A Third of Me Read Online Free

to take advantage of you?”
    After I catch my breath and feel the blood rushing out of my face, I tell him I don't. He says that's too bad because if I did, he wanted to have a go with her. Such a silly boy.
    We pick up a movie and drive back to my place. I hope I have the courage to say what I want to say once we get there. I've played out the conversation in my head, rehearsed it, explored the possible outcomes and consequences before deciding on the most viable approach.
    He sits in the recliner while I put the movie into the player. I choose not to sit down because I hope it will make me feel less vulnerable once I open my mouth and there's no turning back.
    “Damon, there's–”
    “Holy shit! I want to see that! Heard anything about it?” He's pointing at the movie trailer playing on the TV – some forgettable screwball comedy I'll probably see at some point, but I can't remember who's in it or who directed it, and at this point I don't care. I get nervous. My knees start to shake. My palms sweat. My face is getting hot. Feels like a furnace raging behind my cheeks.
    Now's not the right time. I'll wait. Chicken .
     
    Lauren
    It's a slow day at work. I've sold two phones. Cheap, prepaid flip phones that were obsolete five years ago. My boss might be better off saving the ink on my commission check. A couple of football players from the high school come into the store and ask if they can put up a flyer in the window. Brody, the manager, is out to lunch so I tell them to come back later, then I wonder if Brody really gives a damn about helping the River City Rattlesnakes promote another chili supper. That makes three this month.
    Brian left me a voicemail earlier. He said he and Damon were going to the mall today. I really hope they have a chance to catch up and have a good time. My fingers are crossed.
    A girl comes in whom I recognize but I can't think of her name. She dated Damon for a while. Yeah, dated him. Weird, right? Her name starts with an H…
    I force a smile as she browses the car chargers on the back wall, but those feelings sneak up on me – that urge to jump on her back and rip out handfuls of her hair for what she did to him.
    She approaches me and says, “Excuse me, do you have a charger for this phone?”
    I look at it and know we have dozens of them in the back. I try to look apologetic. “I'm sorry, but they're on backorder. We should have some in next week. I can take your name and call you when they come in.”
    “Heather Meeks,” she says. I don't know who has a faker smile right now, her or me. “You look familiar. Did you go to River City High?”
    Before I can say no, she's looking down at the business cards on my desk.
    “Lauren Hatcher,” she reads. “I remember seeing you when I was with Damon. Are you still friends with him?”
    I say yes and she expresses her disappointment. Ugh, please leave, little cheerleader girl.
    “How is he?” Heather asks.
    “He's fine now,” I say through my teeth, wishing they were fangs so I could rip her throat out.
    “We kind of ended on a bad note, so if you don't mind, tell him I'm–”
    “Sorry?” Whew, my blood pressure is through the roof. Better watch myself.
    “Is there a problem?”
    “Actually, I think they've discontinued the car charger for your phone. I'm very sorry.”
    “Oh. Well…”
    “Have a nice day.” Bitch .
    After she leaves, I get a grip. I can definitely see why Damon was attracted to her. She's very pretty. But she played him like a harp. I guess they were together for a year or so before he found out she was cheating on him. I wasn't surprised, but I couldn't have told him that. Heather was probably the only person to really know him because he let her in . And after it was all said and done, he was heartbroken. Devastated. Drank whiskey when he wasn't asleep, then he started taking pills and God knows what else. I've seen Damon cry before, but not like this. This boy was at ground zero and almost in a