Imperfectly Yours Volumes 1-4 (A New Adult Romance Series) : Imperfectly Yours, His Diversion, Of Fear And Fate, Hard To Love You Read Free Page B

coming back. I rub a patch of stubble and let myself laugh. Andrew is wide-eyed and struggling to make sense of it. I glance at his loser friends.
    “Later.”
    I walk away with a smile permanently ingrained on my face. I’m going to be suspended after this but I feel relieved. Maybe I’ll join Paige at Seaside Community. I rub my bruised knuckles. The adrenaline is still pulsing and I start jogging. A voice in my head tries to break into my thoughts but I push it away.
    But the voice echoes through my head, and I can’t get rid of it. You have to tell her. The longer I wait the worse it will be. I can’t keep it a secret anymore.
    I have to tell Mikki.
     
    *          *          *
     
    I walk down the street, my chest beating like a MMA fighter pounding into a punching bag. I couldn’t do it. I saw Mikki and immediately my entire self was hooked. My secret lingered in the back of my head when I kissed her. I still couldn’t tell her. She’d hate me, and I can’t lose her.
    I brace myself as my house comes into view. Paige is going to give me an earful and Dad is going to start the night off with an in-depth interrogation. Experience has taught me to answer with silence. Dad hates that. But he’ll hate me even more when I tell him I’m not going back to school next semester.
    A shoulder bumps against mine like a brick smacking cement. The hooded moron keeps walking, now picking up his pace.
    “Seriously, Man?” I throw my arms up in the air but keep walking the other direction. He’s not worth the energy. I approach the front door but and see blinking lights through the bay windows. Paige got her way again. Mom let her plan me a surprise party. I drag my feet and end up sneaking through the side gate to the back door. If I had to sit through a night pretending to be amused at least I could ruin the “surprise” part. The backyard is dark. I stay close to the shadows and pull the house keys out from my pocket.
    I unlock the door and see Dad on the floor in his study. It’s an unusual sight to see him flinching with pain.
    “Son?”
    My fists clench tight and the stirring in my chest starts up again. His weathered face grimaces as he grabs his leg. He’s covering the wound.
    “Dad?” I gasp. “What-”
    “Matt?” Mom bursts through the dining room doors. “Someone call an ambulance!” Dad shakes his head as she kneels by his side, covering her mouth when she sees the stream of blood leaking onto the carpet.
    “I’m alright darling,” he reassures her. “I can handle it.”
    “Handle it?” she protests. She stands placing her hands on her hips. “ This doesn’t look like handling things to me. I mean, just look at the mesh you’re making on my brand new designer rug.”
    Dad glares at her.
    Paige walks in behind Mom with a phone in her hand. She covers her mouth, then turns to keep her party guests out of the way. I hear sirens blaring from down the street and Dad shakes his head.
    “You said-”
    “I know what I said,” Dad mumbles. He shoots Mom a harsh look. She lifts her chin.
    “We’ll discuss this later,” she mumbles. She looks up at me with a scowl on her face. Man, she looks exactly like Paige sometimes. Psycho stare and all. “And you . . . you’re late.”
    “Ran into some traffic,” I lie. The sirens grow louder. “Hmmm.” She tosses her hair over her shoulder and returns to her whispering guests.
     
    The sirens are coming from the driveway. A team of paramedics enter the room. Dad looks up at me. He holds my attention with an intense stare.
    “You and I have business to discuss,” he says in a low voice. “Remember that.” I nod in agreement.
    “Sir,” I gulp. The team of paramedics start checking his vitals as they move him onto a stretcher. Dad makes a face when they touch the wound on his leg but he doesn’t make a sound. Not even a quiet yelp. He holds his stare as they roll him away. The hairs on the back of my neck stick straight