Four Doors Down by Emma Doherty Read Free Book Online Page A

must have covered me when I fell asleep.
    I glance over and he’s out cold, wheezing softly and leaning slightly toward me in his sleep. I look at him for a minute, which I know sounds creepy, but this is the first time in years I’ve been able to study him up close. His dark hair flops over to the side and being this close I can see it has flecks of lighter brown in it that I haven’t noticed before. He’s got light freckles covering the bridge of his nose, his jawline is strong and his nose is just slightly crooked making him look less like a pretty boy. His eyelashes match his hair and even though his eyes are closed, I know they’re the same deep turquoise blue as the Caribbean ocean.
    Damn. Ryan grew up seriously hot.
    I slowly lift myself off the couch. I should probably wake him so he can go back to his own bed because God knows he’ll have a neck ache in the morning after sleeping like that all night, but he looks so peaceful and he’s had such a shit week that I can’t bring myself to do it. I place the blanket I had covering me gently on top of him, moving quietly so that I don’t wake him. I exit the room, turning the lamp off as I go.

    I wake up late the next day, yawning and stretching in bed. I’m tired, but at least I did my good deed for the week and, to be honest, it was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. Grief, it would seem, makes Ryan much less of a dick.
    I smell bacon coming from the kitchen and stumble out of bed, making my way downstairs.
    “Morning, sweetie,” my mom smiles over at the stove. I turn to my dad, who is at the island reading his paper, and nearly fall over when I see Ryan there next to him.
    “You’re still here,” I say flatly.
    Ryan’s gaze flicks over me quickly before he looks away, and I suddenly don’t feel as comfortable in the sleep shorts and tank top that I wear to bed. I’m not dumb enough to think he was checking me out or anything, but my body is way more exposed than he or any of the boys at school will have ever seen it. The tank top doesn’t quite reach the top of my shorts, flashing a couple of inches of my stomach and the shorts are short, serious leg is on display. But it’s annoying me that I’ve been made to feel like this. For God’s sake, this is my house and I’m being made to feel uncomfortable?
    “Rebecca Louise McKenzie!” my mother snaps at me. I look at her and the thunderous look she gives me tells me I’m out of line.
    Ryan clears his throat. “Your mom makes an awesome breakfast. I’m done, though, so I can go?”
    My dad looks at me in annoyance. “No way, Ryan, the game’s about to start. It’ll be good to have someone to watch it with for a change.”
    I glare at him. The absolute traitor ! I always knew he wanted a son. I glance at Ryan and he at least has the good grace to look sheepish. He shifts in his seat and I suddenly remember why he’s here in the first place. His granny just died, his house is empty and his best friend is out of town. God, I am being a bitch. I force myself to smile at him
    “Don’t leave on my account. I’m going out, anyway.” I smile sweetly at my mother and spin around to exit the kitchen.

I ’m at my kitchen table staring down at my phone. I have just received a very irate phone call from my mother clearly stating that if I do not get my butt over to the Jackson household in the next ten minutes to pay my respects, then she will take my car from me for the next six months. Apparently she was expecting me over two hours ago when school ended.
    Dammit!
    I was hoping she would forget about me. I know I’m being stubborn, but I promised myself years ago that I would never go to Ryan’s house again, well not unless I can help it, and I want to stick to that. It’s not like he’ll want me there either. I can’t not have my car for six months, so I heave a big sigh, feeling incredibly woe is me, and head over to the Jackson’s house. I let myself in since no one answers the