Don't Let Go: A Full Hearts Novella Read Online Free Page A

do.”
    The next afternoon found Alicia rushing around her bedroom, trying on clothes, tossing discarded choices on her bed and then digging through the pile, trying desperately to put together the perfect outfit. She finally settled on a black miniskirt with a light blue polo shirt. She combed her hair up into a high, tight ponytail and carefully applied some cherry lip gloss. Just as she started to second-guess the skirt, the doorbell rang. Heart pounding, she flew down the stairs, hoping to get to the door before her dad.
    Grabbing her jean jacket off the hook, she shouted, “Bye!” to her parents and opened the door to see Ben standing in front of her in jeans and a white T-shirt, looking gorgeous.
    He smiled and punched her on the arm lightly. “Hey, Leesh.”
    Alicia skipped down the steps, keeping up with his long strides. “So, where are we going?”
    “The Dive?”
    “Yup. I hope you brought lots of money because I’m starving.” She grinned as he opened the passenger door to his dad’s truck for her.
    When they got to the restaurant, it was packed and there was a lineup at the door. Ben looked down at her. “Takeout?”
    Alicia smiled. “Sure.”
    Twenty minutes later, Ben was pulling the truck to a stop near Red Rock Canyon, just outside of town. He grabbed a horse blanket from behind the seat and then the bag of food. Alicia brought the drinks and followed him down a path that led through an opening in the tall, jagged red rock. They walked a little way before coming to a small lake. The sun was lowering in the sky and the warm air seemed to caress Alicia’s bare legs and arms as they settled themselves on the blanket near the lake. Ben stretched out, propping himself on one arm to pull the burgers and fries out of the bag. Alicia sat near him, legs folded to the side. There was nowhere on earth that she would rather be than here in this beautiful spot with him sitting next to her. It felt like home and, for Alicia, it was the only place she would ever want to be. A quiet fell over the pair as they ate, Alicia trying not to let the ketchup drip down her chin.
    A nervous tension seemed to fill the space between then. They were alone in a very romantic place for the first time in both their young lives. Alicia was more than ready for her first kiss with this boy whom she had loved for so long now. Ben stared out at the lake as he munched on the fries, seeming unsure what to say.
    “So, what are you going to do when school’s over?” Alicia asked finally.
    “Oh, I’m gonna play baseball. I got drafted to the minors. I’m heading to Salem in a couple of days,” Ben replied quietly.
    “Really?” Alicia tried to push down her disappointment. “That’s so exciting for you! I can’t believe you never mentioned it before.”
    “Aw, it would have sounded like bragging. Besides, it’s no big deal really. I went thirty-eighth round in the draft. The chances that I’ll make the majors are lower than me winning the lottery.” Ben shrugged.
    “But still, you’ve got a shot, right? You never know,” Alicia told him, gazing into his eyes and taking note of his long, dark eyelashes.
    “Yeah, you never know. I mean, I pretty much do, but then, there is a tiny chance. Maybe every other catcher in the majors and minors will come down with the flu at the same time and I’ll get called up,” Ben said with a little wink.
    He took a long drink of his soda before speaking again. “It’ll give me a chance to get out of here for a while, anyway. See a bit of the world, maybe.”
    “Is that what you want to do, Ben? Get out of here?” she asked.
    “Yeah, don’t you want to go somewhere new?” Ben responded gently.
    Alicia shook her head. “No. I don’t know if you know this, but I’m an army brat. My dad got posted here to train new recruits. Until I was ten years old, we lived in a new place every year. I’ve seen a lot of the world and I’m just so happy to call this home.”
    Ben nodded