Embracing Trouble (Trouble Series)

by Bridle, Dee

  EMBRACING TROUBLE

  Published by:

  Dee Bridle

  www.deebridle.com

  Copyright © 2013, Dee Bridle

  Cover Artist: Kellie Dennis at Book Cover By Design

  www.bookcoverbydesign.co.uk

  Edited by: Candace Sinclair at www.WordsRU.com

  All Rights Reserved. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.

  November, 2013.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  For questions or comments about this book, please contact the author at: dee@deebridle.com

  EMBRACING TROUBLE

  Trouble Series

  Book One: Zac & Ava

  By Dee Bridle

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One: The Party That Started Everything

  Chapter Two: You’re Safe Here

  Chapter Three: Good Girls Don’t Make Calls at 2:30 a.m.

  Chapter Four: Stay Away From Me

  Chapter Five: Driving Me to the Point Of Madness

  Chapter Six: No One Is Going To Hear You

  Chapter Seven: A Big Ball of Mess Inside

  Chapter Eight: Don’t Even Breathe On Her

  Chapter Nine: I’m Worth More Than a One-Night Stand

  Chapter Ten: All Mine

  Chapter Eleven: You Make Me Crazy

  Chapter Twelve: Bad Girl

  Chapter Thirteen: Temporary

  Chapter Fourteen: To Ruin and Damage

  Chapter Fifteen: Answers

  Chapter Sixteen: Heaven and Hell

  Chapter Seventeen: Girls Night

  Chapter Eighteen: When It All Went Very Wrong

  Chapter Nineteen: Relationship

  Chapter Twenty: Exclusivity

  Chapter Twenty-One: Coming Home

  Epilogue: A few months later

  Coming Soon

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Chapter One: The Party That Started Everything

  Ava

  I could hear the house party as soon as we rounded the corner. Music mixed with laughter and squeals drifted through the night air as we walked towards the house.

  “I can’t wait to get inside and party,” said Sophie excitedly next to me as her heels clicked on the pavement.

  I didn’t go to many parties and she had talked me into going to this one tonight. I folded my arms and looked over at her tight dress and high heels, knowing she had gone all out tonight. I looked down at my skinny jeans and Converse sneakers and hid a smile, knowing I hadn’t, according to her.

  Cars were parked tightly along both sides of the street as other cars slowly inched forward after dropping people off. We were halfway through the last year of high school and apparently tonight’s party would be a big one. Luckily, my house was only two blocks away from Antony’s party tonight, so Sophie didn’t have to drive us. Turning eighteen had made me a proud owner of a driver’s license without a car, while Sophie’s brand new BMW had been delivered on the morning of her birthday, with a great big pink bow on its hood. I was sure my father was too busy with his own life to even think about getting me one, with or without a pink bow. I didn’t give myself much time to feel bad though. I was too busy spending every spare moment I had studying and getting good grades.

  “I’m so glad you’re finally letting loose and coming to a party,” said Sophie.

  I frowned.

  “I’ve been to parties with you before, you know.”

  “I know,” she said flicking her hair over her shoulder. “But not since this year started, and this is when all the proper fun happens.”

  I wondered if “proper fun” meant flirting with the school’s brawny popular footballers? She could honestly have that fun all to herself as they held no appeal to me.

  “So, apparently Tyler was asking around to see if you were coming tonight,” she said with a knowing smile.

  I replied, “So?”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “Wake up, Ava! He’s interested. Just like I hope Antony is tonight with me.”

  “It was Chad last week.”

  She sighed in frustration as we crossed the street.

  “Chad is very taken. Antony isn’t. Keep up, Avs.”

  It was my turn to roll my eyes at her. She seemed hell bent on partying with the school football team, and I knew they would all be there tonight at Antony’s party. Sophie had started late with her fascination of the opposite sex and was now trying to make up for lost time.

  “Hasn’t Antony slept with every girl in our year level?” I asked next.

  “Not me…yet,” she said with a wicked smile.

  I shook my head and followed her to Antony’s large white house, music and laughter even louder now. We walked past a group of guys who were standing at the end of the driveway next door. I looked down at the pavement as I walked through a thick cloud of their sweet smoke.

  “Hello baby,” said one.

  “Nice legs,” said another as they all chuckled.

  Sophie turned back to them.

  “Thanks,” she said with a giggle.

  “You going to the party?” said another.

  “We are,” grinned Sophie.

  I stopped with her and glanced over at them to see they all seemed older, at least in their early twenties. Sophie giggled some more with them and I folded my arms unsurely.

  “Save a Vodka Cruiser for me,” said one.

  They all chuckled again like it was an inside joke.

  “Maybe I will,” she returned with a flirty smile.

  I looked them over again to see they were laughing at her, not with her. I was about to grab her arm to pull her away when a set of deep brown eyes caught mine. I paused in that moment of time, unable to look away, feeling somewhat exhilarated. Panic set in, and I looked away.

  “Let’s go,” I said to Sophie grabbing her hand.

