Cuts Like a Knife (7 page)

Chapter one

You only get one chance.
Ever heard that saying?

It's true. Especially with the important things in life. So when that one chance rolls around, you can't afford to screw it up.

Except, somehow, I did.

Things had been going so well between Lindsay and me. After years of just being friends, something had shifted in the way I felt about her. I didn't want to be just friends anymore. And I could kind of tell she didn't either. You know, from the way she looked at me. The way she talked to me. The way we suddenly felt shy with each other when we hadn't before. The way my heart kind of skipped a beat when her name came up on my phone.

It took me months, but I had finally worked up the courage to ask Lindsay out. I had it all planned: I was going to ask her at the year-end party at Sara's place.

On the night of the party, I was nervous as hell. Which is stupid, really, because it's what both of us wanted. But still, you want to do things right, you know?

So anyway, after a few beers every-one was down at the fire pit, and just Lindsay and I were left sitting on the back deck. It was a cool night in late June. Pink clouds. Still air. The universe had even arranged some lightning flashing on the horizon. Perfect.

Lindsay was lounging on a chaise. I was hanging out on the double swing. She shivered a little. My cue.

“Want my hoodie?”

She smiled and shook her head. “I'm okay.” But then she rubbed her arms. Cue number two.

I patted the seat beside me. “Come sit,” I said. I held up a corner of the blanket that was draped over the swing back. I could easily have tossed it to her. But that wasn't the point. I wanted her close to me. I couldn't exactly ask her out if she was, like, ten feet away.

Sharing a swing with my best friend was something I would've done without thinking twice just a few months ago. We would have sat together under the blanket and listened to the sounds of laughter drifting up from the fire pit below. Laughed at how drunk other people were. Made fun of teachers we didn't like.

But when it actually
means
something…it's different.

She shrugged. “Sure,” she said. “It
is
getting chilly.” She stood up. Stretched. God, how had I spent all these years not wanting her? She moved toward the swing. “Shove your butt over, Mikey.” I grinned and she sat down beside me. Kicked off her sandals and brought her legs up under her—those long gymnastics-ripped legs of hers. I handed her some blanket and she tucked her feet underneath. She leaned into me. “This okay?”

My stomach did a flip-flop. “Yep.” Definitely okay. I took a deep breath. “So,” I began. But then I didn't know what else to say. My mind was blank.

Lindsay looked up at me. “Yeah?” The lightning forked a little bit closer. The storm was still too far away for us to hear any thunder. “So?”

“Yeah. That's, uh, that's some pretty great lightning, you know?” I sounded like an idiot.

She put her head on my shoulder. “It's totally great lightning, Mike,” she agreed. I heard the smile in her voice.

I got a grip on myself and tried again. I was going to do this. “Yeah, so, um, I wanted to ask you something,” I said. I lifted a strand of her hair and wrapped it around my fingers. So soft.

“Mm-hmm?” she asked. “What's that?” Her arm drifted across my stomach and rested there. She never used to do
that
. She hooked her thumb in one of my belt loops. I took another deep breath and let it out slow. Real slow.

“Yeah, so, I was wondering…” Another deep breath. A flash of lightning lit up the horizon. Another followed right on its heels. A puff of wind flipped up the corner of the blanket, exposing Lindsay's legs. Her amazing endless legs. She reached down absently and flicked it back into place. Snugged up tighter to me.

“You were wondering…?”

And suddenly I just…chickened out. “Yeah, I was wondering…do you, uh, do you want…another beer?” I finished lamely. As soon as the words left my mouth, I was furious with myself.

“No,” I said, backpedaling. “I mean, never mind. Never mind the beer.” I sucked in another breath. “I actually meant to ask you if—”

Right then, Aaron and Morgan crashed through the back door. Lindsay shifted, sitting up and edging over to the other end of the swing.

