Lean On Me (Take My Hand) Read Online Free Page A

that just
fan-bloody-tastic.
    “Your mum never tell you it’s rude to
eavesdrop?” He chose to laugh instead of answer and I chose to glower at him rather than say anything else. Putting my
brakes on and dropping my armrest, I gripped the arm of the sofa and heaved
myself over it and onto the brown-leather seat. “Gimme some of that,” I said,
holding my hand out towards his bottle of lager.
    “So did your mum never tell you it’s rude not to say please?” Laughter took
over my need to create a comeback until Jared scooted nearer to me… sitting so
close our thighs were touching. Suddenly, I could barely breathe, let alone
laugh. “You know… I could be your
guy,” he whispered just inches away from my face.
    Holy fuckballs with giant shiny bells
on.
    He wasn’t serious.
    “You’re not serious?”
    “Why wouldn’t I be?” He actually sounded
genuinely surprised… maybe even offended. But he wasn’t serious. Was he? No… he
couldn’t have been being serious. “Maybe I think you’re really fucking hot.” Oh
fucking hell, was he… did he… sweet, Jesus, he just kissed my jaw!
    “Stop fucking around, Jared,” I said
firmly… shrugging away from him. He was pissing around, I knew he was, and that
made the fact my heart had started racing so much more difficult to understand.
    “I’m not fucking around, Rach. I like
you…. A lot.” Okay, I’ve had my fair share of hook-ups and I seriously don’t
think a single one has ever muttered
those words to me.
    “You and me? A one-night stand could
ruin us… and you’re too good a friend for that.”
    “Who mentioned a one-night stand?”
    “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
From the outside I know I have this whole I-don’t give-a-shit attitude going on
regarding my disability, and for the most part that’s true. But that’s because
it only affects me. However, when it
comes to someone else wanting to get close… and stay close… that’s a whole new ballgame. Jared sees the fun side of
me – the carefree, jokey, no-nonsense persona…
    But the truth is, I do care… I do take things
seriously and I know how difficult
life can be living in a damn chair. People stare… people judge… people fuss…
    Sure people want to be my friend… guys
even want to hook up for the odd night. But they can go home again. I’ve never
even considered the idea of someone being around for the long haul. For fuck’s
sake listen to me? Jared said more than one night… that’s hardly a fucking
future.
    “This is to do with that thing, isn’t
it?” he asked, nodding towards my wheelchair by the sofa. “Because you should
know… I’ve never really even seen it
until tonight. When you got hung up over that bruise on your side… well, that
was the first time I’d ever seen you looking… ashamed, I guess. And I’ve got to
be honest - I don’t get it.
    “You’re just… you. You’re a girl I’ve
gotten really close to recently. A girl who shares my twisted sense of humour,
likes the same TV shows, shares mutual friends, drinks like a fish, swears as
much as I do… and who just happens to be fucking beautiful. You’re sat down? So
what?”
    The air had turned a deep shade of
serious and I started to wonder if maybe I hadn’t sobered up as much as I
thought I had. Just then, my mum appeared in the doorway. I had never been more
relieved to see her… but then she said goodnight, reminded me she and Dad were
leaving early to visit her friend Sandra in the morning and told us she was
going to bed.
    “Jared…” I trailed off when I realised I
had no bloody idea what to say.
    “Look, Rachel… if you tell me you’re not
interested then I’ll back off, no questions asked. But… I’ve been… man, I don’t
know how to say this without sounding like a giant pussy.” He paused and drew
in a deep breath. “Well I’ve been… feeling things around you lately that I didn’t understand until tonight. When you got
embarrassed about you fall