Deep (Heavy Hearts Book 2) by Sarah Duncan (reading tree txt) 📕

because apparently, I’ve forgotten how to breathe, “I’m not angry at you. I thought I was, but really, I’m just angry at the world. At my life. I’m angry because I know that as much as I want you, I can’t have you.”

“What do you mean you can’t have me? And if I looked angry yesterday, it wasn’t directed at you. I was angry at myself. One look at you reminded me of how special you are and how much I fucked everything up. It also pissed me off that the bruising is still on your face.” His dark brows furrow, and he takes a step towards me, but I take another step back, shaking my head.

“We both have demons we need to deal with, Ayden. Right now, we both need to focus on getting our own heads right before we even think about getting involved with each other.”

He remains quiet for a few beats but doesn’t once take his piercing blue eyes off mine. It’s like he’s trying to see into my soul, and it makes me squirm because I feel like he has the power to do just that. See deep into my soul.

Then he takes another step towards me, and I have nowhere to go, the dresser already pressing at the back of my legs. His gentle fingers lift to my face and stroke back some of my ever-present stray hairs. My heart stops or skips a beat. I can’t really tell because I’m too busy trying to remember how to breathe again.

“So, I can’t kiss you?” He whispers, his eyes flicking to my lips briefly. He is so close that the heat of his minty breath feathers over my face. I’ve lost sight of his eyes because my gaze is locked onto his soft lips which are framed with the shadow of dark facial hair.

I slowly shake my head, working hard to keep my composure and not give in because damn, I want his lips on mine.

“We can be friends, though, right?” The smallest grin tugs at his lips when he says that. He knows damn well the effect he’s having on me, but given the deep rise and fall of his chest, it looks like I’m having the same effect on him too. I draw my eyes away from those lips that call out to me like a siren and take in his caring blue eyes.

“I guess. I mean, I’ll try my hardest not to kill you if that’s what you mean?” I shrug, trying to come across like I don’t care either way. Lies! Lies! Lies!

He laughs and considers my words. “I think we will be best friends.” He gives me a full-blown grin then, dimples caving, white teeth making a brief appearance, his kissable lips turning up. Damn him! He’s like my kryptonite! I’m powerless to stop my grin in return.

“Rhys is my best friend,” I add, trying to throw him off.

“You can have more than one best friend.” He smirks smugly.

I shrug again, folding my arms across my chest. He is so close that I can now feel the firm ridges of his abs under the touch of my arms.

“And when things settle down, and we sort our shit out, you’ll let me kiss you again?” He sounds like a hopeful little boy asking to go to the fair.

“I really need to finish unpacking.” I deflect and move past him to dig the rest of my clothes out of my bag.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” A huge grin spreads across his face before he turns to leave.

“I didn’t say that, Ayden!”

“You didn’t not say it either, Lexi.” The smug prick walks out with a knowing smile leaving me flushed and frustrated.

This is going to be torture. I just know it.

I spot my reflection in the small dresser mirror and catch the ridiculous grin I’m wearing.

Get a grip, Lexi!

I turn my focus on unpacking, and when I’m done, the smell of something delicious wafts upstairs just before Andrea calls me down for dinner. I peek my head outside my new bedroom door and look down the narrow hall to the stairs where the sounds of family life flow up. Nerves make me uneasy, but I know I need to bite the bullet and go downstairs to face the family that has taken me in.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I catch sight of Marcus, and he gives me a grin waving me over to the dining table where he is laying out cutlery. He’s still wearing his training gear from footy. I hadn’t even realised he had gone to training.

I’m quickly reacquainted with Barbara and Tony Grady, Marcus’s parents, as they carry plates of food over to the table. Barb frees up her hands and comes over to give me a hug, welcoming me to their family. Not to their house, but to their family. I offer a smile, unable to find words as the hustle of this family prepares the dinner table and sits down to eat.

“Sit here, Lex.” Ayden pulls out a chair which I quietly take, looking at the plate of food before me. Bangers and mash with onion gravy. I swear I can hear the gargling drool of Homer Simpson in my head as the smell engulfs me, and when Ayden takes the seat to my left and Marcus takes the one to my right, I pick up my knife and fork at the same time they do, and dig in.

As I eat every crumb of food dished up to me, Marcus and his mum reminisce about the good old days when we were hyperactive kids causing havoc around the neighbourhood. I find out from their conversations that Ayden had been amongst some of our shenanigans, and we both hadn’t realised that we shared those events. I’m disappointed that I don’t remember. Sometimes we had a whole gang of kids from the area playing tag and water fights during our summers. I can’t believe I didn’t notice Ayden