Wednesday by Clare James Read Free Book Online

next, the emotions were
too high and my head was spinning. One thing was clear, I never got to tell
him.
    The next moments were a tangle of yelling
and grabbing and crying. And then Tris turned on me.
    “It’s like my dad said,” he told
me. “You are just like her .”
    Like his mother. The most selfish
person in the world. The person who hurt him so deeply.
    “You deserve whatever you get,
Aria,” he said, walking away. “Just remember that.”
    Yes, I destroyed that boy. And he
turned around and did the same back to me.
    I hated him for it.
    Still do.
     
     

 
TRISTAN
     
    I have turned into
a fucking pussy overnight. I can’t eat, can’t sleep, hell, I can’t even shower
without jerking off to the thought of Aria Prince, or Anders, or whatever the
fuck her name is now.
    I can’t get rid of the image of
those pert nipples under her shirt, that amazing ass that looked edible in her
yoga pants and running shorts, those chocolate brown eyes, that full mouth…
    Shit, this has to stop. That
goddamn full mouth did nothing but wreck me then and insult me now. Though I
know what this is. A simple case of wanting what you can’t have. Being told no . 
Something that doesn’t sit well with me anymore.
    Question is, what to do about it?
    I hate her. I want her.
    I’ll just find some way to have
her.
    That’s the bottom line. Get her
under me and out of my system as quick as possible and move on with my life.
And yet, I’m stuck here in Gulf Bay for the foreseeable future. So is she. I’m
not involved with anyone. Neither is she. I don’t want a commitment, and from her
tone last night, neither does she. And the clincher…
    We both have Wednesdays free.
    My brain works its magic and I know
what I have to do.
    Now I just need to wait six more
days.
    ***
     
     Turns out, I don’t have to wait
that long at all. On my way home from Dad’s shop, I catch Aria on her way into
the ice cream shop. And she’s alone. What are the chances?
    I park my bike and follow her in.
The bell chimes when I open the door.
    Aria doesn’t look back, but she’s
tense. She knows I’m here.
    “How’s the foot?” I ask, closing in
on her personal space from behind.
    “Fine.” She takes a step forward.
“How’s the death trap you rode in on?”
    She did see me pull in. Heh.
    “It’s not so much a death trap as a
death seeker,” I say.
    Aria always hated motorcycles with
a passion, one of the reasons I didn’t buy one in high school and possibly why
it was the very first thing I bought when she left town.
     She rolls her eyes at me, but her
cheeks are flushed. This is the perfect time to talk to her about my idea.
    “Hey, you know –” I start, only to
be cut short by the little dirt bomb again. Jesus, he’s filthy.
    “I want ice cream,” he squeaks,
barging in right between us.
    “What on earth?” she says, but I
miss the rest, because pulling up right behind him is – fuck me – Serena.
    Well, this plan is going to shit in
a hurry.  
    “Hey buddy.” I bend down to Cade’s
level, not meeting Serena’s eyes but definitely feeling the daggers she’s shooting
at me. “What flavor are you getting?” I’ve never really been a fan of kids, not
sure why, but in this moment, I’d rather talk to the three-foot twerp than
acknowledge his grabby aunt.
    When I first moved back in with
Dad, I made the mistake of being friendly with Serena – in a completely kid
sister sorta way – but she misread the signs. Big time. I can’t even think
about the mess that followed.
    “Banilla,” Cade says, bringing me
back to the current uncomfortable situation.
    “Banilla?” I ask. Geez, no
imagination with today’s youth. “Well, that’s boring.”
    “Maybe we like boring,” Aria snaps
at me.
    “Yeah,” Serena agrees before
looking away. There’s no way she told Aria what happened, so when I level a
look her way, she quickly changes her tune. “What does he know?” she jokes to
Cade.  
    Jesus H.
    “I highly