The Avoidance of Love (The Daniels' Sisters Book 2) Read Free Page A

Coulson had been my secret boyfriend for the last eight months. He had wanted to tell everyone that we were going out, but I wasn’t so sure. I was eighteen. When the relationship ended, and I was sure it would at some point in time, I didn’t want everyone to know. I didn’t want anyone to know I was sad about it or to pity me. I’d had enough of that already when people found out my parents were dead. Pity was the most smothering emotion I had ever encountered. Most of the girls I had seen around school had eventually split with the boys they thought they were going to be with forever. They had been gutted by the break up. I didn’t want to be one of them so I kept him at a distance.
    At first, Patrick thought I was insane, but then he saw it as a mission to prove to me wrong. He knew that soon, I would want to tell everyone. Now, here we were in his bedroom and I was about to lose my virginity.
    “I’m ready, Patrick. I want to do this with you.” I fumbled for the button and zipper on his jeans while he kissed me.
    It was all awkward, but eventually we got there; he was gentle and tried his best to make me feel as comfortable as possible. He eased himself in slowly, and when he could see I was in pain, he whispered sweet words in my ear.
    Patrick took me home afterward. As I got out the car, he took my hand. “Thank you, Mara. Tonight was perfect, and I hope it was for you, too.” He looked so cute as he sat there waiting for me to respond. I think my heart doubled in size for him. I hadn’t made a mistake in giving him something so precious after all. He had waited until I was ready to let him in closer.
    “It was perfect for me, too, Patrick.” I leaned in to kiss him to affirm what I’d said. “I’ll see you tomorrow at school.”
    After I walked into my house, I found Tara in her room studying. Her bedroom was the one before mine and she had left her door open.
    “Hey, you’re back late. Everything ok?”
    “Yes.” I couldn’t stop smiling. Patrick and I had never said I love you to each other, but I did love him in my own way and I think he felt the same. Tara left her books and followed me to my room.
    “Are you ok, Mara? Not that I’m not happy with you smiling, it’s just that you don’t do it that often or this much.”
    I couldn’t contain it any more. “I’ve been seeing Patrick Coulson for the last eight months, and tonight we slept together. Tara, it was perfect.”
    Tara looked stunned.
    “Say something.”
    “I don’t know what to say. I had no idea you were going out with anyone. Lana thought you were going to announce that you were a lesbian or going to join a nunnery. She couldn’t decide. I’m happy for you, Mara. It’s nice to see you smiling.”
    “He makes me happy, Tara. I’ve always thought that if you fall in love with someone, at some point, something bad would happen to ruin it all. But I actually think he’s the one for me Tara.” She left me in my room with my thoughts and eventually I fell asleep with the biggest smile on my face.
    The next morning, I couldn’t wait to get to school to see Patrick. I was finally ready to be open with our relationship. When I got to school, something felt weird. As I walked down hallway, I saw a couple of glances in my direction that I couldn’t decipher. I was just about to turn the corner when I heard him. He was talking with his friends.
    “Yeah, she finally gave it up. The ice maiden let me have it, and oh my god, was it worth the wait.”
    “I can’t believe you waited that long. I couldn’t be around that moody bitch for that long and not want to kill myself. She makes my balls freeze the way she looks at you sometimes.” That was Martin, Patrick’s best friend, talking. Patrick laughed. My heart shattered at his amusement at his friends joke. It wasn’t a joke. It was what they thought to be true. I heard the names people called me. Bitch. Ice Maiden. Queen Castrator. I didn’t think Patrick believed them