Almost Innocent by Carina Adams Read Free Book Online Page A

her time studying each of us, and then as if finding nothing that interested her, she returned her attention to Ivy. A bold move for someone who had looked terrified to step inside a few minutes earlier.
    “Huh.” My brother clicked his tongue. “Tell me about her.”
    “Nothing much to tell,” I pulled away from him and took a sip of my beer, letting the bitter liquid attempt to wash away the annoyance that was creeping in. “She’s my age. I have a few AP classes with her, and she’s best friends with Ivy.”
    In other words, she’s too good for you—stay the hell away. He stared at me for a moment, digesting the message.
    “Oh.” He sounded disappointed. “Fuck that. Daddy’s perfect angels are nothin’ but trouble.”
    I fought the smile that wanted to form on my lips, taking another drink to hide it as relief surged through my body. Then Mark had to open his big, fat, stupid mouth.
    “Angel, my ass.” Mark snorted. “She lives with her grandparents, and I guess she can do whatever the fuck she wants as long as she gets good grades. She was dating my buddy Chris for a while. From the stories he tells, she’s anything but an angel.”
    I wanted to punch him. I hated violence, hated how much throwing a punch hurt my hand, and I hated seeing the damage I did after I hit someone. But at that moment, I wanted to break Mark’s nose and make him bleed.
    “That so?” Dustin was suddenly paying too much attention to what Mark was saying.
    Mark shrugged. “Yeah, unless he’s lying, she’s a freak.”
    My fingers clenched into a tight fist. I was going to hit him.
    Dustin nodded as a wicked grin spread across his face. “Later, loser!” He smacked me on the back of the head and headed straight for Gabby.
    I watched the same way I would a car accident, unable to pry my eyes away and my stomach filled with dread at the knowledge that I couldn’t stop what was about to happen.
    Every eye in her group was on him as my brother slinked over to them. Some of them had hope written all over their faces as if they were praying he was coming to talk to them. Ivy looked completely uncomfortable, and Olivia’s lips curled in a smug smile as she pushed out her tits, completely confident Dusty was headed toward her.
    When he didn’t do more than give her a nod, Livie’s lips fell into a pout that I assumed was supposed to be attractive, but with all her lipstick, it just looked pathetic. As Dustin zoomed in on Gabby, Olivia’s face turned red, and her eyes narrowed. I almost turned away, not wanting to see what happened next, but I was a glutton for punishment.
    If I’d looked away, even for a moment, I would have missed the second I fell in love with her.
    When she realized he was there to talk to her, Gabby’s eyebrows rose, clearly not believing whatever bullshit he was spewing. As she listened to what he had to say, her mouth quirked, but one eyebrow stayed up. Then when he stepped closer to her, she put her hand on his chest and pushed him back, shaking her head.
    I wasn’t close enough to hear her words, but the message was loud and clear. The great Dustin Callaghan, God’s gift to women, had just been shot down. Just like that, Gabby became my favorite person in the world.

Chapter Five

Gabby
    T he house was eerily familiar , yet completely foreign. The walls that had once held years of family memories were now completely bare. The furniture that I’d taught myself to avoid, so I didn’t bump into it when I was sneaking out of the house in the pitch black, was gone, making the hall seem a lot wider than it ever had when I was a teenager.
    I headed straight for the kitchen at the back of the house, hoping that it would be the one place where my memories would stay at bay. Plus, Dec had offered me a beer, and to get through the next few minutes, I was definitely going to need booze. I reached for the light switch, turned on the overhead light, and froze.
    I’d known it would look different, especially