I am pleased to announce that I will be giving away an advanced reader's copy of Natasha Preston's new book The Cabin!
Giveaway will run: August 15st - August 19th
US and Canada Residents ONLY!!
How to Enter:
Follow my Instagram page, areaders.diary, and tag at
least one friend who may be interested!
For a second entry, screenshot and share the photo of The Cabin on your Instagram page with a shoutout to A Reader's Diary!
For those of you who don't have an Instagram account,
send me an email to jessicalynn1784@gmail.com saying you would like to enter
the giveaway!
GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
At the end, I will randomly select one lucky reader to
receive the ARC of The Cabin!
I have also been provided an exclusive excerpt from the
book, check out Chapter One below!!
Friday, August 7
“Do you have everything you
need, Mackenzie?” Mum asked, watching me stuff clothes in a bag.
“I think so. We’re only going for
two nights anyway.” Two painful nights of dealing with Josh.
“Remember to leave the address
and phone number on the fridge.”
“I don’t think the cabin has a
landline, but I’ll leave the address. I’ll get cell reception out there,
apparently, and I’ll let you know when we arrive.”
She nodded nervously and gave me
a weak smile.
“Mum, I’ll be fine.”
“You’re spending the weekend with someone you don’t like.”
“No, I’m spending the weekend with Aaron, Courtney, Megan, and Kyle.
It’s just unfortunate that Josh will be there too.” If I could have uninvited
him, I would have.
But the cabin is his parents’, so that didn’t seem too likely. Or
reasonable. He’d invited us all to spend the weekend at his family’s cabin
since school was out. The UK had finally realized it was summer, and next year,
we’d all be going our separate ways for university.
“If you need to be picked up
early…?”
I shook my head. “Thanks, but I’ll
be fine. There’s no way I’m letting him ruin a weekend with my friends. Anyway,
I need to go.”
“I’ll drop you off at Joshua’s.”
“No, it’s fine, Mum. I can walk.”
I grabbed my bag and swung it over my shoulder. “See you Sunday night. Love
you,” I said, kissing her cheek.
“Love you too, sweetheart. Call if you need anything.”
“I will,” I replied.
Josh only lived a two--minute walk away, so it wouldn’t take me
long. I slammed the front door behind me and headed down the path. The weather
was superhot, it being the beginning of August, and I was glad I’d opted for
shorts and a T--shirt.
When I got to Josh’s, everyone was outside his house, cramming bags
into cars. Seriously, we were going for two nights, but it looked like Courtney
and Megan had packed for a week.
“Kenz!” Courtney shouted, jogging toward me. Her red ponytail swayed
and her green eyes danced with excitement. She was the only person genuinely
happy about this trip.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed
away every ounce of doubt I had about this weekend and smiled. “Hey, Court. Is
everyone ready?”
“Almost. Josh will be back soon,”
she replied with a goofy smile. “Don’t look like that,” she added when I
grimaced at his name.
Whoops, she caught
me. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that.
It’s…nice of him to invite us to his folk’s cabin.”
She took my lame apology with a smile. “He wants things back the way
they were.”
Did he have a time machine so he could go back and not say those
awful things about my friends? Could he take back what he’d done to me? What he
still was doing to me?
Josh might be trying to make amends for the past—-if we were even to
believe it was genuine—-but we weren’t going to forgive him so easily. Some
hurts aren’t that easy to get over, and I couldn’t forgive someone who wasn’t
sorry and hadn’t changed their behavior. Courtney had forgiven him already, of
course, but she never could see what a waster her boyfriend was.
I lifted my eyebrow.
“Mackenzie, please,” Courtney said, sighing as she pushed her bangs
out of her eyes. “He’s trying, and it will mean so much to me if you’ll try
too. Please?”
I groaned and my shoulders sagged. “Fine. I’ll play nice.”
Two nights, that’s it. You can do that.
“We all will,” Megan added, stepping beside us. “Right, guys?” Aaron
and Kyle nodded along, agreeing to put their differences to the side—-for the
weekend at least.
“Where is Josh anyway?” I asked.
