Read Clocked for Free Online Page B

my feet, tapping on the guy’s shoulder. He stopped, startled to see me, like I had committed some kind of faux pas . Which I probably had.
    “ Do you mind if I take a turn with my sister?”
    “ Of course,” he said with fake politeness.
    “ Thank you,” Casey said, once she was in my arms.
    “ You looked uncomfortable.”
    “ I was,” she said, smiling brightly at me.
    I smiled back. “You know, you surprise me, Casey.”
    “ What do you mean?”
    “ You’re nothing like I thought you were, back at school.”
    “ Which was?”
    “ I don’t know. Quiet, boring, uninspired.”
    That sounded harsher than I meant it to, and I felt her bristle.
    “ And now?” she said.
    “ Obviously, the opposite.” And it was true. I was really taken with this girl. Her smile returned and I couldn’t help but pull her a little closer.
    “ You’re not a bad dancer,” she said into my ear.
    “ Neither are you.” I wasn’t imagining it. Something was sparking between us. We had chemistry. The way she held my eyes, held her breath, I could tell she felt it, too.
    “ Isn’t this how it all started?” I said.
    “ What do you mean?”
    “ With a dance. How we ended up here. Together.”
    She pulled back and I knew she’d taken my words the wrong way.
    “ We’ll get back, Nate. I don’t know why it’s taking so long, but we will get back.”
    I didn’t care about that right now. I mean, I wanted to get back, but right now, I just wanted Casey. She was beautiful, intelligent, and adventurous. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her.
    She shifted under my gaze. “Robert and Sara are watching us,” she said. “Remember, we are brother and sister.”
    Oh, yeah.
    “ Do you think your buddies got a good laugh?”
    “ What?” Where did that come from?
    Her lips tightened and her eyebrow arched. “The dare.”
    “ My only regret is that it took a dare to get me to dance with you.”
    We swirled around the room a couple times without speaking. I wanted Casey to say something. To respond to what was a declaration of sorts. I liked her.
    Her eyes were sad when she looked back at me. “Let’s not complicate things any more than they already are.”
    I stiffened. “Is that what we’re doing?”
    “ Complicating things?” she said. “I can’t imagine a more complicated situation.”
    So that was how it was going to be. I got it. Besides, technically, I was still taken.
    The night came to an end and I helped Casey with her shawl before the jerkwad Robert could do it. It was disgusting how he kept fawning all over her.
    “ My dear Cassandra,” he said, totally ignoring me. “I do hope to see you again soon. Perhaps I will call on the Watson family sometime and see you there?”
    She snuck a glance at me and I kept my expression grim. I felt ill when she gave her approval.
    We heard yelling when we stepped outside. “Fight! Fight! A group of southies picked a fight!”
    I was captivated by the brawl. About a dozen men, lit by the light of the moon, were going at it.
    “ Oh, no!” Casey said, grabbing my arm. “Look!” Samuel was in the fight, and Casey shouted his name. He looked our way and I could see the whites of his eyes, wide with fear.
    I couldn’t stop myself. I saw my buddy Tyson in Samuel, and I’d jump in a fight any day to save him. I punched a face or two, my fists stinging from the blows, and ducked under sweaty arms, looking for Samuel. I could hear Casey calling after me. I should’ve known by now she wouldn’t stay out of it.
    I felt the tug on my shirt. “Nate! Stop it right now! This is NOT your fight!”
    The severity of her words had distracted me and suddenly I was bent over in pain. One of the guys got me good in the gut.
    “ Nate!” Casey reached for me, pulling me out of the crowd. Then I heard her cry out.
    “ Casey?”
    She had her hand over her face and I cursed myself for drawing her into a harmful situation. I heard Willie’s voice calling us and I took Casey’s hand, moving