Read Every Soul for Free Online Page A

you, you know that.”
    “Thanks,” I say checking my phone, noticing I missed a call from my brother earlier.
    “Who’s that?”
    “Bain.”
    “Oh God, I was just daydreaming about him. When will I see him again?”
    “Anna,” I scold her. She and Bain hooked up once, in high school, and she hasn’t let it go. But it’s not just Anna – I think that goes for the entire female population. It’s why Bain doesn’t date much. When he does, women are on him, all clingy and annoying.
    “What?” she asks innocently, grabbing a pre-packaged salad for lunch.
    I take a tuna sandwich and buy Anna her salad like I always do for helping me out. We find a table and I stare outside, wishing it were warm enough to eat in the sun. But that’s not going to happen for quite a few months.
    “So what are you up to this weekend?” Anna asks me.
    “Just getting ready for Bain to come home for my mom’s fiftieth birthday.”
    “Do you need any help getting things together?”
    Before I can answer her, we’re both sidetracked by Anthony as he crosses in front of us in the lunchroom. “Who’s that?” she asks.
    “Anthony, he’s my photography substitute.”
    “Dammit, I knew I should have taken photography,” she whines.
    I can’t help, but bust out laughing. My outburst causes Anthony to look in our direction. Then it happens again, the moment we lock eyes – combustion. Pure unadulterated, carnal, sexual tension like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
    I give him a tiny smile, it’s all I can muster, staring at him like he’s on a white horse, and he winks at me in return. Jesus, the guy’s got to be only in his twenties, which is not far from me, but he’s my teacher.
    “What was that about?”
    “I could ask myself the same thing, Anna.”

“Are you seriously not going to tell me where you were?” Aubrey asks, removing her hot pink heels.
    “Dude, I told you. I went outside to smoke.”
    “A, that’s bullshit. I looked for you.”
    “Aubrey, you’re drunk.”
    “Whatever,” she slurs grabbing a jar of peanut butter out of the kitchen cabinet.
    “I can’t watch you eat that shit like that; it’s fucking gross. I’m going to bed,” I respond and give her a hug.
    “Fine, but I know you’re keeping something from me,” she yells as I close my door.
    I’m hoping she’s drunk enough to forget about things by the morning. The fucking alcohol has me spinning and I’m fighting to remove my clothes, so I just plop down onto the cool fabric of my comforter for just a few minutes and close my eyes.
    Jesus, I’m such a slut. I can picture Bain standing in the dark alley with his dick hanging out watching me walk off. That was cold. Why do I do shit like that? I’m kind of wishing I’d handled it differently; he was really sweet. But it’s not me anymore. I’m fucked up. The past has screwed me over royally. Slowly, exhaustion takes me away to my paradise…
    Biting my bottom lip, I shake my head fighting the feeling, wanting to hold on to this forever. But I can’t. Nate knows just how to push me – I let go. Enjoying the ecstasy that crashes through me while I cry out his name, he does the same, grunting like an animal, coming inside of me.
    Just as he slows, I peck his lips and hear a group of people coming towards the water. He scrambles off of me, pulling his pants up. I giggle and pull my dress down, searching for my shoes. “Just leave ’em, baby, we’ll come back,” he says gripping my hand and pulling me away. We run down along the water hand in hand ’til we are a safe distance away.
    When we finally stop and I’m out of breath, Nate chuckles at me, looking like he’s been on a nice beach stroll. “How are you not dying right now?”
    “I’m a Marine, babe. I’ve been training for months; we run miles for breakfast.”
    “Well, I’m glad you’re the Marine and not me,” I say looking back. It looks like the group is skinny-dipping, so I guess we didn’t really need to