FAST RIDE by DEBBY CONRAD Page A

me so well, why don’t you tell me ?”
    “You were watching Greg and me from that window,” she accused, pointing in the opposite direction from where he was facing. “Spying on me.”
    “It didn’t look to me like you cared who saw you the way you rushed into his arms. The way he was touching you.”
    “You bastard!” The tears spilled over her cheeks. “I came over here to tell you I was in love with you.”
    “Love? Honey, you don’t know the meaning of the word.” He glared at her. “What happened? Didn’t Greg get you off the way I can? If he needs some pointers, tell him to call me.”
    Her hand came in contact with his face, making a loud cracking sound. It had to have hurt, because her palm stung so badly she almost cried out.
    But Kenny didn’t do anything more than stare up at her with a wounded expression.
    Her tears flowed freely now, and she did nothing to try to stop them. Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she said, “Why don’t you ask me if I slept with Greg that night. Go ahead, ask me.”
    “I really don’t care. It’s over, Holly. I’d like for you to leave.”
    “You’re a coward, Kenny. The biggest coward I’ve ever met. You’re throwing away what might be the best thing that ever happened to you. And you’re too dumb to notice.”
    With that, she wrapped her sweater tightly around her and ran. Ran out into the cold air and cried her heart out.
    * * *
    Holly was right, Kenny thought with sinking despair. He was a bastard, and a coward. And the reason he hadn’t asked her if she’d slept with Greg was because he’d been afraid that she might have said “yes”.
    But what if she’d said “no”? Would he have believed her? Damn, he should have trusted her. He should have known her well enough to realize that she wouldn’t have betrayed him in that way.
    It didn’t matter anymore. Holly hated him, and she had every right to. He’d said some pretty crude things to her. And he’d made her cry.
    He shuddered inwardly at the memory. If he could take back everything he’d said to her, would he? Or was this his way of ending it before she could end it with him?
    He closed his eyes and fought off the nausea gripping at his insides. She’d said she’d come over to tell him she was in love with him, and he’d thrown that confession back in her face. His throat ached with defeat.
    He loved her, more than he thought it was possible to love anyone. She understood him. His fears. His anguish. And yet she’d fallen in love with him in spite of those things.
    He didn’t deserve her and yet he wanted her more desperately now than ever before.
    “They’re ready for you,” a nurse with gray hair said as she entered his hospital room.
    Libby squeezed his hand. “Kenny.”
    “I’ll be fine.”
    She smiled and kissed his cheek. “I know you will. You’re the bravest man I know.”
    Kenny almost laughed. What a hoot! He’d never been more terrified in his life. And it wasn’t just the surgery scaring him at the moment. It was wondering if he could ever earn Holly’s forgiveness. Wondering if he could ever make her love him again.

CHAPTER NINE
    K enny scanned the diagram of computer components in Jordan’s school book. “This is some heavy stuff for an eight-year-old. Megabytes. Hard drive. Keyboard.”
    “Yeah, and I gotta know it all for the test tomorrow.”
    Kenny patted the sofa cushion next to him. “Well, why don’t you sit here, and I’ll help you study.”
    “Cool.” Jordan bounced down hard on the sofa. “Sorry. Mom said if I came over I had to be real careful around you ‘cause you’re still recu--” He frowned.
    “Recuperating,” Kenny said.
    “Yeah, that’s it.”
    Kenny hadn’t talked to Holly since the day she’d accused him of being a coward and run out of the house. That was nearly four months ago. He’d only been home a few days after leaving the rehab center.
    He knew she’d visited him in the hospital. He’d been pretty out of it