Page 68 of Tainted Romance

"Of course, he knew!" If there was one thing I knew about mine and Blake's screwed up friendship, it was he didn't see it as a relationship. I was never his girlfriend. "Blake is just pissed off because he caught me checking Zane out, that's it. Like I said he overreacted."

"You got a thing for the Alpha-to-be?" Chase's eyes widened. "Didn't take you as that type of girl."

"Would you drop it!" I snapped, my temper boiling. "It was nothing, and this conversation is heading nowhere, so why don't you stop harassing me about it!"

I only had one friend now, and that was Chase so as his face turned to one of rage at my sudden outburst, I knew I had crossed the line.

"We're here." Chase pulled the car to a stop. "Hope you have a fantastic night, Allie." His tone dripped with sarcasm.

I tried to apologize, but he jumped out of the car and slammed the door in my facebefore I had a chance.

Why did this keep happening to me?

I stepped out of the car, and as soon as thedoor closed the car locked, but I couldn't see where Chase was.

My eyes froze on the house party.

Teenagers overflowed from the house across the front lawn. The music was loud, and the laughter was louder.

I swallowed sharply.

This was a house party.

This is how teenagers liked to spend their weekends.

This was my version ofHell.

I smoothed a hand down my red dress. My heels were high, my dress was short, and my hair was freshly curled. It was official, I had ticked all the boxes, I was ready for the party.

But I didn't want to go in.

I knew Chase would be in there somewhere, and sure I could lie and say that wasn't adding to my reasons to not to go in.

I wondered briefly if Blake was in there.

Then I wondered if anyone had noticed the weird girl standing outside the party, looking like an outsider.

Sighing, I unclipped my purse and pulled out my phone. This wasn't my scene. I couldn't even pretend for a night. Why couldn't I be normal?

By my current location on the map, I was only a few blocks over from the mall and library. At least I knew roughly where I was.

Slipping my heels off,I held them in my hands and began to follow the path heading for a destinationI would feel more myself.

And so, my night as a normal teenager ended. I guessed when it came down to it, I just wasn't normal. Pity really, because I heard that that was the ‘in thing.’

Chapter Thirty

How did a book get such an alluring smell? More importantly, why was I suddenly feeling more at home in a library than at the pack house?

God, was I coming down with nerd?

I tucked my legs under me and flipped the page of the current romance novel I was reading. God, I was actually reading.

My life just got that much more depressing. I found it amazing this library had such a comfortable couch.

"Excuse me?"

My eyes shot up from the page and landed on the last person I expected to ever see again. The weird boy from my class.

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