Read Looking for Trouble (Nashville U Book 1) for Free Online

turn my head and glare at him. His next words come out sounding dejected. “Can we please talk? Just for a minute?”
    I hesitate, the sadness in his voice getting to me, but I’m not ready to mend the newest tear in our friendship. Shaking my head, I say quietly, “No, Max. Not tonight.” I sound as tired as I suddenly feel; resigned to the friend zone he’s placed me in for all these years. Maybe I’m finally realizing that Max and Kat? Kax? Mat? Mitten? Yeah, it’s never gonna happen. If he cared about me that way at all, he wouldn’t have blown me off so he could get laid. Gah, Clay, get out of my head! Max looks down and away, concentrating on anything but me, Clay and Anna. Seeing him look so lost makes me want to hug him, tell him everything will be okay, but I just can’t right now.
    He starts to say something else, but Clay cuts him off. “Max! For fuck’s sake, stop acting like a douche. She said she doesn’t want to talk, so stop trying to make her feel shitty for something you did.” He looks over at Anna, then continues, “She’s going to her mom’s for dinner, so you’re SOL.” His brow furrows, so fast I think I might have imagined it, but then he nudges Max with his shoulder. “Speaking of mom’s, we should go to ours. I bet she’s got some kind of cake or brownies. Something sweet. Plus, you know she makes enough to feed an army every night anyway.” Clay raises a hand to wave dismissively before dragging his brother by the back of his shirt and away from us.
    Anna watches them go, one hand on her hip, before turning to me with a look in her eye I’m a little scared of. “Well, isn’t that interesting.” I narrow my eyes at her, but she doesn’t elaborate. I want to ask what she means, but she bends over to grab my bag off the ground and slings it over one shoulder. She hums a popular song as she heads back to her car, and I’m left to stare after her in complete confusion.

 
    Clay
     
     
    Walking into the house we grew up in always makes me feel like I’m home, much more than the apartment I live in with my brother and cousin. This house always smells like food. There’s always something either on the stove or in the oven. It doesn’t hurt that Mom always sends us home with enough food to tide us over until the next visit. It’s like a reward just for coming over. That’s why I didn’t even hesitate to come here for dinner. Max needs the distraction of our family, and I’m in the mood for cooking that isn’t a sandwich, frozen pizza or fast food. Plus, my mom is the best cook I know.
    The scent of homemade chili fills the air, and my mouth immediately begins to water. Chili means there’s more than enough for us to hang out and have dinner with our parents and Linc. Now I don’t feel the least bit bad for not giving Mom a heads up that we were coming. “Oh yeah,” Max says, pumping his fist in the air. “Dinner at Mom’s! This was an awesome idea, bro.” He’s got a huge smile on his face, the drama from not even an hour ago completely forgotten now that he’s going to be stuffing his face.
    As we walk through the mudroom into the kitchen, I can see Mom at the stove, steam causing her dark hair to curl around her face. It’s a sight I’ve seen my entire life, and it makes me realize how much I miss coming home every day. I shake my head, wondering what the hell is wrong with me, but before I can dwell on it, she turns, face lighting up when she sees us standing in the doorway.
    “My babies!” she shrieks, dropping the spoon into the pot and running over to wrap an arm around each of us. “I’m so glad to see you! Are you eating with us?” she asks, happiness evident in her voice. We both nod, and she smiles wider. “Oh good. There’s plenty to go around. I was going to bring you some tomorrow, so this saves me a trip.” Releasing us, she turns back to the stove but continues speaking. “Your dad and Linc are playing some football game on the Xbox. Go