My Heart be Damned Read Online Free PDF

Letting go of her, I shoved her out of my way and stormed over to Chuck.
    “You wanna touch my girlfriend again?” the guy in the middle shouted. He lunged forward and swung right for Chuck’s face. There was a dull thunk and a howl of pain.
    “Hey!” I shouted. “Get away from him.”
    “Just leave it,” Blondie agreed from behind me. “It’s not worth it, and you’re already on probation, Jeff.”
    Jeff, her boyfriend I guessed, turned to face me with a snarl. I could take these three clowns no problem. However, doing it in front of Chuck would mean having to explain some things I just wasn’t ready to do.
    After sizing me up a bit, Jeff nodded to his two friends, and they began to back away from me. I pushed past them and over to Chuck, who was clutching his eye.
    “Are you okay?” I asked gently.
    A brick whizzed past my face and smashed through a tinted window of the building near where Chuck was standing. Chuck scuttled away, tripping over his own feet and falling backwards. I turned in search of the idiots who had thrown the brick. Now I was seriously pissed off.
    “Don’t come near my girlfriend again!” Jeff warned, and then they all ran. Pricks.
    I turned back to Chuck and pulled him up to his feet. His eye was swelling up and darkening. He’d have an impressive shiner come tomorrow.
    “Why did that girl follow you out if she had a boyfriend?” I demanded.
    He shrugged out of my grip and glared at me. “I didn’t need your help, Amerie . I can take care of myself.”
    His words stung. Though I knew it was only his ego talking, I was a little annoyed at how ungrateful he was being.
    “Chuck...”
    He held up a hand to stop me. “Save it. I’m gone.”
    I watched him walk away with a sinking feeling in my stomach. Now neither of my friends was speaking to me. And for no real reason. I leaned against the wall, squeezing my eyes shut. Until someone moved in the alley behind me. I whirled around; my fist raised, and then froze.
    It was a tall man, fat and balding, with a gold hoop in one ear. I recognized him; he owned The Hut. Instead of staring at me, he stared at the smashed window. Oh, shit.
    “Did you do this?”
    I shook my head. “No! No, it wasn’t me.”
    The man gestured to Chuck’s retreating form. “Your boyfriend get mad and do it, then?”
    “He’s not my boyfriend. And no, it wasn’t him.”
    “One of you two will pay for this. Do you want me to ring the police and get them involved? Or do you want to come into the back office with me and we’ll work out how you’re going to pay for the repairs?”
    What a no-win situation. If I continued to deny it, then he would blame Chuck, and involve the police no less. If I accepted responsibility for something I didn’t do, then I was paying out money I didn’t have.
    Chuck or money?
    “Lead the way,” I said with a heavy sigh.
    He nodded and waddled toward a black side door. I followed him, walking into what looked like his office. The walls were a dark color and he had pictures framed and pinned all around the room. Most of them were of him with various celebrities who had visited the place. I wondered if he’d Photoshopped it. I’d never seen a celebrity in here before.
    “Take a seat.” He pointed to a black, leather sofa, and I sat down obediently.
    He took up a seat behind his long desk. His chair groaned and creaked in protest under his weight. For a moment, none of us spoke. I kept staring around the room, trying to find a hint of this guy’s personality. He had no pictures of his family up, though he wore a wedding ring. The furniture was basic but had an unused feel about it. It seemed that this room was for show only.
    “I’m estimating that window will cost a lot to fix,” he said, startling me. “You got cash, kid?”
    “I’m not a kid,” I corrected. “And no, I don’t. I have no money. My dad’s broke.”
    He nodded as if expecting this. “Thought so. Well, you’re gonna need to pay for it