Fix You: Bash and Olivia, Book 3 by Christine Bell Read Free Book Online

looked up to see Andrew Abernathy Sr. and his son strolling our way.
    Bash growled under his breath and I laced my fingers with his, hoping I looked calmer than I felt. This was the first time I’d seen Andy since the night Bash was arrested, and I was surprised to find that I was even angrier than I’d been then. My blood boiled as I took in his smug expression and the way he and his father chatted away like they didn’t have a care in the world.
    How could I have not seen the cruel twist to that smile or the coldness in his eyes before? It was so clear to me now, and I wondered who that girl had been. It would take a lot more than a handsome face and hollow words to get me to trust someone again. Now I was on the other end of the spectrum, thinking everyone was a liar. The only people I trusted now were Bash and his two brothers.
    Weird how extreme situations could bring people closer together. Ever since Matty and I had followed Bash to the warehouse, we had sort of bonded. Aside from my classes, which were coming to an end for the semester, I spent almost all my time at their apartment, often in the kitchen, cooking meals for the four of us, and I was enjoying every minute of it. Even Reid had warmed up to me.
    Now, with Andy closing the gap, the three of them pressed closer to me, like a trio of wolves protecting their wounded pack mate.
    Only I wasn’t wounded. Not anymore.
    I squeezed my way out and stood, baring my teeth at my ex in some semblance of a smile. “Still going to go through with the farce, huh, Andy?”
    Senior stepped in front of his son and looked down his nose at me. “You come from better stock than this, Olivia. Surely your lovely mother taught you better than to get mixed up with scum like these people.”
    “Actually,” a voice called from the doorway, “her lovely mother was the one who needed to learn something.”
    In shock, I whipped my head around to see my mom walking toward us, looking classy and beautiful in a sharp cream linen pantsuit. They might not have any money left, but she clearly hadn’t been forced to sell her designer clothes yet.
    “Mom? What are you doing here?”
    “I wanted to come support you and your Bash.” She smiled and gestured over her shoulder. “And I brought a friend.”
    I was so stunned to see her there, I didn’t notice the girl pulling up behind her until she waved at me.
    “Hey.”
    She looked so familiar, but I couldn’t quite place her. Blonde and short, maybe five one, she was plump and had one of those faces that would make her perfect for the inside of a store-bought picture frame. No one feature stood out, but they all came together to make for a pleasant overall look.
    I stared at her, nonplussed, for another long moment before it dawned on me. The last time I’d seen her, her face had been full of pity, all of it aimed at me.
    “You’re one of the girls from the bathroom at Shorty’s that night,” I whispered, trying to stay calm in spite of the excitement coursing through me.
    The night Andy had dragged me into the bathroom, threatened me, and grabbed me by the neck, there had been two girls waiting outside. The blonde standing in front of me now had been one of them.
    This could be the break Bash needed to get this case thrown out. The arresting officers’ biggest issue was always that it was my and Bash’s word against Andy’s, and since I didn’t have any marks on me by the time I reported the crime and Andy still did, and they knew Bash and I were a couple now, they basically disregarded everything I’d told them and only Bash had been charged. Now, though? If this girl was here to tell the truth about what she’d seen? It could change everything.
    “Yeah. I’m Emily. The cow.” She leveled a pointed glance at Andy before smiling at me.
    When Andy had pushed his way into the bathroom he’d snarled the nasty name at her. I never even considered how to go about tracking either of the girls down when there were at least