Flawed Love: House of Obsidian Read Online Free PDF Page A

but on the leaner side. He’s not bulky.
    I smile. I do it before I can chicken out. Jack’s brows go up. He scans me, and then he smiles back. Holy shit. He smiled back. I’m beaming as I watch him turn and walk out with his friends.
    “Holy shit,” Kenny squeaks. “He just smiled at you.”
    “Who smiled at her?”
    I jerk and turn to see Rainer standing behind me, eyes narrowed.
    “Jack. He totally just eye-fucked her!” Kenny claps happily.
    “It was a smile, Kenny, not sex,” I scoff.
    “It was close enough.”
    “Told you he was a jerk,” Rainer grunts.
    “And so are you, but here we are.”
    His eyes flash to mine and his glare challenges me. I hold my own and don’t back down. Rainer doesn’t choose who I date. I certainly get no say so in whom he pokes for fun.
    “Thought I warned you about him,” he says, stepping closer, arms crossed over his big chest.
    “Okay, caveman,” I mutter, glaring at him. “No offence, but I don’t get any say in who you date . . . so . . .”
    He keeps his arms crossed.
    I sigh.
    “Whatever. Come on, Kenny, we have to get to class.”
    “Don’t do it, Emy,” Rainer warns as I walk away.
    “See ya, Rai Rai. Call you later.”
    He mutters something at me but I don’t stop, I exit the cafeteria with Kenny and we head off to class. My next class is with him, but after that I’m on my own. I wander down the halls, off in my own little world. So much so I don’t realize that Jack is right behind me until his warm hand curls around my upper arm. I turn and jerk in surprise. I never thought he’d actually approach me.
    “Hey.” He smiles. “Emalie, right?”
    Oh God.
    “Ah . . .” Shit, shit, shit. Get it together . “Yes.”
    “I’m Jack.”
    “I know,” I blurt, then my cheeks begin to burn.
    God, I’m way cooler than this. What the hell is wrong with me?
    Jack flashes a killer grin, dimples and all. Gosh he’s good looking.
    “I was just wondering if you might like to go out with me?”
    Say what? Is he serious? He wants to go out with me? He could have any girl here. Why the hell would he want to go out with me?
    “Ah, is this a joke?” I say, narrowing my eyes.
    He crosses his arms, actually looking offended. “Why would it be a joke?”
    “Have you seen yourself? And have you seen me?”
    “Yes, and yes.”
    “I . . . you could have anyone,” I protest, a little lamely.
    “I’m askin’ for a date.” He smiles warmly. “Not marriage.”
    I laugh nervously. “Well, yeah, okay then.”
    His smile gets bigger. “You got a phone number I can have?”
    I swing my backpack around, nearly hitting him in the face. I laugh nervously again, and pull out my cell phone. I recite the number and he gives me his.
    “I’ll call you. We’ll work something out.”
    “Okay,” I breathe.
    “Later, Emily.”
    Emily. No one calls me Emily. My name is either shortened to Emy or left as Emalie, but never spelled differently. It’s kind of nice. I flush.
    “Later.”
    Yippee!
    ~*~*~*~
    I smile down at my phone as my fingers glide across the keys in response to Jack’s latest text. We’ve been texting for the last week, and the more I talk to him, the more I like him. He’s funny, and smart, and so easy to talk to. We’re going on a date tomorrow night, and I’m over-excited about it. I can’t wait.
    “Who the fuck do you keep texting?”
    I look up from my phone and over to Rainer, who’s driving me home. He’s glaring at me, but he can’t do it for long as he focuses back on the road.
    “Jack.”
    “Seriously?” he grunts. “I warned you about him.”
    “He’s a nice guy, Rainer.”
    “He’s a jerk.”
    I sigh and look over to him. “We’re friends, right? We’ve been friends for a lot of years. I’m not your girlfriend, but I do respect what we have enough to listen to you. However, this time you’re wrong. Can you drop it, please?”
    “Whatever. And what the fuck are you wearing?”
    I glance down at the new pair of skinny