Fighting to Survive (Guarded Hearts Book 3) Read Free

all of the boys are sitting on the couch in the living room and don’t say a word when we walk in. Mads is the first one to be brave enough to go past the doorway. She walks over to Carter and goes to give him a hug when he gives her one of the looks that says ‘we need to talk’. She sits down next to him, looking like a wounded puppy dog. Nicole’s next, but her approach is definitely more forward. She saunters over to Jason, wraps her arms around his neck, and bends down to kiss him. He moves his head to the side, grabs her hips and sits her down next to him. She lets out a loud ‘hmmmph’ and pouts like a child sitting in timeout. It takes everything I have in me not to laugh at the two of them.
    When I look up, I see Shawn staring at me and instantly feel my cheeks heat up. When I look back at Holly, she has an expression on her face which tells me she knows something is going on. Holly throws her hands up in the air. “Okay, enough! It was my idea and I didn’t even tell them where I was taking them. So both of you boys need to get over it and leave them alone. I heard about the fights a couple weeks ago before school started and decided that’s what I wanted to do for my birthday.”
    Carter jumps up and stalks over to Holly. I don’t know how she’s still so confident, he isn’t even looking at me and I want to run and hide. “Do you even understand how irresponsible and reckless going to a place like that without us was? Anything could have happened!”
    “Like what, Carter? We’re all big girls, you know. We stayed together the entire time and left when it was over. Trust me, if I wanted to run away with a tattooed biker named Spike I wouldn’t need to go to The Circle to do it! You are not my father and you do not get to tell me what to do. I’m leaving now, and just to piss you off, I’m not texting you to let you know I got home safe!” She storms out of the apartment and leaves me standing here in limbo. I don’t have enough courage to look Carter or Jason in the eyes, so I mumble a quick goodbye to the girls and follow her out.
    I catch up to her about halfway to the car. “I can’t believe you just left me standing there!”
    She laughs and then looks over at me. “Sorry, girl, but he makes me so mad sometimes. He thinks because my dad isn’t here it gives him the right to be my boss. I can’t even talk to a guy on campus without one of them trying to intervene. Speaking of guys, what the hell was up with you going all blushing, giggly girl when Shawn looked at you?”
    Shit. I knew she noticed. “Um…”
    “Christen!” I look toward the voice and see Shawn jogging up to us. When I look back at Holly, she has her eyebrow raised as if to ask me what’s going on. I turn toward Shawn just as he reaches us. “Hey, can I talk to you for a minute? I’ll drive you home afterward so Holly doesn’t have to wait.”
    “Yeah, I guess so.”
    Holly opens her car door and gives me a knowing smile. “I’ll see you in a little bit, mama. Bye, Shawn.”
    “My truck is over there.” He tilts his head to gesture across the parking lot. We start walking to his truck and the awkwardness settles in. “I’m actually kind of hungry. Would you want to go get something to eat?”
    “Yeah, that sounds good.”
    We get into his truck and he pulls out of the lot. I look over at him and see that he had cleaned up and changed after the fight. I’ve had a thing for Shawn ever since I first met him, and looking at him now is only making my attraction more intense. He must have showered before we got home because his hair is still damp. His chiseled jaw is tight with either nervousness or anger, and I’m hoping it’s the first option. He turns his head toward me and I quickly look away, not wanting to get caught staring even though I probably already have.
    We pull into the diner, walk in, and sit at one of the booths in the back. The waitress comes to take our drink orders and gives us some menus.