Girl Get Rid Of That Jerk by Melissa Johns

Chapter 10

Back at her villa, Allison carried her gift inside, juggling it with her suitcase as she continued packing. As she tucked away the present meant for Joshua, her thoughts wandered back to his composed and striking face.

They went way back.

Their families lived just a couple of blocks away in the same neighborhood, so they often crossed paths as kids. Joshua was four years her senior. The first time she laid eyes on him was at the Fisher family's place. Her parents had taken her along for a visit. She was just ten then, still a kid, while Joshua already looked like he had stepped right out of a teen drama as the leading heartthrob.

Allison could still recall her first glance at Joshua, thinking he was unbelievably cute. His face had an almost intimidating allure, but his eyes were as chilly as a winter's day. Her mom nudged her to say hello, and she obediently called out, "Joshua."

In her memory, Joshua was always a bit distant. He replied with a simple "Hello." She figured he must be tough to get along with, and this assumption stuck with her for years.

came high school and, with it, her struggles in math. Somehow, Joshua's mother Rose caught wind of it and suggested to

her carefree nature had shifted drastically over five years. She'd grown from

need your help," was her greeting when

feet. He wore a plain white tee and dark gray jeans. His hair was slightly tousled, lending him

his voice

was wrong. After going through her math papers, Joshua simply furrowed his brow and patiently walked her through each problem. There wasn't a hint of impatience

with a slight gravelly touch that made math seem less intimidating to

ages since you were in high school.

admitted with a grin. "I did brush up on

junior at Lakeside College then and devoted almost his entire

on break. Every afternoon, Allison would come home to find him waiting in her living room, ready to dive