow of black smoke.
    Later as I lay in bed, thoughts of Jade filled my mind. Two months before, I would’ve been hot on her trail, using every charm I had to get her into my bed. I didn’t know how anyone could look at her and not be attracted. She had it all—a beautiful face, lovely hair, and a body that was eye-popping hot. Had I not peeked into her soul per se, I wouldn’t have ever known that she was so self-deprecating. She carried herself with a confidence that belied what was going on inside. But now I knew she was just a tender soul wanting acceptance and love like the rest of us—like me.
    I guess no one ever bothered to look past the armor, maybe Jade never let them. Perhaps she wouldn’t have let me, but I’d gotten a glimpse of what and who she was. To me, that made her lovelier than what was on the outside. I looked at her with different eyes when she got into her truck that night. She was the total package and had no clue.
     

 
    Chapter 7
    “You did what?” Miranda stood on the other side of the counter with her hands on her hips.
    “It was platonic. She didn’t want to go to the movies alone.”
    “Until you get a handle on this thing, you’re just tempting fate by making new friends.” Miranda narrowed her eyes. “Don’t stand there and tell me that you wouldn’t jump P.P. if she gave you half a chance.”
    I started to fuss about the use of the nickname but decided that it was correct. Jade was perfection personified, at least in my eyes. “Have you forgotten? I can’t jump anyone.”
    Miranda shook her head. “I haven’t forgotten, but I wonder if sometimes you have. There’s a mutual attraction there, Sloan. Right now, she might like you a little bit. If you continue to spend time with her, she may decide that she likes you a lot. Then what will you do?”
    I had no answer. “I don’t know. I’m just living one day to the next without a plan,” I said testily.
    Miranda softened her tone. “I worry for you both. I don’t know her well at all, but I don’t want to see either of you hurt.”
    “Me either.”
    “So let’s analyze this.” Miranda came behind the counter and took a seat on the stool next to me.
    “I don’t want to be analyzed.”
    Miranda sat quietly until I looked at her. “I know you don’t, but I think you need to. Unfortunately, you can’t live day to day anymore. You have to think ahead. So be honest and tell me how you feel about her.”
    I chewed the bottom of my lip as I swung my feet back and forth. “I don’t lust after her. I don’t spend my time trying to think of ways to seduce her. I just enjoy her company. She’s really an extraordinary person. The more I learn about her, the more I want to know.”
    “Shit,” Miranda said softly.
    “What?”
    “Let me ask you something.” Miranda cocked her head to the side. “When you first met Paige, did you feel the same about her?” She held her hand up to forestall my answer. “Think about this for a minute.”
    Lonna’s girlfriend was the newest addition to the group. When we first met, I was naturally curious about her, but with Jade…it felt completely different. “Shit. I’m just drawn to her I can’t explain why.”
    Miranda shook her head sadly. “You’ve never been in love. You don’t know how it feels to stand on the precipice right before the fall. That’s where you’re at.”
    “It’s too soon, don’t you think?” I asked, holding out hope and knowing what she said was true.
    “There’s no timetable.” Miranda looked down at