Chameleon Soul (Chequered Flag #1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

little animation.
    Nadine glanced across at me and fake yawned, rolling her eyes back into her head while I attempted to stifle my smile.
    “Want to find something more exciting to look at?” she whispered, her hand already circling my wrist. Despite knowing I didn’t have a choice, I still shook my head. The last thing I wanted to do was wander around the factory my ex worked in. It would only take one person to recognise me for it to get back to Teo.
    “Come on, it’ll be fun. We can meet up with them in the cafeteria later. It’s not like you don’t know all of this stuff already.”
    Leaving me with the choice to make a scene or go with her, I reluctantly stepped away from the group to follow her. I was beginning to regret my need to remain at the back of crowds. No one noticed us slipping away in the opposite direction and back towards the sound of voices we’d heard minutes ago.
    A partially open door allowed us a brief glimpse at the rows of chairs filled with men and women in suits. It didn’t take a genius to know what was going on in there, because what good was a journalist who couldn’t recognise her own kind?
    I placed a hand on Nadine’s shoulder. When she glanced back at me, I shook my head furiously, to which she replied to with a sour expression. Not one to be deterred, Nadine ignored me and pressed her nose into the gap. Rising up onto her toes, she tried to find the best angle to see as she slid up and down.
    I could see what was going to happen a split second before it unfolded.
    Nadine lost her balance.
    Instinctively, her arms shot out in front of her to protect her face, knocking the door wide open. I couldn’t reach her shoulder in time to pull her back.
    With a crash the door hit the wall, drawing all of the voices to a rapid stop as everyone swivelled in their chairs to stare at us. Looks of confusion and irritation all rounded on Nadine, only it wasn’t Nadine they could see.
    She was crouched over and muttering about a broken nail.
    Their focus was entirely on me.
    I shuffled, trying to release the nervous energy building within me while wondering whether it was best to flee or shrug it off. Fear lodged itself in my throat and every bone in my body wanted me to run. I trembled on the spot, my eyes wide and my lips open to form an “O.”
    One set of eyes had me rooted in place.
    Everything else ceased to exist. That single pair of warm brown eyes sent my heart into a tailspin.
    My mouth suddenly became dry and I inhaled sharply. The urge to flee intensified within me.
    He wasn’t supposed to be back. Dustin had told me he wasn’t back.
    However, the well-built man behind the desk filled with sponsors who was now staring at me in a mixture of shock and annoyance said otherwise.
    Teo was definitely in the country and he didn’t look happy to see me.
    “Can we help you?”
    My gaze was drawn briefly to the other side of the desk where Aston Hattersey sat, and my lip trembled at the sight of him. His voice was amplified around the room from the microphone fixed into the desk in front of him.
    Within a split second my eyes darted back to Teo, looking to find even the slightest reassurance in his expression. I know I should have said something, explained why we were there, but words failed me. The nerves surging through my veins seized control of my vocal chords.
    “I’m sorry, we’re in the middle of a press conference here. You need to leave.” This time the voice came from my right, where a man with salt and pepper hair closed in on us. I vaguely recognised him as Aston’s manager.
    “Sorry, we were looking for the toilets,” Nadine said, pulling herself off the floor and flashing him a magazine worthy smile.
    “Well, as you can see, they’re not here.”
    “We’re sorry for interrupting.”
    Teo stood. He took a single step in our direction and the movement triggered my flight instinct. Not giving him the opportunity to close the gap between us, I was out of the doorway