Troublemaker (Troublemaker, Book 1) by Ava Parker Read Free Book Online

arrested.”
    I feel a huge wave of relief, but still feel like throwing up knowing that my father’s almost definitely still going to hear about this. “Thank you officer, I really…”
    “Don’t thank me kid,” he pauses to take one last look around, “thank your dad for this one.”
    Great, once again anything good that’s ever happened to me somehow gets traced back to my father.
    What a mess.
    “Let’s move it out,” Officer Fisher says to the other cops. He shoots a final glance over at me. “You lucked out tonight, Miller.”
    Is that what this is called, luck?
    My head is about to explode. How am I ever going to live this down?
    What. An. Idiot. I can’t believe I got myself into this mess.
    “Close call, Kenz,” Cage says with a smile as he comes from behind the house. “Man you got some serious connections in this town.” And for the first time his adorable face doesn’t look so adorable to me right about now. To say the least.
    “Connections?” I ask him. I’m absolutely fuming. “Is this just some big fucking joke to you?”
    “Whoa! Take it easy Kenz, everything worked out. It’s fine,” he says.
    “Everything worked out for who?” Now I’ve gone from scared to death to furious in less than a minute. “Maybe everything worked out for you, Cage. Maybe you and your ukulele will sleep great tonight. But nothing about tonight worked out for me.”
    “Jesus, relax will you? Everything worked out fine, the cops cut you some major slack because of your dad,” he says. His smile has vanished, not that I even care at this point.
    “He’s right, Kenz, it could’ve been a lot worse,” Jess chimes in.
    I completely ignore her and continue looking at Cage as I shake my head. “Why should I ever, ever, EVER have trusted you?” I shout out. “I mean seriously, I should’ve known way better than to trust someone who doesn’t seem to care about anything but himself.”
    Cage comes in closer to me. “Okay, take it easy there lady. I know you’re upset, but you don’t have to…”
    “Get away from me, you’ve done enough damage tonight,” I say.
    He drops back into silence for a moment and shakes his head in frustration. “Okay, whatever. I’ll leave you and your issues alone,” he says, looking around. “Hey Ryker, let’s roll brother.”
    Ryker steps down from the deck and gives Jess a small piece of paper before he heads off on foot with Cage. Jess smiles and puts the piece of paper into her front jeans pocket.
    I look down my street and see Cage and his friend drift off in the distance, their shadowy figures getting smaller and smaller with each step.
    I suddenly feel ill. Like throwing up ill.
    And that’s just what I do. Because why not, right?
    Nice work McKenzie, a brand new personal low point. I know things are bad when I’d rather get swept away by a tsunami then deal with my life anymore.
    “Kenz, you want me to stay the night with you?” Jess asks.
    “No Jess, but thank you.” I pick myself up from the ground and start to make my way back inside. I take one last look down my street, and I honestly don’t even know why. He’s out of sight, which is definitely for the better.
    At least that’s what I tell myself to take the edge off my pain.
     
    * * *
     
    It’s been over two days since the party nightmare. I haven’s seen Cage around our place at all. I haven’t even heard any footsteps along the outdoor staircase that runs along the side of our house. I have so many bizarre feelings ripping through my body right now. I’m not sure if I miss him to death, which makes no sense whatsoever, or if I’m happy that he’s not around anymore.
    I feel like I’m twelve years old right now, obsessing over some boy that hardly even knows I exist. What a waste of precious time.
    The only good thing to come over the last two days is that I haven’t heard from my father yet.
    Yet. My brain is one big jumbled mess.
    My phone vibrates, it’s a text from Jess.
    You