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She nodded, but before she could move closer to me, Jimmy cut her off as well. "You can't leave until we say you can," hesaid.
"Yeah," Kyle mimicked. "Not until wesay."
"What are you going to do?" Erika demanded. "Stop us?" She pushed past Jimmy and grabbed myhand.
Kyle's own came out and snagged my other arm before she could pull me away. "Aww, is the Bimbo scared we're gonna hurt her friend?" hetaunted.
Jimmy laughed. "It's the only one shehas."
Erika gritted her teeth and I tried to pull my arm from Kyle's grip. He squeezed harder. "You're hurting me," Isaid.
He looked down at me and squeezed harder, grinning. Just as I was about to knee him in his groin, a small dainty fist came out and slammed into his nose. Kyle's hand fell away as he cried out and tripped backward. Eyes wide, I turned to Erika, who held her fist close to herchest.
She winced. "That freakinghurt!"
"Hey!" Jimmy yelled, lunging for his brother to make sure he wasokay.
"Come on," Erika snapped. With her free hand, she grabbed mine and then pulled me away as fast aspossible.
"That was so..." I tried to say as we ran towards theroad.
"I know," she said, sounding surprised. "I don't know what came overme."
"Whatever it was," I said, "you should let it happen moreoften."
Erika's grin was blinding. When we were a suitable distance away, I tugged on her hand to pull her to a stop. I could take care of myself. I would have punched Kyle if he had gotten too irritating, but I needed to hug her. When Erika slowed, I dropped her hand and put my arms aroundher.
"You're my best friend," I said as I inhaled her smell. Erika smelled like her mom's faded perfume and the lemony cleaning supplies her parents used to clean their house. It wascomforting.
"And you're mine," shereplied.
“I promise I’ll never let anything bad happen to you,” I said quietly, tears stinging at the back of myeyes.
I could feel her lips pressing into my hair as she smiled and squeezed me tighter. “I know youwouldn’t.”
I held her for a long time. I didn't know how long, but it was long enough that when I pulled back I could feel the extra warmth on my cheek from pressing against her shoulder. It was good to have a friend I could count on. Even though I could take care of myself and I wasn't so spineless as to let people like Kyle and Jimmy Bloom hurt me, Erika wasn't the kind of person who stood for it. Sure, she was girly, and she was a little forgetful at times, but she was a good person. She wasmyperson.
* * *
Grayson
4 yearsago…
Iris.
On one side of the coal-black card in my hand, the name was scribbled in a light, cursive, silvery ink.Beautiful printing,I thought, turning the card over and sliding my thumb across the elegant script. A single phone number marked the other side. I flipped the card again, holding it in myhand.
“We’re nearing the main gate,” the driver said, alerting me to the roll of the town car’s tires as it slowed to turn into the Vandersen-Caruso entryway. Scowling, I slid the card into my pocket and folded my arms across my chest. We turned into the gates and slowly rolled up the mile-longdriveway.
When the driver stopped the car and got out to open my own door, I barely spared the man a glance as I ascended the front marble steps. The twin columns on either side of the solid oak, double front doors were cloaked in rich green ivy. It, too, was as fake as the people who lived in this godforsaken house. It was planted and grown to look natural and then twisted around the columns as a statement of architectural beauty. That’s all she was fucking obsessed with—beauty.
As I strode through the front doors, a butler stopped at my side. Before he could say a word, her voice flitted down the front staircase. “Grayson? You’rehome.”
Tingles of rage poured into my veins every time I looked up at her beautiful, scheming face. Oh, yes. Theodora “Teddi” Vandersen-Caruso was quite possibly one of the most beautiful women in Charleston at one point in time, but years of attempting to stop aging had really ruined that forher.
“Yes, Mother.” I let the butler take my coat and scramble away as she descended the staircase. Even her own damn servants didn’t want to stay in the same room as her if they didn’t haveto.
“Where have youbeen?”