“Picking up his brother.” Courtney rolled her eyes. “Blake wanted to
see him again, so Josh invited him this morning. Technically the cabin belongs
to Blake too, so there’s not much anyone can do to stop him from coming with.”
“Oh,” I muttered, not sure how I felt about a stranger joining us.
We didn’t know Blake, and if he was anything like Josh, the weekend was going
to be a nightmare. “So the estranged brother is coming.” Great.
This trip keeps getting better and better.
I had seen Blake before, on about two occasions, when his parents
were doing a kid swap, but I’d never spoken to him. Blake had moved away with
his dad after their parents divorced. Josh stayed with their mum. The two boys
didn’t spend much time together while they were growing up, which was probably
a good thing for Blake.
Courtney pushed her bangs aside again. They never stayed put, so I
didn’t know why she didn’t just cut them shorter. “They’re hardly estranged.”
They rarely saw each other; I’d call that estranged. “Why is he
crashing his brother’s party?” I asked.
“He’s lonely?” Kyle offered, making a sad face.
Courtney leaned against Aaron’s car. “No, he just wants to spend
time with his brother. They both want to.”
If Blake was like Josh, I would be coming home early for sure. I
didn’t even want to breathe the same air as Josh, so I sort of hoped Blake was
an idiot too, then I would have an excuse to leave that wouldn’t hurt
Courtney’s feelings.
The warm air blew my long
chestnut hair in my face. I brushed the strands from my eyes just in time to
see a metallic--black Mitsubishi Warrior—-the only car I recognized without
reading the logo because it was Kyle’s favorite subject—-pull up beside me.
Here we go…
Josh was sitting in the
passenger seat and his brother was driving. They both had the same dark--brown
hair and blue eyes, but apart from that, they looked totally different. Josh
definitely didn’t inherit the looks. Blake snapped every ounce of drop--dead
gorgeous and left nothing for his younger brother. Lucky for Blake.
I looked away and walked around
to Aaron’s car, wanting to put as much distance between me and Josh as
possible. Even just seeing his face made me want to punch him, especially after
his demands. Courtney was smart, but when it came to him, she was as thick as a
post.
Josh got out of the car. “Hey,
guys. You remember my brother, Blake?”
Megan shook her head. “Nope, but
hi.”
Blake walked to the front of his
truck and casually leaned against the hood as if he was bored. “Hey,” he said
with a nod.
He wore chunky black boots, dark jeans, and a black jacket, making
him look mysterious and maybe a little dangerous. His dark hair stuck out in
all directions in a messy style that looked like he didn’t give a crap—-which I
assumed he didn’t. His bright--blue eyes scanned the group, checking us out one
by one.
His gaze was intense and it was like he saw everything.
I didn’t want him to see anything about me. “Let’s just
leave already!” I said, opening the car door and climbing inside. The sooner we
got there, the sooner we could get back. Damn, I sounded like my parents on
Christmas Eve when they would try to get me to sleep as the clock ticked
dangerously close to midnight.
But at least I would get two nights adult free to spend with my
friends. That was something to look forward to for sure.
“Err, Mackenzie,” Courtney said. “You’re in the car with me.”
My face fell. I knew what that meant. “What?”
She stepped forward and leaned in the car so we could talk
privately. “You’re coming in the car with me, Josh, and Blake.”
“Yeah, I’m not,” I replied.
“Please? Look, I know you’re mad at him, and I understand why, but
will you try? I really think you two need to spend the car trip together to
work through this.”
“We really don’t, Court.”
“This weekend is going to suck if
you’re pissed at Josh the whole time.”
I frowned. I wasn’t the only one who didn’t like him though, so why
was I the only one being forced to make the extra effort? “His brother’s
weird,” I whispered as if that was going to change Courtney’s mind.
“Blake is harmless.”
I’d run out of excuses. Sighing in defeat, I replied, “All right!
But if he pisses me off by making his usual stupid comments, I’m switching
cars.”
Courtney held up her hands. “OK, OK. Thank you.”
“We’re taking Blake’s car then?”
