Read Inevitable for Free Online Page A

sanctuary of the trees, leaving the boy jumping around giggling hysterically.
    “You okay?” I snorted. His laughter was contagious.
    He nodded his head again, “I’ve never seen a real mouse before.” He grinned. “He was kinda cute.”
    “Yeah, he was.” I agreed but before I could say more or properly introduce myself a woman’s voice began yelling.
    “Answer me, Oliver!”
    “Uh-oh,” he said, looking down at his feet.
    I turned to see the stick-thin supermodel responsible for ruining my fantasies of Logan as well as my pool. She was even more beautiful up close. Exactly the type of woman Logan belonged with.
    “There you are,” she said, stopping abruptly a few feet away and staring between the boy I assumed was Oliver, and me.
    “We caught a mouse with giant ears and then I got to set him free!” Oliver grinned, looking back the way the mouse ran off. “You should have seen him!”
    “Eww.” Her face dripped with repulsion and I couldn’t help laughing.
    She shot me a nasty look and I bit my lip giving a tight smile.
    “Hi, I’m Cassandra. I live here,” I said, tilting my head back toward my house. “Oliver was just playing in my tree house and—”
    “What?” she interrupted, her expression stern. “I told you to stay in your yard.”
    The look of despair in Oliver’s eyes was one I recognized all too well. He was too young and innocent to have that amount of sadness written over his face. My chest tightened and the sudden need to defend his actions pulled at my heart.
    “He was only here because I asked for his help. I’m not crazy about mice.” I gave my most convincing ‘sorry’ face and hoped for the best. For the first time in my life I lied without guilt. The smile on his face was worth it.
    The young woman sighed. “Well, if you don’t mind, Oliver needs to stay in his own yard. His father has enough trouble keeping his eye on him. The last thing he needs is Oliver wandering away.”
    “I really am sorry.” It was all I could muster because her expression shifted so radically from bitchy to protective and worried, I shuddered.
    Maybe my new neighbors weren’t as perfect as I made them out to be.
    Her expression softened and she smiled down at Oliver. “It’s fine. I just worry about him out here. He’s only four and living this far out from the town—with no friends around to play with—it’s not fair for him.”
    I nodded along, it was true, there were no other small children living around the area. It was one of the few things I disliked when I stayed with my grandparents any longer than a night.
    “I’m sure your son will find a lot of fun things to do out here. I always did when I was younger.” I stopped talking when she began to laugh. Her face was soft and friendly.
    I pulled my brows together; unsure what I said that was supposed to be funny. Was there something on my face? My body stiffened and I self-consciously ran my hand down my hair.
    “Oliver’s not my son.” She was smiling but this time it was focused on Oliver who was snickering as well. “I’ve gotten that a lot this weekend. I’m his aunt—Julia.”
    I sucked in my lips giving a tight, embarrassed smile and nodded. “Logan’s your brother?”
    The rate in which her smile dropped off her face nearly caused me whiplash. Instantly her casual friendly demeanor was wiped away and the bitchy girl was back, glaring at me.
    “You already met Logan?” She asked through gritted teeth. Her voice dripped with disdain.
    Not good.
    I unconsciously took a step back. What the hell just happened?
    “Um, yeah,” I muttered, confusion undoubtedly written all over my face. “He seems…nice.”
    She puffed a breath of air and crossed her arms over her chest. “Oliver why don’t you go inside and get cleaned up for dinner,” she said, her eyes never straying from mine.
    I stiffened, waiting like a child to be reprimanded for something I was innocent of, my subconscious began screaming