  “Where is your sense of adventure?” whispered Sophie angrily as we walked up the garden path to the front door of Antony’s house.

  “You’d be safer sticking to footballers,” I mumbled as we stepped inside.

  People were everywhere, some in groups drinking, others dancing to the loud thumping music. It wasn’t long before a shot of something was shoved into my hand, and we made our way through the house. I tried not to feel nervous and look uncomfortable as I downed the shot, hoping it would calm me. It burned my throat and I swallowed down a cough. A couple of friends greeted me with a smile, knowing I wasn’t one of those girls who did the air kisses and mock squealing thing. I watched Sophie flirt with everyone around her and take two shots to every one of mine.

  I thought of the guy outside who had been watching me with his deep brown eyes, and I took another shot. I felt strange when I thought of it and couldn’t imagine why he had been staring at me. I didn’t think for a minute that a guy, especially an older one who looked like him, would lust after me. Maybe I looked weird to him and he was trying to work me out?

  We soon headed outside to the large backyard where some people were already in the pool, drinking and laughing. Further on, there was a tennis court at the back and couples seemed to be making good use of the lack of lighting at the back of the garden. Speakers had been set up outside, too, and the same music was blaring out
over the garden.

  “Hey you two,” said Antony coming over, already looking very happy with himself. “Glad you came, Sophie. You’re looking hot,” he said, while sloppily kissing her on the cheek.

  I watched Sophie giggle at him, brushing her fingers up his arm. Who was she tonight? She was giggling with the school football captain like he was hilarious. Antony seemed to love the attention and sipped his beer with an arrogant smirk as he looked over to me.

  “Drinks are over there. Help yourselves,” he said, giving me a wink.

  I looked away from him and headed over to the drinks section, soon realizing that Sophie hadn’t followed me. She was still with Antony, and she was still giggling. I grabbed a drink and looked around the party, taking a sip. I watched Monica dance in her bikini beside the pool, waving her arms around so everyone could see her. Chad was too busy to see her, as he hurtled himself into the pool while doing a back flip. Applause erupted around the pool like he was a god. I let out a sigh and sipped my drink.

  Some days I felt so different from everyone around me, like I was missing some important part that an eighteen-year-old girl should have. I was a good girl, but not in a prudish, high moral way. But I also wasn’t one to chase boys, get drunk, whip my clothes off, and jump in a pool in the middle of a party. I never showed more skin than necessary or experimented with drugs. And I didn’t go to see bands or jump around at music festivals.

  I hadn’t gone all the way with a guy, or even half the way, come to think about it. I knew I was missing out on things that everyone else seemed to enjoy doing. Since I had turned eighteen a couple of months ago, these things had become a little more important to me. Maybe I wanted to be wicked and be rebellious, but as I looked around at my school friends, I didn’t want to be that with them.

  I had been so busy being perfect for my father over the years that I had somehow lost myself along the way. After my mother disappeared five years ago, I did everything I could to not push the boundaries, hoping it would return her to me and fill the gaping hole she had left behind.

  “Hey, Ava, you made it.”

  I turned to see a girl from my biology class walking past me and gave her a friendly smile.

  “Hi.”

  I was sure I had only spoken to her twice in the last six months. People knew me and talked to me, but I was never someone that people would actively search out. For most of my high school existence, I was known as the girl with the mother who had disappeared, and I resented the gossip and the pity. No one knew the real me. Hell, I didn’t even know the real me.

  I sipped my drink and watched Chad grab Monica and pretend to throw her into the pool. She squealed loudly, begging him not to get her wet while others cheered him on. He soon gave up on throwing her in and started to kiss her instead. She returned his kisses by pushing herself against him while his hands gripped her bottom.

  I had kissed two boys in my life and both times they hadn’t rocked my world. I honestly didn’t know what the fuss was about, because it was a slobbering mess of an exercise, if you asked me. Boys had shown interest in me, but I never really took the time to show any interest back.

  I was sure there were only a couple of virgins left in Year Twelve, and Sophie and I were two of them. She had started to despise the fact, but I didn’t care too much, knowing it would happen when it was right. I didn’t have the urge to lose it to just anyone. I thought the boys in my classes were still quite silly, even though most of them were already eighteen like me.

  I wanted the fairy tale.

  “He’s so cute,” said Sophie interrupting my thoughts, her cheeks flushed and her eyes twinkling.

  “I can’t believe you have a crush on Antony,” I said.

  “Why not? He’s gorgeous.”

  “He plays football,” I muttered.

  “So?”

  “So, since when do you go for the typical jock? I know you. You want romance and poetry and…brains.”

  “He has brains,” she returned. “And besides, I don’t particularly care at the moment.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m not going to university next year as a virgin,” she whispered.

  I stared at her.

  “Be judgmental all you like,” she returned. “But I’m over my boring life. I need something more, Ava. You do, too.”

  “My life isn’t boring,” I said half-heartedly, not even believing my own words.

  Sophie looked at me with her eyebrows raised, as if daring me to believe my own lie. She grabbed two more drinks and then my hand.

