Perfectly Hopeless Read Online Free Page B

to.”
     
    Henri sighed. “I want to. Maybe next time we can do something else. Have you been to the art museum before?”
     
    Maven’s eyes filled with radiance. “Once when I was younger, that sounds fun.”
     
    Henri was glad to hear it. “I could walk you home.” He offered. The beach was slowly thinning and the sun was nearly setting in the sky.
     
    She dropped back on the towel, sprawling out. Her hands folded and resting on her abdomen, she stared up at the soft blue of the sky. “Or we could hang out for a little while longer.”
     
    Henri batted away a bit of sand from her cheek, studying her expression. “You had sand on your face. I didn’t want it to get in your eye.” He dropped down beside her, putting his arms behind his head and he too stared up at the tiny wisp of clouds sailing by them.
     
    Their sandy feet touched, and neither of them bothered to pull away.
     
     
     
    “ So how did you get the name Maven?” Henri started, ending the peaceful calm all around them. Maven smiled, closing her eyes, the sounds of the waves crashing the shore was magnificent. The moment was heavenly.
     
    “ My mother and father always had high hopes for me. My father said the moment they laid eyes on me they knew I was going to be something special. And the name fit.”
     
    “ I like it.” Henri told her.
     
    Maven dropped her head to the side, “I like your name too, Henri.”
     
    “ What’s to like? It’s an ordinary name.” He looked at her. Her eyes shimmering with life and he couldn’t believe it—happiness for once.
     
    “ Henri is French. It means ruler of the house.” She told him. “It’s also a very kind name. And you seem kind.”
     
    He thought about this. “My grandfather was French. Maybe that’s why then. I’m no ruler of the house though. I’m not the ruler of anything.”
     
     
     

 
     
     
     
    Anything is better
     
     
     
    She went home in a good mood for once. Thinking about her day with Henri, she wondered if he was thinking about it too. She hoped so.
     
    “ Mom wants you to set the table.” Maggie told her as soon she came into the kitchen. Maggie sat at the counter book in hand. “Where were you all day?”
     
    She pulled a stack of dishes from the cupboard. “At the beach,” she said short and to the point.
     
    Maggie studied her sister closely. “You went to the beach?”
     
    Maven scoffed. “I love the beach. How could you forget that?”
     
     
     
    “ Hey girls,” Their mother said. She slipped off her jacket and placed it on a hook. “How’d today go?”
     
    Maggie shrugged, not worried about giving details. But Maven smiled at the most recent news in her life. She floated on air to the other side of the countertop setting the dishes down. Her mother could tell something excellent had happened.
     
    “ So tell me about your day, Maves.” She lifted the pot to dinner.
     
    Maven opened the silverware drawer. “Nick and I went to the beach. He met up with Sandra’s older sister April. So I took a swim.”
     
    “ With who?” Maggie and her mother asked in chorus. They knew better then to believe Maven did anything alone. And if Nick was with a girl he was far away from his family—everyone knew that.
     
    Maven toyed with the idea of giving Henri up so quickly. “You wouldn’t know him.”
     
    “ Does this mean you’re over Jake and are going to quit being depressed all the time?” Maggie put a hand over her mouth at the sight of her sister’s hurt look. Her mother shot her a wicked frown.
     
    Maven ignored the tears stinging her eyes from her sister’s selfish words. “His name is Henri. He’s related to Sandra and April.” She dropped a pile of silverware on the plates and turned away from her mother and sister.
     
    But this caught her mother’s attention. She was very familiar with the name. She slowly turned away from the stove, her mouth forming a straight line. She swallowed down her concern. “Tell me about