“Yeah, they must have decided to bring Blake’s instead. I can see
why.” Courtney was a car person; she knew all the different types and models by
sight. I couldn’t even tell if something was wrong with one—-unless the engine
actually fell out.
“Blake’s driving?”
“His car, so I guess.” She shrugged, watching Josh with a loving
look that made me want to shake some sense into her.
“I call shotgun,” I replied. If I had to be in the same car, at
least I wouldn’t have to sit next to him. I was aware that I was behaving like
a child, but I didn’t care. Josh had crossed a line, and I wasn’t going to
forgive him. Actually, Josh had crossed about a million lines.
I got in the passenger seat before Josh had a chance to say or do
anything. He could shove it if he thought I was moving. Blake smiled a little
awkwardly and started the car. He didn’t ooze confidence, but he looked like he
didn’t care what anyone thought.
“I’m coming in your car too,” Kyle said.
Courtney narrowed her eyes. “You’re with Aaron and Megan.”
“There’s space with you for another, isn’t there?”
“Kyle, five in one car and two in another is stupid. No one wants to
be cramped in the back.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake, Kyle, just get in Aaron’s bloody car,” Josh
snapped, shoving past him. “Pathetic arsehole.”
I ground my teeth. Did it really matter which car he rode in?
The answer was no.
Blake and I hadn’t spent any time
together, so we quickly fell into an awkward silence while we waited for Josh
and Courtney to get in the car. I bit the inside of my cheek and twiddled my
fingers. Say something to him! We had never actually
spoken to each other before. That was about to change. We had a forty--five--minute
car ride to a remote part of the Lake District ahead of us.
“Why do you hate Josh?” he asked.
I was surprised by his bluntness. It was no secret that I didn’t
like Josh, but I didn’t expect his brother to come straight out and ask. “Um,
because he’s a bloody idiot.”
Blake’s eyebrow rose, and he pursed his lips. Finally, he nodded
once. “Yeah. OK then.”
“You don’t see him much, do you?”
“Not really. Growing up, my
parents couldn’t get their shit together long enough to schedule proper visits
for us. Most of the time, when they finally got around to it, they swapped us
over for a day or two. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve
seen my mum in the last twelve years.”
My heart ached for him. I couldn’t
imagine what he went through as a kid. He must’ve missed his mum. I would have;
my mum was the person I went to with every problem—-well, almost every problem.
“That’s really sad.”
He lifted his shoulder and let it
drop. “That’s how it goes sometimes.”
“Yeah, but…” I shook my head. I
couldn’t imagine not seeing my mum every day, as crazy as she drove me
sometimes. Blake must have felt abandoned by his mom if she never made the
effort. Maybe that was how Josh felt about his dad? Wow, Josh and deep
feelings. That was strange to think about… Everything I’d witnessed of his
character had been shallow and selfish.
Josh and Courtney got in the car,
and I zipped my mouth. The atmosphere turned tense, like it always was when
Josh was around. He knew I wished he wasn’t with Courtney after all of the
horrible things he’d said about our friends Tilly and Gigi. He loved that
Courtney wouldn’t ditch him for treating her friends like rubbish. Bastard.
“Oh, I don’t mind you sitting up front with my
brother, Mackenzie,” Josh said sarcastically as he climbed into the backseat.
I clenched my fists. Don’t let him get to you.
“My car, Bro, and I’d rather sit near a pretty face than your ugly
mug,” Blake responded.
Smiling to myself, I grabbed my bag of lollipops and offered one to
Blake. I should probably have been annoyed at the “pretty face” comment, but
that was overshadowed by him calling Josh ugly. Blake took an orange
lollipop—-my favorite—-and gave me a wink.
“Not sharing, Mackenzie?” Josh asked.
I took a deep breath, resisting the urge to jam the plastic stick
into his eye. “Sure,” I replied, holding out the bag. He took two, probably to
annoy me, so I said nothing.
“OK, everyone, please play
nice,” Courtney whined. “This weekend, parent free, is going to be epic, so
will you all make up?”
“You know I don’t have a problem with any of them, babe,” Josh
replied.
“Whatever,” I muttered, clenching my jaw.
