Under the Summer Sky by Michelle Stone (jenna bush book club TXT) 📖

out his pack of smokes. He took one out and lit it, while I stood there waiting for Ramon. He handed the smoke to me and I took a couple hits from it.
“What I mean to say is…” His eyes looked everywhere but mine. He desperately darted his vision so it wouldn’t cross with mine. “I like you, a lot.” He confessed.
“But what do you mean first kiss?” I said handing the cigarette back to Ramon.
“It’s nothing, just forget it. Didn’t you hear me? I like you. This is the part where you tell me how you feel about me.” He said without looking away.
“Ramon, I like you a lot, but I think I’m in love with Star.” I said remembering all the times we shared this summer.
“That’s bullshit. She doesn’t love you back!” He exclaimed.
“What do you mean she doesn’t love me back?” I said as my ears turned bright red.
“It was a bet Myra. Star bet me that she could…” he trailed off not bothering to finish his sentence.
All of my deepest fears started resurfacing as I processed what Ramon said. Confusion, hurt, denial, all ran through me at lightning speed. So, this whole thing with Star was a joke? How could she possibly do something so mean to another person. It can’t be true. Star wouldn’t play a trick on me so low.
“So, the whole thing is just a game? You went along with it the entire time.” I said raising my voice. I could feel the blood rushing to my face as I fought back tears that were threatening to escape.
“No, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. It wasn’t just a game for us. We both fell for the same girl Myra.” He said taking my face into his hands.
A single tear rolled down my cheek, breaking the barrier. Ramon looked into my eyes and wiped it away softly.
A swift movement and he was pressing his lips against mine. They were soft, cushioning, against my lips. I melted into his arms as he grabbed me and pulled me closer. My world started spinning as I slowly started floating. He held me there as he started running his hands through my hair, stroking my cheek with his thumb.
I gasped for air as he pulled away showing a smile that I’ve never seen before. It sent shivers through out my body as I looked at his perfectly shaped lips. His eyes revealed an emotion that I couldn’t read. One thing was sure, he looked happy.
As I processed all these new thoughts, I remembered why we were there. I stumbled backwards catching the truck before my legs gave out. Ramon steadied me and kept his hands at my mid-section.
“So, what do I do now?” I said my voice faltering.
“You have to choose.” He said point blank.
I didn’t want to choose and I certainly didn’t want to be the reason for someone’s hurt. My mind went over everything that’s happened in the past weeks.

Star parked and walked over to where I was standing next to Ramon, in the small dirt parking lot. She looked back from me to Ramon with a suspicious expression across her face. She had no clue what was going on and only rushed over when I said it was an emergency. Of course she knew the spot enough to know where it was. Apparently, it was like some sort of weird middle school hang-out.
She stopped in front of me while Ramon stood a few feet away. She stood there for a few seconds, before she pulled my hand into hers. I felt so comforted, like with her hand holding me down to the ground, I could practically do anything.
With a straight as arrow back, before I even knew what was happening, I swiped a clean smooth, yet painful slap to Star’s face.
She looked at me aghast before screeching out “What the fuck was that for?”.
“You lied.” I stared at her calmly. “About everything. What wasn’t a lie in our relationship?”
“What did you tell her?” Star turned her glare to Ramon, who started shrinking back towards his truck. When she let go of my hand I felt as if a life-line was missing. All that confidence in what to say, gone.
“I didn’t tell her anything that she didn’t deserve to know.” Ramon said as he cowered lower.
Star looked at me in disgust and then turned on her heel while saying over her shoulder “I don’t fucking need this.”
I ran up to her and pulled her arm around to face me. She just stared at me emotionless trying to dart her vision away from mine. When I finally got close enough to her face I put my hand on her cheek. She just stared at me. The most blank expression on her face.
“Please let go of me.” She said as she piled into her car losing a few pieces of her trash as she shut the door behind her.
I watched Star pull out that drive and I didn’t go running after her. How could I? She couldn’t even tell me the truth about what happened.
I knew one thing very clear though. Star was who I chose. She was always the one. From that very first night at the bon fire, I knew their was more to her than what people said of her. She was the most amazing person in my eyes and I let her drive away.
I turned back to Ramon who was standing there with his hands in his pockets staring at the ground.
I hopped back into the cab of his truck and waited for him to shuffle in next to me.

Imprint

Publication Date: 01-06-2011

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
This book is dedicated to My sisters, Emily, Angel, and Amanda. For always telliing me that I could be whoever I wanted and who believed in me the entire time.