Crushing on the Enemy Read Online Free PDF Page B

told them the truth. She had said they both had sneaked out of their houses anyway. So why had she lied? Alyssa wasn't sure. At least it was behind her now.

    Alyssa blinked for a moment and felt like a fool. Caught up in the moment and her emotions, she had given Jake her phone number. Surely, he wouldn't call her, or would he? She remembered how his eyes had lit up when she told him she was single. Alyssa felt her cheeks go pink.

    “Stop it,” she told herself silently, “that boy is a Rattlesnake.”

    Alyssa drove home through the empty streets trying to figure out how she was going to sneak back into the house without getting caught. Her mother was going to be angry enough to have kittens and Cody would have a field day with 'delinquent' behavior.

    “I guess I climb back up the tree,” she sighed as she killed the engine.

    Slowly, so not to make a sound, Alyssa hefted herself up the sturdy branches of the tree that stood outside of her window. She pulled herself onto the pane and over the window seat before she collapsed silently panting.

    The overhead light came on, startling her.

    “No cheering for the rest of the year,” Cody said, looking down at her.

    “Screw off,” she panted.

    “I mean it, Alyssa, and I'm sure your mother will agree with me,” he added.

    “Leave her alone, Cody,” her mother sighed coming into the room.

    “I'm not going to continue to tolerate her behavior under my roof,” he said.

    Anger twisted Alyssa's belly and she forced herself to her feet.

    “This isn't your house, it never was,” she shouted at him.

    Hot angry tears dropped down her cheeks and landed on the soft blue carpet as she spoke.

    “This is my father's house. He bought it. He paid off the mortgage not you,” Alyssa yelled.

    “You're father's not here, anymore, Alyssa, you know that,” he said angrily.

    “And you shouldn't be either,” she spat at him.

    “Cody, just leave her alone,” her mother said stepping in between them.

    “You're really going to let her get away with it, then?” he asked.

    “Get away with what, Cody, telling the truth?” her mother snapped turning towards him, “This isn't your house. It's mine, and it's Alyssa's home. So just leave her be!”

    “Fine!” Cody said and stormed from the room.

    “Are you okay?” her mother asked.

    Alyssa nodded and sat down on the bed. She could hear Cody storming down the hall and then down the stairs. They listened together as the front door opened and then slammed shut. Alyssa wasn't sure what to think.

    “Officer Bryant called me,” her mother sighed, “He was your father's best friend.”

    “I remember,” Alyssa nodded.

    “Says he's worried about you,” she said.

    “Because I'm sneaking out to meet boys?” Alyssa arched a brow.

    “No, he says you looked miserable,” her mother answered.

    “I am miserable, Mom,” Alyssa told her.

    “Tell me what's going on,” she said.

    Alyssa looked into her mother's eyes and broke down into sobs. She didn't want to talk about anything, but slowly she told her mother what happened with Ryan Matthers.

    “Teenagers can be so cruel,” her mother said when she finished speaking.

    Alyssa wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew that things were changing, or at least she hoped they were. She wanted her mother to be happy, but Cody had been her oppressor since he moved in.

    Sunday passed in a lazy haze. Alyssa kept her phone in her pocket as she lounged on her window seat. She kept waiting for Jake to call. Her mind would go back and forth between longing for the phone to ring and hoping that he had lost her number. Nothing made sense to her, so she did nothing.

    Monday morning she slept through her alarm and drove to school late. Her mother had already left for work and there was no sign of Cody. He hadn't returned home on Sunday either. Alyssa was too afraid to hope that he was gone for good, because she didn't think she could survive her hopes being crashed