Free Breathless by Heather C. Hudak Page A

by coming down too hard on her. At the same time, she reprimanded me for sticking my nose in her business. I pointed out the obvious, that she was doing the same to me with Chaseyn, but she reminded me at least a dozen times that as the parent in our relationship, and she had the authority to take such actions. I was simply the child.
     
    Once we were safely inside the house, my mom put me to work chopping vegetables, boiling pasta, and spreading garlic butter on a loaf of bread before popping it in the oven to warm. Meanwhile, she dashed around like a madwoman, primping and pressing in preparation for Kevin’s arrival. I ran throughout the living room with a feather duster, doing my best to make it look relatively tidy. There was little time left for me to dress, but my mom looked stunning in the red silk blouse she had bought earlier during our shopping day, and a pair of dark, wide-legged jeans. I ran up to my room and tossed on one of my new blouses and a pair of jeans. I pulled my tousled hair into a slick ponytail, applied a dab of blush to each cheek, and swiped a sheer gloss across my lips. I hoped Chaseyn liked the fresh-faced look. It was all I had time for.
     
     
     

Chapter 11 - Dinner Guests
     
    We sat nervously poised on the edge of the couch waiting for our guests to arrive. At precisely 6 p.m., there was a light rap on the door. My mom nudged my ribs with the point of her elbow. I took the hint and crossed the room quickly. A slight smile creased the corners of my lips when I peered through the peephole to find a thick mane of jet black hair—save the one icy stripe—filling the empty space. Gauging my reaction, my mom understood who had arrived first and excused herself to the kitchen under the guise of checking on our culinary efforts. I knew she was giving us a moment alone, and I opened the door to greet my mysterious acquaintance. I could hardly consider him much more than that. I had only known him six days, after all.
     
    “ Hi,” he said, a hint of his exquisite accent escaping his plump lips.
     
    “ Hi,” I said, looking down at my feet shyly. I wasn’t sure what to do next. I had never had a boy to dinner before. Not like this anyway. Sure, Rob had come over with Addie, and my grade school best friend, Justin, had come over a few times, but this was different. Though I had trouble admitting it earlier to my mom, I really was starting to like Chaseyn.
     
    “ Can I,” he motioned inside with his hand, initiating the first move.
     
    “ Oh, of course,” I said, a flush rising in my cheeks. I stepped aside so he could enter the main room. “Do you want to sit down?”
     
    Almost as soon as I said it, I felt stupid. Why would he want to stand around? Of course, he would want to sit down.
     
    “ Actually, I was hoping to help out,” he said, surprising me. “Is there anything I can do?”
     
    He handed me his jacket and began rolling back the sleeves of his gray dress shirt. It was hanging loose over a pair of faded jeans. My heart skipped a beat. I didn’t know much about him, but it was obvious that he was sincere, thoughtful. I couldn’t imagine any of the other boys in my grade making a similar offer without someone forcing their hand. Before I could realize what he was doing, Chaseyn gently entwined his fingers with mine and guided me toward the kitchen. I looked up to catch him gazing intently down at me, his fair skin glowing in the pale moonlight that crept through the living room shades. I hadn’t noticed—my mom and I had been so nervous—we had forgotten to turn on a light; we had been sitting in darkness. I smiled, and followed the lead of the lovely stranger who held my hand in a firm embrace. We glided together, our feet moving in perfect unison.
     
    “ Why don’t you stir the sauce,” I said, passing Chaseyn a wooden spoon.
     
    “ Lia, he’s a guest. Don’t you put him to work,” my mom snapped with a loving chide.
     
    “ No, Mrs. Jameson, it’s