The Boyfriend Thief Read Online Free PDF

have known.”
    I snatched the screen back from him. “I caught you red-handed this time. I knew you were making dates with other girls when Molly wasn’t around and now I have proof.”
    Elliott shook his head. “You are insane, Avery James. And you have no idea what you’re talking about.”
    He spun around and stomped out of the room, leaving me with a wad of wet, puke-covered paper towels.

Chapter 4
     
    The Rose Castle pulsed with music and conversation when I arrived after school the next day. I pushed through the crowd, checking to see if Zac had beat me there. There was no sign of him, so I ordered a chocolate shake and then sat down at an empty table and pulled out my economics notebook.
    I was so focused on jotting down ideas that I didn’t notice the person who had slid into the seat across from me until he spoke.
    “Hello, Avery.”
    I looked up, startled, into Elliott Reiser’s familiar blue eyes.
    “What are you doing here?” I snapped.
    “I saw you sitting alone and thought I’d come over to keep you company,” Elliott said. “You looked so lonely all by yourself.”
    “Actually, I’m waiting for someone, so you’re free to get lost.”
    “How about I stay until that someone gets here?” Elliott said, settling back into the seat and making it obvious he was in no hurry to leave.
    “I’m really busy. Got this big economics project.” I tapped my notebook with my pen.
    “Not too busy to ruin my life, as always,” Elliott said, leaning forward and cupping his hands over mine. He squeezed hard so I couldn’t pull away.
    “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
    “I know you talked to Molly about what you think is going on,” Elliott said. “And now she says I’m on some kind of probationary period.”
    I shrugged. “Too bad.”
    Elliott’s forehead creased into a scowl. “Despite what you think, I would never cheat on Molly.”
    “I see how you are with Tara. All she has to do is be willing to kiss your scaly lips and you won’t say no.”
    Elliott shot me a sly grin. “You know my lips are not scaly.”
    I shuddered. “Ugh. Don’t flatter yourself. That was a mistake I intend to never repeat again.” I let the stony silence hang between us for a moment before continuing. “Now I’ll do anything necessary to protect Molly from you.”
    “I would never hurt her.”
    “Sure,” I said, feeling my legs starting to shake under the table. A lump in my throat choked me as I tried to swallow it back. “Like you would never hurt me because we were supposed to be best friends.”
    Everything Elliott had said to me the day he and Hannah stopped being my friends echoed through my memory. We were almost thirteen years old and it was the beginning of summer, only a few days after seventh grade had ended. There, in Elliott’s parents’ basement across the street from my own house, he told me he would hate me forever and I deserved to spend the rest of my life sitting alone in my room with no friends. Hannah called me a lying sneak and threw her half of our “best friends forever” necklace back at me.
    I gritted my teeth to keep my chin from quivering as I stared back across the table at Elliott.
    A flicker of guilt flashed across his face. “Avery, I—”
    “Sorry I’m late.”
    Elliott and I looked up at Zac, who stood next to the table. He smiled at me and then shot a grimace at Elliott.
    “Zac,” I said, relieved. He could have been my knight in shining armor, if I believed in that kind of thing. At least he gave me an excuse to get rid of Elliott. “Glad you could make it.”
    Elliott’s scowl deepened as he studied Zac, from his messy brown hair to his dirty sneakers. Elliott was dressed, as usual, in a pressed polo shirt tucked neatly into his khakis. “Greeley,” he grunted in greeting.
    “Reiser,” Zac responded. He pointed at the seat Elliott occupied and asked me, “This seat mine?”
    “Yes,” I said. “Elliott is leaving now.”
    Elliott glared