Embracing Trouble (Trouble Series) (6 page)

Zac.

Totally surprised, I was a little curious on how it got there and then I smiled at the thought of him adding it that night. I wanted to press it, call him and hear his deep voice. Whether it was the alcohol giving me the extra confidence or my current mindset of wanting to rebel, I didn’t really know or care. So I pressed it. My stomach fluttered with butterflies as I waited for him to answer.

“Hey,” shouted Zac, with loud heavy music in the background.

“Hi,” I said, wondering if he could hear me at all.

It sounded like he was in a club or pub somewhere.

“What’s up?” he shouted back.

I was about to answer when I heard a girl laughing and then the call ended.

Right. I glared at the screen and then shook my head. Why the hell did I do that? He was busy with another girl and now I felt like an idiot. I leaned my head against the railing on the front step and closed my eyes. My head spun, and I felt completely annoyed at myself. I needed to stop thinking about him.

My phone rang in my hand making me jump and I looked at the screen to see it was him. I thought about not answering it, but my thumb had other ideas.

“Hey,” I said quietly.

“You okay?” he asked, now somewhere quiet, so I could hear him.

“Yep,” I answered, closing my eyes and holding my head in my hand.

“Good girls don’t make calls at 2:30 a.m. unless something is wrong.”

“That’s what you think I am? A good girl?” I asked in a whisper.

“Aren’t you?” he returned.

I didn’t want to answer. I knew the answer and so did he. I suddenly hated that he thought I was a good girl.

“I can be bad,” I announced.

“That’s the alcohol talking,” he said next.

I was annoyed at his response.

“So, you’re only interested in bad girls?”

“Something like that.”

I cringed at my own stupidity. Didn’t I already know that he wasn’t interested? Now I had to confirm it all over again. I really was an idiot.

“How’s the party? Going wild on vodka cruisers?” he asked in a mocking tone.

I was puzzled over his knowledge of the party, and then I realized it was from Sophie’s photo on Facebook. I cringed, hoping I looked okay in it.

“Tequila shots, actually,” I said quietly. “How’s the party wherever you are?”

“Rhino just finished their set. I’m about to leave.”

“I guess your bad girls like the band Rhino.”

“Some,” he replied.

“How many bad girls are there?”

“A few.”

I shook my head. I was so out of his league, and he was so not interested. He had the whole girl thing truly covered.

“Well, I’ll let you get back to them all.”

“Do me a favor,” he said next.

“What?”

“Go home.”

I glowered at his demand, not understanding where it was coming from or why he would even say it.

“Why? The party is still going.”

“Go home, Ava,” he demanded softly.

The call ended.

I looked at the screen in disbelief. Who did he think he was? He didn’t get to order me around. I purposefully stood up and put my phone in my pocket. I was going to get another tequila shot, just to defy him.

An hour later, I was completely drunk and waiting for Sophie who had gone upstairs with Antony. She was determined to do what she wanted to do and was not going to wait around for it any longer. I was sure she would come down no longer a virgin and then it only left me. Me, the one who was nowhere near the vicinity of losing it. I stumbled back out to the front and sat on the step. I needed to go home now, because who knew how long Sophie would be. I was past it. I went to dial a taxi.

“Hey, Ava, all good out here?” asked Tyler coming over and sitting down next to me with a drunken smile.

“All good,” I answered. “Just very drunk and I need to go home,” I slurred, as my phone beeped.

I looked down to see it was a message.

Zac:
I thought I told you to go home.

I tried to focus on it, puzzled as to why he was demanding for me to go home. How did he even know I was still here?

“I’m so glad you came tonight,” said Tyler beside me.

I closed the message.

“It’s been a fun night.”

“I’ve had way too many shots,” he said into my ear.

I laughed at him, and said, “Me, too.”

I felt his arm go behind me and then his mouth near my ear. I focused on my screen again, annoyed with Zac’s demands. I typed a response back.

Ava:
Being a bad girl feels good.

I pressed Send with determination. I wasn’t really being a bad girl, but as I looked up at Tyler next to me, I suddenly wondered if I should be.

