Shattered: A Salvation Society Novel by Bella Emy (pdf to ebook reader .TXT) 📕

I dip my toe in and she’s right. It’s not too cold. Considering the fact that it’s still probably around ninety-five degrees or so, it feels good. “Oh, that feels amazing. It’s so hot today.”

She nods. “I know. So get in.”

I slowly make my way into the water, and once it touches my stomach, I shudder. “Okay, now it’s cold.”

She smirks. “You know damn well you can’t take it slow like that. You need to just dive right in, and then you’ll be fine. It’s only that first initial shock.”

Once again, she’s right. That’s always the way to do it.

Shrugging, I quickly dip the rest of my body in, holding my nose. As I come up, I wipe my eyes and push the water from out of my hair, and then breathe in and out again excitedly.

“See. Much better, right?” Erin splashes me, and I splash her back.

After dinner, Erin and I find ourselves lounging on the chairs, finally getting a moment to talk. Mr. and Mrs. Cole have gone inside, and Kennedy sits on the patio swing while talking to one of her friends on the phone.

“I thought we’d never get a moment to talk… it was like there was always someone around,” Erin says as she goes through her playlist, selecting one of the hit songs of the summer.

“Oooh, leave that one!”

“You really thought I’d take Just Like an Ice Cream Cone off? I still fucking love this song so much.”

I nod, giggling. “Me too.” I wait for a second and then ask, “So, you didn’t get to finish telling me about what happened with Jason last night.”

She’s all smiles. “Oh, girl, yes! He’s so sweet! We went down to the dock around ten and made out for like hours.”

My eyes widen. “And your parents were cool with you going to the dock that late?”

“No.” She shakes her head and looks at me like I’ve got three heads.

I smirk. “So, they thought you were where?”

“At your house, of course.”

I gasp. “You spent the night with him?”

“Shh! Keep your voice down!” Erin looks around to make sure no one’s heard. Kennedy is still in her own world, laughing on her cell phone, and both of her parents are still inside.

“Sorry,” I whisper.

“I sneaked back in around four… everyone was asleep, and thankfully, my parents were none the wiser.”

I shake my head, chuckling. “I’d have been so scared…”

She shrugs it off and says, “It was nothing. My parents can sleep through an earthquake. Anyway, enough about me. Have you had any more thoughts on seeing Kalen?”

Kalen. I had been trying not to think about him, but now she’s gone and thrown his name out there like it’s nothing. Of course he’s crossed my mind numerous times today, but there’s nothing I can do about it.

“I’ve thought about him a lot since meeting him,” I confess.

Erin’s eyes light up. “And…”

I shrug. “And, that’s it. I think about him. Nothing more.”

She rolls her eyes at me. “Why don’t you call him?”

I furrow my brows. “I don’t have his number.”

“But I do!” she exclaims.

“You do?”

She nods frantically, scrolling through her phone. Then she begins typing something and places it down. Two seconds later, my phone dings. “Now you do, too.”

I pull out my phone from my pocket and see she’s texted me his contact information. “Erin! How the hell did you get his number? And when?”

Erin smiles and says. “Yesterday. Jason gave it to me. He told me I should give it to you and you should call him. Or text him. Whatever. Kalen likes you, Lexi.”

“I don’t know.” There’s no way in hell I’m going to call or text Kalen. I can’t. I won’t. I’m too chicken. My best friend knows this. Even if Kalen does like me now, which I know he can’t because I’m just little old me. There’s nothing special about me. Once he sees the girls that go to our school, he’s quickly going to forget about me.

She scrolls through her music once more until she finds another song she likes. She places her phone on the table and frowns, and as she’s about to say something, Kennedy walks up to us.

“I’m going to hang out with Tisha for a bit. Can you let Mom and Dad know I’ll be back later, but don’t mention Tisha.” Kennedy eyes Erin intently.

“Why can’t you just tell them on your way out?” Erin asks.

“I’m going out through there,” she answers, pointing at the gate in the yard.

Erin smirks. “Why don’t you go through the front?”

Kennedy is losing her patience. “Dammit, Er. Why can’t you just do me this one favor?”

“Because you know Mom and Dad don’t like you going out with that chick. She’s bad news.”

“Who’s bad news?” Mr. Cole walks out into the back yard and takes a seat on a wooden chair.

“No one. Forget it,” Kennedy says, turning away from Erin. “Thanks a lot.” She storms off inside.

Mr. Cole looks at us with a smirk. “She was going to see Tisha, wasn’t she?”

Erin shrugs. “You know Kennedy. She loves her some trouble.”

Her father winks at her. “Good girl. Thanks for looking out for her.”

“Anytime.”

“Good thing I came out when I did.”

“Honey, can you come back in for a sec?” Mrs. Cole calls to him from inside.

Mr. Cole lets out a breath and places his hands on his lap. “Well, guess I’d better head on back inside.”

“Jackson!” she calls again.

“Coming, dear.”

Erin chuckles. “Bye, Dad.”

Mr. Cole waves a hand and enters the house.

“Now, where were we?” Erin asks, turning her attention to me.

“We were talking about what a wonderful time you had on your date last night,” I respond.

Erin offers me a smug grin. “Nice try, Lex. I didn’t forget. I was just trying to see what you were going to say. Now about calling Kalen…”

I roll my eyes with a smile. “I’m not calling him.”

“Text him.”

“I’m not texting him either.”

“Woman, you’re going to regret it if you don’t.”

I shrug. Maybe I will. But I probably