Love Condemned: Beginnings Read Online Free
Author: Stephanie Brown
stopped to let people off of the bus for a while. The rain had not let up and it still poured. As Adrian thought about whether he would get up or not, he heard Miranda say, "I'm ... going to stretch my legs and use the loo." That was good enough reason for him to get up as well.
"I think that I will go find something to eat." Adrian replied.
They both got up to get ready to leave the bus and Miranda dropped something on the floor. Adrian bent quickly to pick it up for Mira nda. He had not realized that she had every intention of doing the same. The result was both of them lost a little balance and brushed against each other. Adrian pulled back quickly, "I am sorry, I was just trying to help."
Adrian turned and walked off the bus with no regard for the rain. As he m ade his way to the shop, soaked from the rain, he could not help but think of Miranda and what interesting things he would learn about her next. He was just glad that she had not asked too many questions about him. With the way his life had fallen apart before he left, he was not anxious to relive it just yet. How do you tell a total stranger that you barely fumbled your way through college, could not find a decent job, and your girlfriend, who you thought loved you, cheated on you with another man? Some things are better left not told to people you just meet.
Adrian walked up and down the aisles of the shop and searched for something decent to eat. He never could understand why the French never had anything decent to eat at a shop like this. He definitely was not in the US anymore. He grabbed a couple bottles of soda, potato chips, and some chocolate before he headed back to the bus. This should hold him over for a while and if he was lucky, when he offered to share something else with Miranda, she would accept this time.
Chapter Five
Miranda was still grinning a little over the typical moment in the bus when she left the toilets with her bag over her shoulder. The silvery colored hair clip she used to keep her headband in place was of little to no importance, but for some reason both she and Adrian had hurried to pick it up as if it was made of gold. At the same time. Bumping into each other had of course been unavoidable. Miranda placed her bag on the sink next to the mirror, and retrieved a cheerful purple vest from it. She thought it best to use nothing more than this to keep warm before she would actually try and get some sleep. Gazing in the mirror, she adjusted her headband and wondered if she looked well enough to face Adrian again. Before she realized this thought crossed her mind, it had left again, and she shook it off.
When the door of the restroom fell in its frame behind her, Miranda made her way to the shop where she had seen Adrian going in to. She didn't find him there, so she spent the rest of her twenty minutes trying to get the shopkeeper to understand which ice coffee she wanted. She returned to the bus as one of the last, Alice ushering her up the steps so they could leave again. Miranda shook the rain out of her hair before she looked at Adrian, who was already in his seat again. She smiled a little shyly at him before she wriggled herself past his knees to her own seat by the window. This caused her to make a mental note to let him have the window seat on the way back, if he'd still be sitting next to her then.
While Miranda took off the lid of her ice cappuccino, she glanced at the food in Adrian's lap. It looked like a nything but a decent dinner. She couldn't hold back a grin. After she took a sip from her coffee, she pointed at it.
"Was your quest for a meal that unsuccessful?" she inquired for the obvious, with a slight smile on her face.
Adrian watched Miranda walk up to the bus and time seemed to slow as she shook her hair. Beads of water dropped off of her as her hair swung back and forth. Miranda made her way onto the bus and Adrian was glad she had to wriggle herself past his legs. The thought of
"I think that I will go find something to eat." Adrian replied.
They both got up to get ready to leave the bus and Miranda dropped something on the floor. Adrian bent quickly to pick it up for Mira nda. He had not realized that she had every intention of doing the same. The result was both of them lost a little balance and brushed against each other. Adrian pulled back quickly, "I am sorry, I was just trying to help."
Adrian turned and walked off the bus with no regard for the rain. As he m ade his way to the shop, soaked from the rain, he could not help but think of Miranda and what interesting things he would learn about her next. He was just glad that she had not asked too many questions about him. With the way his life had fallen apart before he left, he was not anxious to relive it just yet. How do you tell a total stranger that you barely fumbled your way through college, could not find a decent job, and your girlfriend, who you thought loved you, cheated on you with another man? Some things are better left not told to people you just meet.
Adrian walked up and down the aisles of the shop and searched for something decent to eat. He never could understand why the French never had anything decent to eat at a shop like this. He definitely was not in the US anymore. He grabbed a couple bottles of soda, potato chips, and some chocolate before he headed back to the bus. This should hold him over for a while and if he was lucky, when he offered to share something else with Miranda, she would accept this time.
Chapter Five
Miranda was still grinning a little over the typical moment in the bus when she left the toilets with her bag over her shoulder. The silvery colored hair clip she used to keep her headband in place was of little to no importance, but for some reason both she and Adrian had hurried to pick it up as if it was made of gold. At the same time. Bumping into each other had of course been unavoidable. Miranda placed her bag on the sink next to the mirror, and retrieved a cheerful purple vest from it. She thought it best to use nothing more than this to keep warm before she would actually try and get some sleep. Gazing in the mirror, she adjusted her headband and wondered if she looked well enough to face Adrian again. Before she realized this thought crossed her mind, it had left again, and she shook it off.
When the door of the restroom fell in its frame behind her, Miranda made her way to the shop where she had seen Adrian going in to. She didn't find him there, so she spent the rest of her twenty minutes trying to get the shopkeeper to understand which ice coffee she wanted. She returned to the bus as one of the last, Alice ushering her up the steps so they could leave again. Miranda shook the rain out of her hair before she looked at Adrian, who was already in his seat again. She smiled a little shyly at him before she wriggled herself past his knees to her own seat by the window. This caused her to make a mental note to let him have the window seat on the way back, if he'd still be sitting next to her then.
While Miranda took off the lid of her ice cappuccino, she glanced at the food in Adrian's lap. It looked like a nything but a decent dinner. She couldn't hold back a grin. After she took a sip from her coffee, she pointed at it.
"Was your quest for a meal that unsuccessful?" she inquired for the obvious, with a slight smile on her face.
Adrian watched Miranda walk up to the bus and time seemed to slow as she shook her hair. Beads of water dropped off of her as her hair swung back and forth. Miranda made her way onto the bus and Adrian was glad she had to wriggle herself past his legs. The thought of
Readers choose
Bill Pronzini
Lynne Heitman
Wendy Etherington
Dana V. Moison
Robert Don Hughes
Jerry Ahern
Allan Massie
Benjamin Wallace