Tyler cooed in my ear, “You look really gorgeous tonight.”

“I do?” I asked with a laugh.

“You do,” he whispered huskily. “Totally gorgeous.”

I smiled, letting the compliment wash over me and making me feel happy.

“Thanks, Tyler.”

It was just what I needed to hear. I needed to concentrate on Tyler and not the mixed-up emotional confusion of Zac in my head.

He inched even closer to me, his lips touching my cheek. I giggled softly as I turned my face slightly towards him. He was going to kiss me.

“Ava!”

I turned slowly at the sound of my name, in a daze, knowing my lips had been a breath away from Tyler’s. I saw Noah leaning out of a car window in front of the house, and I frowned in confusion.

“Let’s go, Ava!” he called out with a cheeky grin.

“What?” I mumbled, trying to comprehend how Noah was here.

I focused on the car to see the big blond guy in the back seat and an angry looking Zac in the driver’s seat.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said under my breath.

“You know him?” asked Tyler at my ear.

“Yeah,” I said still in disbelief.

“She’s busy,” Tyler called out, pulling me against him and nuzzling my neck.

I couldn’t help but giggle at the tickling sensation and then gasped as I heard doors open and the rumbling engine stop. I pulled away from Tyler and watched the three of them head towards us. They looked menacing and I felt a sudden flutter of excitement.

“Hands off unless you want them removed,” said the big blond guy.

Tyler removed his arm from around me.

“What the fuck, man?”

“Time for you to go inside,” warned Noah.

Tyler half laughed.

“So you think you can just go round scaring everyone because you’re big underground fighters?”

I looked to Zac, a question in my eyes. They were underground fighters? He gave me nothing back but anger before he turned to Tyler with his fists clenched.

“You want to test that theory fuck head?” growled Noah.

“I think it’s up to Ava if I go inside or not,” said Tyler standing up on the step and putting his hand out to me.

I didn’t take it, but stood up anyway, looking to Zac. I didn’t care if he was an underground fighter or a circus instructor, I would always choose him.

“Run along,” said Noah with a snicker.

“Ava?” asked Tyler.

I turned to him, and quietly said, “I’m okay. Go inside.”

Tyler looked annoyed as he put his hands up in front of him.

“Whatever.”

The door opened, letting out music and laughter and then slammed shut. I turned to Zac.

“What are you doing here?” I asked sitting back down on the step before my legs collapsed.

The blond guy chuckled, and said, “She’s plastered.”

Zac glared down at me.

“Let’s go,” he demanded as Noah and the blond guy headed back to the car.

I tried to comprehend his anger and his demands and looked at him in confusion.

“What are you doing here?” I asked again. “You don’t even like me,” I whispered.

“Let’s go, Ava,” he said turning away towards the car.

A rebellious urge made me lift my chin, and I spouted the word, “No!”

I heard a growl and then he was in front of me again, but this time picking me up and hoisting me over his shoulder.

I squealed and hit his back, hollering, “Put me down!”

He was silent as he dumped me in the back seat of the car next to the blond guy and slammed the door closed. I looked to the guy next to me and pushed my hair back off my face.

“Hi,” I said.

“Hey,” he said dragging on a joint. “I’m Will.”

Zac got in and started the engine, heavy music filling the car.

“Better put your belt on, he drives fast when he’s angry,” said Will into my ear.

I did what he said and then Zac threw it into first gear and sped off down the street. I held on and felt a little wild at the music and the speed we were going. I turned to Will and focused on him.

“You have a mohawk now,” I shouted looking at his short hair in wonder.

“That’s right,” grinned Will leaning over to me. “You like?”

“Don’t even breathe on her, Will,” growled Zac, his eyes on the road.

Will pulled back from me with a grin and dragged on his joint again, filling the car with a sickly sweet smell.

Noah turned the music down slightly and asked, “So what were you and the Tyler man talking about?”

I leaned back in the seat and suddenly giggled.

“He told me how gorgeous I looked tonight.”

The car accelerated around a corner and I was thrown against the door, hitting my head on the window.

