Read Unsettled (Chosen #1) for Free Online Page B

officially over.
    I turned to take the phone off the hook and caught Freddie gazing at me again. I darted my eyes away. I quickly dialed my home phone and Conner picked up on the second ring.
    “Co nner,” I said hurriedly.
    “Where the fuck are you , Liz? What the fucking hell were you thinking last night? Do you know how much I hate you right now?” he screamed into the handset. I had to pull it away from my ear while Freddie looked over at me with concern.
    I took the phone into the farthest corner of the living room and slipped down to the ground, resting my head on my knees.
    “I know, Conner. I tried to stop her. She said you were going to…” I started to respond. I wanted to tell him my side of the story, since he obviously blamed me for everything even when I had tried desperately to stop her. At least I had tried to stop her. Did I do enough?
    He cut me off. “ Darcy was in the fucking God damn hospital when I was called by her mother. She had a .23 blood alcohol level. She was fucking arrested last night and totaled the fucking car. What…What… Why the fuck weren’t you driving? This is entirely your fault you stupid, selfish…”
    I hung up. Shit, I c ouldn’t do it. I didn’t want to fight him while my head continued to pound. I wanted him to see my shaking body in person. He would understand better if he knew how much last night affected me, too. She was arrested? Oh my fucking God.
    I don’t know how long I sat against that wall, gripping the phone in my hand. I wished I never called home. I wished I hadn’t hung up. Was Darcy in critical condition? Why was she hospitalized? The car was totaled. I couldn’t wrap my mind around it and one finger went to my temple to rub out the disaster that would follow. My relationship with my brother was totaled.
    T ears poured down over my stupid Bebe cropped shirt and I remembered all the things she said to me the night before. Darcy had repeatedly told me how beautiful I was and how she was so glad I was home again. Bullshit. I just wanted to crawl in a corner. I’m not beautiful. I’m not anything. I am a stupid, selfish girl that runs at any chance to start over and it landed me in the same place over and over and over. Once again, I was in a dark place and needed to feel comforting attention. I needed to get my fucking head on straight. I tried so hard to do the right thing last night and I hadn’t. Now I was with five strange men. The really nice and beautiful Teagan would only turn and walk away from me. I knew in that exact moment what to do. Run.
    I stood up abruptly, placed the phone on the stand , and grabbed my clutch. When I turned to look at Freddie in the kitchen, all I could do through my tear streaked face was fake a smile. I tore open the door and headed out in the brisk morning air towards Cleveland Circle Station. I heard Freddie’s voice calling after me as I crossed over the tracks but I didn’t look back. After boarding the train, I sat straight ahead, feeling empty and numb. The swaying of the train did nothing to shake me out of the staleness I felt.
    When the T reached the Wellesley stop, I got up slowly and started the three mile walk back to my house. After only a quarter of a mile, I tore off my heels and walked barefoot the rest of the way home. Sleep deprived and red faced, I stopped in front of my door and looked down at my watch. It was just after 1:00pm. No cars in the driveway. No noise from the inside as I put my ear against the door. I quietly opened the heavy, wooden door and crept in.
    Conner was sitting on the bottom step of the stairs with his head in his hands. He looked up when he saw me and I saw no tears. He just looked me over and started shaking his head back and forth.
    I gave him a sympathetic look and said, “I know what you think about me. I know what I think about me. Just tell me she isn’t seriously hurt.” My eyes started to tear up and my body started trembling again. I could tell that Conner