My Summer Roommate by Bridie Hall
Published by: Evernight Teen
Publication date: September 19th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Just as she gives in and decides it’s not worth fighting their emotions anymore, Chris reveals he’s made a stupid mistake which might ruin Chloe’s trust in him and tear them apart.
EXCERPT
I bring him a frozen gel pack. I want to hand it to him, but he’s
leaning back, his eyes closed, so I put it slowly on his knee.
“Thanks.” He sighs, and then opens his eyes. He’s half asleep, probably
still tipsy, but grinning.
“Thanks,” he repeats. It’s only when he continues that I realize he’s
not talking about the compress. “We should do this again soon.”
“People are going on vacations. There won’t be many parties for the next
month or two.”
“Just us, then,” he says, and his eyes sparkle.
Risking that I might sound an idiot, I ask, “Are you asking me out? On a
date?”
“You sound surprised.”
“Just hesitant,” I say. “I’m not looking for a relationship, Chris. I
don’t want you to think that I am.”
Quite unexpectedly, he laughs. “How serious and grown up she sounds.”
I swat his arm. “Jerk. I am
serious, because I don’t want you to expect something that’s not going to
happen.”
“Why’s that?”
“Why’s what?”
“Why is it not going to happen?”
“’Cause,” I say, as if it should be obvious. Because really, it should
be, right? In exactly six weeks, I’ll be moving to Atlanta. I don’t know where
Chris is heading to college because I haven’t managed to ask him yet. Isn’t
that enough of a reason in itself? You can’t have a relationship with someone when
you don’t even know where they’ll be in two months time.
“’Cause? That’s your argument? For a future psychologist, that’s a lame-ass
explanation.”
He’s enjoying this. Way too much.
“’Cause I only date terrible people. Bad, bad boys. You’re too nice for
me,” I say, joking.
He makes a face, not buying it for one second.
“You want a reason? Here’s a good one—I don’t want anything to happen between us.”
“Why not?”
“I have my very personal reasons which I am not inclined to share with
you at this moment.”
“At a later moment perhaps, then?” He keeps looking at me with this
half-smile on his face that drives me nuts because I have the impression that
he’s playing with me, that he can foresee my every word and that he can prepare
his response in advance. I don’t like being two steps behind. Usually, I’m the
one to have everything under control. He’s unbalanced me with this.
“At no moment at all. I just don’t want it, and that should suffice,
Christopher Quinn.”
“How can you be sure you won’t change your mind?”
For god’s sake, can’t he take a hint?
Maybe you’re not convincing
enough? Because … you don’t want to be?
“Because I’m actively working on not changing my mind,” I say in order
to drown out my evil inner voices.
“What if I’m actively working on swaying it?”
“Ugh! Stop it,” I say, but I can’t help but laugh. God, I think I like
arguing with him. That’s very worrisome. Very, very worrisome.
It gets worrisomer when he
leans towards me and asks very quietly and calmly, “Why?”
With his green eyes staring at me, his deep voice cutting right through
to the core, and him being so close, I feel goose bumps form on my forearms but
I ignore them, annoyed. He will not win. He cannot win.
But the worst thing is that his question is now resounding in my head,
and I forgot what the correct answer was. Why was it, again?
“Do you really want me to spell out all the reasons?”
“One’s enough, if it’s a good one.” He grins.
“And you’re the one who decides if it’s good enough, right?”
“Of course. Because the way I see it, it would have to be pretty damn
good. I like you. You like me, don’t try denying it.”
I lift my hands in a ‘wouldn’t dream of it’ fashion, because really,
there is no point in denying it after I’ve flirted with him, danced with him,
and laughed with him until I had tears in my eyes. I do like him.
“We have a good time together. I’ve made you lunch four times this week.
We’re both single.”
“True. And the lunch almost swayed me. Almost.”
“Ahh,” he moans, letting his head fall back onto the pillows. “You’re
hopeless, and I’m hopelessly falling for you.”
For a moment, I feel my heart stop. But then I realize he’s joking.
Which is good. Just great.
“You’ve known me for what, two weeks?” I say to support my claims. “You
barely know me.”
“I don’t have to know you for twenty years to know you, Chloe.”
I make a frustrated sound and get up from the couch.
GIVEAWAY
AUTHOR BIO
Bridie Hall sold her first story at fourteen. Since then, she has written dozens more, translated books, studied writing, and started writing novels. Her days revolve around stories and words, her sleepless nights involve plotting and inventing fascinating new characters. The only activity that takes up more of her time than writing, is reading.
Bad boys!! ;)
ReplyDeleteBad boys!! :)
ReplyDeleteLOVE BAD BOYS!!
ReplyDelete