The Boyfriend Thief by Shana Norris Read Free Book Online Page B

probably nothing to her. Hannah used to live across the street from me, next door to Elliott’s family. But a couple years ago, the bank her father owned went national and made him a ton of money. Now the Cohens lived in a big house in a gated community within Willowbrook’s wealthier district. For Hannah, five hundred was a small blip in her bank account.
    But five hundred dollars was everything to me. It was the difference between getting on a plane to Costa Rica or wearing a giant hot dog all summer again.
    So who was Zac Greeley to me anyway? Just a guy I went to school with. We weren’t even really friends. We’d never hung out together outside of class before this business project.
    I licked my dry tongue over my lips. “I’m in,” I croaked out.
    Hannah wrote out the check and ripped it from the checkbook. “That’s what I thought.”

Chapter 6
     
    “So, Avery,” Trisha said as she smiled across the table at me over the vase of fresh lilies Dad had bought earlier that day. “Your father tells me you’re in the running for valedictorian of your class?”
    I’d finally had a night free from hot dogs, screaming kids, and Elliott Reiser. A brand new book on disorders of the spine sat untouched on my bedside table, waiting for me to crack it open.
    But no. Dad ambushed me with his other plans. When Ian and I had arrived home from school, Dad had called to say that we were to be dressed nicely and ready for dinner at six-thirty with his girlfriend.
    His girlfriend . People over the age of forty shouldn’t be allowed to have girlfriends or boyfriends. They should be friends, nothing more.
    Trisha Montgomery was a fifth grade teacher at Willowbrook Elementary. She didn’t look like the red-eyed, rabid beast with huge horns I’d half-expected. Instead, she looked nice in a floral print sundress and gold sandals, and her light brown hair was piled up on her head in a messy twist that probably had taken a lot longer to make perfectly messy than what it looked. One of those hairstyles I could never master the right balance between messy and styled.
    The neckline of her dress, however, was slightly too low, especially for an elementary school teacher. I’d had to kick Ian in the leg several times when I caught him staring.
    “Maybe,” I answered, shrugging. “You never know. A rocket scientist in training could transfer to my school next year and knock me down a rank or two.”
    Dad laughed. “Avery is being modest. She’s always had excellent grades. She hopes to be a doctor.”
    “She’s going to Costa Rica,” Ian the Suck Up added. “To help poor people.” Throw a pair of breasts in his face and Ian forgot all about standing united as a family against the intruder.
    Trisha’s smile widened. “That sounds awesome. I’ve always wanted to go there.”
    Awesome. My dad’s girlfriend, who had to be at least thirty-eight, actually said the word awesome. I was never using that word again now that I’d heard how ridiculous it sounded coming out of Trisha’s mouth.
    “Well, maybe she’s going,” Dad corrected. His smile faded slightly and his body tensed, as it always did whenever the subject of my going to Costa Rica was brought up. “It’s not decided for sure yet.”
    Dad didn’t like to talk about the trip. He supported my dream of becoming a doctor, but he didn’t like the idea of me going so far away. I knew a big part of it was because of Mom. What if I went away and decided not to come back, like she did?
    It was in my genes, but that part of my DNA would never be allowed to take over and hurt anyone. That adventurous spirit that made stupid mistakes could be controlled and killed. The difference between my mom and me was that I had complete control over any outside distractions.
    I straightened the spoon on the table, making sure it was exactly parallel to my plate. Then I moved my water glass over half an inch to the perfect position three inches from the top right side of my plate.