Read Unknown (Unknown Series Book 1) for Free Online

“Rylen’s taking me to the mall so I can help him pick a tuxedo for prom.” I smashed the blush brush into the dark pink powder and crushed it against my cheekbone.
    “Whoa, whoa.” Mom came forward and wiped my cheek with the back of her fingers in an upward stroke. She took the bag. “Let me.” In a flash she’d dabbed everything on. Just enough.
    “Does he have a date?” she asked as she ran a hand through my hair. She tried to make it sound like an offhand question, but I could feel the heaviness of expectancy in her voice.
    “I don’t think so.” It came out as a husky whisper.
    Mom looked at me now. I could see excitement in her eyes, which fueled my own eagerness tenfold. I let out a little squeal.
    “Don’t jump to conclusions, princesa.”
    “I’m not.” I totally was.
    She hugged me and sent me off to brush my teeth. Then reapply my lipstick.
    Ry picked me up in the old Chevy truck he’d spent the last year fixing himself. It still needed a paint job, but it purred nicely.
    He opened the door for me and I climbed in. Our eyes met as he closed it, and he seemed sheepish. Nervous. Holy truffle-shuffle.
    Rylen looked completely out of his element standing in the small tuxedo shop in his dusty boots, beat-up jeans, and T-shirt. His T-shirts fit perfectly these days, by the way.
    A sharp-dressed woman came up and smiled. “Can I help you?”
    “Uh, yeah. Yes, ma’am. My prom’s in a couple weeks.”
    She took down all of his information and measured him. I stood watching, trying not to smile as he lifted his arms, giving me a grin. Then it was time to choose a style.
    “Just . . . pick something,” he told me. “Whatever you want.”
    Whatever I wanted. I bit my lip as I walked the rows. Rylen wasn’t flashy. No shiny cuffs or tails. He needed something classic, black and white. His gratefulness as I chose was so cute. He nodded, looking happy about my selection.
    As he went to the counter, a guy behind us said, “Yo, Fite!” Rylen turned and the two of them grasped palms, then bumped knuckles. I recognized him as a football player.
    “What’s up, Smitty?” Rylen said.
    “Not much, man. Listen to this—I came two days ago to get my tux, right? Then Lanna sent me a picture of her dress and told me I had to come back to get a bowtie and cummerbund to match. Can you believe that shit?” Both of them laughed. “Is Becca making you match with her?”
    A wave of dizziness crashed over me and I reached for the counter to steady myself.
    Rylen shook his head. “Nah, man. I’ll make sure the corsage matches, though. She’s wearing blue.”
    “What kind of blue?” Smitty asked. “Sky blue? Royal blue? Navy blue?”
    Rylen turned ashen. “I don’t know.”
    “You’re fucked if you mess it up, dude.”
    Rylen and Smitty continued to talk and laugh, but their words were like storm clouds in my ears.
    Becca. Becca Rinefeld. I imagined the tall, dark-haired senior from the dance team on Rylen’s arm. Jealousy made my stomach spasm, hot and nauseating. I stood there in absolute silence while Rylen finished up his transaction and said good-bye to Smitty. He politely held out an arm for me to go ahead of him. I walked robotically. We were silent all the way to the truck—him seeming comfortable, me more uncomfortable than I’d ever been.
    As he put the truck in gear and headed out of the parking lot he said, “Thanks for your help.”
    “Why didn’t you ask Becca to help you?” It came out venomous. I stared straight forward, but in my peripheral I saw Rylen’s head snap to me.
    “She’s working. Are you okay?”
    Oh, God. I was going to cry. I swallowed hard and willed the moisture to back off.
    “What’s wrong?” He sounded so worried. So freaking clueless.
    “When you asked me to come today, I thought . . . I didn’t know you had a date.”
    Oh, God. Oh, God, oh, God. I said it. It was out there. The words hung between us like a fat blob of awkward. And as much as I wanted to