Free The Line That Binds Series Box Set by J. M. Miller Page A

less obstructive spot would’ve taken too much time away from gaming. Figures.
    The basement held a mild smell of wet dirt combined with laundry soap in a clean meets dirty, oxymoronic mix. The floor plan was open except for a couple of slim divider walls that mounted to ceiling beams and support posts. Janine’s stuff cramped the floor, shrinking the large area in half and making it extremely difficult to navigate. Extra furniture pieces, cardboard boxes, and oversized holiday decorations were some of the items that were placed without a discernible order. The washer and dryer butted up to the back foundation wall and were almost hidden by one of the divider walls, which had boxes covering every inch of its surface space.
    I separated clothes and started a load, then retreated to my room without bothering to move the paintings. My motivation from the morning cleaning session was completely gone. I was ready to end the day, though not ready for the start of school tomorrow. The dread was palpable, and as my brain played out new-girl scenarios, my heart pounded in panicked response.
    I was actually scared.
    I felt alone. It was different than the type of loneliness I was used to. The loneliness I endured at my old school was among friends. I always felt like an outsider, like I never actually belonged. Even though I’d spent a lot of time shopping or gossiping at school with my friends, I didn’t attend parties as often as they had. That’s what put me on the outside, especially with my boyfriend, Mark.
    But none of that mattered now. My plan for tomorrow was to blend. I wouldn’t seek anyone out, especially if they reminded me of my old friends. I wanted nothing more to do with popularity. I’d been burnt by the best, and I was tired of playing with that kind of fire.
    Later in the evening, I glanced out one of my bedroom windows and noticed someone exiting the groundskeeper’s house.
    Benjamin.
    From what I recalled at the will reading, his grandfather was shorter with a much wider frame, so it couldn’t have been him. I watched Benjamin’s taller, slimmer body walk toward the setting sun until he and his elongated shadow disappeared around the side of stone barn. Within a minute, I heard a faint motor rev. It sounded like chainsaw and I wondered what kind of work he’d have to do on a Sunday evening. I was about to go skim through Gavin’s eReader, hoping to find a something other than a comic book, or go scope the selection in Janine’s office, until I saw a dirt bike tear out of the barn, zipping toward the forest.
    Benjamin raced the bike around, testing gravity as he hit a few hills and jumped high enough to cause butterflies in my stomach. I couldn’t move. My sudden fascination was a bewildering mix of fear and admiration, wound in a tight ball of anxiety. Within minutes, he disappeared into the woods and I was left at the window, gazing at the trees highlighted with soft orange streaks from the setting sun.
    For some reason, I pictured his cute dimples when he’d smirked at me. There was something intriguing about him. The way he acted yesterday was contradictory. Any normal guy would’ve politely left the room when discovering me in the bathtub. Any sleaze bucket would’ve hit on me repeatedly. He didn’t really do either. He looked shocked at first then possibly annoyed.
    I shook my head. There were enough things on my mind without overloading it with thoughts of guys. This was literally the first time I’d been single since early freshman year. I’d dated three guys in three years, back-to-back. The relationships butted together like the racks inside the Mega Thrift. It wasn’t intentional; it just happened that way. The last one, Mark, wasn’t even officially over. At least, I hadn’t received a call or text saying it was over. I’d just assumed it was after he’d found out that I was broke and the bank was taking my house. I hadn’t seen him in three weeks. I hadn’t talked to him in