Twisted Mind (Chequered Flag #2) by Mia Hoddell Read Free Book Online

stare on Perry. “We were going to take my car, weren’t we, Tazia?”
    Her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. I didn’t know where the words came from, yet backtracking wasn’t an option. In my flat I had every intention of letting her go shopping alone then continuing with my wallowing. However, the thought of Perry within even a metre of her ignited a fire within me.
    “Are you sure? Tazia doesn’t look like she knew of this arrangement.”
    “Of course I’m sure. How else did she plan on getting there? It’s not like she can drive, and I was heading out to get a few things anyway.”
    I was? That was news to me. My evening plans had been pizza and cleaning.
    I straightened my back, drawing myself up to my full height. Bracing my arm on the doorframe, I rested it behind Tazia’s shoulder. She thought nothing of the possessive gesture, although Perry did. His jaw clenched hard enough I thought his teeth would crack.
    “Why don’t you both ask me rather than talk about me like I’m not here?” Tazia snapped. Her mane of silk whipped back and forth as she made the point of glowering at us both.
    “Okay, beautiful. Who do you want to go with?” Perry asked.
    I barely contained my eye roll and I muffled my laugh with a cough. When I banged on my chest trying to clear my throat, Perry seethed. I couldn’t help it, at his fury my lips quirked smugly. And it just so happened the second I did, Tazia fixed me with a glare.
    Typical.
    Her whole body stiffened, the muscles in her shoulders locked. “You two are unbelievable. I’ll go on my own like I planned to. I don’t need either of you.”
    The restrained anger in her voice smacked the expression from my face quicker than I thought possible. I reached for her, closing my hand around her upper arm gently to prevent her moving.
    “Don’t be like that, Tazia. Let me give you a ride.”
    The fact she didn’t slap me or fix me with another furious glower felt like an improvement. Then again, I reminded myself not everyone was like Elora. Elora’s knee-jerk reaction to being stopped from doing something was to lash out, mostly at me. While I knew normal people didn’t, I had a feeling it would take a while to get used to.
    Tazia flicked her eyes to the ceiling and huffed. I took it as a victory and waited for her verbal agreement because I knew she had no other option. Taxis weren’t cheap and they didn’t give her the flexibility.
    “Fine, but you leave me alone in the shop. You have to go and do your own thing.”
    “Deal,” I replied instantly even though I had no intention of following through. If I drove her she was stuck with me until we returned because for the first time in the last few weeks I felt lighter. The cheerfulness I exuded was genuine, and I had stopped thinking about what could have been.
    I forced the thought from my mind. I refused to go back to the dark pit I’d been in all week. Placing my hand on the small of Tazia’s back, I disregarded Perry’s presence completely. I kept my body between them and pressed Tazia forward to force her feet to move.
    “Come on, beautiful , hurry up.”
    Her body became rigid beneath my hand. Her steps faltered and she fixed me with a stubborn glare. I didn’t think it was possible for her black irises to become darker, but somehow they did. Like pools of anger, the irritation seeped from them.
    “Don’t call me that,” she spat and for the first time the Tazia I’d met disappeared, giving me a hint of there being more to her story than she let on. I only said it to mock Perry, though obviously something about the name affected her deeper down. Or maybe she didn’t feel comfortable around me yet.
    “Okay, how about princess?”
    Her nose bunched in distaste, although she didn’t bite my head off a second time.
    “No? Sugar?”
    She feigned gagging and relief surged through me at the return of her more jovial side.
    “Baby?”
    “You can call me Tazia or Taz. No pet names.” She tried to