Dead Gorgeous Read Online Free Page B

around in rags.’
    ‘I do my best,’ Dad repeated.
    ‘Oh, do me a favour.’ I shook my head. You have no idea what I want, what I’m doing, nothing. I passed all my mock exams but you weren’t even interested enough to ask
me how I did.’
    ‘I . . . well done . . .’
    ‘Don’t strain yourself, Dad.’ My contempt sliced into him with every word. ‘The first chance I get, I’m outta here. I’m going to pass my exams and go on to
college and, I swear, you will never see me again.’
    ‘Liam, take me with you.’ Josh’s voice rang out from above us.
    ‘No way. It’s time I looked out for myself instead of putting you first all the time. If it wasn’t for you, Josh, I’d’ve left this dump long ago . . .’
Josh flinched at my words. I regretted them the moment I said them. Josh’s face crumpled. Tears rolled down his face. His nose started to drip again.
    ‘You don’t have to worry about your brother. Josh is my responsibility. I’ll take care of him,’ Dad insisted.
    I stared at him. Did he really believe what he was saying? Couldn’t he hear himself? My head was full of bitter words which tripped and tumbled over each other in their haste to leave
my mouth. There were too many of them, darting back and forth much too fast. They hurt so much they made my eyes sting. I clamped my lips together. Silent moments passed.
    ‘Dad, get out of my way,’ I said, when I could trust myself to speak without making a fool of myself.
    On the stairs Josh’s sniffing was getting louder and more frequent. I glanced up at him, watching with quiet desperation as the tears trickled faster down his cheeks.
    ‘I’ve got to get out of here.’ I could hear the despair in my voice and despised myself for it. Wrenching open the door, I ran from the house, leaving the door open behind
me.
    ‘Liam, take me with you,’ Josh called out from behind me. ‘Please, take me with you.’
    I ran faster. Ran and ran until my heart roared like a wounded lion. But even the roar couldn’t drown out Josh’s words.
    ‘Liam, take me with you . . .’
    I covered my ears with my hands as I ran.
    ‘Liam, take me with you . . .’
    I can’t, Josh.
    I can’t.
     
5. Rainbow
    Rainbow was still steaming. Why couldn’t she live with a normal family in a normal house in a normal neighbourhood? Preferably somewhere in a big city where there were
actual things to see and do. Instead she was stuck out in the middle of nowhere-by-the-sea with the brothers from hell. After nearly two years Rainbow still missed her old school and her old
friends. She was beginning to wonder if she’d ever get used to life in Phoenix Manor. She always felt like she was fifteen minutes ahead of everyone else at the hotel. She just didn’t
fit, no matter how hard she tried. And the twins weren’t helping.
    ‘If I catch those two in my room just once more . . . I swear! And no jury of girls my age would convict,’ Rainbow ranted in an undertone. ‘I am so fed up with . . . with
— Omigod! He’s gorgeous!’
    Rainbow came to an abrupt, complete halt and stared. The boy standing at the reception desk had her full attention. Those lips! Oh, those kissable lips! And that nose. Strong and masculine. And
those eyes! Omigod, those beautiful brown eyes. Like mysterious pools of. . .
    ‘Er, excuse me, love, but d’you know where the staff are? We want to book in,’ said a man’s voice from far away.
    ‘Sorry?’ Rainbow had to drag her gaze away from the angel in front of her. A short, reasonable-looking man and a slightly taller, sour-faced blonde woman stood behind the Boy Wonder.
The man had brown hair flecked with abundant silver strands and wore a genuinely amused smile on his face. The woman next to him didn’t though. She was not so much frowning as scowling at
Rainbow.
    ‘D’you know where the staff are?’ the man repeated.
    ‘I’ll book you in. That’s no trouble.’ Rainbow immediately moved behind the reception desk. No way was