Page 95 of Secrets in the Attic (Secrets 1)

---

Karen?"

"What can we do?" I asked.

He moved closer.

"I don't know, but we should think about it. I'm

sure you have. I've never seen two girls who were

closer or better friends than you two. I guess you

know as much about each other as any two people

could know about each other," he said, running his

fingers through my hair. "I know this . . . I'd rather

have you for a friend than any other girl at that school.

Most of the other girls are stuck on themselves, but

not you. You're responsible, reliable, someone to be

trusted:'

"How do you know that?" I asked. He was

doing just what Karen predicted he would do, saying

the things she said he would say. How did she know? "Give me some credit for being bright enough

to see through the phony crap, will you? There's

something real about you, something sincere. I've

been watching you for a long time, even when I was

going steady."

"Watching me? What about Karen?"

"Oh, sure, but that was just my way of finding

out more about you."

"Huh?" I pulled my head back and my hair

away from his fingers.

He shrugged. "Karen was flirting with me, so I

paid attention to her, but after I was with her, I

realized you were really who I wanted t

o be with. All

we did was talk about you all the time "

---