Page 116 of Twisted Truth

He chuckles again. “I’m going to love punishing you for tonight when I get back.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“You have no idea what I’m going to do to you.”

His dark promise sends shivers up my spine and turns mypanties damp. “And now you’re going to make me wait,” I whine. “When are you going to be home?”

“That’s my dirty girl. I’ll be home in a week. Until then, I’m sure we can put the cameras in your room to good use.”

I try to respond, but my words and thoughts are a tangled mess.

“Go home, baby.” I’m not sure when Asher started calling me baby, but fuck if I don’t love it. I never thought I’d like something like that, but with Asher, I do.

“Bring as many friends as you want and dance all night if you’d like, but you’re not staying out.”

I sway slightly on my feet and Stupid Rational Bitch whispers that this is for the best, reminding me that Monday PR Ella will be happy about this turn of events.

I sigh. “Fine.”

“Good girl.”

Just as I hang up the phone, the car pulls up to the curb and Jenkins visibly relaxes. Especially when we notice a couple of paps headed in our direction. It took them a bit longer tonight, but they caught our trail eventually. Fuckers. I swear they hang around outside Asher’s building and just wait for the car to leave so they can follow.

“Let’s go, ladies,” Jenkins says.

“You can’t order me around,” Lucy hisses.

“Then stay here,” he says. “You’re not the priority. Ms. Hale is. If you want to stay behind to be mobbed and questioned by the paparazzi, be my guest.”

Lucy narrows her eyes.

“Come on, Luce,” Zahra says. “Trust me, the paps are relentless. It’s better if we just leave.”

Thirty minutes, and a couple of spiteful shots of vodka from Asher’s hidden store of alcohol in his car, later, I’m giving Zahra and Lucy a tipsy tour of Asher’s penthouse. They decided Ishouldn’t be alone tonight and are staying with me for moral support. They always worry about me when I drink too much. Sometimes I just pass out anywhere. In the middle of the floor, in the back of a car, and one time in a hot tub. I am that drunk girl that needs babysitting. But the weird part is, I keep my mind mostly intact. Blurry, slow to respond, easily confused, but not totally gone. I’m pretty aware of what I’m doing, but I’m just so tired and slow that I can’t change course very well. And once the drunk sleepies hit, I’m fucked.

“So, this is the gym,” I say, groping the wall to find a light switch. “Shit, that’s bright,” I hiss, as the light flares to life. I squint my eyes halfway shut. “Asher and Declan work out together in here. And Asher is shirtless a lot; it’s a marvel.” I clamp my hand over my mouth. I may be aware of what I’m doing and saying, but I still get loose lips.

We head out to the pool room that can be indoor or outdoor depending on the season. “Here’s the pool and the hot tub. We should get in!”

“No!” Zahra and Lucy shout at the same time.

“I’m not dragging your drunk, sleepy ass out of a hot tub again,” Lucy says.

“At least there’s security on site that could help us,” Zahra says with a laugh. “It’s insane to me that Asher has a security officer apartment inside his penthouse. Who’s on duty tonight?”

I shrug. “Dunno. Don’t pay attention. They stay in their apartment once they’ve checked the rest of the Asher’s.”

“What I want to see is your closet,” Lucy says. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you trekking about in designer. I’m so proud and jealous all at the same time.”

I lead them back inside, then up to my bedroom and into my closet. “It’s not as big as Asher’s closet because his is massive, but it’s still pretty impressive.”

Lucy gushes and starts flipping through hangers before she stops and turns back to me. “Wait, why are your clothes up here if Asher’s closet is so big? And why are your things up in this bedroom? Why are you living with your boyfriend, but sleeping in a separate room?”

Shit.

I look at Zahra, and she gives me a shrug. “I . . .”

Lucy looks back and forth between Zahra and me. “What’s going on? Why are you two looking at each other like that?”