Morgan had a shaggy beard strapped to his head. He danced over to us in tight yellow Speedos and huge sunglasses, singing “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Normally I would laugh—who wouldn't? The guy's an idiot. But Morgan's screwing around was the last thing I needed right now.

Aaron's eyes lit up when he saw me. “Hey! Whassup, Mikey!!” he shouted. He raised his beer. “You too cool for the rest of us down at the fire pit?”

Just then he noticed Lindsay bunched up at the other end of the swing. He looked from me to her, then back at me. Raised his eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes:
Duh!
Aaron's eyes widened in sudden understanding.

He started to back away. “Du-u-ude,” he said. “It's cool. We're leaving now.” He punched Morgan on the arm and nodded toward us.

Morgan opened his mouth to speak.

“Shut it,” said Aaron. “We're leaving.” They turned to go.

But it was too late. The door opened again and a group of girls giggled out onto the porch. More people followed.

And my chance was lost.

Titles in the Series

o
rca s
o
undings

B Negative

Vicki Grant

Back

Norah McClintock

Bang

Norah McClintock

Battle of the Bands

K.L. Denman

Big Guy

Robin Stevenson

Blue Moon

Marilyn Halvorson

Breaking Point

Lesley Choyce

Breathless

Pam Withers

Bull Rider

Marilyn Halvorson

Bull's Eye

Sarah N. Harvey

Cellular

Ellen Schwartz

Charmed

Carrie Mac

Chill

Colin Frizzell

Comeback

Vicki Grant

Crush

Carrie Mac

Cuts Like a Knife

Darlene Ryan

The Darwin Expedition

Diane Tullson

Dead-End Job

Vicki Grant

Death Wind

William Bell

Down

Norah McClintock

Exit Point

Laura Langston

Exposure

Patricia Murdoch

Fallout

Nikki Tate

Fastback Beach

Shirlee Smith Matheson

First Time

Meg Tilly

Grind

Eric Walters

Hannah's Touch

Laura Langston

The Hemingway Tradition

Kristin Butcher

Hit Squad

James Heneghan

Home Invasion

Monique Polak

House Party

Eric Walters

I.D.

Vicki Grant

Impact

James C. Dekker

In the Woods

Robin Stevenson

Infiltration

Sean Rodman

Jacked

Carrie Mac

Juice

Eric Walters

Kicked Out

Beth Goobie

Knifepoint

Alex Van Tol

Last Ride

Laura Langston

Learning to Fly

Paul Yee

Lockdown

Diane Tullson

Masked

Norah McClintock

Middle Row

Sylvia Olsen

My Time as Caz Hazard

Tanya Lloyd Kyi

No More Pranks

Monique Polak

No Problem

Dayle Campbell Gaetz

One More Step

Sheree Fitch

One Way

Norah McClintock

Outback

Robin Stevenson

Overdrive

Eric Walters

Pain & Wastings

Carrie Mac

Picture This

Norah McClintock

Plastic

Sarah N. Harvey

Reaction

Lesley Choyce

Redline

Alex Van Tol

Refuge Cove

Lesley Choyce

Responsible

Darlene Ryan

Riley Park

Diane Tullson

Riot Act

Diane Tullson

Rock Star

Adrian Chamberlain

Running the Risk

Lesley Choyce

Saving Grace

Darlene Ryan

Scum

James C. Dekker

Sea Change

Diane Tullson

Shattered

Sarah N. Harvey

Snitch

Norah McClintock

Something Girl

Beth Goobie

Spiral

K.L. Denman

Sticks and Stones

Beth Goobie

Stuffed

Eric Walters

Tell

Norah McClintock

Thunderbowl

Lesley Choyce

Tough Trails

Irene Morck

The Trouble with Liberty

Kristin Butcher

Truth

Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Viral

Alex Van Tol

Wave Warrior

Lesley Choyce

Who Owns Kelly Paddik?

Beth Goobie

Yellow Line

Sylvia Olsen

Zee's Way

Kristin Butcher