Concisus Read Online Free Page B

apologizing but patting yourself on the back for saving us.”
    Our overwhelming praise shocks her into a rare silence.
    When she finally loses her dazed expression, I say, “I’ve missed you, Andi.”
    “I’ve missed you, too,” she responds, then gives me a long, appraising look. I wonder if my color is still a little off. “Ryan, do you mind if Brett and I have a moment alone?” Andi asks.
    “Sure.” Ryan moves away and joins Jeremy by the robots.
    “So what are you going to tell Brody?” Andi gives me her knowing look.
    “What do you mean?” I ask, but Andi’s not buying my innocence act.
    “Unless you plan to date Ryan and stay engaged to Brody, you’ll need to say something to Brody,” she answers.
    My face drops. “Is it that obvious?” I ask. “We were hoping to keep it quiet for now.”
    Andi gives me a reassuring smile. “Probably not to everyone, but I’d tell Ryan to stop watching you so protectively. And your missing ring doesn’t help either. So why are you keeping it quiet anyway?”
    “We want to give Brody and Kelly time to rebound from the break-ups before we go public.” The moment I voice the plan, I know it’s silly. Break-ups are painful, no matter how they’re handled. Hurt feelings can’t be avoided. Better to be honest and get everything out in the open immediately so the healing can begin.
    “That’s considerate of you,” Andi says, but her tone and the creases in her brow contradict her words.
    “So, how has Brody been doing?” I ask.
    Andi’s nose wrinkles as if I’d just thrust something foul smelling under it. “He’s pretty much the same. Nothing seems to faze him that much.” Her hand suddenly flies to her mouth. When she continues her voice is softer and full of sympathy. “I’m not trying to hurt your feelings, Brett. He’s just not that deep. At first, I was mad that he wasn’t torn up about your disappearance, but finally I realized he’s not worth the energy. I’m glad you came to your senses about him and decided to dump him.”
    Admittedly, I’m a little hurt by Brody’s lack of emotion for me. A part of me wants Andi to be wrong and for Brody to be heartbroken without me. Pushing my shallow vanity aside, I say, “That’s actually good news. It may be easier to break up with him than I planned.” My pain slips into my voice.
    “Just forget about him. You definitely traded up.” Andi snaps her fingers. “Wait! Before I forget, I have something for you.” She disappears into her office and returns, skipping back over to me. With her hands hidden behind her back, she sways back and forth.
    “Now close your eyes,” she sings.
    There’s no point trying to argue with Andi. She’s more stubborn and persistent than I am, and in the end, she always gets her way. So, I close my eyes.
    Her fingers brush my ear, and I automatically jerk away. “Relax,” she says before slipping what feels like earplugs into each of my ears. As soon as the music begins, I tear up. The song playing is Hully Gully by The Dovells.
    My grandmother would always dance to Hully Gully , but most DJ’s didn’t stock it in their repertoire, and only a few even knew the song that inspired the once popular line dance. My grandmother invariably seemed so disappointed when no one could play her requested favorite, so I hunted down the version she liked best by The Dovells, and synched it to my MP3 player which I took everywhere. My grandmother always looked so happy when she danced.
    Before she passed away, she confided in me that she met my grandfather dancing to that song. Grandpa Joe always had two left feet and stepped left when he was supposed to dip during the line dance. When my grandmother dipped, her dress brushed the ground at the exact spot where my grandfather’s foot landed. So when my grandmother turned in the correct direction, and my grandfather pivoted in the opposite one, the result was a loud rip. My grandmother’s powder blue dress tore at the seam