I watched Blake as he drove. His eyes slid over, occasionally
catching me, but he didn’t say a word. I found myself wanting to get to know
him, but I wasn’t sure why. He would go home after the weekend, and I’d
probably never see him again.
Still, Blake was gorgeous, and I was drawn to him.
We reached the cabin without
bloodshed, so I was pleased with my self--control—-so far. Courtney kept Josh
in check by flirting with him and getting him to listen to music. I couldn’t
wait until she saw through him and his crap. I was going to make sure I had a
front--row seat when she dumped his arse.
“This is it?” I asked, looking out
the window up at a huge, two--story cabin. It could easily house about ten
people.
Blake cut the engine and smirked.
“What did you expect? The Ritz?”
“This is amazing. I didn’t think
it would be this big.”
“Three years ago, I would have
made some sort of sexual innuendo,” Blake replied.
“All grown up now, are we?”
“Nah, that was just when I noticed Josh trying to act the big man
and I realized how lame those comments actually sound.”
I grinned and got out of the car. I liked Blake and his painfully
beautiful face. Maybe this weekend wouldn’t be so miserable. Kyle and Aaron
bundled bags out of the trunk and chucked them on the ground. Halfway to the
cabin I guess. Kyle grabbed his phone and started to film, like he usually did.
He wanted to do something in the film industry, and I think he’d be awesome at
it.
“Smile, Kenz,” he said, pointing it in my direction.
I stuck out my tongue and Aaron made an obscene gesture.
“Nice, Aaron,” Kyle said sarcastically.
Megan stared up at the enormous house. You could tell from the
overgrown plants and faded window frames that no one had been here in a while.
Josh and Courtney had spent all last weekend here getting it ready, but they’d
just cleaned the inside.
The cabin was set in a clearing; the woods surrounded it on three
sides, and a gorgeous lake ran along the front of the property. The scenery was
beautiful. I didn’t understand why Josh’s family didn’t use it more often.
“You happy to be back?” I asked Blake as we walked to the front door
at a snail’s pace. He dragged his feet like he didn’t really want to be here.
Blake shrugged and grunted. “Just here for the booze.”
Of course you are.
Josh unlocked the front door and turned to us. Kyle rolled his eyes,
guessing what was coming, and I tried not to laugh. We—-eighteen and however
old Blake was—-were about to be given rules.
“Courtney and I have worked hard getting the cabin ready for you
all, so I would appreciate it if you would respect the place and not leave it
looking like a Dumpster.”
I bit my tongue. How pompous. None of us were going to trash the
cabin and he knew that. Courtney stood beside him like the lady of the manor,
eating up the attention. I loved that girl, but she needed a good slap to knock
some sense into her.
Josh opened the door and walked in ahead of Courtney. Gentleman my
arse! And Court didn’t even care; she followed him like a little lapdog.
“I’ll grab the rest of the bags,” Aaron said, heading back out of
the door.
I walked in and my jaw dropped. Wow.
The cabin was beautiful, albeit a little dated. The view of the lake
from the family room window was to die for. The sun shone down on the water’s
surface, making it glisten. There was a large fireplace that I could have
stepped into.
Kyle walked behind me, capturing the view with his phone.
“I’m going to explore. Anyone wanna come?” Megan asked, bouncing up
and down like a toddler. Her short, overly hair--sprayed bob barely moved an
inch. She had already dropped her bag by the bottom of the stairs, which was
about as much unpacking as she ever did.
I handed a case of beer to Courtney, who was organizing the food and
booze in the kitchen.
“Don’t fancy getting lost in the forest, thanks,” I replied.
Aaron dropped a load of bags on
the floor. “I’ll come.” He walked out before anyone could stop him and make him
help. I watched them walk into the woods. The bright midday sun shone down on
Aaron’s white--blond hair, making it glow. They both looked happy to be away,
and I was going to try and do the same.
“Going for a walk,” Kyle said, shaking his head at them as he
lowered the phone. He held up a six--pack in his other hand. “Crazy. Hey,
Blake, where’d you want the beer, man?”
“In the oven,” he replied dryly.
