HARDER Read Online Free Page A

deep breath and feeling much better than before. “Don’t you need to…you know…”
    “Use the facilities?” he laughed. “No, I don’t.”
    “Then why did you come in here?” I asked and stood up. He took his hand off my back and I turned around to avoid looking at my red blotchy face in the mirror but also to look up at him.
    “You were in here an awful long time,” he said. “I was worried something might have happened to you.”
    “You watched me come in here?” I asked, frowning and trying to process exactly what that meant and why it made me feel so light headed.
    “Us Harder’s Mill folks need to stick together,” he said with a smile that contained more kindness than I thought I deserved at that point. “Come on, let’s go find Addison.”
    “Thanks again,” I said and looked down. “I’m sorry about your shoes.”
    “These old things?” he laughed and brushed it off. They were not old, and they definitely were really nice. “I’ve been meaning to throw them out anyways. Besides, barely any got on me.”
    I didn’t bother to argue with him, I didn’t have it in me. I already felt bad enough without trying to convince him that I was an idiot.
    We walked out into the club and he glared at a short line of men who all gave him smug knowing glances. I didn’t understand at first, but then caught on that they all thought we’d been having sex in the bathroom.
    As if my humiliation could get any worse, now they would see me as some slut who banged random dudes in the bathroom at some cheesy nightclub.
    The only good thing was that I was from a different town. I didn’t recognize anyone else at the club.
    “Did Addison mention she was going anywhere?” Caleb asked when we got back to our table and found it empty. I glanced over at the table where Gary had been sitting with his friends but everyone was gone.
    “No,” I said, “I don’t even know if she noticed me leaving to be honest.”
    Caleb scowled and looked more like the man I’d met, irritated and annoyed by my mere presence.
    “You can go,” I told him. “I’ll be fine. I’m sure she’ll be back soon and your friends seem to be waiting for you.”
    He glanced across the room to the small group of college girls he’d been hanging out with previously. Each one of them shot me a look that would have killed me dead if they’d had that kind of power.
    “Oh them?” he shrugged and turned back to me. “They’ll be fine but you aren’t. I don’t think you realize how drunk you are. Do you do this kind of thing often?”
    “That’s the problem,” I said with hot red cheeks, “I don’t drink that much and I never go out. I’m a home body I guess, kinda boring compared to people like you.”
    “I rarely come out,” he said glancing over my head at the DJ booth. “That’s my friend Ryan up there though. I come out when he’s DJing, he needs the support.”
    “He doesn’t look like it,” I said looking up at his friend. He exuded confidence and had everybody eating out of the palm of his hand.
    “Yeah, but he almost throws up every damn time he’s booked because of the nerves,” Caleb replied with a quick smile. He shifted from one foot to the other and asked, “Can you text Addy or something?”
    “She’s got my phone and wallet with her,” I groaned and felt a pinch of desperation rise up. “I’m stuck here I guess.”
    “No you’re not,” Caleb replied. “I’ll hang out for a bit and if she doesn’t come back, I’ll get you home.”
    “Oh god, seriously, you don’t have to,” I replied. I hated that I was ruining his night out.
    He would have none of it though; he ordered me an ice water with lemon, a black coffee for himself and pulled a stick of gum out of his pocket for me.
    It was settled. I chewed on the minty gum and tried to chat with Caleb Harder while ignoring the fact that I’d become his burden for the night.
    Not exactly the way I thought I’d be spending my childfree night. I