As I Close My Eyes Read Online Free

sitting on the edge of my bed holding it with tears in her eyes. Maybe she had panicked when she heard Bill or me come in and dropped it on the floor.
    Shannon held her hands on the horn of her VW Beetle loud enough to rouse the dead. I raced down the stairs as I pulled my hair up into a ponytail. “See y’all in a few days!” I yelled just before I slammed the front door. I could picture Mama rolling her eyes as I ran out of the house. She thought I was being completely irresponsible. I didn’t even give her a second to object. I was eighteen and could do whatever I wanted.
    We drove for an hour up to Tallulah Falls. It was one of our favorite getaways. Well, one of Shannon’s favorite getaways from Brad when they fought. I’d listen to her complain about him for a few days if it meant I could escape from Sugar Hill for a weekend before I started my summer job serving tourists ice cream all day.
    Shannon had called ahead to reserve our cozy cabin. She had also made reservations at the best Italian restaurant in town. This only meant one thing - Shannon had caught Brad staring at another girl, then quickly dumped him for the millionth time, leaving her completely distraught and miserable. We only ate at Fiorentinos when they were fighting. Their relationship was something I’d never understand. I always thought love should be uncomplicated and gratifying.
    “ God, he just makes me crazy. I don’t even know why we’re together.” She slammed her hands on the steering wheel.
    I’d heard this before. “What did you guys fight about this time?”
    “ He wants to take a break over the summer so he can find himself.” Shannon used air quotes around ‘find himself.’
    “ Well, maybe it’s a good thing,” I tried to explain. “Maybe you can do what you like to do for a change and be by yourself for a while.”
    “ What are you talking about, Dani? This sucks,” she replied.
    “ Okay, sorry,” I said, but I really wasn’t. I truly did think that Shannon could use some down time away from Brad. She had always been with Brad and it was about time she took a break to figure herself out. Isn’t that what we were supposed to be doing in college?
    I had one boyfriend during my junior year of high school and that only lasted for a few months. He just got in the way. When I got to college, I really wanted my experience to be about friends and finding a career. In a lot of ways, Shannon and I were complete opposites. It was pretty amazing that we had stayed so close over the years. She liked fashion and I enjoyed reading books; she wanted to go to parties while I’d rather stay in. And then there was that one, huge difference - she was gorgeous and I was just average - the kind of girl who sat at the back of geology class, never looking up for fear that someone would notice. 
    We drove for a long time without saying anything and before we knew it, we were in the town of Tallulah. As we made our way past the brick visitors center, we wound around a wooded road driving by only one car on our way to check-in. The Falls - as we had termed it years ago - made me feel like I was completely severed from the rest of the world. The trees kept it cool all year round and a warm comfort came over me as we got closer and closer to the guesthouse where we could check in. We had turned the radio off about fifteen minutes before so we could just enjoy the drive with the windows open and the sounds of birds in the distance.
    As we pulled up to the guesthouse, two miniature schnauzers greeted us. The owners lived in the house and their furry welcoming committee remembered us only by the treats we brought them each time we came. Our home for the next few days sat just around the corner. As we pulled up to cabin #10, memories of the four of us coming here after prom and before we headed off to Gainesville flooded my mind. 
    The air of the cabin never changed. It smelled like damp wood and musty sheets, just like every other time I had