I tried not to smile but failed miserably. I wasn’t sure what Blake
was doing here. He didn’t seem to have a good relationship with Josh, and he
didn’t seem to be making much effort.
Kyle’s mouth thinned in a tight smile, and I could tell he was
fighting the urge to say something back. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and spun
on his heel. Shaking his head, he walked away. Kyle was a sensitive soul and
was never very good with anyone making fun of him.
Then, Blake and I were left in the living room. Alone again. I
pursed my lips, not knowing what to say. Should I even say
anything? The silence was awkward, but it didn’t seem to bother him at
all. Nothing seemed to affect him. Blake was cool, calm, and almost robotic.
But I wasn’t naive enough to think that nothing got to him.
“So…did you come here much when you were a kid?” I asked to fill the
silence.
He looked over his shoulder, half smiling at me. “You’re asking if I
come here much?”
“No, I asked if you came here much.” There was
a big difference.
Blake turned his body so he was fully facing me. I don’t know if he
did it to be intimidating, but it was. He had this cockiness about him, but it
wasn’t off--putting like Josh’s.
“We came here a lot before our parents separated. After the divorce,
the place stayed empty, until now.”
I didn’t know what to say. “I’m
sorry.”
“Why? People divorce all the
time.” Before I had the chance to say anything else, he walked outside. There
was definitely a lot more to him than he let people see.
“Beer, Kenz?” Kyle asked from
behind me.
I turned and smirked. “You know
it’s eleven in the morning, right?”
“Yeah,” he replied, tilting his
head, waiting for me to explain.
I smiled and took a beer from his
outstretched hand. “Never mind.”
Kyle and I sat on the sofa while Josh and Courtney messed around
putting things away in the kitchen. “You think we should help?” I asked.
“I offered. You know what Josh is like.”
Control freak. We wouldn’t do it the way he wanted. How many
different ways were there to put food in a cupboard? This was “Josh’s” place
though, and we were being made very aware that we were just guests. “I’m going
to need a lot of alcohol to get through this weekend,” I said. I’d promised my
parents no drinking, obviously, but we were all parent free and determined to
make the most of it. They think we’re swimming in the lake, cooking out, and roasting
marshmallows around a campfire. We are, so it’s not a total lie, but there will
be drinking.
Kyle nodded in agreement and raised his bottle. “Let’s keep it
coming, then.”
I clinked the top of my bottle against his and took a swig.
Kyle and I had just finished our thirds when the rest of the group
joined us. “Wow, this looks fun,” Aaron said, grinning at the bottles of
alcohol spread out over the coffee table.
“Yep, Kyle and I thought we should have it all at arm’s reach.
Cheers,” I said, raising my half--full bottle.
“Well, if we’re doing this, we’re doing it right. I’m well up for
getting wasted,” Aaron replied, picking the Absolut Vodka. “Everyone’s in, no
backing out. Josh, shot glasses, my man!” My smile grew. I wasn’t a big drinker,
especially after last time, with the accident, but I wanted to have stupid,
immature fun tonight.
“Err, guys, I don’t want anyone throwing up in my house,” Josh said
in his annoying, stuck--up, I’m--better--than--you way. I had a very sudden,
very childish urge to drink until I puked.
Everything he wanted, I wanted to do the opposite. I knew that was
dangerous though. I knew I couldn’t—-and I wasn’t stupid enough to do it—-but I
damn well wanted to.
“Lighten up, mate, come on. We all want this to be a good weekend,”
Kyle replied.
Josh glared and his jaw tightened. He didn’t like to be challenged.
“I am relaxed,” he growled through his teeth.
Aaron lifted a freshly poured shot glass and raised it to Josh, his
own little in--your--face, before knocking it back. I smiled and did the same.
And then I regretted it because Josh’s eyebrow arched and I knew exactly what
he was thinking.
And he wouldn’t hesitate to open his big mouth. But before he could
say anything, Aaron spoke. “A toast,” he said, raising a bottle this time. “To
a killer weekend.”
We lifted whatever we had in our hands. “To a killer weekend!”
Mark your calendars, The Cabin hits shelves September 6th!
