AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He barks out a laugh, then he lunges forward, grabbing hold of her waist and throwing her over his shoulder.
“Nate, what are you doing?” she screeches.
“It’s time to go set Free Willy free, my queen. In the comfort of my room.” He slaps her backside, and she lets out a squeal. “Peace out, fuckers!”
He gives everyone a salute then disappears with Lyndsey out of the kitchen.
Swinging my attention back to the island bench, I catch Grayson and Big Boy staring at me like two deer caught in the headlights. I arch a brow in question, wondering why they are both staring at me like a pair of weirdos which seems to snap them out of their stupor.
“Ava, I didn’t think you were coming,” Big Boy says, glancing at Grayson briefly before looking back to me.
“We had a last-minute change of plans,” I respond, wondering why I even have to explain this. They both shift uncomfortably, and my brows draw in as uncomfortable silence hangs in the air. Looking around the kitchen, it suddenly dawns on me that I haven’t seen Logan yet. “Have you guys seen Logan?”
Big Boy clears his throat, and Grayson scratches his head. “Ah… I think I saw him… outside,” Grayson stammers. Big Boy flashes him a strange look, and Grayson quickly composes himself. “But how about I prepare you one of my special cocktails, beautiful?”
He claps his hands together and spins around, grabbing some bottles of alcohol from the bench behind him. My skin prickles as I eye them both skeptically. “How about you make that drink while I go and find Logan?”
“Sure.” Grayson’s shoulders drop as he exhales a long sigh, keeping his back to mine.
Giving them both one last dubious look, I make my way out of the kitchen to the deck outside. The pergola above the deck is decorated in strings of fairy lights and glancing over to the outdoor sectional on the right side, I internally groan when I spot the group of ladies sitting on it.
Hadley Miller’s Minions.
Hadley Miller is what we like to call a social climber, but Lyndsey refers to her as a bottom feeder. The name comes from the fact thatHadleyand her merry band of bitches are always on the prowl, hoping to snag one of the football players, should the opportunity arise.
And Logan just happens to be one of them.
Hadley has been trying to sink her claws into him for the last two years, and she hasn’t exactly been subtle about her intentions. She blatantly flirts with him every chance she gets, and my presence doesn’t hold any weight in fending off her advances.
Logan has never shown the slightest bit of interest, but I know deep down he secretly enjoys the attention. Who wouldn’t? Hadley isn’t exactly hard on the eyes, and if her minions are here, then that means so is she. This also means I get to look forward to yet another party fighting off her constant attempts to seduce my boyfriend.
As the girls continue to gossip about God knows who, Summer—Hadley’s wingman—spots me standing there, and her eyes widen slightly. My forehead creases as we stare at each other for a moment. Why we are staring at each other, I’m not exactly sure, but when her lips curl up into a smug smile, an uneasy feeling trickles down my spine.
She is just as much of a bitch as Hadley, but the look she is giving me is screamingcat-that-got-the-canary. And knowing Summer, she has a good reason for it. Breaking eye contact, I turn away and head down the stairs into the pool area. As I’m scanning the backyard for Logan, someone bumps into me from behind, and I turn around to face Eric.
“Ava? What are you doing here?” he exclaims, his eyes growing wide with surprise, and my back instantly stiffens.
Why are people asking me this?
It’s not the first time I’ve shown up at a party unannounced, but this is the first time people have questioned it. He is giving me that same look that Grayson and Big Boy did, and it’s pretty obvious now that something is going on. And whatever it is, I’m not going to like it.
Slipping his hands in his pockets, he averts his gaze, and my stomach starts to churn at the unease rippling off him. Eric is one of my closest friends, and whatever it is that is going down, I know I can trust him to tell me, but by the stricken look on his face, it’s evident that he doesn’t want to.
“What is going on, Eric? Where is Logan?”
He swallows hard, raking his fingers through his hair “Ava… I don’t—”
“Tell me where the fuck he is!” I snap.
His tormented eyes meet mine, and my stomach drops. “He’s upstairs.”
Without another word, I spin around and run toward the house. Eric calls out my name as I pass through the kitchen, but I head straight for the stairs, choosing to ignore him.
Taking two steps at a time and dodging people on the way, I instinctively turn right and start opening up every single door in the long hallway, not caring who is behind them or what they are doing.
When I reach the last door on the left, I pause. Moaning and grunting can be heard on the other side, and even though I haven’t opened the door yet, I already know what I’m going to find.
Please, God, don’t let it be him.
