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

about my psycho brother. That’s all.” I’m unable to hide my annoyance now, and I hope Ayden gets the hint and drops it.

“Nope. It wasn’t the mention of your brother that annoyed you.” He’s not going to back down! Dammit!

I stand, glaring at Ayden, my sneaker still in hand. “What the fuck do you want from me, Ayden!”

“I want you to tell me the truth! What are you hiding? How can I help you if you hide shit from me?”

“I didn’t ask for your help!” My face is on fire. It must be bright red because I’m burning up.

Ayden steps up to me. “Tell me what I need to know, Lexi!” He’s so close now, a foot away, his breathing heavy with frustration.

“I don’t need to tell you shit. It’s not relevant to the Mike situation, so you don’t need to know.” I growl in a much too girly way.

“Is he an old boyfriend?”

“What? No!” My voice is high, the partial lie not fooling him in the slightest.

Ayden’s blue eyes roam my face, boring into my own, searching for answers. “He means something to you.” His voice is barely a whisper.

“It’s not what you’re thinking, Ayden.” I huff and drop my butt back to my bed. “He’s a friend. A questionable person, yes, but he has been good and loyal to me.”

Lowering to his knees in front of me, Ayden takes my shoe out of my hand and slips it on my foot.

If only I were Cinderella, and he were my prince!

“How come the guys don’t know about your friendship with Travis?” Intense blue eyes peer up through dark lashes, the storm raging in them like a plea for me to let him in.

I drop my head, sighing again. This information isn’t relevant to the situation with Mike, but I can tell he’s not going to drop it. It pisses me off, yet I find myself submitting to him.

“We don’t have a close friendship, Travis and I. We experienced something together, non-sexual by the way,” He doesn’t need to know about this kiss, “and Travis has protected me ever since. That’s all.”

“Any chance you’re going to tell me what you experienced together?”

I shake my head.

“Didn’t think so.” Ayden pats the top of my foot, and I look to see that he has put both my shoes on and tied the laces. He sighs, and I notice the exhaustion shadowing his eyes, reminding me once again that I’m not good for him.

“I need to call the cops and tell them about what’s happened overnight. I’ll tell them about the rumours going around about Mike being spotted in town, but I’m not throwing Travis under the bus because of the drugs. I expect you and the guys to keep your mouths shut about that too.”

“Fine, but if things get worse, I’m not withholding information just to save your friend’s drug dealing arse!”

I could kiss him. It would shut him up, that’s for sure. It would also open the can of worms I’m trying to keep sealed tight. So, I do what any mature seventeen-year-old girl would do. I poke my tongue out.

Cue his grin… and cue my damp knickers! Jesus!

I somehow manage to pry myself away from Ayden’s presence and make the call to Officer Zimora. I fill him in with what has been happening, and I shoo everyone but Ayden and Marcus out of my house before he arrives to collect evidence.

Before Officer Zimora leaves, he gives me a lecture about coming back to the house. I have no idea what he said. All I could focus on was that navy uniform and the gun attached to his upper thigh. Maybe I should become a cop; that way, I could look at hot officers all day long! Then I’d own a pair of cuffs. Oh, what I could do to Ayden with a pair of cuffs!

WTF Lexi!!

Okay, it’s safe to say that I need a little alone time to get this sexual frustration out!

Since everyone went their own ways after leaving my house, Ayden, Marcus and I return to their place and spend the afternoon lounging around in the living room watching more episodes of Stranger Things. I end up falling asleep while watching TV, so Ayden turned Stranger Things off, so I didn’t miss anything, and while I was quietly snoring, they watched the footy.

It’s around 5pm when I get a call from Rhys, inviting me over for dinner to meet her foster parents. I never pegged Rhys as a sit-down and have dinner with the parents type of girl, but apparently, she is, so I ask Andrea if she can drop me there, and she gives me her warm smile and nod.

I can tell that Ayden doesn’t want me to go when it’s time to leave, but I need space from him before I self-combust from all the sexual tension. On the drive to Rhys’s, Andrea asks me again about what happened at my house, even though Ayden and Marcus already filled her in, and when we arrive, she waits parked on the curb until Rhys answers the door and lets me inside.

Rhys lives in one of the newer parts of Fox Pines. There are houses still being built around her home, and the un-landscaped front yard and pile of dirt indicate that she hasn’t lived in the house for long. It’s a single-story modern home with large shop-front style windows and a mix of brick and render on the facade. Inside is white. Like white, white. White ceilings, white walls, white tiled floors. The carpet is a light grey, but even the kitchen cabinetry is white. It looks good, just extremely white.

“I’m giving you a heads up. My olds are… annoying. And my brothers are a pain in my arse. You will probably like my older sister. She can be kind of cool for a rock chick wanna be... Sometimes”

My brows shoot up, and Rhys grins, gesturing for me to walk through a door. It’s a theatre room,