The Seven Devils (YA "New Adult" Romance) Read Online Free PDF Page A

room.

 
     
    Chapter 4
    “What in the Hell are you doing?” Austin yelled. The sudden outburst scared me half to death and I leapt up from my seat.
     
    “Austin!” I cried, too startled to say more. Suddenly the boy who had asked me out in the lunch line for the amusement of his friends walked in behind him.
     
    “Austin. Derrick,” Neil said, nodding to each as he stood up. “What’s happening?”
     
    “I’ve just gotten through telling Austin here all about you and why he should keep his poor little innocent sister away from you,” Derrick said, smirking and strolling closer to me. Neil subtly moved himself between us.
     
    “I thought you would be smart enough to stay away from guys like him,” Austin said, glaring at me.
     
    My brows furrowed and I shook my head slightly. “I don’t know what you mean,” I said simply.
     
    “Do you even know him at all?” Austin asked, exasperated. “It’s all over the school… everyone knows he has a history of manipulating girls,” he shouted.
     
    Tears filled my eyes. I wasn’t used to fighting with my brother. It’s true that he usually avoided me and he occasionally embarrassed me in front of his friends, but he had never actually shouted at me like this before. I looked away from him and put a hand on Neil’s back. Neil’s face remained rigid, but his clenched fists loosened and I felt him take a long breath as I touched him. I looked back to my brother and said, “Austin, I can make my own decisions about who to trust.”
     
    “So you give it away to any loser on the street, just like mom, is that right?” Austin said, clearly disgusted with me.
     
    That was too much for Neil and he took several quick steps towards Austin when we were suddenly startled by the door swinging open. My mother burst into the room, laden down with countless grocery bags. “I’m home!” she shouted. We all stood in our places, and I glared at Austin, praying he wouldn’t start in with this nonsense about Neil in front of her.
     
    Mom entered the room and her wide smile quickly fell as she observed the situation. “Austin!” she said in a scolding tone. “You and your friends aren’t picking on Ellen, are you?”
     
    I wanted to curl up and die as I heard those words leave her lips. My face burned and I stared at the floor, too embarrassed to say anything. The fact that she didn’t think for even a second that Neil could be there with me hurt so much.
     
    “Actually,” Neil said, stepping back towards me and placing his arm around my waist, “I am here with Ellen. I thought it would be nice to walk her home.”
     
    “Oh!” my mother said, not bothering to hide her surprise. “How nice.”
     
    Another woman appeared at the door and called, “I got the rest of them Jill!” as she set more grocery bags inside the doorway. It took me several seconds to recognize her as my Aunt Dorothy, the owner of the house we were living in. “Good Lord!” she cried, seeing Austin and I. “You two are so big! I must be so old!” she cried, running up and hugging first Austin and then me.
     
    “Hi Aunt Dorothy,” I said, trying to feign excitement.
     
    “Oh please, call me Dot!” she cried. I had to stop myself from laughing aloud. I had nearly forgotten that she preferred to be called Dot. Dorothy is, of course, a pretty awful name, but how anyone could want to be called Dot is beyond me. “Everyone congratulate your mama!” she shouted. “She got herself a job today! It’s time to celebrate!”
     
    “You found a job already?” Austin asked.
     
    “Yes, at the Dannon yogurt factory,” my mom replied cheerfully. “I start tomorrow, at the butt crack of dawn!”
     
    “Congratulations Mom,” I said. “That’s great!”
     
    Aunt Dot was rummaging through a couple of the grocery bags and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels and a six pack of Budweiser. She tossed a bottle of Bud to Austin and another to Derrick and cried, “Let’s get this