Reason and Romance (River Valley Book 1) by Jenn Young Read Free Book Online Page B

her mind. He was lounging at a table behind Justin and Bri, leaning back on his forearms. His friends were all talking, Mandy in particular, but somehow Adrian didn’t think he was paying any attention to them.
    He met her eyes.
    Outrage flashed through her like lightning. Had he sent Justin over to her side? Throwing her a life preserver, so to speak? Did he think she needed his help? Either way, Alex was making no secret that he was openly listening.
    It took all of her restraint not to strangle him. Had she actually been on the verge of accepting Justin’s invitation? Pride was the only thing she had going, and she’d cling to it with bloody nubs of fingers, if she had to. Fuck Alex, fuck his friends. She’d be lonely then, but at least she’d have her pride intact.
    Adrian turned back to Justin. “Thanks, but no. You’re not sorry for me. You’re just grateful that it’s not you taking the heat.” She patted him on the arm. “So why don’t we pretend this conversation never happened, okay?”
    He gaped at her. “What? I only …”
    She waggled her fingers in a cheery wave. “Better stay away from me. The more you talk to me, the more your social position tumbles. We don’t want that, do we?”
    Alex’s low chuckle was infuriating. Adrian didn’t spare him a glance, nor did she look back at Justin when she walked away.
    It was so hard. She could just see her future stretching out in a bleak succession of days. She’d probably get in a fight with Mr. Melbourne, go to the dean’s office, and serve detention. Sit outside in the heat because no one else wanted to sit with her. Stay home on the weekend because no one wanted to hang out with her.
    It was almost enough to make her return to Justin and accept his invitation. Even as she thought of it, she could feel the weight of Alex’s gaze. He didn’t believe she could survive without his help. Well, they’d see about that.
    Nobody would ever know she was this close to breaking.
    Her mouth crooked into a smile as the whispers enveloped her once again. By the end of her afternoon classes, her face had shifted into a plastic mask. Even in the detention room, the other kids avoided her. So much for solidarity.
    The final blow came that very same night. She was lying in bed, working on the revised essay for Melbourne, when her phone rang. Since it was ten o’clock, she reached for the cell with some surprise. No one would call her—Jason!
    Almost immediately, the questions set in. Where have you been? Why have you been avoiding me? Why haven’t you called me? Do you still love me?
    “Jason,” she said, but even she could hear the stiffness in her voice. Why was her hand trembling even as she gripped her phone?
    “Adrian,” he said, and in that one word she heard the end. Even Mr. Melbourne said her name with more warmth.
    Don’t do this to me.
    He did.

CHAPTER FIVE
    It hurt so damn much.
    She lay in her bed, but in the end there weren’t any tears. The first major breakup she’d had in years—seventh grade didn’t count—and she couldn’t squeeze a lousy tear out. He’d cheated on her with Stephanie Frost, a one-time friend of hers! Some waterworks would have been appropriate, but oh no, she was Adrian Blake, the Ice Queen, and ice queens didn’t cry.
    Why can’t I?
    Maybe she really was the bitch everyone said she was. Or the desert heat had dried all the moisture from her eyes. Whatever the reason was, it meant she couldn’t grieve. She could only stare at the dim moonlight filtering through her window blinds and think about her boyfriend—make that ex-boyfriend—in bed with Stephanie. Cuddling together, kissing, touching …
    The images were so gruesome that she wanted to turn her mental film projector off, but she had an accompanying commentary, thanks to Jason.
    He’d tried to stay loyal to Adrian, he’d claimed over the phone before she’d hung up on him, but he’d grown “close” to Stephanie in the last few months. Adrian