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“I’m just saying that we owe Brady a proper sendoff. Like they said, it’s what any of us would want.” He grips the edge of the hot tub and levers himself out. “I’m going to find girls and something harder than champagne. Be right back.”
Vaughn sinks low enough that his mouth is barely above the water. “What a mind-fuck…did you see my grandfather?”
I take a sip of champagne, the taste of it razor sharp on my tongue. “No.”
“He almost never leaves the Upper East side.”
“Tragedies like this don’t happen every day.” Nolan hiccups forcefully enough that he swallows hard, probably fighting back the urge to vomit. He started doing shots before the funeral and hasn’t slowed down since we got back to the hotel. This is the first time that Brady’s name has come up without him bursting into tears. “He probably just wants to pay his respects.”
“Maybe,” Vaughn mumbles. “But I’ve never seen a turnout like this for a funeral. Grandfather didn’t even show up when my cousin died in that ski accident.”
“Your grandad is a dick,” Nolan interjects with a loud belch.
Vaughn gropes for the champagne bottle, nearly tipping it over before catching it with the tips of his fingers. “That’s an understatement. You have no idea how bad he can be.”
“He must have really liked Brady,” Nolan sighs.
Vaughn and I exchange an arch glance that Nolan doesn’t notice. Neither of us is under the illusion that Richard Ashbridge likes anyone. Men that old and wealthy don’t feel emotions as common as liking.
“Must have been interesting being home,” I say casually, as if Vaughn hasn’t been totally weird about why he mysteriously left campus for the last week of break. “You never said how that went.”
But Vaughn isn’t drunk enough to fall for it. “It was fine. My brothers were home for the holidays.”
“You guys talk about anything interesting?”
“Nope.”
The revelation that Olivia was pregnant last year hangs in the air between us, hotter than the steam wafting off the churning water. As much as it seemed to bother him at the time, especially since his family made sure their relationship ended, Vaughn seems determined not bring it up in conversation.
Clearing my throat, I take another sip of champagne. “Well, I’m sure that Brady’s family is flattered that your grandfather made the effort.”
“This whole thing just kind of puts some stuff in perspective.” Vaughn’s bleary gaze takes in the packed pool area, lingering for a minute on where Olivia is sitting on a pool chair surrounded by almost a dozen other people.
At least, I’m fairly positive that’s Olivia. I’d like to think that I don’t have any trouble telling them apart up close, but in the dark and from a hundred feet away, it’s hard to be absolutely sure. Especially now that Gigi has colored her hair.
Not that I’d ever tell her that.
“Is there room for a few more,” Cole asks from behind me.
But when I turn to look at him, he isn’t alone. One of his arms is slung around Anya and the other is wrapped around…my sister.
Gigi stands behind them. My gaze flies to her face, but she looks anything but sheepish. Challenge fills her expression as my eyes narrow, like she is daring me to say something.
What the fuck is she doing?
I watch them climb into the pool, rage burning under my skin. When I’d seen Felicia and Gigi together at the funeral, I’d let it go. But I never thought she would bring my sister to this party.
As soon as she hits the water, I wrap an arm around Gigi’s waist and pull her toward me. My neck bends so I can whisper in her ear like we’re sharing a tender moment. Instead, my voice is rough with repressed anger. “What are you doing?”
Her eyes go wide and guileless. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I guess she finally decided to end the silent treatment. “Don’t play games with me.”
“Life is a game. Isn’t that the Havoc House motto?”
There is so much self-satisfaction in her voice that it tempts me to do something about it. Gigi knows precisely what she’s doing by bringing Felicia here, and I don’t appreciate how cavalier she is about the risk. My sister has spent her whole life sheltered from the darker aspects of humanity. I’d like to keep it that way for as long as possible.
If Gigi wants to get under my skin, then she picked a good way to do it.
