Read Online Fighting to Survive (Guarded Hearts Book 3) by Alexis Noelle - Free Book Online Page A

there is no way we are doing anything here. I refuse to disrespect your family like that!”
    “Have you been talking to Mads, because she does the same exact stuff with Carter.”
    “I know she does, but even if she didn’t I would still feel this way. I wouldn’t even be staying in the same room as you if I didn’t have to and I don’t want your mom to get the wrong idea about me.”
    I can see the irritation on his face. “Okay, I get it. Just so you know, though, I’m not too happy about it.”
    I shrug my shoulders. “Oh well.”
    We go back out to the living room and talk with his dad until his mom calls us in for lunch. “Nothing fancy, sweetheart, just sandwiches.”
    “Thank you, it looks great.”
    Shawn’s parents seem so happy with each other, which is something completely foreign to me. At my house, my parents barely even look at each other, and when they do I don’t think they really see each other. We talk with his parents during lunch about school and everything else. I hear the door open and a little girl who looks about five comes running in. She has blonde hair, blue eyes, and runs directly to Shawn.
    “You’re back!” She situates herself on his lap before picking up his sandwich and taking the last bite of it. He laughs and gives her a big hug.
    “Angelina, this is my friend Christen.”
    She looks over at me, smiles, and then she turns back to Shawn and whispers loudly, “She is really pretty.” I smile. Angelina climbs down off of Shawn’s lap and comes over to me. “I have a lot of princess toys. Do you want to play?”
    “Sure!” She runs off quickly and disappears down the hallway. I stand up and take my plate into the kitchen, thanking his mom for lunch on my way.
    Shawn walks into the kitchen and wraps his arms around my waist. “I want to take you somewhere tonight, okay?”
    “Okay.” Angelina is yelling for me because she’s ready to play, so I give Shawn a quick kiss and head off to find her.
     
     
    ***
    Shawn refuses to tell me where we are going tonight, but just tells me to dress nice. I brought a couple of dresses with me and I choose a black strapless one for tonight. It stops at almost mid-thigh and has some rhinestones scattered around the top of it. I like it because it’s really simple but still dressy. Shawn lets me get ready in his room and is waiting for me out in the living room. I obviously don’t do well with surprises because I’m going insane trying to figure out what we are doing tonight.
    When I walk out of his bedroom and find him waiting for me, he looks amazing. Shawn is definitely not a guy who likes to dress up, but he’s wearing a dark blue button-up shirt and khakis. His shirt makes his eyes look mesmerizing and I seriously hate that we’re staying at his parents’ now because all I want to do is jump on top of him.
    He walks up to me and places his hands on my hips, still holding me at arms’ length, and looks me up and down. “You look beautiful, babe. You ready to go?”
    “How can I be ready if I don’t know where I’m going?”
    He just smiles at me and leans down to give me a kiss. We walk out to his car and he opens the door for me. I love the little things he does for me. He gets into the car and then pulls away. “So do you know what you are going to do for the summer?”
    “I always go away with my family. Usually it’s a trip that gets planned by my mother and it’s one mindless activity and party after another.” Last year we went to Hawaii and my mother spent the entire time commenting about what I ate, how my bathing suit looked on me, why I was wasting my time with school, and when I would settle down. She also always coordinates our trips with friends of my dads who have sons that she wants to set me up with.
    “Why don’t you spend it with me then?”
    “Really?”
    “Yeah, I mean, Maddy and Carter and Holly will be home. My mom even told Jason that he and Nicole can stay with us for a while.”
    I would