AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hell–fucking–no.
"You'll regret that," Zac hisses.
"Yeah." I stand up, breaking the contact with Mia, but my move is halted. Her hand is fastened in the back of my tee.
"Austin, please." Green eyes plead.
Her tone alone shocks the shit out of me. She’d said please, and I’m taking that seriously. I don't advance towards Zac. Respecting her wishes.
Zac snorts and holds his hands up. "Whipped."
"If you ever step near her, we will be taking this outside, and I won't hold back like I did outside Dexter's."
Uncertainty flickers in the clouds as I see him measuring up his chances. He scowls as he leaves, his crew plod quietly behind him. As the door shuts, the noise increases to an appropriate level for the breakfast rush. My boys look at me, I shake my head, we wouldn’t be dealing with Zac today. I turn my focus to her. She’s pale again, my teeth grind against the rocks bashing up against my jaw. "Please eat."
She shakes her head, which is unacceptable. I pick up her fork and cut into the pancake before stabbing it. I hold it near her lips. I want to taste them, but she will kill me. “Eat."
She wrinkles her nose and gives me the side-eye.
I can do this all day long, sweetheart.
She registers my determination with an eye roll and opens her lips, closing them around the fork.
There's a possibility I might fuck this up, I might push her too far, too fast, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. I cannot explain the connection, but it’s there. Unavoidable and loud as fuck. She holds all the cards and I know that she will test my patience, but if the reward will be as sweet as the cherries that are already ingrained in me, it will be more than worth it.
CHAPTER FOUR ¦TRUST
?
Mia
IhateAvery.
Well, I don’thateher, but she’s not my favorite person at the moment and she knows why. She doesn’t care, but she knows. We'd left Momma's, the crowd watching our every move and I’d hated every minute of it. I'd never been in the spotlight like this before. It’s everything I’ve tried to avoid. Growing up here, I know all about the elite and what they do. Zac being the perfect example, and now Austin thinks he can demand things from me. They bring nothing but trouble, and I’ve had enough of that to last me a lifetime. I mean, look at what's happened already? A fight outside Dexter's, Zac causing trouble at Momma’s, staying at his, in his bed... I don’t need more. I just want my uncomplicated boring life back.
When the hell had things changed so much in such a short space of time?
Everyone knows the elite, it doesn’t mean you have to like them. I go against the grain. I hate all the regatta nonsense. I hate the crowds that flood in and take over the streets, and campus. Austin believes that he can flash that smile, the quirk of his full lips, and I’ll be putty in his hands. Yes. I’m ignoring thefizz…and the quivers! I’m not like the other girls on campus, and he’s going to find that out.
Avery sucks in another breath in her bid to say something else about Lucas, bringing me back to the room. Autumn and Nova have left for their Saturday lectures, and I wished I’d joined them. How long do I have to sit on this couch and listen? Why the hell is Avery sweating it over a man she will no doubt ignore in a month? I mean, this is Avery, and she likes to make a big deal out of the small things. My girl overthinkseverythingand will deny that she does. She thinks she’s great at letting things go. Let me tell you, that girl can overthink which coffee she wants in the morning. Maybe she needs to have a little chat with Austin, the two of them are cut from the same cloth.
She curls her legs underneath her ass as she slouches on the cream couch. Her red locks are pushed into a hot mess, a bird’s nest, but she always looks good. The few strands that lick at her face highlight cheekbones sharp enough that they’d cut. The couch and the rest of the furniture had been given to us as we rent this place fully furnished. It makes life easier, all my things are at Mom's, and moving from our home would have felt strange. It wouldn’t have made sense to move all my belongings here. Living in Boston, and not too far away, meant I still had all the home comforts without Mom being overbearing.
The house I’d grown up in still feels like Mom and Dad’s place, even though Dad is no longer there. I hadn’t wanted to move out because that had felt like I was breaking a connection, but that connection also makes things hard. I really don’t feel like it’s home anymore.
The apartment sort of fell into our laps and from the moment I viewed it, I knew it was home. The light and space felt good. The two large windows in the living room let the light stream in so we have an amethyst sun catcher sending flickers of the rainbow in every direction. Avery and Nova allow us to havecrystals out in open spaces, including our diffuser and essential oils. No one can say that our apartment smells like student accommodation. More often than not, it smells like lavender and cookies. Although, Austin’s apartment is nice, and you wouldn’t think four guys live there. It smells like coffee, and salt, but I guess that is from the water?
We don't have the largest apartment but with three bedrooms, a small kitchen and living room, tiny washroom, we haven’t done that bad. Avery and I share the biggest bedroom, and because we do, we pay less rent. We don't use the kitchen, choosing to eat takeout, or if you're Nova, bringing food from campus. She argues that we pay for it anyway. Who am I to argue with that logic when she brings me food?
Avery chews her lip, brows scrunched in thought, no doubt thinking of her next Lucas filled conversation. I roll my eyes while she can't see. Avery’s wrath is not pleasant, and she hates disrespect in that way. I’m absolutely certain her family are part of the mafia, or at least the ‘back in the day’ mafia. I have several reasons, and they are good ones. One. She’s from Chicago. I know that I’m stereotyping but listen to me a minute. Two. She loves fighting. I’ve seen the black belt hung up in her closet. Three. She once told me she knows how to shoot. And I’m talking a gun, not shooting the breeze! Four. Her dad is away on ‘business’ loads. Five. They have family gatherings and he ‘greets’ people. You’ve seen theGodfather, right?
I think it’s pretty solid that her family are linked to the mafia in some way.
So, I’m not going to piss her off any time soon.
I don't recall how we became best friends. I’d been friends with Autumn on Facebook because of her love of manifesting and I'd seen her crystal collection on a post which ultimately meant our friendship was cemented. That had been five years ago, once I knew Autumn wanted to come to Boston Brooks,everything else fell into place, and Nova and Avery joined us. We aren’t the most conventional girl group, but we would fight for each other. We’re family, and I don’t need anyone to be added to that list, even if Austin wants a spot. I do like the dynamics he has with his crew, but we have no space available.
"Do you think he likes me?" Avery breaks through my thoughts.
