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He tilted his head to the side. “She’s been blowing up your phone all night.”
Thank fuck I had my texts unreadable when they popped up on my lock screen. He could see who texted or called me, but he couldn’t read them. My eyes went to the bed where he had dropped my phone before he grabbed me.
“Well, I can see this conversation is going nowhere.” He let me go and backed away toward the door. “See you tomorrow for dinner, Kit-Kat. When you get tired of dealing with them by yourself, I’ll be here.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” I muttered, going straight for my phone as he left the room. Making sure I locked the door behind him, I ran to the bathroom and shut the door. There were five missed calls and a couple of texts, and I quickly pressed call and put the phone to my ear.
“Katalina? Are you okay? You were supposed to check in last night.”
“No, I’m not okay.” For the first time all night, tears blurred my vision. “It’s all fucked, James. Everything.”
“Calm down,” James said softly. “Tell me what happened.”
I explained everything that happened, including the fact that River had my phone, which was why I hadn’t called him last night.
“He knows my name?” James asked sharply, losing his concern. “That can’t happen—”
“I’m not stupid,” I retorted, my nerves already fried for the day. And the sun wasn’t even up yet. “I have your number saved under a different name. Amanda.”
He was silent for more than a minute as I paced the small bathroom. I didn’t know why I was hanging on to any hope that he could help me out of this. It was too late for that.
“Okay. Don’t get upset.” He paused, sounding hesitant. “But this could work out better than the original plan.”
“Are you serious?” I hissed, going rigid when I heard what sounded like knocking. “I have to go. I’ll call when I can meet up.”
Without waiting for a response, I hung up and slowly pulled the bathroom door open. Another knock came from outside my room. Pulling my shorts back on, I took a deep breath. If it was one of the guys, they wouldn’t be knocking. A girl with orange hair and freckles was standing outside my door with an unsure look on her face.
“Hi, I’m Abigail,” she introduced herself. “Me and some of the girls are going to breakfast before orientation. We wanted to see if you’d like to join.”
Forcing a smile, I nodded. “Sure. Thanks for the invite. I know me coming last minute probably shook up the team.”
She chuckled. “We’re curious about the new girl. All we know is your name.”
“Kat,” I told her quickly. “You can call me Kat.”
I still wasn’t sure why the guys hadn’t used my real name when they told Bri about me, but I would play along for now. It would be nice to get to know the girls I’m living with as just another twenty-two-year-old college student without the pressure of my last name hanging over my head.
The second orientation was over, I had to find a way to the Estate for dinner. There was no way in hell I was driving with Eli and West. Then I had to figure out a way to meet with James without anyone in this city finding out.
It was going to be a long day.
CHAPTEREIGHT
Sittingat the massive table at my family’s house, I kept my hands in my lap, averting my gaze from the people surrounding me. William and my mom were here, and other than the formal hellos, I hadn’t said a word. Eli’s parents were here too, and River’s mom. West’s parents already had plans tonight. I wished it was William who wasn’t here.
Eli’s dad, Richard, tapped his fingers on the table, his annoyance palpable. I bit my lip, keeping my grin to myself. River was sitting across from me, staying as silent as I was. He tugged at his tie like it was suffocating him. He hated wearing suits, but formal dress was always expected at family dinners. And even if I hated him, it was hard not to notice that he looked as good in a suit as he did in his usual casual sweats.
The dining room door banged open, and I glanced up to see Eli and West striding in with deep frowns on their faces. Both fixed their attention on Richard.
“Was it not clear that dinner started at six?” Richard asked them, anger radiating through his voice. “Did you expect us to wait all night to eat because you two don’t know how to arrive on time?”
“I’m sorry, sir. We were looking for…” Eli’s jaw clenched when his eyes fell on me. West’s face turned murderous when he followed Eli’s gaze. “There was a misunderstanding. We were under the impression that Katalina needed a ride, and we were waiting for her.”
The smug smile fell from my lips before everyone focused on me. My eyes widened with innocence as I twisted a lock of hair around my fingers.
“I told them I didn’t need a ride,” I said, acting confused. “I wanted to spend time with my mom before dinner.”
Eli’s glare promised revenge as he sat in the empty chair next to me. West dropped into the seat on my other side. I’d had my mom’s driver pick me up right after orientation and bring me here. I spent the day hiding out in my childhood room, avoiding William. Seeing how pissed the guys were, it was worth it. Looking bad in front of our parents was something all four of us avoided at all times.
