Lean On Me (Take My Hand) Read Online Free

different.
    Jared collapsed my chair in one go and
wedged it behind the front seats in the back of his car. Then he made his way
to the driver’s side and climbed in beside me.
    “You can tell me stuff like that you
know. You don’t need to feel embarrassed. Not with me.” I glanced up at Jared
and then looked away again just as quickly. He was staring at me with an
expression of concern and my breath caught briefly. Jared and I don’t do serious, and it both unnerved and
comforted me at the same time. I didn’t reply because I didn’t know how. So
instead, I stayed quiet and rested my head against the window while he drove us
home, suddenly feeling completely sober.
     
    When we got home Dad was watching a
re-run of Only Fools and Horses that he must’ve seen a gazillion and three
times before, and Mum went straight to the kitchen to make drinks for everyone.
She joined us a few minutes later carrying the silver tray she only brings out
at Christmas and proceeded to hand Dad his cup of tea, me my glass of cranberry
juice, and Jared his lager.
    “Thanks, sugar,” Jared said, taking the
bottle from her hand. Damn him and his ‘sugar’. He calls every member of the
female species that… expect me. For some reason which I’m determined to find
out eventually, I’m stuck with bleeding ‘saffy’. “I love this episode,” he
added, nodding towards the TV. Comments like that always reminded me of our
almost ten year age difference.
    “You want me to fetch your slippers, old
man?” I teased.
    “Oh come on! The Batman and Robin
episode is a classic!”
    “I’ll take your word for it.”
    Dad and Jared were wholly engrossed in
the TV so when Mum headed into the kitchen to potter, I followed her. When I
reached the hallway I heard an explosion of laughter coming from the living
room followed by muffled voices and then more laughing. I smiled as I entered
the kitchen. I guess you could say Dad and Jared were the two most important
men in my life and it was nice hearing them get along.
    “You like that boy,” my mum said, never
taking her attention away from the worktop which she was wiping down. I eyed
her up suspiciously even though she couldn’t see me. I sensed more to her
statement than I think I wanted to.
    “Um… sure I do. He’s kind of filling the
best friend spot while Em’s away.”
    “It’s more than that. You like him like him.”
    WHAT?
    “Um… no, Mum. I’m pretty sure I’d know if I fancied him. He’s… well he’s… Jared. ” You want to know a little secret?
Well… I kind of do fancy Jared. The
reason I know that is because sometimes I think back to when he dated Emily and
I find myself feeling relieved that they never slept together. Seriously, I
just don’t think I could stomach knowing if he’d dipped his bits in Emily’s
pieces.
    Not that it really matters. It can’t go
anywhere – he’s too much of a great friend, and once you’ve slept and
broken up with someone… you can’t ever be friends again. Not really. It’s kind
of an unwritten law.
    “Hmm. We’ll see.” Oooo I hate it when
she does that.
    “Oooo I hate it when you do that!”
    “Do what?” she asked, feigning ignorance
as she turned around to face me.
    “Act like you ‘know’ you’re right!”
    “I know my daughter, and despite the
fact you probably think I’m ancient, I know hunger in a man’s eyes when I see
it too.”
    “Eww!” On that note, I gripped the
hand-rims above my wheels and sped so fast out of that kitchen the metal burned
my hands.
    “I’m going up now, sweetheart,” my dad
said as he passed me in the hallway.
    “Okay. Goodnight, Dad.” He bent down and
kissed the top of my head before patting my shoulder. “That’s a nice guy you’ve
got there. I like him.”
    “He’s not ‘my guy’.” Ugh, what is it
with everyone tonight? “But thanks. He’s a good friend.”
    “Not your guy, eh?” Jared ribbed when I
entered the living room. He’d overheard. Well wasn’t