Read Never Let Go (Take My Hand) for Free Online Page B

there.
‘cause for a second I could’ve sworn you’d turned into a chick.”
    “Very funny, arsehole.”
    “We should head back. Check on the girls,” I suggested once
Aunt Sarah came back in the room after cleaning the dishes. I offered to help,
but I didn’t hesitate to accept her reply when she told me to stay put and
relax. Jared agreed and after a goodbye hug and a yawn from Aunt Sarah, we
began making our way back to Chris’.
    “Thanks, man,” I uttered to Jared as we approached the
terraced house. The last few hours had involved some lightheartedness –
some ‘normality’… and now I was going home, I knew the severity of our new
situation was going to punch me in the fucking face.
    “For?” he asked quizzically.
    “I dunno,” I shrugged. “Being a friend I guess.”
    “Now whose dick is shriveling, huh?”
    “Jackass.”
    “Seriously, stop flirting with me. I think I’m getting a
semi.”
    That right there, is typical Jared. He has no filter and
takes everything one step too far. I’d never tell him as much, but I wouldn’t
want him to be any other way.
    “Too far, dude. Way too
far,” I said, laughing softly as we made our way to the front door. Then, as
soon as my hand touched the handle, all traces of humor evaporated from my
body.

Chapter Six
    Emily
     
    “ I’m gutted that I’ve missed out on so
much,” I admitted to Rachel. Pangs of guilt twisted deep in my belly as she
filled me in about the last few months. “I was a coward. I didn’t know how to
tell you how bad things had gotten so… I just avoided telling you altogether.
And well… I guess I thought you’d just tell me to cut my losses and run.”
    “You’re right. I would ’ve
said that,” Rachel agreed. “But if you’d told me that wasn’t an option for you
– that you loved him, then I
would’ve been behind you all the way.”
    “And I should’ve known that,” I admitted, shaking my
head shamefully.
    “But I could say the same thing. I didn’t make the
effort either. I was too pissed off with you.” Ouch. That stung. “But looking
back I was more pissed off with myself and I was taking it out on you. Jesus,
Em… I didn’t know how fucked-up I was until Jared started pressing for more.
I’d never considered myself insecure before, but holy fuck it was such a
struggle to accept that he loved me. Me. The
cripple with the foul mouth who could give Kat Von D a run for her money.”
    “Stop it, Rachel,” I scolded. “Don’t refer to yourself
like that.”
    “It’s okay though because I don’t think like that anymore. Jared… he’s changed me, ho. He’s
made me see all the good things about myself that I didn’t know were there
before.”
    “I always knew they were there. But I also always knew you didn’t. You’re not as good an
actress as you like to think you are.”
    “But you never
tried to change me.”
    “Of course I didn’t. You’re my best friend. I love
you, and I accepted you for who you were.”
    “But Jared wouldn’t accept me. Not in a bad way… it’s
like he knew I was hiding and made it
his mission to find me.”
    “Wow,” I chuckled. “I would never have guessed Jared
could be so sweet.”
    “Me neither. He can be more than sweet too. He turns
into an animal in the bedroo-”
    “Enough!”
    I found myself giggling as I swatted Rachel’s arm. For
a few minutes I’d forgotten my brother was dying, and the second the realisation
hit, guilt consumed me.
    “I don’t know how I’m supposed to face this,” I said,
tears welling in my eyes.
    “Neither do I,” Rachel admitted, pulling me into a
hug. “Neither do I.”
     
    The sound of keys jangling in the front door made me
pull out of Rachel’s embrace. Seconds later, Dexter and Jared strolled into the
living room wearing wary smiles.
    “Hey,” they said in unison. Dexter headed towards me
and balanced himself on the arm of the sofa where I was sitting. He bent down
and kissed the top of my head before