  “Let’s go over to the court and see what the others are doing.”

  We joined a group of friends on the tennis court and casually talked while we drank. Sophie kept plying me with drinks, still giggling and flirting with any guy within a two-meter radius. I kept quiet, watching everyone have fun, feeling wrong. I looked over and saw more girls stripping down to their bikinis around the pool.

  There was a couple leaning against the tennis court fence, wrapped in each other’s arms as they kissed each other hungrily. A group of boys cheered on their kissing friends and laughed loudly. I felt a sudden longing for that—to be that passionate for someone that you couldn’t hold yourself back from kissing each other hungrily in front of everyone. The two boys I had kissed had been more about getting it done so you could join the others who had already kissed boys. I hadn’t wanted to be left behind.

  I longed to feel that passion for someone, but I worried that I was missing something fundamental in that area. I looked at guys like Antony and only saw a guy with one thing on his mind, who would do or say anything to get it. Once he got it, he would move on to his next conquest. I didn’t want to be a conquest. I wanted romance and to be undeniably cherished, but maybe I was just clueless?

  I felt a tingle up my spine and wondered if the alcohol was finally taking effect as I met a pair of familiar eyes that were looking directly at me. Awareness suddenly prickled my skin, and I tried to catch my breath. It was the same guy from earlier on, and he didn’t look away as he put a cigarette to his lips and took a drag. He didn’t acknowledge me or smile, just watched, his eyes knowing and wicked. I tried not to panic again as he stared. He was gorgeous in a dark and dangerous way, and I swallowed hard as I tried to get air into my lungs.

  Sophie stood next to me and followed my line of sight to the guys sitting on the low wall at the end of the garden.

  She leaned in to me, slurring into my ear, “Those guys are the ones from earlier on. One of the real hot ones is staring at you.”

  I forced my eyes away from his, breaking the connection as my heart beat fast and out of control. He was gorgeous, and I suddenly wanted to run away, unable to comprehend the effect he was having on me.

  Sophie giggled and put her arm around my shoulders.

  “Go over there, Ava, don’t be a chicken shit.”

  “I’m not a chicken shit,” I said quietly, pulling her arm off me. “And I’m not going over there.”

  I wasn’t good at this stuff. If I went over to him, what would I say? I wasn’t confident enough to just go over to a strange guy and start flirting.

  “We’ll both go over,” said Sophie, taking my arm. “His friends are hot, too.”

  “No,” I said again, moving away and trying not to look over at him.

  Sophie rolled her eyes at me and then was distracted for a moment as she talked to someone. I snuck a quick glance back over to him to see him still watching me. I took a deep breath. I felt wired with excitement and panic. I knew I should look away, but I couldn’t. His eyes were intense, and I couldn’t help but notice how his T-shirt hugged his strong shoulders and tattoos filled his arms. I instantly knew that he was someone who could make me weak at the knees, stirring something in me that I had never felt before. I felt alive, like electricity was charging through me.

  “Hey, Ava.”

  I turned around quickly, feeling like I had been caught doing something I wasn’t meant to do. When I looke
d up, I saw Tyler in front of me. He was in a few of my classes and one of the popular guys. He was tall and built for football; a guy that most girls in my level wanted to catch. He had light brown hair, cut short, and the bluest eyes that made the girls crazy.

  I didn’t believe Sophie when she told me he was interested in me, because he had the pick of any girl he wanted. We talked in class sometimes and were friendly, but that was it.

  “Hey, Tyler.”

  “It’s good to see you here, Ava. I thought you might have had something against parties,” he said, taking a swig of his beer.

  I smiled, suddenly comparing his arms to the dark and dangerous guy behind me. Tyler had muscular arms as well, but his were tanned and didn’t have tattoos on them.

  “No aversion, as such, just busy with other things,” I replied.

  His eyes looked into mine as he smiled.

  “Well, I’m glad you came. My birthday is coming up,” he said, stepping closer to me. “And you need to come to that party and not be busy with other things.”

  I laughed a little unsurely, and said, “Okay.”

  He continued to look at me and then seemed to want to say something else. I took another sip, panicking slightly at what he might suggest. Was Sophie right? Did our friendly conversations at school actually mean something else? I hoped not, because I was only comfortable with him when I looked at him as just a friend.

  “Tyler!” said Nathan loudly as he reached us and slapped him on the back.

  Tyler looked annoyed at the interruption and then let Nathan pull him away to see something. His gaze was still fixed on me until he disappeared into the crowd. I frowned a little, not fully understanding what had just happened.

  I turned back in time to see Sophie now over with the guys and waving me over. I swore under my breath and made my way over, preparing myself to meet the owner of those wicked eyes with excitement buzzing through me. As I reached the group, I nervously set eyes on him again, but he was no longer looking at me. He was saying something into the ear of the girl beside him who had her hand on his thigh. I was obviously going crazy. What the hell had I been thinking? Of course, the owner of those intense eyes wasn’t interested in someone like me.