HARDER Read Online Free Page B

really should have stayed home.

Chapter 7
    I felt like I was sobering up as I sipped my ice water. Caleb didn’t seem fazed by the fact that I’d wrecked his night and was telling me stories about his wild college years.
    I had nothing to add, I really was boring. Not just now, but my whole life apparently.
    A little after midnight he looked at his phone and said, “Well it looks like you’ve been officially abandoned.”
    “It seems that way,” I sighed. I sipped the last of my water and crunched a couple ice cubes.
    “I’m going to let everyone know I’m leaving and I’ll drive you home,” he said.
    “Can’t you just lend me money for a cab or something?” I asked even though I didn’t know how I would ever afford to pay him back.
    “You want to know something?” he asked and leaned across the table at me.
    “What’s that?” I asked.
    He looked around as if confiding something deep to me, smiled and said, “I hate this music. And this place is not my vibe at all. I don’t mind taking you home.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “I am positive,” he replied with a wink.
    He walked over to his friend Ryan who was on a break. They talked for a couple moments, he pointed at me and I waved when Ryan lifted his hand at me. The girls who hated me were crowded around Ryan and once again all shot me equal looks of envy and anger.
    I smiled at them; the apparent leader flipped her hair and looked away. She leaned in and told something apparently hilarious because they all glanced my way and laughed their fool heads off.
    I wanted to link my arm in Caleb’s just to piss them off even more but didn’t want to risk Caleb pulling away from me and giving them satisfaction.
    He didn’t take long, he strode across the packed dance floor as his friend climbed back up into the DJ booth. He smiled at me, shook his head and said, “You’re glowing. Maybe this drunk puke thing is good for you or something.”
    “Glowing?” I snorted. “Probably a couple broken blood vessels after throwing up on you.”
    “Well whatever it is, it looks good on you.”
    I mumbled thanks and slipped off the stool to discover I wasn’t as sober as I’d thought. I wavered for a moment and Caleb held his arm out for me to cling to.
    I couldn’t help it. I’m not proud of it, but as we walked away I turned around and smirked at the blonde snotty girl and her friends.
    I may have even stuck my tongue out at them just a little.
    Take that, bitches, I thought and mentally flashed them two big middle fingers up as we left the club.
    Life didn’t let me win that often so I couldn’t possibly pass that chance up. It might never happen to me again.

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    P art way home I begged Caleb to stop his truck. He drove one of those new Dodge Rams with the huge tires and about ten feet off the ground. It was ridiculous when I tried to climb up, he’d had to wrap his hands around my waist and lift me into it.
    Okay, it wasn’t that bad. But I’m sure if there was a ride height requirement I would have failed it.
    “Are you okay?” he asked as he slowed down into a rest stop.
    “I might throw up again,” I blurted, “I’m sorry.”
    He came to a halt and I tumbled out the door, almost losing balance as I ran to the grass.
    He stood next to me and I looked down at his boots. He’d changed his pukey shoes before we left and had slipped on work boots. It was weird but they turned me on more than the expensive shoes he’d tossed in the dumpster outside the club.
    That combined with his rough hands let me know he was a man who wasn’t afraid of a little work, and that spoke to my own stubborn workaholic side.
    I heaved a little but nothing came up. I felt my head start to spin again and motioned for the picnic table in front of us. Caleb helped me limp over there to catch my breath. I sat down and he took the spot next to me, our legs facing out and our backs against the table itself.
    “You must hate me,” I said, holding my head in my