TROUBLE, A New Adult Romance Novel (The Rebel Series) Read Online Free PDF

Prejudice .
    “Who’s stupid?   You?   I don’t think so.”   Colin takes a paper towel and wipes my hand dry.
    Without thinking, I lean closer to him just the slightest bit and inhale.   I love the way he smells.   I don’t know if it’s laundry soap or cologne that keeps going up my nose, but it’s amazing.   And it’s not too strong either, which would be a problem since pregnancy has given my nose superpowers. I step back a couple inches when I realize I’m about to close my eyes and sigh over it.
    Shaking my head to get it back to reality, I try to explain myself. “Quin was just playing around like she always does, and I know she didn’t mean anything personal by it.   I guess I should feel complimented that she teases me like she teases Teagan.”
    “It means she likes you,” Colin says.   His voice holds no judgment and for that I’m grateful.   He’s being way too nice to me, considering I pelted him with about a hundred of his most feared objects today.
    “I guess I could do with some less aggressive friendship at this point in my life,” I say.
    “Maybe.   Maybe not.”
    I look up at him, even though he’s standing really close and it’s kind of intimate to be face to face like this.   “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    He shrugs.   “Dunno.”
    I pull my hand out of his grip and move back another step.   “Huh-uh.   You’re not going to say something challenging like that and then just let it go.”   My left hand rests on the edge of the bench and my fingers curl a little as my stress level rises.   The nubs that used to be fingernails drag across the scarred wood surface.
    “I wasn’t challenging you.”   He moves away, taking a tool off the table and stepping over to the car, sliding the loose engine part over to the corner so he can reach the spot he’s aiming for.   His broad back muscles stretch and flex under his tight t-shirt.   Holy mackerelandy.
    “Yes, you were, don’t lie.”
    He pauses as he’s in the process of leaning over the engine.   Twisting his upper body towards me, he fixes hard eyes on me and says, “I don’t lie.”   Then he goes back to his work and proceeds to use his tool somewhere deep inside the mess of hoses and engine parts I can’t see very well.
    “Well, what do you call that comment, then?” My breathing rate has increased and I can feel the heat rising in my face.
    His voice sounds funny, muffled a little by the hood of the car.   “Just an alternate way of looking at the situation.”
    “How so?”   I tap my finger over and over on the bench.   The rhythm keeps me from wanting to throw things.
    He continues working while he answers.   “You said you could do with something different.   But maybe you say that because you just want to stay miserable.   Maybe Quin and Teagan could help you to feel happy again, but you don’t want to let them because you’re too focused on punishing yourself.”
    “What?”   My blood is starting to boil.   I’m not even sure I’ve fully processed what he’s saying, or that I’m sure about what he means, but I have a feeling I’m not going to like it.
    He stands up and faces me.   “Nobody in this place understands that mindset more than me, okay?   I wrote the fucking book on it.   You don’t need to hide your shit from me.”
    I huff out a breath of air, trying to stay civil in the face of his rudeness.   “I really wish you’d stop swearing like that.”
    He shrugs.   “Don’t cloud the issue.”
    “Cloud the issue?   I’m not clouding the issue.”   My voice is going up in volume, but I can’t seem to stop it.   It echoes around the large open space.   “Everywhere I go around you people I’m hearing the F-word and the S-word and the C- word and the D-word. Teagan and Quin have a swear word for every letter of the alphabet. Why can’t any of you express yourselves without using foul language?”
    “Somebody used the C-word around you?” He’s