Beware of Bad Boy (25 page)

“Leaving.
So is my dad. Since your mom kicked us out, we’re going to my dad’s condo.”

She had
tears in her eyes. “Are you going to break up with me?”

Rushing over to her,
I hugged her. “God no! It’ll be okay, don’t cry.” I used my thumbs to wipe away her tears. “Please stop crying, Gianna. It’s only twenty minutes from here.”

Taking a deep breath, s
he forced herself to stop crying. “It’s just that I’ve gotten so used to you always being here. Are you going to switch schools?”

“I don’t see why I should. It’s not that far. I can even pick you up every
day.” That finally got a smile out of her.

“My mom would love that,” Gianna
croaked sarcastically.

“She’ll probably sit on
the front porch with a shotgun.” I laughed just picturing it. My Camaro would never survive.

“I’
m trying not to freak out here,” Gianna explained. “I need to talk to my dad. I’ll be right back. Don’t leave yet. I have to go get my phone because my dad needs to hear about how crazy my mom is acting.”

Gianna
went to her room to call her dad in Houston. Would he really back her up? Or would he agree with Julie that I wasn’t good enough for their daughter? Julie said she’d do anything to keep us apart, but how much crazier could she get? She’d already kicked me and my dad out of the house in an effort to get rid of me.

Could Julie talk Gianna into breaking up with me? I d
idn’t think so. Julie couldn’t talk Gianna into something as small as staying in cheerleading, so I doubted she’d succeed in getting her to break up with me. The thought of not being with Gianna caused an ache to my chest. I didn’t want to lose her.

Before I met Gianna
, I’d thought I was living life to the fullest, wild and carefree. Now that I had her in my life I understood what it really meant to feel alive.

What
could be done about Julie, though? Obviously something drastic would have to happen to get her to see reason. As I was zipping up my bag, an idea popped into my head.

Going into
Gianna’s room, I found her crying while on the phone. “Dad, you have to talk to her. She’s gone psycho. You remember how crazy she can be.”

Gianna barely glance
d at me as I went to her closet and pulled out a suitcase. Opening it on her bed, I started throwing clothes and shoes in. I took the suitcase to her dresser and tossed in bras, panties and socks.

I hear
d Gianna tell her dad in a rush, “Um, dad, I have to go, call you later.” She got up off her bed and watched me zip up the suitcase. “Caleb, what are you doing?”

“Get your toiletries and makeup out of the bath
room.” When she just stood there, I said, “Hurry!”

She
left the room, coming back a few minutes later with a large cosmetic bag stuffed full. I slipped it into front pocket of the suitcase, grabbed both our bags and said, “Let’s go.”

“Go where?” Gianna asked worriedly
, following me down the stairs.

“Sh
h!” I warned her.

At the bottom of the stairs I d
idn’t see anyone around, so I grabbed Gianna’s hand and we quietly snuck out the front door. I threw the bags in the trunk and opened Gianna’s door for her.

After a clean getaway,
we were driving out of the neighborhood when Gianna’s patience ran out. “Can you tell me where we’re going, Caleb?”

I
gave her the wicked smile I reserved for when I was doing something
really
bad. “We’re going to do the last thing left on your list, number eight.”

“Caleb, w
e can’t do that right now! My mom will freak out!” Gianna shrieked.

I chuckled at the possibility of Julie getting any crazier.
“Yeah she will.”

Gianna
had a dazed expression on her face. “I can’t believe I’m going along with this. How far is the drive to Vegas?”

Book
2 of the
Beware of Bad Boy
series

C
oming November 2013

A
lso by April Brookshire:

YOUNG LOVE MURDER

DEAD CHAOS

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