Shades of Sydney (Sydney West #1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

happen to forget.”
    “Okay,” he said, drawing the word out. He was puzzled by my coldness. There was something off about them. Hunter was too handsy with my friend and Jason didn’t seem to be interested.
    Before anyone could think of something else to say, Amelia raced back. She was wheezing and folded herself in half at the torso. Her hands were on her knees and all her hair shielded her face. After a few heartbeats, she stood up, tossing her hair fiercely.
    “Got my phone,” she said, lifting her blue cell for all to see.
    The boys told her their numbers and she told them hers. All three of them turned to me. “What? Oh, right.” I recited my number. They put it in their contacts and tucked away their phones.
    “Good-bye, Amelia. It was a pleasure assisting you,” Hunter said, eyeing my friend’s body like she was a piece of delicious candy.
    She giggled, but her laughter ceased when I body blocked her. “’Night,” I said harshly.
    We turned and I grabbed Amelia’s arm to ensure she came with me and not them.
    When we were out of earshot from the boys, she yanked herself free and crossed her arms over her chest. “What’s the matter with you? That guy liked me and you made me look like a little girl!”
    “I was protecting you,” I said flatly.
    “What? No, you weren’t. You were jealous—”
    I turned and poked my finger into her chest. “I’m jealous of no one. That boy was a stranger and had you in his web.”
    “You can’t tell me who I can kiss. You fucked a guy in a public bathroom. There’s no moral ground for you to stand on, you hypocrite.” Her voice was bitter, but it cracked at the end.
    “I’m sorry. It’s not my place, but I know what I’m doing with guys. There’s a way to control them and I don’t know if you can do that yet.”
    She sniffed. “What do you mean?”
    I smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear. “You have to know how to wrap a guy around your finger and then you can conquer the world. If you fail, then things can turn bad quickly.”
    “Let’s go home,” she said, gathering our supplies from the beach.
    We packed up and put everything in the car with a heavy silence around us. Amelia placed her surfboard onto the roof and slammed the door when she got inside.
    I couldn’t help her. It was something she’d have to learn. No one could teach someone how to have a perfect fling. I slid my board on top of hers and fastened the rack to keep them from falling off. I walked around to the driver’s side and opened the door. For a moment all I could hear was the sound of the engine turning over.
    Amelia turned up the music, creating a wall between us. She was upset I ruined her summer crush. Maybe she thought I had embarrassed her. Shrugging it off, I lip sang to the song playing and made sure to keep my eyes on the road. If I snuck a peek at Amelia, her grim hazel eyes and pout were going to depress me.
    Once home she went into her room and locked the door. We should’ve passed on the damn beach. How long was she going to stay mad at me?
    My cell buzzed, alerting me I had a text message.
    I grabbed my phone and hit the button so I could read it. I didn’t recognize the number. It wasn’t any of my friends or family. Who the hell had my number but wasn’t in my contacts?
    The answer hit me like a hurricane. Jason had my phone number.
     
    Jason: Hey, is tomorrow night 2 early 2 hang out again?
     
    Hang out? Did he want to spend time with me or teach me more dumb tricks? The boy was confusing.
     
    Me: We can surf tomorrow. What time?
     
    I sat my phone down and walked to the kitchen. I’d just opened the fridge’s door when my phone went off again. He was fast at texting back.
     
    Jason: How’s 4 sound?
     
    I thought for a moment and flicked my gaze upstairs.
     
    Me: That’s fine. Is Hunter coming 2?
     
    Jason: No, he’s helping his uncle.
     
    My stomach dropped. He wanted to meet me alone? That was intriguing and odd at the same time. What if