Awake Read Online Free

rolled around quickly. I loved spring; everything was coming to life again, and the air was considerably warmer.
    “Ready for our movie night? I can’t believe you’ve not had a movie night in with friends before.”
    I shrugged and moved to let her inside. “I prefer to be outside.”
    “Well, you’ve been missing out on something great.”
    “Hello, Scarlett,” Mum said, conveniently walking out of the living room as Scarlett came in. They were going to have to stop popping up everywhere, or it was going to look weird.
    “Hi, Mrs York.”
    “Call me Bethan, remember?” Mum said.
    Scarlett nodded. “Right.”
    “What do you two have planned for today then?”
    Holding up the bag, she replied, “Snacks and movies.”
    “That sounds fun. Keep your bedroom door open please, Noah.”
    I frowned. Supposedly, they trusted me but every time I was told to leave my door open or not to rush things, I felt like I was being judged —that my loyalty was in question. I knew the proper way to handle this. I wasn’t going to mess it up.
    I liked her, yes. I could fool my family, but I couldn’t fool myself. That didn’t mean I was going to throw everything away over a teenage crush.
    “I will,” I replied a little harder than I would usually talk to my parents. Trust me. With a curt nod, Mum retreated to the living room. “Come on then, show me how much fun a movie night is.”
    Smiling, she walked past me, heading up the stairs to my bedroom. I couldn’t help watching her. She was petite, but her slim legs and slight frame made her look taller. Her dusty brunette hair cascaded down her back in loose, messy waves.
    “Okay,” she said, turning to me once we were in my room. “Which one do you want to watch first? Batman Begins or Spider-Man ?”
    I shrugged. “I haven’t seen either, so it’s your choice.”
    “What? You’ve never seen the Batman or Spider-Man movies?”
    “No.”
    “Noah, where have you been living for the last sixteen years!”
    I forced out a laugh and took Batman Begins from her outstretched hand. “This one first.”
    “Well, I know you’ve at least had popcorn but please tell me you’ve also had Oreos before.”
    Grinning, I replied, “I was raised on a pretty remote farm on a tiny island, but I am not that sheltered.” I was. Until she held the packet up I had no idea what an Oreo was.
    “I don’t know, you’ve not watched much TV, never had movie nights, you don’t eat a whole lot of junk and you’ve never had a girlfriend before.”
    “Funny how I meet you soon after I’ve corrected all of that.” My heart jumped as I realised what I’d said. I knew I needed the girlfriend/boyfriend title, but that wasn’t exactly how I envisioned it happening. She had to feel special. It had to be romantic. And not just because that’s what I needed in order for her to put every ounce trust in me.
    Unfortunately, Scarlett didn’t miss it either. She watched me carefully, silently. “ Have you done all of them now?”
    “Is that what you want?”
    She frowned. “No way, I asked you first!”
    Laughing, I put the DVD down on the bed, followed by the bag she was still clutching and bent my head level with hers. “Well, I think it’s a pretty good idea.”
    “We’ve not known each other long,” she replied. Her voice was low, almost a whisper.
    “I know, but I like what I’ve seen so far. I’m not proposing, Scarlett, you’re not forced to be with me forever. Look, this is new to me, but I like you, and I’d like to see what happens.”
    She broke into a heart-stopping smile that did nothing to help me control my feelings for her. “In that case, I’m in,” she replied.
    We stared at each other like morons as the air thickened. I was supposed to kiss her. I’d never kissed a girl before. She had an ex-boyfriend, so the likelihood of her having kissed someone before was high. I didn’t want to look like an inexperienced fool.
    Now was the time, though. I’d let things