State of Grace Read Online Free Page A

Sean sweet talked his girlfriend into squeezing herself into the backseat with Grace and her baby-fat, she had a feeling she wasn’t all twisted inside because of the pitying look the pretty, blue-eyed blonde gave her. 
    Oh no.
    She couldn’t be that lucky.
    That was completely due to the boy in the letterman’s jacket with the dark hair and laughing blue eyes tearing his mouth away from said blond. Knowing she would never be in the blonde’s seat – neither in the front or the back because girls like her didn’t go with guys like Sean, she pulled strands of her hair tighter in her pony tail and kept her lips in a straight line.
    “Brat.” He grinned as she tried to bury herself to make room for the blonde in the back. The blonde was three years older than she, yet her thighs were half the size. Her face flamed, but she’d managed to bark out her own greeting.
    “Greetings, cretin.”
    She heard her brother heave a sigh as Sean asked her if she’d miss her online Star Trek fan club friends while at school. Despite the blush on her cheeks that wouldn’t go away and the whirlwind inside, she’d given him as good as she got.
    Unfortunately, the years since hadn’t diminished the sharp feeling that always left her aching and uncomfortable from being around him. It had only gotten worse.
    So she’d dealt with it the only way she knew how.
    Hating him.
    Or rather, telling herself that she hated him. 
    It was her truth, and she was sticking to it.  Dragging herself back to the present, she sighed heavily. “I’m fine guys. It’s just the usual. Nothing to worry about.”
    The only problem now was believing her own words.

Chapter Two
    He still wasn’t quite sure what had possessed him. He’d been in the middle of sweet-talking a perfectly attractive and willing wedding guest, who truthfully hadn’t needed much sweet talking, when he’d noticed Grace was gone. Quickly, he scanned the sectioned-off reception area on the beach, and when he couldn’t spot her, he rambled on about excusing himself to the rest room. His feet moved on their own accord to the edge of the beach.
    She appeared lost in thought as she stared straight ahead, watching as waves crashed into each other and onto the shore, sparkling like black diamonds. The only sound came from the water, but it was loud enough to mask his footfalls as he drew closer to where she sat, her knees tucked under her.
    Something sharp and sweet twisted in his gut.
    She looked so peaceful, he almost didn’t want to disturb her, but after today, he couldn’t help himself. Something intrinsic, chemical had altered between them.
    She looked up when he reached her, his bare feet sinking lightly into the white sand. Her eyes widened slightly, and as he dropped to sit next to her, he could see the delicate pulse of her throat quicken. She swallowed and turned her gaze back to the water, but her pose now held a distinct unease that told she wasn’t as immune to him as she pretended.
    “It’s not safe for you to be out here so late,” he said gruffly.
    He could see that his words caught her by surprise. She didn’t respond at first, so he used time to study her even further. Even though he’d known her since she was a small child, he felt like they were meeting for the very first time, and he wanted to soak up every second of it. She had a beautiful profile, perfect lips, and a tiny sliver of moonlight glinted off of her auburn hair, turning some of her tresses into fire.
    She let out a tired breath. “What do you care Sean?”
    Her words were no different than what she would usually say to him, but they lacked her usual heat and intensity. He paused, considering her question.
    “I’ve always cared,” he admitted truthfully.
    She finally turned to look at him, and he wondered why he never noticed how mesmerizing her gray eyes were, like deep pools of silver. Pearly white teeth emerged to gently bite down on the lush center of her bottom lip.
    He silently