“Ow,” I wailed.

“Well, he sounds amazing,” mocked Will.

“It was nice to get a compliment,” I said, rubbing my head. “I don’t get many.”

“Sounds like you’re hanging around the wrong type of guys,” chuckled Will offering me his joint.

Noah laughed and I saw Zac shake his head, but I was too drunk to understand.

I looked at the joint in Will’s fingers and shook my head. I definitely had too much tequila, and if we went around one more corner on two wheels, I was going to throw up. I squeezed the leather seats and knew it would be a shame to mess up such a nice car. I focused on Zac in front and how he changed the gears with precision, the engine sounding like a rocket.

We were in front of my house in no time, and I tried to find the door handle in the dark. Will leaned over me and opened the door for me with a wink. I giggled and climbed out of the car on shaky legs.

“Bye, beautiful Ava,” grinned Will as he closed the door.

I giggled, “Bye,” as the car engine rumbled and then noisily drove off down the street.

I felt my pocket for my key, hoping I hadn’t lost it, and then I accidently dropped my phone on the grass. A hand that didn’t belong to me picked it up for me, and I gasped to see Zac was with me. Expecting him to still be in the car that was now probably at Noah’s, I stumbled back and lost my footing.

I landed on my butt in the grass and groaned with an “Ow.”

Zac

“You okay?” I asked crouching down to her, wondering if her father was home and if he was a light sleeper.

“My butt hurts,” she mumbled, pushing her hair off her face in annoyance.

I hid a smile, thinking how adorable she looked, defenseless but mad.

“If you weren’t so pissed, I’d offer to rub it better,” I mumbled.

“What?” she said.

“Nothing,” I said.

“You were driving,” she said next, not looking up at me.

“I was,” I agreed.

She looked puzzled, like she was trying to understand the situation..

“Why did you come and get me?”

I looked down at the grass between us and tried to brush off the situation.

“Just wanted you home safe.”

She suddenly hiccupped and then groaned, “I think I’m going to be sick.”

“You’ll feel better if you do,” I said.

She groaned again, and said, “I hate throwing up.”

A neighbor’s dog started to bark across the road.

“Let’s get you inside first,” I said, leaning over and lifting her in my arms. “Anyone else home?”

She let out a soft sigh as I cradled her into me and she rested her head on my shoulder.

“No, just me.”

“How the fuck were you going to get inside by yourself?” I asked quietly in disbelief.

I wanted her to be safe, not coming home to an empty house at four in the morning. I used her key and unlocked the door, stepping inside the house and kicking the door shut.

“I was going to go home with Tyler and screw him seven different ways,” she mumbled, her eyelids drooping.

I stopped at the foot of the staircase and looked down at the beautiful sarcastic girl in my arms.

“Only seven?”

“Mmm hmm,” she said, her eyes closing. “At least he wants me.”

I took a deep breath, wanting to tell her that I wanted her more than anyone else and I’d screw her so many different ways she would lose the ability to count, but she was drunk and almost asleep. Besides, I was meant to be keeping my distance, which wasn’t working out so well.

I headed up the stairs and found her room, looking around and taking it all in. She moved slightly in my arms and then nuzzled up to my neck.

“You smell nice,” she moaned against my skin.

My self-control was being tested, and I swallowed hard as I headed over to the bed and gently put her down. She nestled into the pillow with a soft moan, and I had to count to ten to get some order to my body with all blood going down south. God, I wanted her. I imagined her moaning my name as I pleasured her and had to turn away.

I needed to go home and have a cold shower and leave her alone. I shouldn’t have gone to the party to pick her up, but I hated the thought of her being drunk around high school boys. I had the insane urge to protect her, and it was driving me slightly mad. I took one last look at her and then turned away, knowing I had to stay away. High school boys had nothing on me, and I was the one she needed protecting from.

I left the house making sure the front door was locked behind me and I headed home.

“You’re back already? Things didn’t go well then?” asked Noah as I stepped inside.

“Did you at least fucking kiss her?” asked Will sitting on the couch, his feet up on the coffee table.