Always Been You Read Online Free Page B

don’t agree on. He really doesn’t want to end it, but I can’t pretend to like him just for the sake of going out with someone. I’m just glad he doesn’t go to the same school. I don’t know what I would do if I saw him everyday. Too bad it’s different with Amber, huh?”
    “I really don’t care about that anymore,” said Jacob. “Now that it’s over, in a way I’m glad she’s found someone else and that everyone knows I’m no longer with her. I never really was in love with her anyway. The only thing I do regret is how she treated everyone, especially you.”
    “Me?” I said, taken back.
    “Remember that day at Devon’s when I was talking to you? That’s when I knew I had enough.”
    I still could vividly remember that day.
    We had been at Devon’s celebrating his seventeenth birthday when Amber had accused me of trying to steal her boyfriend, yelling that all his attention had to be on her. When I had told her that I hoped she wasn’t using him, she then had tried to hit me, except Jacob had intervened and grabbed her arm. They then had an argument right in front of everyone when he had started defending me. The last thing I remember was Jacob telling her that he swore if he ever heard her bad mouthing me again, he would end it right there. I thought he would have when she started screaming even louder at him. But rather than breaking up with her, he had given me an apologetic look and had followed Amber out the door.
    “Thanks for sticking up for me,” Jacob went on. “I really am sorry she tried to hit you.”
    “That shocked me too, but you shouldn’t feel sorry,” I said. “You even tried to stop her.”
    “Still, she shouldn’t have even tried. I don’t know why I always pick the wrong ones.”
    “Then maybe I should check out the next one you go out with and give you my approval first,” I joked, as we pulled into one of the stalls in the bowling alley’s parking lot.
    “You know, that might not be a bad idea,” he replied thoughtfully.
    “This is me joking, Jacob.”
    “And this is me not.”
    “Jacob, I really don’t think it would be right if I did that for you,” I said. “Maybe it’s better if you asked someone else. What about Matt? I’m sure someone like your cousin would know your tastes.”
    “He does, but he jokes around a bit too much. Please, Jenna? It’d mean a lot to me.”
    “Why me?”
    “You’re the only one who I actually trust with something like this,” he explained. “And I’m sure you also know my tastes better than anyone, even Matt.”
    “I’m glad you trust me, Jacob, but I really can’t help you out with this one.”
    “It’s worth a try,” he sighed. “Anyway, let’s go in so we can get this game going.”
    A half-hour later as I waited for my turn to bowl, Jacob’s strange request was still running through my head. Sure I was his friend, but he shouldn’t be letting me choose the next girl for him. How would he know if I wasn’t trying to make his life difficult by picking someone he really despised?
    “Hey, Jenna, you’re up,” said Alex.
    “All you need to do is get these last three strikes and you’ll win it for us girls,” said Katie.
    “Thanks for not giving me any pressure,” I said with sarcasm laced in my voice.
    “No problem,” she grinned.
    As I waited for the yellow ball I was using to appear in the shoot, I had to admit it had been sheer luck that I had gotten so many strikes. I was amazed I had gotten a spare on the first frame, and I became even more surprised that my score had continued in a strike-spare-strike pattern after that. Now with the girls’ side only down by ten points, how could I not feel the pressure of letting them down when the only way I could get those ten measly points is for me to get the last three strikes?
    Letting out a long sigh, I shook my head to erase any thoughts, sucked in a deep breath, and picked up my ball. I was suddenly distracted by Jacob appearing beside