Free Welcome to New Haven by Dawn Doyle Page B

that Holly was going to be there, and he’d said that the guys weren’t, so they’d gone out anyway.
    Idiot.
    “Look, Alex, I know you haven’t met Holly yet, actually I think only Ben has, but you will.”  
    Alex looked at Dev in confusion.   He had met her.   Why would Dev think that he hadn’t?  
    “She doesn’t know who I am?”
      He thought that was better than coming out with ‘ I have met her, but she keeps avoiding me’.  
    “ I don’t think so, because she hasn’t mentioned you, other than saying ‘Hi’ in my text. I’m pretty sure she would have said she had.”  
    Maybe that’s why Holly had been avoiding him!   She probably thought he was just some other guy trying to harass her rather than her friends’ brother just wanting to say Hi. Yeah right.   Just Hi. Of course.   Not the fact that you want to touch her face, kiss her sweet lips…
      Alex ran a hand over his face as his overactive mind was picturing him with Holly…Her eyes looking into his…Her mouth moving to his…  
    Alex realized he’d been zoning out when he heard Dev say  
    “…Anyway, she’ll be over after school, about four.”  
    “Over where?”   he asked as he hadn’t caught anything of what she’d said previously.  
    “Our house.   I’m helping Holly with her Spanish, and she’s going to help me with my algebra.”  
      Alex’s stomach flipped as his insides were doing a crazy happy dance.  
    Holly’s coming over to our house?   Today?
    He instantly knew that he wouldn’t be going to the gym now.   He wasn’t going to mention anything to Dev, because he didn’t want her to know that he felt something for Holly.   He’d only unofficially met her a few days ago and he was confused about his feelings enough as it was.
    Once class was finished, Alex and Dev drove home.   Ben had gone to help his Dad so it was just the two of them.  
    Once in the house, Alex sent the guys a text, as they were all supposed to be training together. He didn’t want to group text, incase Ben decided to mention a certain someone… So he sent the same message to the three of them.

    A: I’m not going to the gym today.   Decided to stay at home. See you tomorrow.
    B: Does this have anything to do with a certain tiny girl?

    There it was.   He wouldn’t hear the end of it if Ryan had gotten that text.

    A: I don’t know what you’re talking about.  
    R: Are you giving us a chance to catch up to your guns? :D
    A: Dream on XD
    K: No worries.   See you tomorrow.

    “Have a good workout”   Dev said as she went up to her room.  
    “Thanks”   he called back as he walked into the kitchen.  
    He reached into the fridge to grab a bottle of water when Dev came back, bouncing in as Evie, their Mom, walked in.  
    “Oh Mom, Holly’s coming over soon to study.”  
    “Ok honey.   Make sure you leave room for dinner.”   Their Mom said as Dev grabbed some chips and drinks.  
    “I will.”   Dev disappeared from the kitchen and ran upstairs again.  
    “Cómo estuvo la escuela hoy, cariño?”   His Mom asked.  
    “School was good.   We’re getting our schedule changes on Monday, so that should be interesting.”  
    Alex froze and then felt rapid flutters in his chest as the doorbell rang.  
    “I’ll get it.”   He said, before walking out of the kitchen to the front door…

    Holly pulled up outside Dev’s house.   It was beautiful!   It was a similar style to Holly’s.  
    The house was two stories high with grey siding covering the majority of the front of the house, with two yellow brick walls to the left of the front door.   White framed Victorian style windows and two white columns either side of the covered front porch.  

    The large garage was to the left of the house, as you faced it, and had wall lamps lighting up the front.  
    Holly immediately looked across the front lawn.   The grass was green and lush, small shrubs lining the pathway and under the windows.   It