The Fight In Us: A Brother's Best Friend College Romance (The Four Book 4) Becca Steele (speld decodable readers .TXT) 📖

blinding grin spread across Weston’s face, and even though it wasn’t directed at me, I shivered.

No.

I’d perfected the art of pretending that Weston didn’t affect me over the years, and I wasn’t about to break now.

Affixing a bored expression on my face, I turned to Raine as Carter and Weston started talking about torque and engine shit.

“He’s even better-looking than I remembered.” Raine nudged me with her elbow.

“Is he?”

Maybe my mask was flimsier than I realised, because she wasn’t fooled by my false nonchalance. “You know, I remember you hanging out with him a bit last year when he was still at school with us.”

“We didn’t ‘hang out.’ Maybe I spoke to him sometimes—he’s my brother’s best friend, after all. But he was the football team captain, and you know how I feel about the popular crowd.”

She arched her brow, clearly unconvinced. “Yet you sit with them every day at lunch.”

“Only because your boyfriend is the team captain,” I shot back.

“You love them really. Don’t even pretend.” Glancing over at her boyfriend, she gave him a small, private smile.

I hummed non-committally, because maybe they weren’t so bad. Not now I’d got to know them.

My eyes strayed to Weston again, despite myself, and my stomach fluttered.

The conversation stopped.

His gaze swung to mine, and he directed that smile at me.

My defences melted away, as if they’d never existed.

Fuck.

I knew he was going to be my downfall. He was going to ruin me.

I’d managed to avoid the fire for so long, but now?

Now I was craving the burn.

I couldn’t give in. Weston was a temptation that I couldn’t afford.

“Ready to go?” He twirled his keys around on his finger as he continued to disarm me with his smile.

Deep breath. You don’t want him. Nodding, I walked around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door, back to my usual confident self.

“Oh. This is nice.” My black-tipped fingernails trailed appreciatively over the buttery soft leather of my seat. Clipping my seat belt into place, I took in the interior, all understated elegance and luxury.

“Yeah.” The pride in Weston’s voice made me smile. Starting up the engine, he casually rested one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the back of my seat as he reversed. When he removed his hand, his fingers caught in my hair.

“Sorry.” His voice was soft. His fingertips slid over the strands that rested against my cheek, sending shivers racing through me. “I like your hair this pink colour,” he murmured.

Suddenly, it felt like all the air had been sucked from the car. And now I was fucking blushing. What the fuck?

He pulled away his hand so fast that it was practically a blur, gripping the steering wheel tightly. I was sure this car hadn’t been this small when I got in. Why was I finding it hard to breathe?

As he drove us in the direction of my house, it became apparent that the stifling atmosphere in the car wasn’t only caused by whatever weird moment had happened between us. Glancing over at him, I noticed the tight set of his jaw and tension radiating from his body.

“Are you okay?” I ventured, then immediately clamped my mouth shut, instantly regretting speaking up. Surprisingly, though, he answered me.

“Yeah. I…” There was the world’s longest pause before he finally continued. “I’m fine. Just got some shit going on. Picking up this baby—” He patted the steering wheel. “—made me forget for a bit, but now…” His shoulders slumped.

What was I supposed to say to that? “Well, that’s cryptic.” I licked my dry lips. “Um.”

Thankfully, he didn’t wait for me to attempt to formulate more of a reply, because he gave a loud sigh and turned to me briefly. “Fuck it. It’s not important. Just got a lot on my plate. I’ll work it out. Are you in a rush to get home?”

“No…”

His hand smoothed over the steering wheel. “Wanna see what this baby is capable of?”

A grin spread across my face. “Yeah. Although I’m kind of concerned by the way you keep referring to it as your baby.”

“It is my baby.” A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and the whole atmosphere lightened.

“If you say so.”

We hit the open clifftop road, and he let the car fly. Now I got it. I got why Winter was so obsessed with Caiden and his car. Seeing Weston handle this powerful machine with ease, his muscles flexing as his hands curved around the steering wheel…there was something so masculine and sexy about it.

I couldn’t afford to think that way. I yanked my head around so fast that I was surprised I hadn’t given myself whiplash, fixing my gaze on the sea instead.

He directed me to put some music on, so I hooked my phone up to his car system and hit one of my playlists.

“You’re an NF fan, hey?” A grin tugged at his lips.

“What gave it away?”

His grin widened, and my stomach flipped again.

I was so fucked.

Although the music was relatively slow and we were in a fast car, it somehow fit perfectly. Closing my eyes, I rested my head against the seat.

“Lena?” Blinking my eyes open, I realised that we’d stopped outside my house. Turning to meet Weston’s amused gaze, I opened my mouth.

“I think I fell asleep.”

“Yeah. I think you did.”

He raised his hand and brushed a strand of hair off the side of my face.

My breath caught in my throat.

Confusion filled his eyes, and he dropped his hand immediately, like he’d touched me unthinkingly and was now second-guessing himself. To save things from becoming even more awkward, I quickly unclipped my seat belt and slid out of the car.

“Bye,” I said breathlessly, turning and heading for my front door without a backwards glance.

My cheek still burned where he’d touched me.

SEVEN

Friday night was my new-car party.

Who the fuck would decide to throw a party for a new car? Cassius Drummond, that was who.

The music was thumping through the house, and I