Page 1 of Imogen

Prologue

Imogen

At seventeen, I’ve had my fair share of crushes, but I never experienced love—untilhim. My mum often tells me I have my whole life to fall in love, so I shouldn’t rush it. Sometimes I think she tells me that because she has to. That, or she feels sorry for me. Because lads are scared of me. They always have been. I think I intimidate them. I’ve always spoken my mind, but growing up with the Carter family, I inherited their confidence and their drive to take no shit.

My dad, however… He buries his head in the sand because he doesn’t particularly want me to date. He has rules, but he’s never been unreasonable about them.

Which makes this more frustrating.

Because I am in love with a guy who works for him. At least, I’m pretty sure that is what I’m feeling. When he walks into a room, my stomach flutters, and my heart beats rapidly. Words don’t come easily when he’s around, because when he speaks to me, I get a lump in my throat and my coherent thoughts become non-existent. He’s the only guy who has ever crumpled my confidence. He makes me feel like how Gina Morgan must have felt in Year 7 at school, when she used to go bright red every time her crush walked into the room.

Ben Donovan has my heart and my attention. He is the fittest guy I’ve ever laid eyes on. And I think he likes me too. I feel it when he looks at me, which is weird to explain because you can’t physically feel a look.

He bought me a bag of strawberry bon-bons because he knows how much I love them. He brings me drinks when I’m studying in Dad’s office. And he speaks to me like I’m a woman, not a child. Then the other day, when a group of lads from another school were shouting explicit slurs at me, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He didn’t even need to say anything. He gave them a death glare until they ran with their tails tucked between their legs, then proceeded to walk me into my dad’s work with his arm around me. I knew then it was time to make a move. I’ve been holding off for too long.

He started working for my dad at nineteen and I was nearly fifteen years old. Back then, I thought it was just a crush and I’d get over it. But the older I got, and the more I saw him, the surer I became that this was something more.

Hayden Carter comes rushing down the corridor to where I’m sitting at a round table, pulling me from memory lane. She’s my best friend—even with the three-year age gap. At fifteen, Hayden is a badass, and she’s my kind of crazy, which is why we get along so well. She’s also my cousin. Not by blood, but my auntie is married to another Carter, so we are basically family.

And today, we are celebrating my dad’s forty-fifth birthday, since he’s adamant about not celebrating his fiftieth. He knew Mum was already planning it since he was away for his fortieth birthday, so they came to a compromise and threw one for his forty-fifth.

Everyone is here.

Even Ben Donovan, the guy I’ve been waiting for, for what feels like forever.

“What took you so long?” I hiss when Hayden takes a seat, flicking her long, dark hair behind her shoulder.

She pushes her chair closer and leans in. “Dad trying to take my food again.”

“It’s a buffet,” I point out. She glares at me and I lean back, holding my hands up in surrender. I quickly amend my statement. “How dare he!”

“I know, right? I’m a growing kid, and he tries to steal the party sausage rolls from me.”

I lick my lips at the mention of sausage rolls. I’ve been feeling so uneasy about tonight, I couldn’t stomach food when they first opened the buffet. “Are there any left?” I ask, scanning the buffet table.

“Fuck no. What do you think took me so long? I ate them. Then I stole Dad’splate for Mumand went and hid that one.”

My lower lip drops at her declaration. “Girl, you stole your mum’s food? That’s cold.”

“No, it’s what Dad tells people it’s for, but really, it’s everything he couldn’t fit on his own plate. We all do it. My spare plate is for Landon, Landon’s is for Liam, and Liam’s is for me. We have a system.”

“You do realise you guys are crazy?” I ask, arching a brow.

“Look, if you grew up with a bunch of wolves trying to steal your food, you’d do the same. Trust me. You’re lucky you only have Joshua to worry about. I have an entire pack to watch out for. You can’t trust any of them.”

Joshua is my younger brother, and honestly, aside from the stupid shit he gets up to with our other cousins, he’s never bothered me as a brother. We don’t fight like the Carters fight with their siblings. Not that they ever fight seriously. It’s all banter. Kind of.

“And that took you an hour?” I ask.

“Oh no, I kept slipping more vodka into your dad’s drink. He’s pretty wasted now, so even if he stumbles across you and Ben and questions it, he’ll believe whatever bullshit story you come up with.”

I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

“Puh-lease. You owe me a triple chocolate fudge cake, and another bottle of vodka.”

My eyes widen. “The vodka was yours?”

She shrugs, her expression falling a little. “Technically, it was Landon’s. He’s been drinking his fucking sorrows away a lot lately, so I did him a favour.”

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