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An Offer You Can’t Refuse
Greer
Itake pains to dress myself like the perfect daughter. My hair is pulled back into a high ponytail without so much as even a strand out of place, and I keep my makeup light and casual.
I put my pink bathing suit on underneath the pretty teal sundress, because as soon as I get my morning plans out of the way, I plan on spending some much needed quality me time on the beach.
I pack a bag with a beach towel and a paperback I’ve been dying to read by one of my favorite reverse harem authors. I also toss a bottle of water in there, and then I call it good.
I realize, as I shove my sunglasses on top of my head, that I don’t miss using my cell phone every day or talking to my friends from school in the slightest. If they have tried to contact me since I arrived here, I have no idea. The fact that it doesn’t bother me if they haven’t makes me wonder if I should be worried about myself.
This is just a summer vacation for me. When the summer ends, I’m going away to college. I need to remember that I’m not an islander and this isn’t my real life. The start of my real life awaits me at the end of summer.
I take a deep, strangely shuddering breath. Ugh, I don’t want to even think about that right now. It seems that my excitement at the idea of college evaporated as soon as my toes touched the golden sand of Coral Cove and the sun kissed my pale skin.
Chelsea barges into my room, and I groan inwardly. Damn it, I knew I should have locked the door.
“Knock much?” I snipe at her.
“Oh, get over yourself, little sister. I need a cover-up for my swimsuit, and I want the one you wore yesterday. It’s better suited for me anyway.” She holds out her hand and demands, “Give it to me. Mother said I can borrow whatever I want of yours, seeing as she paid for it and all.”
I grit my teeth as I storm over to the closet and wrench the door open. It’s not worth fighting with her for. She’ll go to Mother and then I’ll have both of them to deal with.
I pull it off the hanger I hung it on last night after changing into my pajamas and close the closet door. I don’t want her looking in there and getting any more bright ideas. For someone who complains about my size, she sure has no problem with taking my clothes so she can wear them.
The hypocrisy is not lost on me.
I don’t bother handing it over to her outstretched hand, instead I toss it at her. She ducks and it lands on the floor at her feet.
She huffs as she bends down to snatch it up. “I don’t know what crawled up your butt, but you better get over it real quick, Greer. Honestly, if this is about me getting Tristan and him finally realizing you’re just a baby, then you’re being ridiculous. You should have seen that one coming.”
I nod my head absently. Sure, she can believe it’s about Tristan all she wants. I won’t correct her if it helps get her out of my room faster.
“We don’t have to be enemies, Greer. You just have to stop being so jealous and childish.”
Now isn’t that straight up laughable?
She stomps out of my room with my pretty cover-up clenched tightly in her manicured claws, probably wrinkling it. Of course she doesn’t bother to ask first. I’m done letting her boss me around and make me feel like shit, and I’m not letting her take one more thing from me. If she wants more clothes, she can make a trip into town like anyone else and go do her own fucking shopping. Just hopefully without Matt having to drive her, because I don’t want her anywhere near him.
I find Daddy out on the veranda, drinking coffee and looking down at the people in the gazebo. There’s a folded local paper by his side, but thankfully he’s alone. I don’t need my mother around for this.
“Good morning, Daddy,” I say in greeting as I lean down and kiss him on the cheek.
I pull out the chair across from him and take a seat, placing my bag in the empty chair beside me.
“Good morning, sweetheart.” Daddy smiles happily at me. “What are your plans for the day? Anything exciting?”
I wipe my sweaty palms on the lap of my dress. I’m nervous. I’ve never outright asked him for anything like this before.
A waiter comes over with a tray and sets down another carafe of coffee and a cup and saucer for me.
I look at him to give my thanks, and my mouth parts in surprise at Jamie grinning down at me. He winks, and I murmur a quiet, “Thank you.”
Hmm… Perhaps I should have asked for the specifics of what he did around here. Hopefully this means I’ll get to see more of him. I need to apologize for disappearing on him last night.
“I’m going to spend my day down at the beach,” I say as I pour myself a cup of coffee. “I find the water to be peaceful. It calms something inside me.”
Daddy puts his cup to his lips, muttering, “You were always like that. No matter where we were in the world, what beach we were on, or what body of water, you were always happy just being there. Your sister and your mother however, not so much. Your mother always had to have an umbrella, sunblock, and someone to fetch her drinks for her. Your sister always complained about being bored after five minutes. But not you.”
