Read Online Tainted Legacy (YA Paranormal Romance) by Amity Hope - Free Book Online
Authors: Amity Hope
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come as a surprise. She grabbed a strand of her short blond hair and began to twirl it around her finger. Her big blue eyes darted from Ava to Gabe and back again as she pursed her lips.
“Just a friend?” Gabe asked, directing the question more to Julia than to Ava.
“Yes,” Ava answered at the same moment that Julia said, “Well, now .”
“Now?” Gabe pressed as he followed Ava who had started to move away, toward the bleachers. Gabe realized there was already a match in progress. He had been oblivious to the start of it.
“They dated last year,” Julia helpfully supplied as she trailed along behind them. “Almost all of last year.”
“Five months, Julia. That’s not even half of a year, and we’ve been broken up twice that long,” Ava corrected over her shoulder as she climbed the bleachers. She chose a seat that would be nearest to Molly and Gabe dumped himself down next to her. Julia gingerly crept past him to sit on Ava’s other side.
“So how was work today?” Ava asked, oblivious to the turmoil that Gabe was overcome with.
“Work?” he asked, perplexed by the question. Ava didn’t know that he didn’t actually work. The radio station was, more than anything, just a place for him to hang out, kill some time during the day, do a little f too a litlirting, and hang out with a few guys that were a little older than him but still willing to kiss his ass because he was the boss’ son. “Work was fine,” he finally decided.
“You talk to your ex a lot?” He knew he hadn’t imagined the smugness in Julia’s tone when she’d pointed out who Dawson was. He also knew he should be ignoring it but he couldn’t seem to help himself.
Ava shrugged but narrowed her eyes at him. Her lips seemed to quiver at the corners, as if she were fighting off a smile. He knew then that his voice had been lightly tinged, if not positively soaked, in annoyance. He hoped she hadn’t mistaken that annoyance for jealousy, which it clearly wasn’t. His only concern had to do with maintaining her friendship and he didn’t need some guy messing things up. He didn’t see the humor in that and didn’t think she should either.
He cleared his throat before adding on, “I think that’s great. That you can still be friends.”
“Yeah, we’re still friends,” she agreed. She was able to keep her voice even. “We have a few classes together this year. We’re working on a project together for one of them. That’s what we were talking about just now.” She cocked her head to the side, taking in Gabe’s reaction before adding. “It’s not just us, though. There are five altogether in our group.”
Gabe frowned as he faced the tennis courts. Not even the girls’ bouncing skirts could distract him from the infuriation that had just settled into his chest. He found it hard to believe that any guy would be happy being just friends with her. But it wasn’t exactly as if he—supposedly just being her friend—could point out to her just how naïve she was for thinking that.
“Oh, there’s Molly!” Ava enthused with an excited little clap of her hands and tapping of her feet.
Gabe barely spared Molly a glance. Not even her shapely body or her gorgeous mass of long, dark, curly hair could hold his attention. He was too busy trying to decide if he needed to move things along with Ava or if he could keep up the pretense of friendship. It all depended upon whether Dawson was a threat or not. He couldn’t let anything or anyone interfere with this newly founded and very delicate relationship.
If Dawson had the potential to be more than just a friend again, he would likely not appreciate Ava spending time with another guy. He knew that he wouldn’t appreciate it. In fact, he didn’t appreciate it now and they were not even dating. He glanced across the way at Dawson who seemed to be taking a peek at Ava. Dawson quickly turned back to the court when he noticed Gabe’s gaze on him.
Maybe he needed to… What
“Just a friend?” Gabe asked, directing the question more to Julia than to Ava.
“Yes,” Ava answered at the same moment that Julia said, “Well, now .”
“Now?” Gabe pressed as he followed Ava who had started to move away, toward the bleachers. Gabe realized there was already a match in progress. He had been oblivious to the start of it.
“They dated last year,” Julia helpfully supplied as she trailed along behind them. “Almost all of last year.”
“Five months, Julia. That’s not even half of a year, and we’ve been broken up twice that long,” Ava corrected over her shoulder as she climbed the bleachers. She chose a seat that would be nearest to Molly and Gabe dumped himself down next to her. Julia gingerly crept past him to sit on Ava’s other side.
“So how was work today?” Ava asked, oblivious to the turmoil that Gabe was overcome with.
“Work?” he asked, perplexed by the question. Ava didn’t know that he didn’t actually work. The radio station was, more than anything, just a place for him to hang out, kill some time during the day, do a little f too a litlirting, and hang out with a few guys that were a little older than him but still willing to kiss his ass because he was the boss’ son. “Work was fine,” he finally decided.
“You talk to your ex a lot?” He knew he hadn’t imagined the smugness in Julia’s tone when she’d pointed out who Dawson was. He also knew he should be ignoring it but he couldn’t seem to help himself.
Ava shrugged but narrowed her eyes at him. Her lips seemed to quiver at the corners, as if she were fighting off a smile. He knew then that his voice had been lightly tinged, if not positively soaked, in annoyance. He hoped she hadn’t mistaken that annoyance for jealousy, which it clearly wasn’t. His only concern had to do with maintaining her friendship and he didn’t need some guy messing things up. He didn’t see the humor in that and didn’t think she should either.
He cleared his throat before adding on, “I think that’s great. That you can still be friends.”
“Yeah, we’re still friends,” she agreed. She was able to keep her voice even. “We have a few classes together this year. We’re working on a project together for one of them. That’s what we were talking about just now.” She cocked her head to the side, taking in Gabe’s reaction before adding. “It’s not just us, though. There are five altogether in our group.”
Gabe frowned as he faced the tennis courts. Not even the girls’ bouncing skirts could distract him from the infuriation that had just settled into his chest. He found it hard to believe that any guy would be happy being just friends with her. But it wasn’t exactly as if he—supposedly just being her friend—could point out to her just how naïve she was for thinking that.
“Oh, there’s Molly!” Ava enthused with an excited little clap of her hands and tapping of her feet.
Gabe barely spared Molly a glance. Not even her shapely body or her gorgeous mass of long, dark, curly hair could hold his attention. He was too busy trying to decide if he needed to move things along with Ava or if he could keep up the pretense of friendship. It all depended upon whether Dawson was a threat or not. He couldn’t let anything or anyone interfere with this newly founded and very delicate relationship.
If Dawson had the potential to be more than just a friend again, he would likely not appreciate Ava spending time with another guy. He knew that he wouldn’t appreciate it. In fact, he didn’t appreciate it now and they were not even dating. He glanced across the way at Dawson who seemed to be taking a peek at Ava. Dawson quickly turned back to the court when he noticed Gabe’s gaze on him.
Maybe he needed to… What
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