Opposites Attract by Michelle M. Pillow Read Free Book Online Page A

harder than usual. Ethan saw Susan stiffen, getting a little defensive at Ted’s words. Alexis really didn’t deserve such a loyal friend. Under her breath, she asked, ‘Can we not talk about this now?’
    Ethan turned in his seat to look straight ahead. He took a deep breath, doing his best to be calm, to just let everything that had to do with Alexis Grant roll off his back. ‘Listen, I’m trying hard to take into account that her mother just got arrested. I know that stress can make people act in ways they don’t usually behave, but this? This really is too much.’
    ‘I know.’ Susan leaned forwards and placed a light hand on his shoulder. ‘I’ll have a talk with her. I promise. It’s just she’s not used to living like a real person. She’s grown up in hotels with maids and room service and limo drivers that she has gotten to boss around since the age of five. I’m so sorry –’
    ‘Don’t apologise for her. She’s a grown woman and not your responsibility.’ Ethan saw Miss High and Mighty coming from inside. He started the car before she got back in.
    Sliding into the seat next to him, she crossed her arms over her chest and didn’t say a word. That suited Ethan just fine. It seemed the only time they could get along was when they didn’t talk at all.
    ‘Can I see the map?’ Alexis asked, turning around to look at Susan. Pennsylvania was a pretty state full of mountains and trees, with apparently no place to pull over to eat along the interstate. Alexis wasn’t hungry, but she was ready to take another break away from Ethan. ‘Where are we?’
    ‘We’re not almost there yet, if that’s what you’re wondering,’ Ethan said.
    ‘I wasn’t,’ Alexis snapped at him, making a face and rolling her eyes. They’d been driving pretty much nonstop all day. Though it was beautiful, the state seemed to go on for ever.
    ‘I think we should be almost out of Pennsylvania,’ Susan said, handing the map she’d printed off the internet to Alexis. ‘Close to the Ohio border. We just passed a sign that said Youngstown.’
    ‘It doesn’t seem like we’ve gotten very far,’ Alexis said, eyeing the map. She looked out the car window, watching the rolling green hills in the distance. Pennsylvania wasn’t a bad state. She’d been through the area before. She’d actually stayed at a bed and breakfast once with her mother when she was little. It was one of the rare times they had vacationed together. Well, her mother was taking a working vacation with her current lover at the time. She ended up buying the bed and breakfast and tearing it down when the man dumped her. Anyway, the place had been beautiful, close to a quaint little covered bridge and a quiet stream.
    Alexis took a deep breath, drawing her thoughts back into the car. The landscape around them looked the same as it did back then, but it didn’t hold the same childish fascination and pleasure. ‘Why did we come this way anyway? Isn’t there a shorter route?’
    ‘I’ve been this way a thousand times and I didn’t want to have to follow a map,’ Ethan said. ‘Takes away from the spontaneity of the trip.’
    Great , Alexis thought, a man too good to use directions. He’ll get us lost for sure.
    Pretending to study her manicure, Alexis asked, ‘Still, shouldn’t we be further than this by now?’
    ‘We would be if someone didn’t take an hour each time we stopped,’ Ethan grumbled.
    ‘Well maybe if your piece of junk car didn’t toss me around so much, I wouldn’t need to take such a long break to recover,’ Alexis returned, mimicking his tone.
    ‘And maybe if you weren’t such a spoiled little princess –’ Ethan began.
    ‘Hey, you guys want to stop somewhere for the night? It’s starting to get late anyway,’ Ted said, ending the impending fight. ‘Cleveland is only about an hour’s drive and I saw some signs for hotels. It’s been a long first day and we should maybe stop to relax, eat and perhaps go over a game