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“I found a house,” he interrupts. “In Malibu. It’s fucking perfect, Jazz. I know you’ll love it. I don’t want to miss the chance to buy it.”
“King—”
“Happy New Year, baby girl.” Bentley hooks his arm around me and kisses the top of my head. “You too, bro.”
Kingston nods. “Same.”
Bentley looks between us. “Did I interrupt something?”
“I was just telling Jazz I found a house.” Kingston is looking at me, but he’s addressing the whole room. “You guys wanna go check it out in the morning?”
“Hell, yeah, I want to check it out.” Bentley holds his fist out for a bump-slash-bro-shake.
“Me too,” Ainsley and Reed say in unison.
“It’s such a great place.” Ainsley clinks her champagne flute against mine. “I can’t wait to see it in person.”
I raise my brows. “You knew Kingston was looking for a house?”
“Of course, I knew he was looking.” Ainsley taps her temple. “Twin mind meld, remember?”
“Or, you know, I forwarded the listing to you,” Kingston adds.
Ains laughs. “That, too.”
I hold my palm out in a gimme motion. “Well? Let’s see this supposedly perfect house.”
Kingston fiddles with his phone for a sec before placing it in my hand.
My jaw drops. “Oh, wow. You didn’t say it was right on the beach!”
If this house is even half as beautiful as it looks from the pictures, I can see why Kingston wants it so bad. The interior is spacious, bright, and airy, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a huge deck overlooking the ocean. The front end has a charming little courtyard with mosaic stepping stones bearing pictures of dolphins, turtles, and other sea creatures. There’s even a large pergola covered in gold bougainvillea, which adds the perfect pop of color.
Nothing about this place is cold and sterile, like my father’s McMansion. It’s homey and beachy and not nearly as big as I was expecting. The listing says it’s just over three thousand square feet, but that only makes it more perfect. It proves my boyfriend had me in mind when house hunting. He knew I’d never be comfortable in an over-the-top mansion.
Kingston smiles. “Told you. Perfect. And there are four bedrooms. Plenty of room for us, Belle, and Ains, for however long she wants it.”
“Whoa, that’s pretty sweet,” Bentley remarks over my shoulder. “Nice, Davenport.”
“So?” Kingston lifts his brows. “You wanna go see it in the morning?”
“Yeah.” I grin. “I really do.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
KINGSTON
“Did you hear Christian Taylor shot himself over winter break?” Ainsley asks. “I mean, can you believe that? And Lucas Gale just up and disappeared. Rumor has it, Lucas dumped Peyton and ran off with an heiress. Peyton was supposedly so distraught, she begged her parents to send her to boarding school. Personally, I think it’s because Peyton’s former besties wrote her off, and she knew she’d be a social pariah. Whitney and Imogen were flouncing around, acting like queen bees, making sure everyone knows what a backstabbing cum bucket Peyton is. It’s all anyone’s been talking about at school. What a crazy first day back.”
Reed laughs. “Whoa there, Ains. Take a breath.”
Ainsley flips him off before turning her attention to Jazz. “Do you know why Peyton suddenly went to boarding school? Like, did the ‘rents say anything to you?”
Jazz shrugs. “Uh... I know that she’s somewhere in France. I don’t know why, though. I’ve been staying here, so I haven’t seen Charles or Madeline since before Christmas. But I think your theory is a good one.”
Fuck. I need to have a talk with Ainsley soon. I know Jazz and Reed are having a hard time hiding things from her. Plus, I need to prepare my sister for when the FBI makes their move. I’ve been keeping it from her because she can’t lie to save her life, but I don’t want her to be completely blindsided. Maybe I’ll tell her once we get into the new place, and there’s no chance of her running into our dad.
