He's the guy moms warn their daughters about. Bold, outspoken, and self-confident, Brian O'Brien returns to his hometown only to discover some things changed in his absence.
Brian has a new neighbor - a shy, smart girl Leah, who hates his guts since...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"What the hell is Ferdinand doing at your house?" O'Brien asks, shooting a menacing glare in Gavin's direction after he's parked the bike to the side of the road, out of my mother's sight.
I unclip the helmet and hand it to him. "I don't know, but my mother can't see us together. Go home, O'Brien. I'll be okay."
"Do you think I'm afraid of your mother? Maybe she needs to know your so-called boyfriend left you in the woods at night with people you barely know."
"Leave. Please. And thanks for the ride."
Something akin to concern flicks across O'Brien's face, but he sighs and nods. "Don't sweat it, Kitten."
His bike doesn't move; O'Brien stays there, watching me as I drag my feet to the hot mess I call home. My body stiffens at the thought of a confrontation. I didn't want the night to end like this.
When Gavin sees me, he rushes toward me. "Leah, thank God you're here." He opens his arms to hug me, and I shove him away and push past him. He wouldn't have left me if I mattered to him.
My shoulders slump as I climb the steps to the porch.
"Say goodbye to Gavin," my mother hisses and grips my forearm.
"Bye, Gavin," I say without looking at him as I make my way into the house.
Mom follows me in, and as soon as the door behind us closes, her open palm collides with my cheek. My head swivels from the impact, and my eyes water.
I press my hand to my face and flinch at my mother's stern expression.
"You, slut. You just have to keep embarrassing me, don't you? What were you thinking, sending Gavin away so you could stay with those delinquents?"
Tears well up in my eyes, blurring my vision. "I didn't ask him to leave! He left on his own and didn't even glance at me. It's not my fault he can't be around people."
Mother scoffs. "People. What people? Criminals, who drink underage? Gavin wants you to stay away from them for a reason. His family would never approve of them."
"I don't care about his family, just like they don't care about me. I did nothing wrong. Gavin left me alone in the woods and drove away. Is that what good guys do?"
"Don't you dare, Leah. Gavin warned me you'd lie because that jerk next door filled your head with ideas, but you know what? It's over. You're grounded. I forbid you to go out without my permission."
"Fine," I spit out. "You'd rather believe Gavin than your own daughter. Is it because of the money? How could you accept their money, Mom? Now, we're indebted to them. Don't we already have enough to pay for?"
"They're generous. They wanted to lend us a hand because Gavin dates you."
"It's a lie," I cry. "Nothing's ever free. They'll want something in return, and I want nothing to do with them. I don't like Gavin that much. You're in denial. You're blinded by those people."
