Read The Perfect Guy (Books We Love Young Adult Romance) for Free Online

Books flew into the air and sailed in six directions.
    "I’m sorry," I exclaimed, as I scooped to pick up my books, trying to sort mine out from my victim’s.
    "The pleasure was all mine."
    I looked up. It was Josh. He knelt beside me and we sorted through our piles and traded until we each had our own books. Then Josh helped me up.
    "Are you all right?" He squeezed my arm in several places. "No broken bones, I hope."
    "It would be my fault if there were," I said. "Sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going. I was thinking about all the information I dug up about Sandy Cove."
    "Wait a minute," Josh scolded, shaking a finger at me. "Don’t forget that I’m supposed to help you with that research this Saturday."
    "I haven’t forgotten." I grabbed Josh’s finger in mid shake. "Don’t worry. There’ll be plenty for us to do sorting it all out."
    "Good." Josh took my hand in his. "Just to make sure you get there in one piece, I’ll walk you home."
    "My protector."
    "Don’t you forget it."
    I smiled and shook my head. "Can you believe there’s so much written about our town’s history? For starters, look at this pamphlet Mrs. Gluck gave me."
    "Hey, this is really interesting," Josh said, absorbed in the booklet.
    "I’m glad you think so." I was a bit surprised at Josh’s reaction.
    When we got to my house, Josh opened the gate on the picket fence. "I’ll walk you to the front door."
    "That’s what I call service," I said. When we reached the steps I gave Josh a hug. "Thanks for seeing that I got home in one piece."
    "My pleasure," Josh said. "See you in the morning."
    "Bye." I went in, dropped my books on the hall table, and hurried to the kitchen to see if I could help Pres with dinner. From the dining room I heard Mom’s voice.
    "Anything I can do to help, Pres?" she asked cheerfully.
    "No," Pres said, louder than necessary. Then, in a softer voice, "No, thank you."
    "Okay," Mom said. "Just let me know if you do need help."
    " I will."
    I tiptoed back to the hall and was hanging up my jacket , when I heard Mom go upstairs. I wanted to offer to help Pres, but if he accepted my offer after rebuffing Mom’s, I’d know he was avoiding Mom, and I didn’t really want to know that. So I went to my room to study until dinner.
    During dinner I filled everyone in on the details of my research. I could see that Bill was impressed. Pres looked interested too.
    After dinner I helped Pres clear the table while Mom and Bill watched the evening news. I hovered close to Pres and chatted about school, the play, baseball, anything I could think of to keep his attention.
    It occurred to me that I was going to have to do more than just hang around the kitchen with Pres if I was going to develop more than a brotherly relationship with him. Short of Celeste’s black negligee suggestion, I couldn’t think of what to do.
    "Well, I’d better hit the books," Pres said, after turning on the dishwasher.
    That was it ! "Some time," I said casually, "could you help me with my French vocabulary lists?"
    "French isn’t my best subject," Pres said, "but, sure, I could help you some time." He tossed a sponge into the sink and went up to his room.
    Since I’d already done most of my algebra homework in study hall, I decided to watch a little television. I stretched out on the sofa. Mom had left for a meeting at Town Hall. Bill sat in the blue wingback chair, grading papers.
    He looked up. "No television after dinner, Rebecca."
    "Oh, I don’t have much homework tonight," I said. "I’m just going to watch this one show."
    "House rules." Bill tapped his pencil on the grade book. "No television after dinner on school nights."
    I wished Mom were home. She would tell Bill that it was all right, that I’d do all of my homework, I just needed to relax a little. I looked at Bill. His steady gaze drilled holes in me. Sensing that protesting would do no good, I stood and stalked out of the room.
    Lying on my bed, anger boiled inside me. The