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We hang out at the pool house for the rest of the day. I’m not sure how it happened, but Conner came out to check on us and ended up staying. Then Cole appeared a bit later, so here we are, the four of us camped out in front of the TV watching reruns of The Walking Dead.
James is away for business again, but I only know because Mom mentioned it yesterday.
“Refill, anyone?” Conner asks, clambering to his feet. He’s on a beanbag on the floor, with Cole in the chair and me and Ace on the couch. I’m curled up on end, my feet in his lap.
“Me, please.” I hold up my glass and he lets out a little huff.
“Is this how it’s gonna be now? The three of us waiting on the princess?” I can’t see his face, but I do catch Ace glaring at him.
“And I thought you enjoyed being the little bitch boy,” Cole grumbles.
“Fuck you, man. Just because you’re a Seahawk now. Hey, does that mean you’ll get a letterman jacket? I can just picture it now. Our little brother, rubbing shoulders with Sterling Prep elite in his new shiny—“
“Knock it off, Con,” Ace grunts. “I’m watching this.”
“I did not have you down for a TWD fan,” I snicker.
“What the fuck did you just say?”
“The Walking Dead,” I enunciate each word. “I figured you’d be more of a Sons of Anarchy kind of guy, or Good Girls. Yeah, that’s more like it.” I flash him a knowing smile, but he doesn’t return it.
“Isn’t that the one with the gang banger who fucks the rich bitch—“
“Con!” Ace and Cole both yell.
“Yeah, yeah, no swearing in front of the princess.” He returns with my soda and flops back down on the beanbag.
“Hey, Conner,” I say and he looks over at me. “Go fuck yourself.”
Ace howls with laughter, and even Cole cracks a smile.
“She’s trouble, Ace.” Conner flips me off and I poke my tongue out at him. “This is the life, huh?” He relaxes back against the bag. “No adults to tell us what to do, no leaky rotten trailer, and we have a fully stocked refrigerator. I know James is a pretentious asshole, but you can’t deny we dropped lucky with this gig.”
Ace’s hand stiffens around my ankle, his eyes turning dark.
“It’s all right,” Cole says. “But I miss the Heights.”
Suddenly, I feel like an outsider to their conversation. Ace is pissed. Cole looks sad. And Conner is just Conner. He’s so laid back I’m surprised he can stand half the time.
“Yeah, I know,” he goes on. “But prep school pussy isn’t so bad.”
“I am right here,” I hiss.
“Good job it’s not your pussy I’m talking about then. Besides, I think Ace already staked his cla—“ I grab a cushion and throw it at his face. My cheeks burn with indignation.
“Conner,” Ace says.
“Yeah, bro?”
“Shut the fuck up.”
Chapter Seventeen
Ace
“Did you find out where he’s going to be?” I whisper to Cole in the kitchen area of the pool house while Conner and Remi are distracted.
“Yeah. Party on the beach.”
