Embracing Trouble (Trouble Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

pavement and his hand shot out to stop me from falling. I righted myself and we kept walking in silence. I tried not to feel hurt, realizing this guy didn’t even like me. What was wrong with me?
    We reached my house and I stopped at the driveway.
    “This is me.”
    He stopped and peered at the house and then looked at me. His eyes bored into me again, and I felt my stomach do a backflip. He pulled my phone out of his pocket and passed it to me.
    “Thanks for taking care of me tonight,” I said, taking it from him and trying not to touch his fingers.
    He nodded but didn’t say anything.
    I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I suddenly didn’t want the night to end like this. What would other girls do in this situation? Would Monica lean in, kiss him, and say thanks? His eyes burned into me, like they wanted something more, but his body was stepping back, like he was in direct conflict with himself.
    But then again, maybe I was reading it all wrong, and he didn’t feel an ounce of attraction towards me. He was looking after me out of duty, because his friend had drugged me.
    “Well, thanks again,” I said, unable to hide the hurt in my voice.
    I wanted him to want me. I wanted him to think I was attractive. I wanted him to kiss me.
    He stepped even further back, and said, “Take care, Ava.”
    Then he turned away.
    Hurt feelings dug deep into my chest.
    I walked to the front door, and tried my hardest not to look back at him. I unlocked the door and then glanced over my shoulder. He had already disappeared back down the street. Hurt weighed me down, and I let out a deep sigh of despair as I walked into the house.
     
    Zac
    “Did you give her a bit?” Will asked, laughing as I stepped back into Noah’s place.
    “I’ll give you my fist in a minute,” I muttered going over to the fridge to get a beer.
    I was restless from wanting something I had no right to want.
    “She was hot,” said Noah from the couch.
    “Nothing like taking a bit of innocence to finish off the night,” said another with a chuckle.
    “How about you all shut the fuck up and don’t talk about her again,” I spat angrily.
    They all stopped and Will changed the subject instantly.
    I leaned against the kitchen bench and took an almighty swig of my cold beer. I had never been so tempted in all my life when I had first seen her tonight. She was beautiful. She seemed so unaware of herself, of her ability to drive a guy to his knees. I couldn’t understand why she didn’t have a boyfriend, especially when I saw the tools eyeing her tonight at the party. She was so oblivious to their attention and their intentions. I wanted to protect her and tell them all she was mine.
    But she wasn’t for me. She was too nice and way too innocent. I always kept my distance from girls like her, because they always wanted more than I was ever prepared to give.
    I took another swig of beer, knowing I needed to rid myself of the thought of her. I had walked away from the temptation with all the self-control I could muster. Enough.
     
    Ava
    By the next afternoon, I felt normal again, but hurt. I looked at myself in the mirror and tried to see what he saw. Maybe I was just too plain and boring? I had stirred nothing in him while he had stirred total discontent within me. He was the first guy to ever make me feel that nervous craziness and that was very different compared to the boys at school. He looked like he had experienced a lot of what life had to offer him. He had reduced me to a quivering mess last night but was untouchable and totally not into me. How unfair was that? It only made me want him more.
    I heard laughing downstairs and knew my father was back with his girlfriend from their weekend getaway. They did a lot of weekend getaways, which suited me fine; the less I saw of them both, the better. I was under no illusions. My father worked hard and wanted to play harder, and it was complicated with a teenage daughter under the same roof who reminded